RChickenMan
December 5th, 2006, 03:23 PM
...REJOICE!
I have been sick and tired of the "locked down" nature of the iPod for a while now, and I finally have an excuse to replace it!
I know these "which mp3 player" threads are quite common around here, and yes, I have been spending the last few days searching around the forums. I haven't been able to find a thread which addresses my exact "needs".
Here is what is very important to me:
-"Drag 'n Drop" interface. I refuse to use software to manage the device--I just want to mount it in my file system and put files on there as I should have every right to do with a device I pay money for. While using the device, I want to browse according to the directory structure I set up--NOT ID3 tags!
-Support for non-proprietary Lossless codec. (What is it, FLAC that is pretty popular?)
-At least 20 GB storage capacity
-Pocketable size (iPod size is good)
Those are the only "required" features. Things like an FM tuner, color screen, and dedicated line-out are nice, but they are not "make or break". As far as price goes, I will look at the suggestions, compare prices, and go from there. The Cowon iAudio absolutely jumped out at me, satisfies my feature requirements perfectly, and even has some extras that look nice. The only problem is the price is a little steep (~200 USD for 20 GB, 260 USD for 60 GB). The iRiver also looks nice, at a bit more modest price of around 150 USD for the 20 GB model.
I look forward to hearing your recommendations and discussions! Thanks!
I have been sick and tired of the "locked down" nature of the iPod for a while now, and I finally have an excuse to replace it!
I know these "which mp3 player" threads are quite common around here, and yes, I have been spending the last few days searching around the forums. I haven't been able to find a thread which addresses my exact "needs".
Here is what is very important to me:
-"Drag 'n Drop" interface. I refuse to use software to manage the device--I just want to mount it in my file system and put files on there as I should have every right to do with a device I pay money for. While using the device, I want to browse according to the directory structure I set up--NOT ID3 tags!
-Support for non-proprietary Lossless codec. (What is it, FLAC that is pretty popular?)
-At least 20 GB storage capacity
-Pocketable size (iPod size is good)
Those are the only "required" features. Things like an FM tuner, color screen, and dedicated line-out are nice, but they are not "make or break". As far as price goes, I will look at the suggestions, compare prices, and go from there. The Cowon iAudio absolutely jumped out at me, satisfies my feature requirements perfectly, and even has some extras that look nice. The only problem is the price is a little steep (~200 USD for 20 GB, 260 USD for 60 GB). The iRiver also looks nice, at a bit more modest price of around 150 USD for the 20 GB model.
I look forward to hearing your recommendations and discussions! Thanks!