******** to the iPod: Creative's mp3 players.

[Uncle Meat]

I've become fed up with people buying these god**** iPods. They aren't nearly as good as any thing Creative makes.

Let's look at pros and cons.

Your standard iPod mp3 player.

Pros (over the Zen Xtra)
Slightly smaller. The worst thing about the Xtra is it fits rather tight in small pockets.
Better interface. Also, the Xtra is a little bit harder to navigate. I got used to it after a week.
Looks better. But that doesn't matter since this thing should really just be in your pocket when you're using it.
Many a gadget. . . Although I've found cheaper alternatives to most of these gadgets (the most important ones) for both the iPod and the Xtra.

Cons (in comparison to the Zen Xtra)
Worse sound quality (this is actually noticeable).
Costs more.
Breaks more. This isn't just a problem with people, our school paper (yes, kind of lame) took a survey on iPods and about 50 percent of them said their iPods have broken.

The Xtra is around 30 percent less than an iPod. You can use that extra money to buy real headphones.

 

[Dodongo]

I just got an RCA Lyra and I like it a lot.

 

[Uncle Meat]

Yeah, I haven't explored many other things besides the Creative players, because they seem pretty good. What's the Lyra like?

 

[Osco316]

Word to this topic.

I have a Creative Zen Touch. It's a little bigger than the iPod, but cheaper and pretty good quality.

Now for those of you who say "But Apple has the iPod video!" look no further than the Creative Zen Vision: M. It's gotten some great reviews and has the same amount of memory as the Video (30 gigs). Also, if you do some searching on Google, you can find it for cheaper than the iPod.

 

[SMB PORTAL]

I haven't bought anything from apple, but with my reasent purchase of a Creative I am very happy. I am really fed up with apple getting all this attention to there products compared to other companies. I actually just bought a Creative Zen ano plus, and my freind purchased a ipod shuffle. Each 100$, and 1GB. This is what we found comparing the two:

Creative (Pro's):
Comes with a screen. It's small, but it's nicely backlit.
Comes with a equilizer, lock feature, fm radio, voice recorder, and other features.
Comes with a belt clip/ case. Also an armband is included
Multiple playing options such as shuffle, normal order, shuffle once, shuffle repeat.
Fits nicely in palm
Hold 500 songs
Sounds better than ipod

Creative (Con's):
Comes with few direction in setup.

Ipod ( Pro's)
Good sound quality
Fits nicely in palm.
Easy itunes usage

Ipod (Con's)
Dosen't sound as good as Creative
No screen. Unfortunate.
Comes with no armband or belt clip. (Unless bought in a bundle)
No equilizer
The ipod's name is shuffle, but they don't give you alot of shuffle methods.
Few features
Hold about 240 songs (I think that's it)

-SMB

 

[Uncle Meat]

Ummm, what are you talking about, dude? Creative has always had better sound quality than Apple. Always. Creative is a sound company, and are the lead producers of sound cards, they know their ****.

 

[rounder_nk]

I am really fed up with apple getting all this attention to there products compared to other companies.

wow boy are you wrong. Apple's only good selling product is the ipod and that's all they have in the tech world going for them. Apple computers are very reliable smooth interfaces and is in general a well composed OS. Unfortunately for apple most people buy the crappier buggier and cheaper computers from microsoft (besides graphic accelerating RAM hogging gaming computers they are absolutely worse than apple). If it weren't for the ipod then apple would be sunk (they are merging processors and using pentium as of now to possibly make more appeal). Basically this is the first product that apple has gotten significant recognition for.

 

[entity]

The number one flaw with ipod: **** battery power life.

I once had and ipod and I reckon the battery power is ****. I charged up the ipod overnight
and it went down to low power after 3-4 hours. My creative mp3 player lasted for 3 days on a single battery.

Therefore, in my opinion. creative>>ipod.

 

[SMB PORTAL]

wow boy are you wrong. Apple's only good selling product is the ipod and that's all they have in the tech world going for them. Apple computers are very reliable smooth interfaces and is in general a well composed OS. Unfortunately for apple most people buy the crappier buggier and cheaper computers from microsoft (besides graphic accelerating RAM hogging gaming computers they are absolutely worse than apple). If it weren't for the ipod then apple would be sunk (they are merging processors and using pentium as of now to possibly make more appeal). Basically this is the first product that apple has gotten significant recognition for.

Ok, guys those are just observation in my eyes and the people I hang out with. We feel as though Apple's IPOD is more popular than other mp3 players.

Excuse me for my comment on Creative not sounding as good as the Ipod, that was a mistake when I was writing.THIS INFO HAS BEEN CORRECTED. Please remember that these are opinions from me and my freind. What we think.

 

[rounder_nk]

it's all good dude. Apple computers are very good and i am a supporter of the company. No hard feelings i just have been deprived of debate topics due to the DH being down and all.

 

[Emily26]

I am really fed up with apple getting all this attention to there products compared to other companies.

What are you talking about? Apple usually becomes the underdog. Such as the computer business. PCs are so much more popular then Macs. I love Macs, but they are way too expensive for me to afford so I'm stuck with this PC.

I for one like my iPod. I really have no complaints over it. It plays my music. That's all I need.

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

Baha and I have a Dell Jukebox. It freaking rocks. IPods are the worst.

 

[Bedi Vegeta]

We feel as though Apple's IPOD is more popular than other mp3 players.

So? This has absolutely nothing to do with which is the better product or anything. The reason the iPod is so successful is because it was marketed extremely well by Apple. Steve Jobs is an extremely good businessman, and knows how to run a company well, and brought Apple back up from the ashes. While Creative may have a better product (I don't know and I don't care), they have not advertised it at all. The majority of the population do not actually sit down and research all of the different specifications and prices and things, they buy what they are told to buy by the media.

 

[rounder_nk]

^^this is true

maybe if we move some of these topics into the DH it might liven up again (the debates in here are much more heated recently).

 

[Uncle Meat]

That's true, rounder. I haven't even posted in the DH because the debates are too philosophical, and although that's interesting, it's not really important.

 

[Crimson King]

I have steered so many people getting the Creative Labs one. I have Creative Labs Zen Nomad Xtra. It's about 30 GB for less the price of a 20 GB Ipod. In fact, I got that, AN EXTRA BATTERY, and Isolation earphones for about $250.

My number one reason for going with the Creative Labs. If you are on a long trip, and the battery drains, you are screwed with an Ipod. I went to Ohio by bus which is 16 hours, each battery is about 12 hours so I lasted 24 easily. With Ipod, you can't change the battery. In fact, if the battery dies you will have to either A. Ship it off for them to change it or B. Buy the Battery changing kit.

That was the swaying factor in me going with CL.

 

[D-20 Dice]

Real Ipods are kinda lame.

But I'm contewnt with my Motorola ROKR. I'm not that big of a music freak and my library is really small(like 40 songs).

My brother has an Ipod Nano. He got it for his birthday,. The next day, he sat on it. Can you guess what happened next?

 

[Kirby King]

Um, I have a PDA that plays MP3s. It's basically all I need.

iPods are pretty sleek looking. But that's kind of it for me. I think the click wheel's cool too, but I have no plans on getting an iPod. Having one would seem to require that I use iTunes too, which I also have no plans on doing.

Of course, I also have this ****ty pair of earphones that never stay in my ear... that kind of dissuades me from listening to music most of the time anyway....

 

[Venom Dream]

You don't really make a very convincing point, Uncle Meat.

So it has better sound quality and an iPod costs a bit more - that's your only reason for making this topic?
As far as I can tell, they're practically even. Really, I think a lot of people are anti-iPod just because it's the most popular product. There are much worse things you can buy than an iPod.

Whatever - it's really not a big difference, and there really is no point in trying to 'convert' people.

I will agree with one thing, though - the iPod earphones are crap. Actually, they fit my ears not too bad, I don't mind them (I can even sleep with them in), but there is much better stuff out there in terms out sound and it won't cost a lot.
I do like Buds, though. I hate those huge things that cover your whole head, it's really just waaay too bulky.

 

[Uncle Meat]

Actually, it costs enough less to get you, as CK said, a whole bunch of other stuff. I'm not trying to be 'non-conformist' or whatever the hell you want to call me. I'm trying to educate people. Not everyone is a douchebag.

Emily26, I'm not saying you should drop your iPod and get a Zen, but if you enjoy money, you should have gone with the Zen.

EDIT: 'convert'? You make it sound like once you pick a company, you have to stick with it forever. Like I said, I'm just your friendly neighborhood... Spiderman.

EDIT2: Spiderman is cool.

EDIT3: Also, I got a great deal on my Xtra, saving me like... 100 dollars (no joke) in opposition to an iPod (what I was going to get). That equates to like... lunch for about 30 days for me.

 

[rounder_nk]

Um, I have a PDA that plays MP3s. It's basically all I need.

iPods are pretty sleek looking. But that's kind of it for me. I think the click wheel's cool too, but I have no plans on getting an iPod. Having one would seem to require that I use iTunes too, which I also have no plans on doing.

Of course, I also have this ****ty pair of earphones that never stay in my ear... that kind of dissuades me from listening to music most of the time anyway....

pda's are very nifty things. I have one as well (the apple newton ) it's a dell like everyones and i use it for most portable internet scheduling and some music needs (just night music needs for freeflowing jazz from shoutcast). I use an ipod mini for all other portable music needs (in fact i don't really listen to music all that much accept for those times i listen to my computer's itunes)

 

[Bedi Vegeta]

http://headphone.com/

these guys know their stuff.

 

[Uncle Meat]

Oh, if you get a Zen player, make sure you don't rip your CDs into the iTunes format... my sister ripped like 200 CDs like that and I can't use them. You can convert them, though, it just takes a bit of time.

 

[McFox]

I wish I had known this stuff before I'd gotten my iPod. It's fine and all, and for battery life, listening to music it lasts long enough. But for watching video, the battery life sucks.

I wish I had gotten something better priced. But oh well. For listening to music, it works fine. I just try and forget what I spent on it. -_-

 

[supermariopro101]

I wish I had known this stuff before I'd gotten my iPod. It's fine and all, and for battery life, listening to music it lasts long enough. But for watching video, the battery life sucks.

I wish I had gotten something better priced. But oh well. For listening to music, it works fine. I just try and forget what I spent on it. -_-

Same thing here. Of course I got mine for getting straight A's so I didn't have to pay for it. Battery life is like 2 HOURS though! That, is craptacular...

 

[SMB PORTAL]

What are you talking about? Apple usually becomes the underdog. Such as the computer business. PCs are so much more popular then Macs. I love Macs, but they are way too expensive for me to afford so I'm stuck with this PC.

I for one like my iPod. I really have no complaints over it. It plays my music. That's all I need.

Where I live, at least, Apple very popular. I don't know but these are my opinions to contribute.

The main point of my post was the pro's and con's of the Creative zen nano to the ipod shuffle, I was not aiming towards the last sentance. Thos are my opinions about apple where I am currently living, and what my freinds also think.

-SMB

 

[Shazz]

I wish I had known this stuff before I'd gotten my iPod. It's fine and all, and for battery life, listening to music it lasts long enough. But for watching video, the battery life sucks.

I wish I had gotten something better priced. But oh well. For listening to music, it works fine. I just try and forget what I spent on it. -_-

Oh nooess you corporate sellout 11!135


Anyway, I also own a Creative, and after testing my friends Nano for a few days, I do prefer my own, mostly because I was scared to death of breaking it by accidentally, ya know, putting it in my pockets.

 

[bornfidelity.com]

Apple = succes through marketing + looking differently
Any other MP3 player = no such succes, because all of them appear the same to the masses.

It's said before; Apple marketed their Ipod's in such a way that it's cool to have an Ipod. who cares if it plays music in crap quality or if the battery lasts as long as it takes to take a piss - being cool is the REAL important thing in life.

screw the mass.

im sticking to my discman. and my portable cd-case-thingy with 96 albums in it.

 

[Dibs]

My iPod never broke when I sat on it in my pockets... Stupid thing just randomly had it's screen generate a massive burn mark right on it... Now I can't even see the menu. I hate my iPod...

 

[supermariopro101]

Oh nooess you corporate sellout 11!135


Anyway, I also own a Creative, and after testing my friends Nano for a few days, I do prefer my own, mostly because I was scared to death of breaking it by accidentally, ya know, putting it in my pockets.

You realize you can get a case for the iPod. I've dropped mine a few times (mostly from carelessness) and my iPod has not a scratch on it.

 

[SMB PORTAL]

You realize you can get a case for the iPod. I've dropped mine a few times (mostly from carelessness) and my iPod has not a scratch on it.

A few kids I know all broke there nano, even in the case. The cases you get can only do so much to protect it. If you step on it, throw it, ect. It's practically gone. It is still incredibly delicate with or without the case.

-SMB

 

[Mugquomp]

I have an iPod, and I love it. It suits my needs almost perfectly (more on the almost later). So what if the sound quality isn't quite as good as Creative? You're still ripping to mp3, which is a lossy format to begin with. Unless your loading up your mp3 player with FLAC or SHN files, I don't see how this is a relavent argument. You're going to lose sound quality no matter what.

Recently (yesterday) I did some internet style research on both Creative and iRiver, because my iPod broke about a month ago and I need to replace it with something. I can send it in to Apple and for $250 I get a refurbished one, same model (40 gig, monochromatic screen, no video). That would be great. I loved my iPod. But I was curious to see what else is out there.

One of the biggest things I'm looking for is capacity. Looking at iTunes right now, I have 9913 songs, or 47.45 GB. However, I couldn't find any other brands that had a large enough capacity. All I want to do is play music, not watch videos. That feature is useless to me. The Zen Touch is cool, and has a capacity of 40 GB for about $235, but....

Oh, if you get a Zen player, make sure you don't rip your CDs into the iTunes format... my sister ripped like 200 CDs like that and I can't use them. You can convert them, though, it just takes a bit of time.

...1286 of my songs are in AAC format. Not mp3. This is an issue. And no, I didn't do that to myself. I ripped all of my songs as mp3 for maximum future compatibility. All of those AAC files are from music I "shared" with my friends through myTunes at school. So I can't just re-rip them as mp3, as I don't own the CD's. Also, I refuse to accept the loss that occurs when converting from one lossy format to another.

So I'm going to keep my iPod (or atleast keep with the brand), even if it is an inferior device. I happen to like iPods. Creative players might be better for your specific situation, but for otherss iPods are clearly the way to go.

 

[Uncle Meat]

You don't have to re rip them, you just have to convert them.

 

[Mugquomp]

But if I convert them from one lossy format to another (AAC to mp3) I lose tons of audio quality. And that is no good.

 

[fleapy]

What with the new generation of ipods, theres a lot of memory. But iI have a question that is extremely important for me to pruschase something like it. Can I rip dvd's onto them, the smae way I would a cd?