Well, I’m an iPod girl, but I’m also a broke girl right now. My mom has been using my Shuffle to run with when we were doing Couch to 5K, so now that we’ve run our 5K I thought I’d show her how to load her own music on one. I want my Shuffle back, though, because now I don’t have to run with my iPhone because I got a runner’s GPS watch thing for Christmas and the Shuffle would be easier.
Also, I think she could really use something with a display.
And it’s to run with.
So what’s good, has a display, is cheap, and is little and easy to run with? Also, can you use iTunes with other players? She’s just barely gotten to where she groks iTunes somewhat and could load and unload the C25K podcasts.
I use theSansa Clip and couldn’t be happier. It’s small, though the screen is incredibly bright and easy to read. The controls are simple to use and the thing is small enough to fit almost anywhere–it even has a clip on the back, making it ideal for running or any other kind of exercise (swimming excepted). It’s also largely considered to have among the best audio quality of small MP3 players, even those much more expensive, as the reviews will attest.
It’s available in either 1, 2, 4GB sizes, and the price vary accordingly (although they’re all rather cheap, sub-$80 from what I can tell. I grabbed the 2GB one for around $50, and it may even be cheaper now). It’s my preferred MP3 player, even over my iPhone.
Nope, it’s an MP3 player–iTunes uses a different format. So far as I know, iTunes only works with iPods/iPhones. However, there are now plenty of MP3 stores that are at least as good, if not better than iTunes, including Amazon’s MP3 store.
It’s just that she’s not super computer-savvy and I finally got her comfortable with the Shuffle on iTunes, is all. Maybe I’ll have to spring for the Nano. Is there a good clippy thing for it?
iTunes plays MP3s, MP4s, AACs, AIFFs and WAVs. Files purchased from the iTunes store are AACs but if songs have been ripped from CD or downloaded from one of myriad MP3 stores/sites, they’re all equally usable in iTunes and on iiPods/iPhones.
You cannot natively move music to and from more non-Apple MP3 players via the iTunes software interface, but the songs (and podcasts, especially) that you listen to in iTunes can almost always be listened to on an MP3 player.
I’m no fan of iTunes but if she likes iTunes and is a novice computer user, don’t rock the boat. You can get a case with a clip on it. Search Amazon.com for “ipod nano clip” for some ideas.
I’ll vouch for the Clip as well- it does drag & drop and also has a “go list” function- a favorites list you can add/delete songs from without having to hook it up to a PC. It’s very very easy. You can do playlists through Windows media player too. Never tried it with iTunes.