Ipod/MP3 people...I need your help!

[tcsced]

Hey everyone!

I need anyone's advice or help who knows anything about MP3 players and/or Ipods. My sister wants one for Christmas and my parents were asking me what the difference was in them...it's sad to say, but I'm not sure myself. To know me, you would be realy shocked because I LOOOOOOVVVEEEEEE music, but I don't have one, and haven't really had a "huge" interest in getting one because the only time I listen to music anymore is when I'm in my car, or in my room, or at work, but there we have the radio on. I used to listen to music all the time, but now Ellen has been my latest hobby for the past 3 years so I haven't had the need for an Ipod or anything like that as much.

So what's the difference? I'm assuming they're the same, only Ipod is from the Apple company and it has a fancy name...is that it? Also, does anyone have a good recommendation as to what is the best brand besides Ipod if they decide not to get her an Ipod? They don't really wanna spend too much more than $100. I know there are the Ipod Nanos too...also, how many gigs is good to get...I know the more the gigs, the more money it will cost, but it's not like she's gonna download thousands of songs onto an MP3 player!

Also, and this is really more for me, how do the darn things work? See, I'm kinda old-fashioned...I'm perfectly happy with my DVDs. Can you copy music from a CD onto the MP3 player/Ipod...whatever? How does that work? I know you can download music from the internet onto the things, but can you copy music from a CD too? Don't you hook the thing up to your computer and copy stuff from the computer to the thing?

And what about videos? Is there a way, I can watch Ellen videos on one if I decide to get one myself, and how do I go about doing that?

Thanks for the great info I know I'm gonna get! :)

[xpective]

Hey everyone!

I need anyone's advice or help who knows anything about MP3 players and/or Ipods. My sister wants one for Christmas and my parents were asking me what the difference was in them...it's sad to say, but I'm not sure myself. To know me, you would be realy shocked because I LOOOOOOVVVEEEEEE music, but I don't have one, and haven't really had a "huge" interest in getting one because the only time I listen to music anymore is when I'm in my car, or in my room, or at work, but there we have the radio on. I used to listen to music all the time, but now Ellen has been my latest hobby for the past 3 years so I haven't had the need for an Ipod or anything like that as much.

So what's the difference? I'm assuming they're the same, only Ipod is from the Apple company and it has a fancy name...is that it? Also, does anyone have a good recommendation as to what is the best brand besides Ipod if they decide not to get her an Ipod? They don't really wanna spend too much more than $100. I know there are the Ipod Nanos too...also, how many gigs is good to get...I know the more the gigs, the more money it will cost, but it's not like she's gonna download thousands of songs onto an MP3 player!

Also, and this is really more for me, how do the darn things work? See, I'm kinda old-fashioned...I'm perfectly happy with my DVDs. Can you copy music from a CD onto the MP3 player/Ipod...whatever? How does that work? I know you can download music from the internet onto the things, but can you copy music from a CD too? Don't you hook the thing up to your computer and copy stuff from the computer to the thing?

And what about videos? Is there a way, I can watch Ellen videos on one if I decide to get one myself, and how do I go about doing that?

Thanks for the great info I know I'm gonna get! :)

I'm not positive but this is what I think. iPods use a different type of compression than a standard mp3 player. The way the files are compressed on an mp3 eliminates overlapping sounds to save space and, if you're picky, the .aiff format that ipods is a little different and the quality is a little fuller. You wouldn't really notice unless you're picky. iPods also tend to hold a lot more music/vid but they're expensive. you can watch videos... I use a mac and anything i download.... monologues or whatever can be played on an iPod. I haven't had a non-apple mp3 player in a while so I don't know about video on them. With an iPod, you plug it into a USB port and drag and drop whatever you want to put on it from iTunes or whatever. You can put anything you have saved on your computer onto an iPod but you can't take things off the iPod and put them on another computer unless you download it from iTunes and authorize another computer to play your purchases. Hope that helps. I think anything by apple is worth the money. I got into macs because they work best with audio engineering software... they're geared toward media... which is why you see them in movies and tv shows... they're great for editing and all sorts of things. But... again, anything by Apple is also more expensive.

[Tolaoi]

ipod its a mp4 its shows ur music and also i think videos when u buy once with lcd...and mp3 its just 4 music :D

[ponies]

First, the opinion:
If your sister is hard on electronics (prone to dropping, banging it around), the the iPod is going to be worth the extra money. I don't know how old your sister is, but there's the point of the cool factor. I know, as a teenager, of course, not now, I would be a little disappointed inside when my parents saved money and got me the cheaper version of some cool thing. :)

The other iPod advantage is that the software and interface is *way* easier to use, if the user is not going to be someone who is very technical. I've watched this happen in person. I watched my mother-in-law be completely confused trying to get music onto another mp3 player, and a pretty decent one, too, but she understood an iPod right out of the box, with very little assistance.

The differences between them (http://www.apple.com/ipod/whichipod/):

iPod Shuffle (http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/)
$79, no screen, holds 1 gb
You want this one if you want to save some money, aren't interested in needing a screen, and if you want the smallest, easiest to use when working out, less likely to damage by banging it around.

iPod Nano (http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/)
$149 for 4gb, $199 for 8gb
This one is, in my opinion, the most ideal iPod out there. It plays both music and video. It's quite thin and small, and the price isn't bad (besides the bit of cool tax in that price ;) ).

iPod Classic, iPod Touch
These ones are cool, have way more storage space, but are going to be more than I think your sister probably needs.

Other Mp3 Players:
Sandisk Sana (http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1166)-SanDisk_Sansa_e200_Series_MP3_Players.aspx)
This is generally considered to be the best one, if you can't get (or don't want) an iPod. They didn't try to do way too much with it, as many other players do, and kept it simple. It just plays music, comes in good choices of capacities, and it has a decent interface.

Creative Zen (http://www.creative.com/products/mp3/)
Creative has been making players the longest, I believe. The software and interface can be a little clumsy, but it gets the job done. This is going to be the cheapest name brand, while still providing solid quality.

Microsoft Zune (http://www.zune.net/)
When it came out, it was awful, but they just redesigned the line. Unlike most other non-iPod players, the Zunes play videos. The smaller one might be appropriate, but, for the same price, might as well get an iPod.

Others
You can walk into most stores and find a half dozen other brands, often for under $100. If your sister is pretty young, won't really use it absolutely every day, and doesn't need a lot of features, then these will certainly do just fine.

(Technical note: not all of the non-Apple brands will work with Macs, because those companies often don't bother to make an OS X version of their software.)

I use my iPod every day, almost all day. I commute to work by train listening to podcasts, music, or watching tv shows (yes, including ellen ;) ). I use it to work out. I use it when I'm stuck waiting in the car to pick someone up. I even stick directions to peoples' houses on it when we're going to a dinner party. With that much use, it was no question for me to get an iPod, because I needed the better quality and extra features. Don't get bullied into one choice or another, just compare prices and features. It would probably be helpful for you and/or your parents to go to a store like Best Buy (or Target also has both iPods and others [note: not every store has iPods]) to actually put them into your hands and play around with them.

I can answer your question about how they work, but I bet I've typed way too much. The short answer:
- Yes, you can rip your CDs (it converts the CD audio files to [most commonly] mp3s or aac files)
- Most non-iPods are drag and drop the content like copying to a hard drive. iPods also have the option to automatically sync music when you hook it up.

[tcsced]

Thanks everyone for the information, especially you, ponies!!!

Yeah, see I looked at the Ipod Nano online and it seems like it would be the best thing for me! My sister is turning 13 and yes, she is influenced by what everyone else has at school and has to be cool just like them! But at the same time, like you said, I don't think she'll be using it that much seeing as how they're not supposed to have that stuff at school or on the bus...they're very strict about that stuff where she goes to school. But I guess she wants one anyway...she usually spends the rest of her time at home or at my aunt's house, but sometimes they have a dance at a local church on Friday nights and she goes to that and hangs out with her friends...I guess she needs something to show off!

I just want something I can carry Ellen videos around with...LOL!!! BTW, how do you get those on there? If I put a DVD of TEDS in my computer (and we don't have Macs in our house, we have PCs) and play TEDS and drag it to the Ipod or Ipod Nano, is that all it takes to have a video of Ellen on the Ipod and play it?

[AnastasiaBeavrhausen]

I have an iPod Shuffle and its all I need for music. I don't need videos when I have the net. A shuffle is small, below 100 bucks and holds I think about 200 songs, maybe 150. Its easy to use and easy to upload music. Good luck with your decision...:):)

[i_love_ellen]

I've got a 30GB ipod and its my baby :). couldnt live without it! If your sister is a music freak (like me) it will be perfect for her. It holds all my music and i also have most of the ellens sitcom,the beginning,here&now, tons of interviews,clips.....mind blowing! basically i've got a program that rips any video of youtube and automatically converts it to ipod format-im guessing this would be perfecto for you nicole because i know your a music freak and think about having TEDS anyplace any time :D.haha its no longer a dream, its possible with an ipod.Hey i should really be a spokesperson for apple;). But my advice,go for the ipod for your sis,my little bro has one too (he's 13) and obviously being a boy he's not very careful with his stuff but hey it's been over one year and it still looks like new. They're quite cheap these days depending on your capacity needs.

Goodluck matey.

[AnastasiaBeavrhausen]

I've got a 30GB ipod and its my baby :). couldnt live without it! If your sister is a music freak (like me) it will be perfect for her. It holds all my music and i also have most of the ellens sitcom,the beginning,here&now, tons of interviews,clips.....mind blowing! basically i've got a program that rips any video of youtube and automatically converts it to ipod format-im guessing this would be perfecto for you nicole because i know your a music freak and think about having TEDS anyplace any time :D.haha its no longer a dream, its possible with an ipod.Hey i should really be a spokesperson for apple;). But my advice,go for the ipod for your sis,my little bro has one too (he's 13) and obviously being a boy he's not very careful with his stuff but hey it's been over one year and it still looks like new. They're quite cheap these days depending on your capacity needs.

Goodluck matey.

Wow I might get one now LOL:)

[jkeim]

I've got a 30GB ipod and its my baby :). couldnt live without it! If your sister is a music freak (like me) it will be perfect for her. It holds all my music and i also have most of the ellens sitcom,the beginning,here&now, tons of interviews,clips.....mind blowing! basically i've got a program that rips any video of youtube and automatically converts it to ipod format-im guessing this would be perfecto for you nicole because i know your a music freak and think about having TEDS anyplace any time :D.haha its no longer a dream, its possible with an ipod.Hey i should really be a spokesperson for apple;). But my advice,go for the ipod for your sis,my little bro has one too (he's 13) and obviously being a boy he's not very careful with his stuff but hey it's been over one year and it still looks like new. They're quite cheap these days depending on your capacity needs.

Goodluck matey.

i'm very happy with my ipod nano. i couldn't live without it. hihi. i was just wondering what program do you use to convert the videos to ipod format?

[mazzerd]

I got an Ipod mini. It's just for music, but I'm happy with it. When it breaks down I'll buy one with video :)

[i_love_ellen]

i'm very happy with my ipod nano. i couldn't live without it. hihi. i was just wondering what program do you use to convert the videos to ipod format?
It's called Ares Tube check it out: http://ares-tube.en.softonic.com/
And theres also another program that you can use to convert whole DVD's to Ipod format: http://www.dvdfab.com/free.htm

Hope i helped :)

[jkeim]

It's called Ares Tube check it out: http://ares-tube.en.softonic.com/
And theres also another program that you can use to convert whole DVD's to Ipod format: http://www.dvdfab.com/free.htm

Hope i helped :)

thank you so much for this. i have been looking for that. i'm downloading it now:)

[ponies]

I just want something I can carry Ellen videos around with...LOL!!! BTW, how do you get those on there? If I put a DVD of TEDS in my computer (and we don't have Macs in our house, we have PCs) and play TEDS and drag it to the Ipod or Ipod Nano, is that all it takes to have a video of Ellen on the Ipod and play it?

Like, i_love_ellen just posted links to, there is plenty of free software out there for converting video and ripping/converting DVDs. No, you can't drag DVD files to it, or other videos, first they must be converted to the right format (.mp4, preferably also h.264). You usually need a separate program for ripping DVDs, since there is argument over whether that is technically legal or whether it qualifies as fair use.

It sounds like your little sister could do fine with a Shuffle.

Someone said something about their little brother having one and it lasting well. I had the best test of all, washed mine in the washer. Yikes. Let it dry out for 4 days, and it was fine. hehe

[tcsced]

Someone said something about their little brother having one and it lasting well. I had the best test of all, washed mine in the washer. Yikes. Let it dry out for 4 days, and it was fine. hehe

HA HA! Yeah, ym dad went swimming with his cell phone a while back...no, he didn't do it on purpose...he forgot it was in his pocket:p! And he brought it inside, took it apart and let it dry for a few hours and it still works fine!

Thanks again everyone for all your wonderful advice about all this...I was thinking about asking for one for my birthday since I'm getting a new tv for Christmas and they're expensive already...but now if Ellen's coming to New Orleans in April, I might just try to see if I can get my parents to let me go down there to see her, and let that be my birthday present...we'll see!!

[justcarly]

do NOT get ur sister an ipod shuffle! lol they are so annoying! i had one and it broke a couple weeks ago, just stopped working and not having a screen is sooooo hard lol. i hated it:mad:. if shes into whats everyone is into at school... go with the nano or classic ones.
thats what im asking for for christmas! : )
SOOOO EXCITED!

:cool:

[ponies]

I forgot, there are two options to get an iPod a little cheaper...

first, the refurbished ones:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=44BD9AA2&nclm=Certified

then, the educational store, since it sounds like you're still in school:
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/routingpage.html

[tcsced]

Hey everyone!

Well, I got an IPod Classic for Christmas and my sister got an IPod Nano...I was expecting her to get one, but not me so I was totally surprised!!!

NOW...there is nothing in the IPod that tells me what to do so I need your help! I know there are some technical gadget people on here that are smarter than I am when it comes to this stuff. Is there something I need to download from ITunes in order to copy stuff to my IPod? Also, is the copying process the same for the Classic and the Nano...I need to know for my sister AND me, since we have two different ones. I tried hooking her's up the computer with the USB port last night and I just copied a picture from the internet onto my computer in my pictures file and then I tried to copy it to her Ipod. On the computer it showed up that it was copied on there, but on the Ipod screen itself it still said No Pictures. Also, if I want to copy my CDs onto my Ipod how do I do that? Do I just put the CD in the computer, and then from there, transfer it onto the Ipod? Same thing with videos...if I wanted to transfer Ellen clips from my DVDs like TEDS episodes or certain clips from TEDS episodes, would I just put the DVD in the computer and from there transfer it onto the Ipod?

I want to know in the simplest way how to do all this...someone please explain it all to me in stupid people's terms because this is all new to me!

[jlilest]

I don't know if this came with it or not, but I located a manual for both iPods.

iPod Nano (http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iPod_nano_Features_Guide.pdf)

iPod Classic (http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iPod_classic_Features_Guide.pdf)

These are PDF files, so you might want to right click on the links above and save them to your computer for more convenient use.

[tcsced]

Thanks James...I will have to read through it all at some point and try to figure it out! I'm trying right now, but somehow I've gotten 13 songs that I don't even know that were downloaded on my IPod, and I'm trying to get them off!!!

This is way over my head, but once I figure it out I'm sure it will be fun:o!

[jlilest]

It is possible that it came with some songs already on it.

I have never had an iPod, so I have rather limited knowledge of using them.

It is my understanding that they can also store files like a flash or hard drive would. That may have been what happened when you copied files to the drive. I seem to recall that there is a hidden file structure that contains the playable music.

I seem to recall people using iPods to boot their mac's, but it was not really recommended since the hard drives in the iPods were not meant for heavy use. Playing a song generally means a short access to load the song into memory, followed by two or three minutes of playing the song from memory before another access is required.

[mazzerd]

I got an Ipod mini. It's just for music, but I'm happy with it. When it breaks down I'll buy one with video :)

My ipod just broke down :( but I ordered an Ipod classic now. I think it'll be delivered tomorrow :D

[justcarly]

how do you delete songs off of an ipod classic?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
its driving me NUTTS

[jlilest]

how do you delete songs off of an ipod classic?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
its driving me NUTTS

According to the manual I found iPod Classic Manual (http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iPod_classic_Features_Guide.pdf) page 23, you can

Sync All Songs and Play Lists, which apparently makes the iPod match the computer. This would require you to delete the song on your computer as well.

It also indicates you can delete them manually by connecting the iPod to your computer.

Page 24 goes into another option that sounds like it works in a similar fashion.

Page 25 goes into another method.

It appears that all methods require you do it from your computer and not from the iPod itself.

[ponies]

I just saw a news item that Apple is posting iTunes video tutorials to help everyone who is new to iTunes and got iPods for Christmas:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/tutorials/

[3llen]

how do you delete songs off of an ipod classic?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
its driving me NUTTS

lol thats what's happend with my mp3 player.. it has 13 random songs that ive never heard of that doesn't come up on my sync list and its filling up space for 13 songs that i can download.. :( lol.. but thats ok. but it is really annoying.

[jlilest]

I was wanting a bit of advice on an MP3 player.

I have a very old Creative Nomad player that, while it still plays music fine, the software to transfer music to it has recently stopped working. I think a windows update broke it.

I don't need portability and I would like something that plays mp3's as opposed to requiring a proprietary format.

My old player has a very nice temporary play list feature that lets me pick songs/albums to add to the list from the player that I can play through without having to save the play list.

I would like to be able to plug in speakers to it if possible and the ability to run off of AC power or failing that, something that can use rechargeable batteries.

Thanks for any help/suggestions. :)

[bludflygrl]

Hey James...How about that Ipod touch that Ellen gave away on today's show? Is that kinda what you're talking about? I am not up on all those players:o I hear Ipods are very good.

[jlilest]

I probably will look at that.

I really wanted to avoid iTunes, I'm a bit old school and prefer CD's that I rip the music from those.

I expect in time I will have to face the reality that some music just isn't distributed on CD's anymore. :uglyconf:

[tcsced]

I absolutely LOVE my iPod!! Now, iTunes is a different story sometimes. For a while, it kept wanting me to upgrade my iTunes to 8.0.1, and everytime I tried downloading it, it wouldn't work...there was always an error. I even fixed the problem with my computer involving my Windows Updates not installing, and now they do. I found out that could have been part of the problem, but even after I fixed that, the 8.0.1 still wouldn't download.

Now every few days it asks me to upgrade to 8.0.2. I have read things of people talking about 8.0.1 and 8.0.2 that have had major problems with them as soon as they download them. They have lost their entire libraries, iTunes wouldn't open...all kinds of stuff. And it makes me scared to upgrade anymore, but I know eventually it will probably be necessary.

I don't really know what to tell you James. I have an iPod Classic 80G that my aunt got me last year for Christmas, and as long as my iTunes works, the iPod is wonderful!! But that's the only mp3 player I've ever had so I don't know how good any others are.

[jlilest]

I might look into writing a program to play music on my computer, although I might end up being lazy and just use the windows media player.

I just like the play list behavior of the player I have, which is the only reason I would create my own program. :uglyconf:

[angeluv0426]

I prefer the ipod, you can still rip music from CDs/ or computer library and transfer the songs onto the ipod…if I’m understanding you correctly (?) :confused:

[jlilest]

I'll definitely look into it.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, it is appreciated. :D

[Majeska]

I have a Creative Zen: Vision M 30GB and it works really well, Ive had it for it seems decades and it works just fine. You charge it by the computer all though there are AC Adapters available and the program is really easy to use and yes you can rip those age old cd's right to your player =). I'd just upgrade to that cuz its something you may be more familiar with =)

[suki]

I'm an MP3 player girl myself. I borrowed my niece's iPod for a couple of days once to see if I liked it before buying one, but I found iTunes a real pain and although the sound quality was excellent on the iPod, I realised that I still preferred my old MP3 player. I've since replaced it with a new Sony 16gb one. It's awesome, it has video capability as well, but I haven't really used that. It recharges through the USB port and the battery lasts for hours. The sound quality is amazing and it's very easy to use, so I'm very happy with it.

I listen to it through my laptop using winamp, which is much better than windows media player and it's free to download.

[Majeska]

yeah I dont use the video on mine either or the radio, but they're there if you feel the urge :rolleyes:

[jlilest]

I'll look into those too.

I'm not a big fan of quicktime, it seemed very invasive the last time I recall installing it.

[vanblue2003]

lol...i don't know how some of you are bad-mouthing itunes! it's the best, and it's so easy!! :D

but then again, i'm biased. i LOVE apple.

nicole...i have the latest itunes (version 8.0.2), and it works fantastic for me. but then again, i'm using it on a macbook....

you're using a windows comp, right? if then, idk about any problems there either :confused:

james, just get an ipod. they're easy to use and easy to sync. :)

[jlilest]

My problem is from a while back when I got QuickTime. It was nagware, that is it would ask you to buy it the first time you used it on any given day. It also took over every sound/video file it even thought it would someday want to play and complain if I didn't have the component it needed to play that type, even though some of them had worked fine before it was installed. It hung on to every type it took like the world would come to an end if anything else took over them.

I used to be quite an apple person, I had three different Apple II models and I got a third model for my mom. I have an Apple IIgs that has Steve Wozniak's signature imprinted on it. It still works other than the hard drive failed, which was part of why I stopped using it and the keyboard doesn't work right now, mostly thanks to my cats thinking it was a nice bed to sleep on.

[Time]

I'm hoping someone can help me with this.

I have an iPod Nano, it only has 2GB of memory and was given to me as a gift but I'm not able to use the wheel on the iPod. I can lock and unlock the screen with the light showing up.

When I plug in my iPod it does it's normal update then it tells me that I'm able to disconnect it but I still can not move the wheel.

I've also restored my iPod and that doesn't help.

Can anyone please help me?

[jlilest]

I have an iPod classic and haven't had that problem, but this sounds like it might be worth trying...
My iPod Nano wheel won't work. It turns on but I can do anything with it.? (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070920203008AAkxue9)