IPODS Please Explain

[EdwardGein]

Can someone please explain this to me again so I can understand all the stuff I keep reading about IPODS. Is IPOD basically just the brand name for an mp3 player put out by Apple?
As such: 1. Is there any difference in sound quality between an MP3 player such as my zen nano plus & an IPOD or any other mp3 player if they're all recorded at the same levels, say 128? 2. If I do not intend to buy any music online whatsoever, I refuse to do this on principle- why buy when you can get it free (even though I currently don't have any device on my computer because of adware/spyware fears not out of screwing Lar Ulrich out of a $1), and my mp3 player holds the same size files as say an IPOD & is approximately the same size/weight, what's the difference? In other words, is basically IPOD the original and all other brands mp3 players cheaper replicas of the IPOD that produce the same sound? If there is more of a differerence, would appreciate someone explaining this to me. Thanks

[hermann_giron]

the generic name for this type of devicer is "Digital Music Player" or "MP3 player". IPOD is the Apple brand product.

Apple and IPOD made huge commercial efforts designing and launching the IPOD, which is evident in the important market share this product has obtained (last i heard, more than 70% market share for digital music players.

their market share is not only based on marketing though.

IPOD navigation options are well thought out, the ergonomics of the devices are very good, accessories are very widely available, you have many format options to choose from (device size, hard disk capacity, etc.).

Sound quality can differ between players at the same sampling rate, depending on amplification schemes, earphone selection and digital circuitry, however, considering the listening conditions that usually accompany portable listening, they will probably not be considerable. (i would reccomend upgrading any headphones you get stock with any MP3 Player)

if you are happy with the Nano, stay there.

[bubbagump]

Can someone please explain this to me again so I can understand all the stuff I keep reading about IPODS. Is IPOD basically just the brand name for an mp3 player put out by Apple?
As such: 1. Is there any difference in sound quality between an MP3 player such as my zen nano plus & an IPOD or any other mp3 player if they're all recorded at the same levels, say 128? 2. If I do not intend to buy any music online whatsoever, I refuse to do this on principle- why buy when you can get it free (even though I currently don't have any device on my computer because of adware/spyware fears not out of screwing Lar Ulrich out of a $1), and my mp3 player holds the same size files as say an IPOD & is approximately the same size/weight, what's the difference? In other words, is basically IPOD the original and all other brands mp3 players cheaper replicas of the IPOD that produce the same sound? If there is more of a differerence, would appreciate someone explaining this to me. Thanks

iPod is just a brand name for an digital audio player (dap) marketed by apple. Nothing more or less. The 5th gen also does video but that's another story. Apple's player is by far the best known. This popularity results in people using the name generically, similar to how people will say xerox when they are refering to a copy. Even though the ipod is the 800 pound gorrilla at the moment, it's far from an original concept (like everything else Apple markets). What distinguishes apple products from all others is design. When Steve Jobs hired Jonathon Ives, apple hardware design started to distinguish the brand rather than it's alternative operating system. Prior to Ives, Apple hardware was basically the same as competing hardware from pc manufacturers. Ives knows how to design hardware that people want to touch and use. No one else in the dap arena comes close. In a nut shell, the reason ipods are so popular is because Ives understands and implements gotta-have design. Which brings me back to the ipod. The scroll wheel, fit, finish and big screen are what what people seem to love. People will also say that it's easier to use than other players but having owned at least a dozen daps, I'd have to disagree. The ipod is certainly more interesting and perhaps more fun than others but not easier. If you really want easy, buy a ums (universal mass storage) player from Rio or iriver. The ipod ease of use by comparison is lacking. As fr sound quaity, ipods are good but not outstanding. The best sounding apple player, at least until the release of the 5th gen (video ipod), is the shuffle surprisingly. When measured, it shows better bass response and overall frequequency response than other apple players. Creative players are probably the 'best' sounding players on paper. iriver and rio players are no slouches either. So, if you're happy with the nano, there's no reason to look elsewhere. It's a fine player. I bought one for a friend who is something of an audiophile. She thinks it's great (but probably wouldn't tell me it isn't since it was a gift).

[Daddy3Legs]

YOU ARE CLEARLY out of the real world. IPod is not only the reason for NASDAQ hostory making growth of Apple, it's in the paper, tv news and web news constantly as this generations' answer to the hula - hoop, Rubik's Cubes and things like that.

Man, you must be DEAD!

[EdwardGein]

Thanks for the really good definitions. I'll definitely stick to my Zen Nano Plus though I may trade my 512 player in for a 1 Gig as it saves me having to spend time deleting files to get new files on- originally thought being able to put 10 albums or so on it just to use riding the bus or jogging or working out is enough, but the idea of have access to 20 albums appeals to me more now that I'm using it.

[eisforelectronic]

two words- "ipod Generation"

[bubbagump]

Thanks for the really good definitions. I'll definitely stick to my Zen Nano Plus though I may trade my 512 player in for a 1 Gig as it saves me having to spend time deleting files to get new files on- originally thought being able to put 10 albums or so on it just to use riding the bus or jogging or working out is enough, but the idea of have access to 20 albums appeals to me more now that I'm using it.

Instead of stepping up to a gig, consider buying a mid size player like the Rio Carbon or Creative Zen Micro. Ten or more times the sapce you have now without bring signicantly bigger. Both use micro drives. The durability of these drives has been proven out and shouldn't be a deterent to working out or otherwise using in a rough environment. Not sure about the Zen but the Carbon is also a podcast power house. Mostly because it lets you set up to nine hard book marks. It's iTunes and Audible compatible as well.

[HAVIC]

EdwardGein your choice in a creative player will have equal sound quality as an ipod. There are many great alternatives to an ipod that are in my opinion even better. Creative, iRiver, Rio and Archos all make great players with great sound quality. The player I have the iRiver H120, I believe was the only player ever made with optical in and out. I wish others would make an optical player as well. Even iRivers newer models do not include optical. Unfortunately because of the sheepish nature of the masses the Ipod has won due to marketing and all other players are stripping down features to compete with the ipod. Apple has done some good things like their click wheel navigation and initially their size was smaller than most, however they tended to cost more for many less options.

Also if you have a nice mid-fi or hi-fi system make sure you record your mp3's at 192k. You can hear a difference. And Lastly their are many other formats available beside mp3 which sound much better. check to see which formats your player supports. MP3's sound "hollow" on my system. Had I not already converted my cd's to mp3's a while ago I would re-rip them in ogg vorbis format (ogg), which sounds much better. Remeber all of these formats are called lossy format which means ranges of much are omitted in order to compress the song into a small file.

hope this helps
Greg

[EdwardGein]

The only reason I won't get more then 1GB is they don't as far as I know have any models the size & weight of the Zen Nano Plus which is the only reason I bought one in the first place. It is so small, 2 1/2" X 1/2" with 1/4" depth, weighing 1.2 ozs, that it is perfect for me to carry to jog/work out & listen on the bus or train or walking with my super lightweight & ultra comfortable Koss portapro headphones.

[EdwardGein]

Can you answer or clarify the following for me (Right now I can't do OGG so let's forget about that). 1. What produces better sound quality wma or mp3?

2. Will I really hear a noticeable difference in rock/blues recordings between say 192 & 160 or 192 & 128 or 160 & 128, just listening on headphones on my mp3 player? When I burn CD's I of course use the highest setting. I've mainly been using 128 right now on my zen nano plus to get more songs on but if you say there is a noticeable difference I'll go to 160 or 192.

3. After doing extensive research on the internet & go through various forums, I found 1, mind you just 1, software program called tunebite at www.tunebite.com, a German outfit, that enables you to transfer to your mp3 player and burn CD's of any files you've gotten from a music service. The site maintains its strictly legal because of the process. It let's you convert these tracks at 4 times regular speed & digitally too and they sound very good- I wouldn't do it analogue because it sounds crap. As long as you have Windows Media Player & XP, you can transfer any music files to your player. If you have any individual questions, feel free to contact me at my private box here. Tunebite only costs $17 & they give you a free trial but you can only do 30 seconds recordings on the trial package. Trust me the program works great but it did take me a while to figure out how to download it correctly & use. I don't use the free sites because of my paranoia about adware and viruses & find that the music services do give you great quality & an excellent selection but they totally screw you over in how you can use their stuff unless you do online research & find programs that will let you do what you want with them.
4. What does the optic cable do on your IRiver player as opposed to a USB cable?

[evil__betty]

The site maintains its strictly legal because of the process.
Odd that you would even mention the legality of this software when you are so openly against paying (legally) for your songs that you download.
If I do not intend to buy any music online whatsoever, I refuse to do this on principle- why buy when you can get it free. Buddy, quit being so cheap! Spend that $1/song, support the artists, and maintain that virus-free computer that you obsessivly worry about. Or perhaps you can splurge for the entire album, and buy it at a music store for about $12. Plus you also get to maintain the legality of the whole process and guatantee that the song quality is top-notch. It's a win-win for every party.

[noddin0ff]

Odd that you would even mention the legality of this software when you are so openly against paying (legally) for your songs that you download. Buddy, quit being so cheap! Spend that $1/song, support the artists, and maintain that virus-free computer that you obsessivly worry about. Or perhaps you can splurge for the entire album, and buy it at a music store for about $12. Plus you also get to maintain the legality of the whole process and guatantee that the song quality is top-notch. It's a win-win for every party.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

[HAVIC]

1. What produces better sound quality wma or mp3?

I believe wma, but I am not 100% sure, I never looked into wma.


2. Will I really hear a noticeable difference in rock/blues recordings between say 192 & 160 or 192 & 128 or 160 & 128, just listening on headphones on my mp3 player? When I burn CD's I of course use the highest setting. I've mainly been using 128 right now on my zen nano plus to get more songs on but if you say there is a noticeable difference I'll go to 160 or 192.

You will most likely not hear a on headphones, but if you ever want to use the player on your stereo system you will.


After doing extensive research on the internet & go through various forums, I found 1, mind you just 1, software program called tunebite at www.tunebite.com, a German outfit, that enables you to transfer to your mp3 player and burn CD's of any files you've gotten from a music service

You can do this without a special program. Once you burn any subscription downloaded music to a cd the special encoding goes away.


I don't use the free sites because of my paranoia about adware and viruses

If you use a reputable site like download.com or tucows.com all of their files posted are adware/spyware and virus free.


4. What does the optic cable do on your IRiver player as opposed to a USB cable?

The optical cable is for audio in/out. It allows me to record directly to my player via optical in from an audio source or I can play my music on a reciever via optical out. It just allows for better audio coming from the player.

HTH
Greg