iPod vs Zen Micro, iPod mini vs Muvo2


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Find me the most expensive audio player on the market.  :pc:  Either put up, or shut up.

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In Japan, a country far far away, the iPod is a mere Dodge Neon. And yes, you can import them with english configurations.

Also, a lot of audio players in availble in North America are much more "exclusive" than the iPod.

http://www.audiocubes.com/category/Portabl...P3+Players.html

Sigh, we should criticize Apple's ub3r marketing department, not the poor, manipulated fanboys :/

i would like to take a poll to see how many of u anti iPod people have actually used one before. there might be better players out there, but the iPod isnt a bad product, i dont understand what everyones deal is. and forgive apple for trying to sell a quality product monkeh its not their fault they are trying to like make money.

I bought a ipod 20 gig.. and really wish I had got a silver ipod mini.. I only really use my ipod at the gym, and it feel fragile.. most people at the gym have mini's.. and they come with a belt clip.. and dont get scratched up..

mine is so scrached and ive only had it 1 month..

bah :(

if i was buying a an mp3 player today i would consider creative. but when i bought my ipod mini a while back creative didnt have anything that could compete (i really didnt care for the muvo2). apple had the best player in its class. that being said my mini is far from perfect, i hate having to recharge it every other day and i hate itunes. but otherwise it does everything i could want from it. the sound quality isnt that great but all of these mp3 players have bad sound no matter what all the "audiophiles" will tell you. If i were buying an mp3 player today id just head to a store and try them all and pick which ever i liked the best.

When I get home Im going all the way for the new Creative model. Those things are smooth, tiny, durable, and have Creative's quality sound. Ive used an iPod before. They are nice, yes, if you like carrying around a harddrive. The only thing I dont like about them is that #1: I dont really need anything bigger than 1gb to take out with me and #2: The iPod sound quality is sub-par at best. I'm an obsessed audiophile, so sound quality trumps quantity and fashionability every time.

Hold on a sec... my Nomad Jukebox does not use icons. It's exactly the same as the iPod... you search by artists, album, genre, etc. You must be talking about a different kind of Jukebox.

Like what Xtreme $niper said... all the ipod changed from the nomad jukebox was the 'swooshing' action. :yes:

All right... a strong iPod supporter is in the thread. Finally.

Find me the most expensive audio player on the market.  :pc:  Either put up, or shut up.

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You're confusing willingness to pay and availabilty of competitive products. Of course the iPod is going to be more expensive because it was the first product of its genre to be released, giving Apple the ability to also set the price standard. New competitive products are not going to come out more expensive because they would not gain any ground in an already Apple-dominated area.

Higher price does not justify better quality either. A fool and his money part quickly, and he is often disappointed afterwards. It pays to not be a fanboy, as you so elegantly put yourself, and read about products before jumping to the conclusion that if it is more expensive it must be better.

Shortages are based on Apple's part too. You think they are going to put more iPods out than they need to, especially now that some real competition has arrived? They'll advertise more, but they won't lose their ass on overproducing if they aren't selling as much.

Man, arguing with iPod fanatics is like arguing with a psychotic wife. From what I have seen/heard/read, most of them are arrogant, foolish and easily manipulated people. The iPod is by far not the best mp3 player available and it is over-priced as well. The UI was copied from Creative's original Nomad Jukebox design(s) and even if it wasn't, it is a very simple interface which would not be difficult to think of whatsoever. I mean some free website templates you find on the Internet have similar, simplistic, minimal menus or UI's. It's good, but nothing special, and not originally created by Apple. From various tests I have performed (4 pairs of headphones, ranging from average to very good), the iPod has a sub-par sound quality and was beat by the Creative Zen Micro and iRiver. However, if you have a quality music file, the iPod does not sound THAT bad, just OK. The battery life, well I think from the many negative stories about the iPod and the easily seen hour differentials (not in favour of the iPod players), I do not need to say anything...

In the end, this is how I look at iPods and their place in North American society.

-- A person who is likely to buy an iPod is also likely to buy a hassle-free HP, Compaq, etc. computer system (and not care whether they have Windows XP Home Edition or Professional Edition).

-- A person who is likely to buy an iRiver or Creative MP3 player is most likely going to research their computer configuration at first and either: build it themselves, buy a less commercialized or marketted, yet higher quality computer system (falcon nw, voodoo etc.) or customize their own computer at a good computer store (choosing good hardware pieces).

iPod's are ok, but you should definitely consider another MP3 player if you really care...

Amen! Like I said... creative are for hardcore people! :yes:

Boy, would I like to get an Alienware PC! I customize me own PC, too. And yes, I do research like crazy before I buy. I guess that's why I end up deciding going for creative products. My girl and sis don't know or care about PCs much... same goes for all those techie stuff and SNR crap... so I guess they just went for the 'coolness' of having an iPod. And it fits them perfectly. No complaints. iPods maintain the balance of the mp3 players universe... they are for the masses. And Creatives are for the hardcore. :yes:

Hold on a sec... my Nomad Jukebox does not use icons. It's exactly the same as the iPod... you search by artists, album, genre, etc. You must be talking about a different kind of Jukebox.

Like what Xtreme $niper said... all the ipod changed from the nomad jukebox was the 'swooshing' action.  :yes:

All right... a strong iPod supporter is in the thread. Finally.

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A new firmware released for the Jukebox last year actually gives you an option for the menu style in the Jukebox. Its either the classic style OR tabbed style with big icons and nice graphics. Nothing special since its only the main menu that gets changed, but whatever. Relate it to the iRiver menu I guess in a way.

Here's the Nomad Jukebox UI/menu, dear sir.

http://www.nomadworld.com/flash/Jukebox_Interactive.asp

And yes, I have a Nomad Jukebox 6gb. My sis has an iPod Mini. My gf has an iPod 4th generation. And if I get enough money, I'll get me a Zen Micro!  :yes:

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OWNED! :woot:

omg u people are the ones that are so arrogant and pompus here. i own an iPod, and i own 5 pc all of which i built with parts i get from either ebay or newegg.com, and i also beta test for MS. so dont u foolish lil SOBs tell me that just because i like a certain product means that i an imbusle to technology. most ipod users i have encountered arent arrogant and pompus and have a superiority complex its just the select few that do. you people especially xtreme, YOHAN, and illz55 are the ones with this lil complex and atittude that has im a foolish idiot written all over it. i really wish a mod would get in here and lock this cause u people always seem to come in to a thread and just bash teh ipod. u guys are nothing but ignorant pompus fools, and i really feel bad for all 3 of u cause it seems that u guys have nothing better to do with your life than to bash and flame over a ****ing mp3 player. Ill pray for u guys in hope that u will find something usefull to do with your lives. Hows bout since u are all knowing about mp3 players, why dont u like use them instead of coming on here with your heads up your asses and listen to some music :D Have a nice day ;)

I dont really see any iPod BASHING going on, just a few stubborn people who fail to admit that there ARE other players, that are cheaper and often more/better features.

Besides - it's a topic comparing the iPod, let us have our petty squabbles. Just leave the thread if you can't handle a bit of criticism.

i can handle critisizm but i cant handle ignorance. i have stated over and over again that there are cheaper mp3 players out there some with more and better features. the person that started the thread asked for an opinion and i gave it to him, but then people like illz55 with his very insightful and helpful post let me quote said that people who use ipods are ignorant with technology and simply purchase one for the sake of having a fasion article. i could care less if they bash the ipod its just a mp3 player, its the basing of users that bothers me then the statement that people that use them are arrogant and pompus. Its hipocracy.

Oh and not owned cause i have a life and the player i was refering to the Nomad 2 which was available at the time of the first iPod released used a system of icons for its UI. I was refering to real mp3 players not mp3 disc players so i was under the impression that he was refering to this Nomad, or perhaps the Zen. That was a misunderstanding on my part.

The whole argument is trivial since it is a matter of personal opinion, i say to the user just go out and try out what u like, and get that. i could care less what the final decision is.

I agree with you that saying iPod users are ignorant with technology is a load of bull****, it's just not true.

I tend to bash the iPod a little, but that's because users like Azadre who ignore PURE fact laid out in front of them really **** me off. I can't help that can I :huh:

:)

I dont see why i'm included in that list of yours? I'm not bashing anyone. If you bothered to actually read each of my posts (which i highly doubt you did) in all these ipod topics, you'd see that I myself have considered a ipod, but turned away from it after experiencing it for myself. I'm not bashing ipod, I just stated the facts based on what I experienced for myself. Got a problem? Too bad, I can express my opinions all I want. I've stated the pros and cons of the ipods, and in the end I got a iRiver. Go cry me a river. Or better yet, an iRiver. ;)

im sorry sniper i didnt mean to include u in that line up, i was rather angry with illz55 and YOHAN and your post was there and i just included u which was a mistake on my part. That im honost about and i dont have a problem with your opinion cause u are intitled to it and i respect that. I dont on the other hand have any respect for illz55 and YOHAN which seem to simply post for the sake of ****ing people off. And i did read your posts and you are one of the only sensible people posting on here, and i am really sorry for including u in that post. Just got caught up in the moment, heh.

Timmah, i know u cant help that and i jsut want u to remember that the majority of users arent stupid like Azadre and saying stuff like that. i know the player has flaws, a couple of major flaws but i like it the best out of all the models and thats just that. Again sorry to sniper, it was a honost mistake on my part.

@MonkeyClaw: AFAIK, you're the one that has done the most flaming (at least in the latter part of the thread), yet you're calling them hypocrites?

Tell us why you like it the most out of all the mp3 players, instead of telling people to get a life just because they stated their opinions.

im am refering to those bashing the iPod users. they were attacking me with insults simply because i use the iPod and i was responding. i have stated on many occasions why i prefer the iPod over other players but i have been responded to with flames from other users. i have only flamed twice in this thread and that was in response to ignorant comments from people who didnt respect my opinion. i am not mad at u monkeh, i am only mad at those that dont have any sense and that dont respect the opinions of others.

A blatent comment implying a vast stereotype is not an opinion, but a flame. I am speaking of the comments made that all iPod users are hardheaded, technological fools who dont know the first thing about anything and simply care about owning the thing as a fasion statement so they can be cool. Thats insulting to me since i own and use an iPod but in no way use it as a fasion item or am in the least bit non hardcore as a pc user would go. These are the people i am mad at that think, believe, and enforce this ignorant stereotype and use it as ammo to disrespect other users.

I have complete respect for well developed thought and opinions, but not for stupid accusations made by those who have their heads up their asses (oops 3rd flame, heh) When i said they were being hypocrites, i was refering to the comment made that ipod users are arrogant and pompus, and rather full of themselves, while the people making these accusations are acting the same way when refering to this product. Again this is a damn mp3 player, we arent trying to elect the next president (which is a totally different matter that i got into many arguments with people over) but again the only people i am really mad at as of now is YOHAN and illz55, especially the latter in this case.

As for why i like the iPod, i will say again is because i enjoy the simplicity of the device. It is easy to use and that makes it enjoyable. Does this mean that i am ignorant in the ways of technology, no, it means that i like listening to my music with ease. This isnt to say that other players are easy to use as well, but imo, the ipod is one of the easiest and i have no idea why, but its fun to use. Thats why i like it, but if someone were to make a decission about purchacing a player, i would simply say try them all and choose which ever they prefer.

im am refering to those bashing the iPod users.? they were attacking me with insults simply because i use the iPod and i was responding.? i have stated on many occasions why i prefer the iPod over other players but i have been responded to with flames from other users.? i have only flamed twice in this thread and that was in response to ignorant comments from people who didnt respect my opinion.? i am not mad at u monkeh, i am only mad at those that dont have any sense and that dont respect the opinions of others.?

A blatent comment implying a vast stereotype is not an opinion, but a flame.? I am speaking of the comments made that all iPod users are hardheaded, technological fools who dont know the first thing about anything and simply care about owning the thing as a fasion statement so they can be cool.? Thats insulting to me since i own and use an iPod but in no way use it as a fasion item or am in the least bit non hardcore as a pc user would go.? These are the people i am mad at that think, believe, and enforce this ignorant stereotype and use it as ammo to disrespect other users.?

I have complete respect for well developed thought and opinions, but not for stupid accusations made by those who have their heads up their asses (oops 3rd flame, heh)? When i said they were being hypocrites, i was refering to the comment made that ipod users are arrogant and pompus, and rather full of themselves, while the people making these accusations are acting the same way when refering to this product.? Again this is a damn mp3 player, we arent trying to elect the next president (which is a totally different matter that i got into many arguments with people over)? but again the only people i am really mad at as of now is YOHAN and illz55, especially the latter in this case.

As for why i like the iPod, i will say again is because i enjoy the simplicity of the device.? It is easy to use and that makes it enjoyable.? Does this mean that i am ignorant in the ways of technology, no, it means that i like listening to my music with ease.? This isnt to say that other players are easy to use as well, but imo, the ipod is one of the easiest and i have no idea why, but its fun to use.? Thats why i like it, but if someone were to make a decission about purchacing a player, i would simply say try them all and choose which ever they prefer.

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Wow, you are quite the egoistical person aren't you! I was not referring to you whatsoever in my post, so please don't assume it was directed at you or any one in particular for that matter. I had actually dismissed reading some of your earlier posts because I read one and it smelled of incoherence and lazy language. Ultimately, if I am ever directing a post at anybody specific, I would just state that.

What I said about ignorance and foolishness in iPod fans/users mostd at most of the "iPod population" that from my own experience had those neagtive personality traits. Also, my analogy of computer buyers and iPod buyers was simply an example. Okay, you build your own computers and beta test for Microsoft, yet you own an iPod and love it. So what? That does not mean I am ignorant and pompous for stating that from my own experience, mostnot like younot like you, but are ignorant, foolish and somewhat careless! Anyways, I've spent more time and energy on you than you (will) ever deserve(d)... Goodbye.

Note: From what I can derive about the meaning of "bashing", I do not believe I ever "bashed" iPod users, but simply stated my opinions which are in turn based on my experiences and knowledge. Finally, could you please point out some stupid accusations or some badly thought out arguments/points that either I or someone else who does not consider the iPod to be as good as the rest of the world does, have brought up? From what I've read in this thread, those who are defending the iPod with all the they can are the ones who have written some incoherent, badly thought out arguments/points and are the ones who should be receiving the least respect.

Edited by illz55

How on earth does my analyzation of a ignorant stereotype make me egotistical?well we can agree on that i have too spent way to much time on such a useless topic which consists of a simple matter of opinion. i am done as well, goodbye.

If anyone has any comments to make concerning me, do it by PM.

Timmah, i know u cant help that and i jsut want u to remember that the majority of users arent stupid like Azadre and saying stuff like that.  i know the player has flaws, a couple of major flaws but i like it the best out of all the models and thats just that.  Again sorry to sniper, it was a honost mistake on my part.

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:) Its ok, I'm sure he understands.

Personally I agree saying all iPod users are ignorant is a big fat lie.

Though there is a higher chance due to the market share going mainly to iPod ;)

Just kidding.

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This week in Meta news Catch up on the latest Meta news updates that arrived throughout the week: Data from outside: Meta is rolling out a new update globally to personalize your AI responses and primary feeds using data from outside businesses. It already targets ads based on shopping activity, but the latest development enables it to personalize other "parts of your experience." There is a toggle in the Settings to disable activity from other businesses; however, it won't prevent companies from sending your data to Meta. Level playing field: The European Commission has ordered the social media giant to restore access to WhatsApp for third-party AI chatbots, including ChatGPT and Copilot. Meta previously blocked rival AI chatbots from operating on WhatsApp, prompting the Commission to launch an antitrust investigation. Spying on users: On the flip side, WhatsApp accused the Israeli cyber-intelligence firm, NSO Group, of deploying a fresh wave of targeted "spear phishing" attacks against its users, which were thwarted by WhatsApp's security teams. Reorder profile grid: Adding some customization for the profile grid feature, Instagram now lets you rearrange posts in your profile without deleting and reuploading content. Go to your profile and long-press any thumbnail to find the "Reorder grid" option. This week in AI news Catch up on the latest artificial intelligence news updates that arrived throughout the week: Claude RAM hogger: Windows users are getting infuriated by Claude Desktop's hidden 1.8GB Hyper-V VM bug, which spins up if you use Claude Cowork or agent mode even once. It shows a Vmmem process in Task Manager, indicating 0% CPU usage but 1.8GB of RAM usage. Claude Fable 5: The new state-of-the-art AI model from Anthropic beats OpenAI's ChatGPT-5.5 in multiple AI benchmarks. Claude Fable 5 sits above the Opus models and outperforms most other generally available models across knowledge work, vision, scientific research, and more. However, the model was abruptly suspended after receiving an export control directive from the US government. Stack Overflow for AI agents: The popular Q&A platform has launched Stack Overflow for Agents in beta, which AI agents can use to share, find, and reuse coding knowledge. It explained that AI agents operate in isolation, creating an Ephemeral Intelligence Gap, and valuable tokens are wasted on something another agent has already solved. Upgrading Codex: OpenAI is buying a company called Ona, which makes secure cloud execution and orchestration technology for developers. The ChatGPT-maker aims to make Codex agents run for days without being tied to a local machine or an active session. It also announced a new developer mode in Chrome. This week in open-source news Catch up on some of the latest open-source and Linux updates that arrived throughout the week: Linux 7.1 rc7: Linux Torvalds dropped an optimized rc7 with crucial fixes for AMD and laptop hardware. He said that a stable version of Linux 7.1 could arrive next week, adding that the latest RC is not small, but smaller than recent releases. Alpine Linux 3.24: The latest Alpine Linux release added support for COSMIC Desktop, Linux 6.18, IPv6 installer support, automatic serial console configuration for headless setups, and major package updates and removals. This week in Microsoft News Microsoft had to shut down more than 70 GitHub repos after they were compromised by malware, Teams is getting a controversial tracking feature that users may hate, and the company explained why the new update makes PowerToys faster. You can check out Taras's freshly baked Microsoft Weekly roundup to catch up on all the interesting stories this week. This week in gaming The latest issue of Pulasthi's Weekend PC Game Deals curates several exciting games on sale this week. On the Epic Games Store, the new titles on display for grabs include Warhammer 40K Speed Freeks and The Ouroboros King. NVIDIA GeForce NOW's summer sale lowered the prices of both the Performance and Ultimate membership options for a limited time period. Meanwhile, the Xbox Free Play Days brought Undead Labs' post-apocalyptic title State of Decay 2, as well as two Team17-published titles. That said, here are some more stories from the gaming world: Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion to bring snowy region, new updates also coming Playground drops 30 minutes of Fable gameplay, shows off life sim and morality system Playground Games confirms Forza Horizon 6 save wipe bug Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations expansion gives the Slayer a brutal Chain Spear State of Decay 3 is out in 2027, reveals Plague Nests with new co-op gameplay trailer From the review corner This week, Taras got his hands on the DuRoBo Krono portable e-ink reader, which comes with a $279 price tag. It's a smartphone-sized device with a rotating dial, sitting somewhere between premium and cheap in terms of build quality. Speaking of the pros, the physical controls are cool, the smart dial is useful, the battery life is good, and Android 15 has no-nonsense software. On the flip side, the device lacks software customization, the built-in AI needs improvement, the smart dial is a bit wobbly, and there is no ambient light sensor. EA Sports UFC 6 EA Sports UFC 6 does a better job at onboarding new players than most fighting games, according to Pulasthi's detailed review. The game comes with rewarding combat systems, top-notch animation, impressive impact physics, and visible damage on fighters. However, the menus lag a lot, grappling isn't very fun, and the flow state feels a little misplaced. More price drops! We got you covered with some hot tech deals all week. For some reason, if you missed out on a great discount, here is a summary of some recent deals that are still alive: GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC ICE 16G - $649.99 (13% off) 1TB Samsung T7 Portable SSD - $189.98 (31% off) AirPods Pro 3 - $179 ($50 off) Edifier R1280Ts Powered Bookshelf Speakers - $129.99 (24% off) To view all of our recent deals, click here. So, these were some of the biggest tech news and other updates from this week. There will be more issues of our 7 Days series in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing to extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option. Have a great weekend!
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