OT: Anyone owned a Microsoft Zune?

Do they even sell Zunes in this country? I've never seen one and if shiny shop culture, or at the very least punitive DRM puts you off, surely you're looking in the wrong direction?

If they don't sell them here, look forward to not being able to buy music for it without a US billing address and credit card.

This guy is CEO of Microsoft BTW:

yourself, do you really think he needs encouraged? Trying not to sound too much like an Apple fanboy, I think iPod is actually quite good, which is the reason why it's popular, the glitz and smugness is just an unfortunate distraction. Even my mum's got an iPod.

Is the image you think a product presents more important to you than its functionality? You're allowed to say yes, but you did buy a Toyota Celsior with your own money... Oh, OK, as you were (c;

I have good experiences of the Creative players.

I don't think they do.

Of course, instead of buying music specifically for your player, you may just want to go and buy a CD and convert it instead.

Well, I've got both an iRiver H120 and an iPod. The iRiver wins in the sound quality stakes, hands down, but the iPod is *so* much more userfriendly.

Plenty of ones on the UK Bay, so even if they aren't officially imported, at least I don't need to worry about being cracked by customs for silly money.

That's it. They both play generic MP3s, which I have. I'm unlikely to buy online specific content, rather to buy a disc (probably a compilation of a period) and rip it into nice quality chunks.

Which do you reckon would be more comfy for switching tracks in a car?

Yes, but like everything else, there is the scene tax. Just like=20 aircooled VWs and Porsches, somewhere down the line, there is a price=20 premium just because of what it is.

I just don't get how Archos can sell a 20gig compact player for =A3100,=20 Medion can make one for =A370, but how much did/do apple charge for that=20 size, even if the hdds have grown massively since.

--=20 Carl Robson Audio stream:

Playing at home:Frank the Baptist-beg steal and borrow

I guess so. Sometimes the music's cheaper online though. I don't live or work near shops that sell music and buying CDs from websites takes too long! I want the music now godammit!

Ooh, does this mean my old fashioned 20Gb iPod will start appreciating in value wildly soon? (c:

I think the price premium reflects some aspect of the iPod that isn't present in other players though. Closer to home and perhaps to an extreme, its more like comparing car marques. What makes a Bentley worth that much more than a Kia when they both have wheels, seats, an engine and are capable of exceeding the speed limit on any public road in this country?

£160 currently for a 80Gb iPod. Factory refurbed ones are about £130. I own an iPod but it was given to me broken and I fixed it. I dunno how competitive they are, but for what you get, its not a bad price IMHO.

For instance, the Medion one doesn't have a colour screen, or the touchy-clicky wheel navigation or play video or use iTunes. That's why the iPod costs more.

One consideration is that you have to use iTunes to manage the music in an iPod. I guess that Medion one will just play tracks that have been dragged to it.

Does Zune require you to use Windows Media Player or something to manage the music on it?

Steal it from the internet. Then it's free as well. Duh :)

Even my dad, who is like, 62 or something, has an 80gb iPod Video. He syncs it with his PC and not long ago, he had to take 2 weeks off work after a hernia op (he works at a local independant brewery, was meant to take 8 weeks but got bored at home) and he spent the time ripping his CDs (like,

500 CDs...) to his PC and then putting it all on his iPod. Now he's suggesting 80gb is getting full - are bigger ones available?

160 gig classic... I think that's as big as they go just now!

Guess that's his birthday sorted then. I'll have to inherit the 80gb, it's only fair hehe. Can I put music on it without resorting to iTunes? Cos like, I'm not using that :)

That to me is a bad thing. I use Media Monkey on my PC, that supports mp3 players. I think it even native supports the iPod protocols.

I think the Zune uses Zune player as control software. It is the only way to get DRM content on (even MS playforsure doesn't play on a Zune), but it also allows non DRM MP3, WMA and AAC files. It is like a hacked version of media player that only works with the Zune, normal media player doesn't.

If I do consider getting one, I'm going to check that Media Monkey works with it first, even as a basic USB HDD device, like the cheap players.

Zune can't be used a portable HDD - the only way to get your files on is using the software (and probably MM and Winamp).

Heh. A bit like the reason my Girlfriend would be upset if I ever bought a Merc or BMW. Nothing wrong with the way they look or go, but the fact that they have a wanker image...

Media Monkey would be cool. I like media monkey. It is a nice piece of software.

I bought the Celsior, because it was 100 yards from my house, the Rangie had temporarily died, it had a V8, and I needed to get to work.

I just loved the fact that I had bought a stupidly specced car for what most of the guys at work pay for a couple of months insurance.

I guess there are cars I wouldn't have because of what I think about them in the absence of having actually driven one.

MX-5 was probably one of those cars for me in the past.

Well, I think they did used to sell the Zune, but then pulled it. They were selling them off cheap on Amazon.co.uk a while back - ~=A370 each. I would have settled for a brown one, but talked myself out of it. =A370 for a dedicated car music thing, not too bad, but then I realised I already have an iPod and that I am poor.

Of course, if you can't bring yourself to get fully appled up, what about getting a used one off eBay and running RockBox on it? You could even go the whole Adbusters-esqu length and get your own logo / slogan laser etched on the back. Subversive!

The whole battery-grimness thing is (apparently) easily remedied with a trip to Maplins, if / when the battery karks it. I would also suggest you get a 'proper' iPod adapter for the car (one that includes the line-out and power connectors links) if you took this route - it sounds better than hooking it up through the headphone socket.

You know you want to ;-)

By the way, what do you use to rip MP3s? Try Exact Audio Copy if you haven't yet used it, it's pretty useful.

Heh. She was also on about wanting something sporty the other day. So I said Elise, S2000, MR2, MX5 etc. Nope. All far too poncy and sporty looking. Civic Del Sol or Celica? Bingo! Of course, there's no way I'll ever aid and abet her buying a Celica or Del Sol. OTOH I suspect she'd change her mind after driving a proper sports car in comparision.