IPOD/MP3 player...which one???

[derekpfeiffer]

I know very little about ipods/mp3 players other than I want one. Depending on who I talk to some say ipods are better and some say mp3 players are better since you don't have to worry about Itunes and can just sync it with windows media player. Like I said I really don't know which one to buy but being able to directly upload from windows media player is very appealing since i have a couple thousand songs already in media player. I'm assuming you can buy all the accessories for the mp3 players as you can the ipods like the FM transmiter and such.

Thanks for any help guys!!

[DoubleBlended]

im sure there will be lots of feedback the main difference is that ipod is exclusive to itunes and mp3 players are like mini hard drives.. both are relatively easy to operate... ipods are very nice and mp3 players are a little more user friendly with the pc drag and drop world...

your media (music) files can be dropped into itunes easily so i would say looking at options that meet your personal pleasures are your primary concern... docking ... transmitters ... accessories ... etc...

the ipod has single handedly saved and enabled apple to become the super company it is today...

[BDiggity]

Like DB said, ipods have the market wrapped up. Tons of accessories for home, portable, car stereos, etc.

i personally dont think they are the best hardware/features, i hate itunes, but for the reasons mentioned above we have 3 of them & i am about due for a new nano since my 4gb model is basically full.

[Dockman]

Itunes will transfer all the songs on your computer to itunes when you download it. It is pretty simple to operate.

[Somewhere In the Sun]

I also am not an itunes fan. I would not own an Ipod for this very reason. I will not pay 99 cents per song.

I have a Microsoft Zune which I love. I pay $15 a month to download from Microsoft Marketplace. Unlimited downloads but I can not burn them to a cd. No big deal to me because my Zune will hook up to my boat, car, home, or where ever I want it to. I also have about 25,000 songs on it. You do the math on 99 cents a song.

I have had Sansa players in the past and used Best Buy's Rhapsody. Liked the site but the players suck.

Figure out what type of site you want to download from-- pay per song, or a flat rate. Then choose the best player for your needs. Dont skimp on this, you get what you pay for.

Any player will accept the songs you already have downloaded.

[LA69MM]

I know very little about ipods/mp3 players other than I want one. Depending on who I talk to some say ipods are better and some say mp3 players are better since you don't have to worry about Itunes and can just sync it with windows media player. Like I said I really don't know which one to buy but being able to directly upload from windows media player is very appealing since i have a couple thousand songs already in media player. I'm assuming you can buy all the accessories for the mp3 players as you can the ipods like the FM transmiter and such.

Thanks for any help guys!!

I researched this quite a bit 2 1/2 years ago and thought I would go with a Creative or other brand. But in the end, you can't beat the iPod for design and ease of use and also for the aftermarket accessories available for them. From docking stations for easy drop in place use at home stereos, to portable Bose docks to direct digital connections to the car and boat stereos. No other brand attracts the aftermarket manufacturers. If you want to just run off a headphone output, anything can work.

Most people I talk to who run iTunes don't know that you can easily change the music importation to standard MP3 instead of Apples AAC. This way, the music is more universal. iTunes is an easy way to manage the music and create playlists. It also has the new Genius feature that builds a playlist aroudn a song you choose in just seconds. Makes throwing together a playlist of similar type songs/artists simple.

BTW, iPod can also be used in a manual mode where you drag the files on. It's just not as easy that way to organize your music. Paid $349 for an 80gb back then so the 120gb for $249 is a steal! I've played with others but am a fan of the iPod.

[DeSimulacra]

I use an IPod Shuffle and love it. We also have some regular IPods (big ones w/screen) I just want music and the shuffle does that very well. I never use ITunes but just put my MP3's on the Shuffle.

[Livin on the Edge Too]

Buy the biggest iPod you can afford. When I travel I fill mine with music, TV shows, movies and the wife's audio books. All you need to do is buy a patch cord and the iPod connects to a TV or stereo thru the RCA plugs. Once you start using it for video you will quickly wish you had a larger storage capacity.

[BDM]

Iphone.

'nuff said.

[LA69MM]

Buy the biggest iPod you can afford. When I travel I fill mine with music, TV shows, movies and the wife's audio books. All you need to do is buy a patch cord and the iPod connects to a TV or stereo thru the RCA plugs. Once you start using it for video you will quickly wish you had a larger storage capacity.

Dave, if you get a dock for it (Best Buy, Apple) and the cable, you can output to you TV with an S-Video connection for a little better picture too. I have a Dynex dock (Best Buy brand) that comes with all the cables. It charges it and outputs audio and S-Video. Just gotta watch it cause the cables used for the iPod Video and iPod Classics are different.

[BDiggity]

Iphone.

'nuff said.

then u cant have it plugged in to the alpine playing tunes while your off doing something else wanting to use the phone.

[joey]

I've got a Apple iTouch and had a connection put in the boat last Spring, it works great and has enough memory for anything I'll download.
You can also load any of your CDs through your computer at home, my CD player in boat is a thing of the past.
With the iTouch you can load videos and all your photos from home and even check your e-mail, it's cool check them out.
It's the same as the iPhone except no phone.

[ridin hood]

I've got a Apple iTouch and had a connection put in the boat last Spring, it works great and has enough memory for anything I'll download.
You can also load any of your CDs through your computer at home, my CD player in boat is a thing of the past.
With the iTouch you can load videos and all your photos from home and even check your e-mail, it's cool check them out.
It's the same as the iPhone except no phone.


I have the same thing and it works great!! Last couple of times we went out of town I will rent a couple movies on itunes and watch the movies on it during the flight.

[BDM]

then u cant have it plugged in to the alpine playing tunes while your off doing something else wanting to use the phone.

Actually, I could....

I'd just use my other cell phone. :twisted:

[ridin hood]

Actually, I could....

I'd just use my other cell phone. :twisted:

Another example of gov't waste!! :mrgreen:








I know I used the word gov't but this is not political, it is ball bustin'!! [smilie=nutkick.gif]

[Crownie 11]

I like (and use) iPods mostly because of owning Apple computers for a number of years, and I'm comfortable with the brand. The accessories for iPods are everywhere, and I picked up a used 15GB iPod for the boat, for all of $75. Works like a champ with the Clarion iPod interface I installed.

I agree with Joey: once you upload your CDs to your computer, your CD players are history. I can't remember the last time I listened to a CD.

[BDM]

Another example of gov't waste!! :mrgreen:








I know I used the word gov't but this is not political, it is ball bustin'!! [smilie=nutkick.gif]

Yep....

Long post here... get ready.

So, the reason I have two phones.... the Iphone is mine, and I pay for it myself. It's a personal phone.

I have a nextel phone as well because my employer provides it, and I'm required to have it. Now, here's where it gets fun. They REQUIRE me to have it, and yet the IRS taxes me because it's a "fringe benefit" according to tax code. Even though the city REQUIRES me to have it.

Want more fun? How about this... I asked if I could just use my Iphone and have my e-mail etc. come to it. Well, they could do that, but then I would either have to be a salary employee, or I would have to charge 15 minutes of time every time I looked at my phone. This is because of the Federal "Fair Labor Standards Act". Yeah, someone bitched about having to look at their phone outside of work, sued us over it, so now management is all worried about it.

Gotta love the system.... [smilie=101.gif] They ask for ideas to save money, then [smilie=nutkick.gif] when you give them a viable one.

[joey]

I like (and use) iPods mostly because of owning Apple computers for a number of years, and I'm comfortable with the brand. The accessories for iPods are everywhere, and I picked up a used 15GB iPod for the boat, for all of $75. Works like a champ with the Clarion iPod interface I installed.

I agree with Joey: once you upload your CDs to your computer, your CD players are history. I can't remember the last time I listened to a CD.

One of the cool things about using some type of iPod instead of your CD player is the amount of juice you'll start saving on your batteries, because the real only big drain is your amps.
Plus you never have to worry about CDs skipping when your on the GO !

[Crownie 11]

One of the cool things about using some type of iPod instead of your CD player is the amount of juice you'll start saving on your batteries, because the real only big drain is your amps.
Plus you never have to worry about CDs skipping when your on the GO !

Yeah, absolutely. Plus, you aren't changing CDs every 45 minutes, either. Put it on a playlist and let it play for hours.

[LA69MM]

Does everyone with iPods know they can change the file type when they import a CD from Apples AAC to standard MP3? You can also increase the file size for a better sounding file. If you ever did switch to another brand of player, the MP3 file is universal while the AAC won't play on other brands.

In iTunes, Edit, Preferences and then Import Settings on the General Tab. I rip mine at 192K as that's nearly CD quality but still a file size that doesn't eat up all your memory. Rock & Roll!

[Crownie 11]

Does everyone with iPods know they can change the file type when they import a CD from Apples AAC to standard MP3? You can also increase the file size for a better sounding file. If you ever did switch to another brand of player, the MP3 file is universal while the AAC won't play on other brands.

In iTunes, Edit, Preferences and then Import Settings on the General Tab. I rip mine at 192K as that's nearly CD quality but still a file size that doesn't eat up all your memory. Rock & Roll!

Hey, thanks for the information. I've never messed with the settings, but I might now. Thanks!

[Keytime]

120Gb iPod classic here. I wanted lots of storage for music, video, pics, etc. I plan to use it in the boat this summer with an iPod-ready Sony receiver.
Does anyone here use a cool docking system in the cockpit for theirs, or do you just wire plug the cable in and toss it in the cabin? Safely, of course.

[Crownie 11]

120Gb iPod classic here. I wanted lots of storage for music, video, pics, etc. I plan to use it in the boat this summer with an iPod-ready Sony receiver.
Does anyone here use a cool docking system in the cockpit for theirs, or do you just wire plug the cable in and toss it in the cabin? Safely, of course.

I've got a Clarion head unit in my boat, and I attached an iPod interface to it so you can power / play the iPod over the same cable. You can control the iPod through the HU, as well. It's pretty slick.

[LA69MM]

120Gb iPod classic here. I wanted lots of storage for music, video, pics, etc. I plan to use it in the boat this summer with an iPod-ready Sony receiver.
Does anyone here use a cool docking system in the cockpit for theirs, or do you just wire plug the cable in and toss it in the cabin? Safely, of course.

I just plug mine into the cable coming out the back of my head unit and put it in my side pocket with a small towel over it to make sure it doesn't get wet and to keep it out of heat/sun. Pro Clips makes cool mounts that you can slide the unit into, case and all. They have them that acccept the plug so it's like docking them.

[Keytime]

I've got a Clarion head unit in my boat, and I attached an iPod interface to it so you can power / play the iPod over the same cable. You can control the iPod through the HU, as well. It's pretty slick.

Do any of the wired remotes control the iPod as well?? My receiver is in the cabin and if I can't control the iPod from the cockpit, I'd like to have the iPod docked out in the cockpit with me.

(Don't mean to hijack!! I hope the info helps others as well.)

[LA69MM]

Here's another tip if you want...helps with levelling out the volume between songs so you don't have those crazy volume differences.

When you dock your iPod to iTunes, a panel comes up where you have lots of choices. Under Music, you can set a couple of things. (1) is sound checker. When you click this, it goes thru your iTunes and checks the volume of each song. But, you then have to turn it on under settings on your iPod. So, it's something you can check on iTunes and then decide if you want to use it or not on the iPod.

But what I found is, it did volumes a lot closer but it also pulled the volume of all songs down so much that I was having to gain my amps all the way in the boat and if you switched to CD or FM, the difference was blaring. So what I did is highlight all of my iTunes music, then right clicked, get info, options and I ran the volume bar up to 1 line from max. This boosted the baseline of all music but sound check still works to keep the songs close in volume. And it's not distorted at all.

Now, when I've got my boat system bumping and I swim away or go down a few boats to visit, I don't have to be there to ride the volume control and have less concern I'm going to melt down a voice coil.

[docjimm]

In iTunes, Edit, Preferences and then Import Settings on the General Tab. I rip mine at 192K as that's nearly CD quality but still a file size that doesn't eat up all your memory. Rock & Roll!
Thats a good tip I have always had ipods in the boats but sometimes the sound quality and volume has not been as good, even with a direct auxillary conection.

[LA69MM]

Do any of the wired remotes control the iPod as well?? My receiver is in the cabin and if I can't control the iPod from the cockpit, I'd like to have the iPod docked out in the cockpit with me.

(Don't mean to hijack!! I hope the info helps others as well.)

With my Sony headunit and remotes, I can stop, switch tracks, etc...from the dash. Actually, with the Sony iPod interface, you can't control the iPod from itself at all. Which is ok, on the boat, I'm dealing with playlists and that's easy to get to.

[joey]

I've got my iTouch wired through the glovebox and I have to control everything directly on it except the volume, I can adjust that at either of three stereo remotes.
I usually just put a playlist on and go at it, the thing will play forever, or until your batteries runs out.

[Crownie 11]

With my Sony headunit and remotes, I can stop, switch tracks, etc...from the dash. Actually, with the Sony iPod interface, you can't control the iPod from itself at all. Which is ok, on the boat, I'm dealing with playlists and that's easy to get to.

The Clarion works that way, too. Once you plug the iPod in, you have to control it through the head unit. I believe that Clarion's wired remotes allow you to skip through tracks, but that's about it. (I don't have one, so I can't tell you for sure, Keytime.)

[docjimm]

Older clarions were a pita cause you had to have playlists named (clarion 1-5) on you ipod , to get any control of the ipod at your tuner head, that was with an ipod inerface, I used to just use a aux plug and mount the ipod near the head unit.

[LA69MM]

Thats a good tip I have always had ipods in the boats but sometimes the sound quality and volume has not been as good, even with a direct auxillary conection.

The other feature you can play with is Sound Enhancer. This is on the same panel as Sound Check. Sound Enhancer can be adjusted for how much of it you want but it basically helps bring an MP3 file back to life. Sometimes with the compression, the files will sound flat compared to CD. I have mine turned on but the bar nearly as low as it will go. You can play with it and see what you like. It is kind of like applying a variable loudness contour and you'll really notice the highs being more distinct.

[derekpfeiffer]

WOW lots of good info....I was thinking about a Zune but now thinking I should go with a ipod. Does anyone know exactly how they work with a Clarion CMD5??? it says ipod ready and i've been told you can control some functions with the remotes. Also was wondering if anyone uses the FM transmitters so the boats next to you can listen to what you are when tied up or if everyone just hooks it thru the radio??? and if you do use a FM transmitter if you have any control of the ipod thru the remotes???

Thanks for the INFO guys!!!! don't worry bout hijacking this post...as soon as I get one I can come right here and get the info!!!!

thanks again,

[LA69MM]

iPod ready with some radios means it has an AUX input. If it's a direct connection, then there's probably some control at the radio or remote. Some of the stereos allow you to still control the iPod itself although Sony isn't one of them. The FM transmitters are pretty crappy IMO. The only way I would use one at all is if it was hard wired to the antenna. Otherwise, the sound is bad and they fade in and out constantly. If you are using one, there's no control from any radio for the pod itself.

[aguyindallas]

Apple really has the market sealed up. There are way more cases, accessories, etc....available for ipods. With that said, we have 4 of them in the house and still, I HATE iTunes. One thing of note is that these days, MANY new head units have the ability to control iPods internally. This may be more appealing because it allows you to have it stowed somewhere and not have to worry about getting it wet as opposed to just using an aux/mp3 generic type of input. There are even some head units that have actual docks built into them. You wont find that sort of support on anything but an actual iPod.

[BINGO]

WOW lots of good info....I was thinking about a Zune but now thinking I should go with a ipod. Does anyone know exactly how they work with a Clarion CMD5??? it says ipod ready and I've been told you can control some functions with the remotes. Also was wondering if anyone uses the FM transmitters so the boats next to you can listen to what you are when tied up or if everyone just hooks it thru the radio??? and if you do use a FM transmitter if you have any control of the ipod thru the remotes???

Doogie this is the set up I have.

1. I-Pod
2. Head unit in boat that can interface with I-pod to allow functionality of the I-pod via the head unit. (Waconda Repair has them)
3. Aftermarket wireless remote that is non-directional and floats. Meaning you don't have to point it at the head unit.(Waconda Repair)
4. C-crane FM Transmitter (There is a modification that is available on line to boost the power of the c-crane FM Transmitter)

Link the head unit to the I-pod via the I-pod computer connection, run the head phone male end from the c-crane FM transmitter to the head phone jack of the I-pod. Voilà on your boat the I-pod is "hard wired" to play out of your stereo, you have functionality from the wireless remote and don't need to be on your boat to run it, and you transmit an FM single that the boats you are tied up with can play on their boat's stereo. Or you can just tie up next to me and tune to my 94.7.

[mrnaughty]

Looks Like you got plenty of responses, just thought I would give you my thoughts, I have 4 ipods and they are bullet proof!! My two kids can't kill them, they take a pounding in the boat, its great having 10000 songs at my fingertips when we are on the boat. You want to go hard wired to your ipod that way it recharges it too. BTW before I spend the money on ipods I tried to go the cheaper way with various mp3 players, just wasted my money, they all broke and don't compare to the quality of a ipod. I'll agree itunes sucks, but it good enough to get the job done. Good luck man!!