My Rio 500 player, bought ever so many years ago, has now started to exhibit some unacceptable behavior. It is hyper-sensitive to impact and vibration, and will actually stop playing if it is tapped even moderately. (Example - if I’m carrying it on my right side and also carrying my duffel bag or briefcase on my right shoulder, the impact of the bag or my arm moving as I walk will cause it to stop.) It also will stop if the headphones are suddenly jerked out of it, or even if there is a sudden shot of tension along the headphone wire. Since I listen to the MP3 player mostly while working out, especially when lifting weights, impacts and sudden jerks on the wire do happen, and the problem has evolved from slightly annoying to genuinely irritating.
Consumer Reports recommends the Creative Labs Nomad IIc very highly, but it’s not clear to me that reasonable resistance to vibration and impact was one of the criteria for which the product (or any of the other MP3s reviewed) was tested.
I absolutely worship my IPod. I use it for working out, use it in my car, and my husband uses it for a DJ service. It’s been dropped a million times, left outside overnight (whoops!) and just generally abused over the past year- with no ill effect.
OK, I guess I should clarify. I’m one a-dem Windows PC users. So I need something that works over USB. (My understanding of the iPod is that it uses FireWire, not USB. Is that correct?)
I’m currently lusting after the Rio S35S. It’s the update of the sport one that Rio used to make for Nike, the PSA Play (which I have and like). It’s pricey, but getting good reviews.
I have used the Nomad, but returned it because I had to reprogram it every time I turned it off. I now have a brand-spanking new I-pod with 20 gigs of storage. USB is no problem, and connectivity to the 2 button mice machines (PC’s) is supposed to be supported. I am a Mac user, myself, so can’t say for sure.
That sure beats any thing else out there!.
I have the 20 gig Archos Jukebox Multimedia. It’s fantastic. It not only plays MP3s, but there’s a little screen on the front that allows you to watch video files. Or pictures. There’s even an extra plug-on module that turns it into a digital camera.
Anyhoo, I haven’t done anything really strenuous while using it, but I have been wearing it on my belt while working in the lab for quite a while, and haven’t had any problems with it yet.
You can get get an iPod that “runs” Windows.I have one that uses the superior OS 10 and use it constantly.I have the 5 Gig version with over 24 hrs of music on it and its only 1/3 full.At least go look at an iPod.Smalldog.com and www.store.apple .com have them for Windoz.
Windows iPods run fine with both FAT32 (Windows) and HFS+ (Mac, and not sure on the exact acronym for it - whatever) file systems. I have a WinPod, and it is pretty cool.
It does require FireWire, but, really, why would you want to use USB? O_O Firewire is much faster than USB, unless you’re talking about USB2 in which case USB2 is a tad faster. As far as extra cost, what hazel-rah said.
