Portable Mp3 Player -- What do you use?

[xarquid]

Just curious -- what portable mp3 player do you use?

I am looking to buy a new one (I have an old iPod first generation that is about 4 - 5 years old (mini)).

I would like to get a new one (maybe not an iPod again...) with support for just dragging and dropping mp3s directly to the "drive" (like a drive!) and unplugging and going. And it working like that.

Any suggestions? What do you guys and gals use?

Just curious.

Thanks a lot,

xq

[smartboyathome]

I use an Insignia Sport, but it is crap (seriously, it freezes all the time) and if I could I would go back and get an iAudio 7.

[Aeph]

I use a Zune, pity me.

[plb]

I hear good things about the iaudio

[Whiffle]

I have an ipod 4g. Its kinda crappy, but it works. I miss my Iaudio M3 very much, if the stupid ipod ever dies i'm going to get another iaudio.

[plb]

I have an ipod 4g. Its kinda crappy, but it works. I miss my Iaudio M3 very much, if the stupid ipod ever dies i'm going to get another iaudio.

Just sell it on craigslist and take the profits and put it towards an iaudio :)

[MyDearWatson]

I have an iAudio X5L, but I wouldn't recommend it. At first it's really good, I'll give it that, but first off, if you want to play videos, you have to use jetaudio to convert them to the correct format (which still has never worked for me), and the battery dies a little more after each charge.

I had to send mine back to get the battery replaced after the life dwindled down to about 10 minutes per charge, and I do full battery cycles so I know it's not my fault. Now after about 4 charges since I sent it in, I'm noticing the life start to slip again.

Do not waste your money on an iAudio X5L... I don't know how their other products are, but I'm not going to give money to them to find out.

[Whiffle]

Just sell it on craigslist and take the profits and put it towards an iaudio :)

I don't think I could find anyone dumb enough to actually pay me money for it.

[Whiffle]

I have an iAudio X5L, but I wouldn't recommend it. At first it's really good, I'll give it that, but first off, if you want to play videos, you have to use jetaudio to convert them to the correct format (which still has never worked for me), and the battery dies a little more after each charge.

I had to send mine back to get the battery replaced after the life dwindled down to about 10 minutes per charge, and I do full battery cycles so I know it's not my fault. Now after about 4 charges since I sent it in, I'm noticing the life start to slip again.

Do not waste your money on an iAudio X5L... I don't know how their other products are, but I'm not going to give money to them to find out.

Wooah. Do some research on those lithium ion batteries. Full battery cycles kill them more quickly, thats why its dying.

[mrsteveman1]

I have a 3G nano and it was worth every penny. Nicest portable player i have ever seen, both in the interface and the hardware.

Plus, you know the coin pocket in some jeans? It fits in that pocket perfectly, i forget its there because its so flat.

[Depressed Man]

I use to use a Samsung - Y2 (really small portable player). 2 GB flash.

But now I use my Nokia n800 internet tablet (with a 2 GB SD and 4 GB SDHC). So it shares it with video, pictures, and other files on there.

[koleoptero]

I'd really love to have a mp3 player with lots of gigs of capacity like the 160gb ipod. But preferably not an ipod.

EDIT: But I would also love to have the iRiver Clix. It's amazing. Supports ogg too.

[XVII]

I use a Cowon D2 and a Creative Sleek Photo.

[YoungCthulhu]

Toshiba Gigabeat F20.

Since I loaded RockBox on to it I couldn't be happier. :guitar:

http://www.rockbox.org/

Prior to doing that it was a pretty dumb and restricted machine. Now I have half of my CD collection on it, in OGG format at a high bit-rate (although you can load MP3 too if you want), and have lots of books loaded as well as using the basic but usable text reader.

I think you can load RockBox on to an iPod too. :confused:

Cheers

[pt123]

Toshiba Gigabeat F20.

Since I loaded RockBox on to it I couldn't be happier.


I wanted to use RockBox but my Sony NW003 player isn't supported.

I really like this player because of the long battery life and it's internal charger. i.e. you just plug into a usb connector on a computer and it will recharge.

I was wondering if any other rockbox compliant mp3 players have this easy re-charging ability.

[divindavid]

i love ipods i have three (i got them all for free because my friends think they are broke so i fix them) i also am a big ipod hacker rockbox ipodlinux you name it i have done it on an ipod. i say an ipod but with the lack of linux use i dono. i have itunes on my linux laptop using wine and it works great

[Trap_]

I have a Sony Walkman NWZ-A816, so far I've enjoyed using it.

Also, it works like a drive like you wanted. Connect --> Drag/Drop --> Unplug --> Go! Works fine with Linux as far as I can tell.

[WastingBody]

I have a not so portable 30GB Archos 604 Wifi. Its a great player, but it will easily fill up your back pocket.

[ispy]

1gb new ipod shuffle (with the clip). works great, no problems...

i just wish they made it with more memory maybe, i have more than 4 gigs of music to thin down to my favorites... although this is from my habit of downloading entire albums instead of just songs...

[mkoehler]

I have two iPods, a 2G and a video iPod [5G]? I use the former for exercise and the latter for everything else. The latter also has Rockbox on it - it's better than iPod's default interface and it supports FLAC playback.

[yatt]

I have a Creative Zen. No compatibility whatsoever. Doesn't even mount. I believe it uses Microsoft's Plays For Sure technology.

[joker]

I'm rockin' a Cowon D2, nice player, linux compatable, no complaints. It works just like a usb thumb drive.

[3rdalbum]

I have one of the latest Sony Walkman players - the NWZ-S618FB. It's drag 'n' drop loading so it works on Linux, and you can convert your videos using ffmpeg or my program Blacklight (http://sourceforge.net/projects/blacklight/).

The screen on it, although small, is beautifully crisp, as is the audio quality. Far superior to the iPods in terms of audio quality. Battery life is about 33 hours if you turn off the eq and audio enhancement features and don't watch video... but I'd rather have the excellent audio quality than the extra few hours of playback time.

[macogw]

I use an Insignia Sport, but it is crap (seriously, it freezes all the time) and if I could I would go back and get an iAudio 7.

I have a Cowon iAudio 7, and it's great. Yes, drag n drop flash-drive-style to add songs. Yes, it plays Oggs. Yes, they list Linux compatibility on the website. And yes, I think supporting those who support Linux (aka "voting with your wallet") is a good idea.

[macogw]

I have a Creative Zen. No compatibility whatsoever. Doesn't even mount. I believe it uses Microsoft's Plays For Sure technology.

You're not supposed to mount them like flash drives. You use Gnomad2 to add songs. It uses MTP (Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol) to add songs. I used to have a Creative Zen Vision: M.

[Arkenzor]

I have a 30GB iPod Video that's pretty much dying on me right now, I'll see if I can find a relatively new one on ebay or whatever.

I really like those because they're small for their capacity, can run rockbox, and most of all because you can actually get some good fat disk space without all that video/wifi/supah-wide-screen stuff skyrocketing the price. I don't know about most people, but I don't need videos to fill 20+GB of disk space.

Only weak point seems to be their durability, at least with rockbox. It's the second time my HDD dies in the year and a half I've used it.

[el_ricardo]

ipod nano 3rd gen, fantastic mp3 player! didn;t even pay for it, got it free with my phone contract lol!

[RoboNuggie]

Sandisk 4gb e260 - no problems whatsoever.

Oh and hello!

[Masoris]

A years ago, I purchased a 10$ made in china mp3 player. It has a third prise than normal mp3 player, it seems like good than I think. But after using 6 month, it suddenly broken, it could not turn on. :(

[handy]

iPod touch 8gig. I use it as a pda mostly, I will keep an eye on Rockbox, you never know they may do a job on the touch?

[sayakb]

I use a 4GB Transcend T.Sonic 820.. Not quite impressive, but a good performer..

[Cloudy]

I have a 2GB SanDisk Sansa e200. Works like a charm for me under Ubuntu (granted, though I've only used it under Ubuntu - none of the other distros I've tried).

[mangurt]

I have a 60g ipod, and it works great. I have no problem syncing up with Amarok.

[andrewabc]

Anyone have sansa view?
I'm looking, and that seems to be my best option.

[HermanAB]

I use an Eee PC. The most versatile portable MP3 player ever...

[kenono]

I have a 30gb ipod, which is quite battered now, still love it though

[Pathfinder_]

sansa e280 with rockbox. Tons of features and stable.

[epimer]

I just recently ordered a SanDisk Sansa Express 2 GB from Amazon, because my old (free) iPod nano died and I wanted a flash-based player I could take to the gym. Bargain of the year for me - £25 for the player, and the memory is expandable through microSD cards. So I have a 4 GB mp3 player for a grand total of £28.

It doesn't support ogg or FLAC, so I'll be making much use of Amarok's transcoding scripts, but it is drag and drop from your file manager and so very Linux friendly. Sound quality (with decent earphones, of course) is surprisingly crisp and detailed for a cheap player, and I've not even fiddled with the built-in equaliser yet.

Highly recommended.

[andrek]

iRiver T60 2GB.. lovely one
and surprisingly, 2GB is enough for me.

[dashnak]

I had a 1GB MuVo, then my girlfriend gave me a 4GB 2nd Gen Ipod Nano, and that's what I've been using for about half a year.

[CaptainCabinet]

Mt MP3 player is a Philips GoGear with 6GB of space (more than enough for my pitiful collection of albums).
The only problem with it is that it only works with Window$ Media Player. So until I can be bothered to find a workaround the contents of the player are staying the same. :)

[xarquid]

Are the iPods recognized as a removable storage device?

Can I drag and drop mp3s and just unplug and listen to them?

Or is this not possible? I was under the impression this was not able to be done...

Maybe it IS able to be done with some type of modification to my iPod's firmware or perhaps some type of software? If this is required, does anyone have some kind of links providing a how-to or further information?

I just like being able to drag & drop mp3s and treating my portable music player like a hard drive instead of using iTunes or a music player/management software...to SYNC things. I would rather just drag and drop and go. Plug my head phones in, hit play and listen up ;-)

Thanks,

xq

[macogw]

Are the iPods recognized as a removable storage device?

Can I drag and drop mp3s and just unplug and listen to them?

Or is this not possible? I was under the impression this was not able to be done...

Maybe it IS able to be done with some type of modification to my iPod's firmware or perhaps some type of software? If this is required, does anyone have some kind of links providing a how-to or further information?

I just like being able to drag & drop mp3s and treating my portable music player like a hard drive instead of using iTunes or a music player/management software...to SYNC things. I would rather just drag and drop and go. Plug my head phones in, hit play and listen up ;-)

Thanks,

xq

No, that can't be done. Well, you could drag songs on, but they'd just sit there. You couldn't listen to them. It'd be like a flash drive. iPods use a database (iTunesDB) which can be updated only by using certain programs. iTunes is the only one Apple wants you to be able to use, so the most recent iPods won't work with Gutsy's version of libgpod (or whatever it's called). There's an updated one available ( http://lilserenity.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/virgin-mobile-praise-ubuntu-and-ipod-nano-3g/trackback/ ) to get around the changes Apple made to lock us out. Rhythmbox, Banshee, GtkPod, Amarok, and Exaile are some of the programs that can update an iPod's DB. Syncing still isn't necessary though. iTunes has "manual" mode, and Rhythmbox etc do too. And no, changing the firmware to Rockbox won't get you that functionality. Rockbox relies on Apple's way of doing it because they haven't written anything for transferring data yet.

[plb]

Just got my iaudio d2 and <3 it

[derekr44]

2GB Creative Zen + Gnomad

[BDNiner]

2GB Creative Zen + Gnomad

+1, except i got the 4GB model and a 4GB SD card, i don't use gnomad2 though, it is too ugly. I still use WMP to manage my device. I like the fact that i can just shuffle my tracks and load them onto the player randomly.

[Quillz]

I currently use my iPhone, as it's built-in iPod functionality is very nice.

[derekr44]

+1, except i got the 4GB model and a 4GB SD card, i don't use gnomad2 though, it is too ugly. I still use WMP to manage my device. I like the fact that i can just shuffle my tracks and load them onto the player randomly.

I might end up doing it that way, since I run my wife's iPod shuffle via VirtualBox.

[BDNiner]

I might end up doing it that way, since I run my wife's iPod shuffle via VirtualBox.

OH really, how did you get virtual box to detect USB devices. I gave up on that when i could not get virtual box to detect my blackberry so i could use vzaccess to get online when there is no wireless network present.

[Depressed Man]

No, that can't be done. Well, you could drag songs on, but they'd just sit there. You couldn't listen to them. It'd be like a flash drive. iPods use a database (iTunesDB) which can be updated only by using certain programs. iTunes is the only one Apple wants you to be able to use, so the most recent iPods won't work with Gutsy's version of libgpod (or whatever it's called). There's an updated one available ( http://lilserenity.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/virgin-mobile-praise-ubuntu-and-ipod-nano-3g/trackback/ ) to get around the changes Apple made to lock us out. Rhythmbox, Banshee, GtkPod, Amarok, and Exaile are some of the programs that can update an iPod's DB. Syncing still isn't necessary though. iTunes has "manual" mode, and Rhythmbox etc do too. And no, changing the firmware to Rockbox won't get you that functionality. Rockbox relies on Apple's way of doing it because they haven't written anything for transferring data yet.

Really? My friend recently brought his Rockboxed iPod over and I don't have iTunes installed but was able to access his music files. Though maybe you just can't copy songs onto it without iTunes.

[chris4585]

i use my psp for my portable music player

[macogw]

Really? My friend recently brought his Rockboxed iPod over and I don't have iTunes installed but was able to access his music files. Though maybe you just can't copy songs onto it without iTunes.
Exactly. It is, in the end, a hard drive, so you can get at the files, but Rockbox itself doesn't have a way of transferring files and understanding that they're there.

[prensing]

I have a Sansa Express. It has the form factor of a USB key. In fact, that is how you connect it. Under Linux (or Windows), you can treat it just like a USB drive. It scans for MP3s (or WMAs, but I don't use those).

The other nice thing is that it has a MicroSD slot. So, while the drive itself has only 1GB (I believe there is a 2GB model), I put a 2GB microSD card in it and I have plenty of storage.

So, it is not the snazziest out there, but it is small and IMHO well designed.

[xarquid]

Thanks guys and gals. I think I'm going to just go ahead and get either another iPod after it all...

Either the Touch or the regular ole' iPod 40 or 80GB.

I don't see myself watching movies on an iPod, really...but I do like the idea of using them as temporary storage devices when/if needed for larger files when a USB thumb drive can't handle it.

Thanks for all of the input. Great discussion thread. It seems a lot of you favor the iRivers! I couldn't find much information regarding these out there...or the exact interface. If anyone has a link to a Flash demo of the actual Interface (like they have with some Motorola phones etc.), that would be helpful.

Sincerely,

xq

[jcwmoore]

I have a 5.5 gen iPod, and thank the makers that amarok has managed to support it... The iPod was great when I was a windows user, but if you are in linux, never buy anything Apple. There are tons of media players out there that are linux friendly, but Apple is NOT! I lucked out because Apple did not encrypt my device's firmware, but they do on all the new iPods...

[azimuth]

I currently have a Sandisk SDMX1. It works well with Ubuntu and Gpodder. I will replace it with an OGG capable model, when the time comes. The more I use open Source the stronger I feel about it.

[ShadowVlican]

ipod shuffle 2nd gen

bought it because it was the smallest mp3 available to me

[hrisk]

Creative Zen Nano Plus 512MB (Smaller than a lighter!)

[SomeGuyDude]

Samsung YP-T9. Linux support isn't great, but I can put music on there and since I generally just use it in the gym, that's fine by me.

[MattBD]

Mine is a 5th generation Apple iPod video (80GB). I bought it about two weeks before the new ones were announced in September 2007. I was kicking myself a bit at the time, as if I'd waited I could have saved a bit of money, but as it turned out the new ones wouldn't work with Amarok so that made me feel better. I also have a 1GB Shuffle (the clip-type one) and a 20GB Sony Walkman.
Main reason I bought the iPod was for Last.fm so I could scrobble the tracks I listened to on it (which I couldn't do on the Sony). I agree that iPod's aren't very friendly towards Linux, but their ubiquity does mean that there are plenty of third-party applications you can use with it, whereas the Sony has crap software (ConnectPlayer) and no third-party solutions that I know of. Although Sony have now dropped their software, and now use a simple drag-and-drop interface for their newest players - I'd be interested to hear if anyone has had any success in using these in Ubuntu, as I can't see a good reason why that wouldn't work.

[spupy]

Creative Zen Nano Plus 512MB (Smaller than a lighter!)

That was my last one (the 1GB version). I still love it! After 2+ years of everyday abuse, it still works just as good as the day i bought it. It just has some dust behind the screen glass. I still use it to listen to music while running, because I'm scared to bring my precious new shiny sony.
Just a few days ago i got the Sony NWZ-8xxsomething, 8GB. Mounts normal, drag'n'drop (no more ATRAC crap), sound quality+++. And its thin. And the headphones that come with it are very good - cost 50€ alone.

I now remembered my first mp3 player. It was a D-Link with... wait for it... 32 MB storage capacity. Expandable with a card to 64MB! Imagine having only 8 songs to listen to! :lolflag: It connects to the PC through a parallel port (like a printer). Of course, it still works, too!

[AndyCooll]

I have a Cowon iAudio 7, and it's great. Yes, drag n drop flash-drive-style to add songs. Yes, it plays Oggs. Yes, they list Linux compatibility on the website. And yes, I think supporting those who support Linux (aka "voting with your wallet") is a good idea.
Agreed. It was why I bought an iAudio 7 too.

I have the 16gb version and have been very pleased with it. Loads of space for my music files (and anything else I might want to copy to it), drag and drop (and hence no attempt to restrict how I use my audio player), plays ogg and flac files, up to 60 hours continuous playing time, small and compact.

:cool:

[bleedingpowers]

I have a COWON D2. Is anyone able to add playlists and album artwork or lyrics? I was able to do it only when it is set to MTP mode, but the problem is that it won't take ogg files if using MTP, disregarding the media player application being used. I tried Amarok, Rhythymbox, and Banshee, but they won't add ogg's if the device is set to MTP mode.

Please, give me a quick hint if you don't mind.

[spupy]

I have a COWON D2. Is anyone able to add playlists and album artwork or lyrics? I was able to do it only when it is set to MTP mode, but the problem is that it won't take ogg files if using MTP, disregarding the media player application being used. I tried Amarok, Rhythymbox, and Banshee, but they won't add ogg's if the device is set to MTP mode.
I suspect that you need album art to be added to the tags of each song if you want it displayed. Same with lyrics maybe.

[tbroderick]

I have the 16gb version and have been very pleased with it. Loads of space for my music files (and anything else I might want to copy to it), drag and drop (and hence no attempt to restrict how I use my audio player), plays ogg and flac files, up to 60 hours continuous playing time, small and compact.


Does is have decent unicode support for file or tag names?

[plb]

I have a COWON D2. Is anyone able to add playlists and album artwork or lyrics? I was able to do it only when it is set to MTP mode, but the problem is that it won't take ogg files if using MTP, disregarding the media player application being used. I tried Amarok, Rhythymbox, and Banshee, but they won't add ogg's if the device is set to MTP mode.

Please, give me a quick hint if you don't mind.
I have the d2 as well. I never bothered with lyrics or album art. I just put my music into the music directory although I've noticed some of my music does have a cover associated with it....lyrics I have no clue.

[AndyCooll]

Does is have decent unicode support for file or tag names?
Ermm ...yes I would say so. It's fairly basic, but it picks up all the tag information correctly as far as I'm aware (though I must admit I rarely pay attention to them since it's usually in my pocket!).

Aysiu posted a (reasonably accurate, IMHO) review on his blog: Cowon iAudio 7 Review (Ubuntu perspective) (http://ubuntucat.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/cowon-iaudio-7-review-ubuntu-perspective/). He sums it up by saying "The Cowon iAudio 7 is a solid choice for those looking for a cute player that is definitely Linux compatible (no need for MTP plugins) and supports Ogg and FLAC music formats."

His review indicates that he had to upgrade the firmware, but I didn't, mine came with the latest firmware. And he mentions the fiddly controls. I can see where he's coming from, but again I don't seem to have had the same issues. This might be because I usually simply stick it on "random" and then play!

I'd definitely recommend purchasing one.

:cool:

[macogw]

Ermm ...yes I would say so. It's fairly basic, but it picks up all the tag information correctly as far as I'm aware (though I must admit I rarely pay attention to them since it's usually in my pocket!).

Aysiu posted a (reasonably accurate, IMHO) review on his blog: Cowon iAudio 7 Review (Ubuntu perspective) (http://ubuntucat.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/cowon-iaudio-7-review-ubuntu-perspective/). He sums it up by saying "The Cowon iAudio 7 is a solid choice for those looking for a cute player that is definitely Linux compatible (no need for MTP plugins) and supports Ogg and FLAC music formats."

His review indicates that he had to upgrade the firmware, but I didn't, mine came with the latest firmware. And he mentions the fiddly controls. I can see where he's coming from, but again I don't seem to have had the same issues. This might be because I usually simply stick it on "random" and then play!

I'd definitely recommend purchasing one.

:cool:

I upgraded the firmware on mine so I could see the charging status...well, it wouldn't show charging at all. They say it deletes everything on there when you upgrade it, but I think that's only true if you use MTP, because my music was still there.

[beforewisdom]

I have similar questions to the original poster of this thread so I thought I would be a good citizen and just bump this thread up instead of creating a new one.

I know nothing about the whole MP3 scene. I've slept through the revolution, but now I am ready to come into the 21st century. Please be gentle if I ask ignorant questions.

I'm using Ubuntu 7.10 and I plan on sticking with Ubuntu.

From earlier replies to this thread it seems as if the iAudio7 is the most GNU/Linux friendly.

From superficial window shopping it seems as if the iPod has the most accessories available, but they also seem to be the most expensive.

Can you get the following accessories for the iAudio7 ( links please if you got them ):

- an arm band so you can wear it while working out?

- an FM transmitter so you can beam the content into your FM car radio leaving your ears free while driving?

- a microphone so you can use it to record?

Which would be more hassle free for an Ubuntu user, the iPod or the iAudio?

Does using the iPod lock you into using iTunes? Do other legal download sites offer similarly good selections? Can you use the iAudio7 with the iTunes download site?

Can I use the iPod, as is, out of the box with Ubuntu?

Can I use the iAudio7, as is, out of the box with Ubuntu?

Thanks in advance for ANY information that would be helpful in choosing a first MP3 player. There are so many choices it is overwhelming

[EnergySamus]

Hi,
iPod Nano: 2nd Generation.

It works great! I want to get a new Nano or Touch.

EnergySamus

[Afkpuz]

I use a toshiba gigabeat f20 version with rockbox put on it. Having rockbox makes my player truly a drag and drop player. It can play all codecs I can think of and can even watch videos. works great and has more features than I could ever need.

[macogw]

- an arm band so you can wear it while working out?
Don't know, but it's about 1"x 1.25"x2" or so, so itd probably fit in one made for a Sansa or any other midget MP3 player



Any FM transmitter that hooks up to the MP3 player through the audio jack instead of the base will work

[quote]- a microphone so you can use it to record?
built-in

Which would be more hassle free for an Ubuntu user, the iPod or the iAudio?
iAudio

Does using the iPod lock you into using iTunes? Do other legal download sites offer similarly good selections? Can you use the iAudio7 with the iTunes download site?

New iPods try to lock you into iTunes. Installing the libgpod update from here (http://lilserenity.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/virgin-mobile-praise-ubuntu-and-ipod-nano-3g/). There are a lot of sites that you pay a certain amount per month and do it without DRM which will work. No, the iAudio cannot use iTunes's DRM. If you get the non-DRM EMI stuff from iTunes or re-encode the iTunes stuff to not have DRM, that will work.

Can I use the iPod, as is, out of the box with Ubuntu?
yes if it's pre-fall 2007 or if you use the development version of hardy

Can I use the iAudio7, as is, out of the box with Ubuntu?
yes

[beforewisdom]

I don't like how thick the iAudio7 is and I don't need that much memory.

Are the slimmer versions as Linux friendly: drag and drop files to it, plays ogg?

Is playing ogg a big concern? Is it time consuming to convert ogg to mp3 in Ubuntu?

Is there convenient ripping software for Ubuntu that rips directly to MP3?

Some people panned the iAudio5.

What other iAudios or linux friendly MP3 players would people recommend?

[macogw]

I don't like how thick the iAudio7 is and I don't need that much memory.You have less than 4GB of music? I don't really see the thickness as a problem...it's about the size of a tube of lipstick. iPod Nanos may be really flat, but they're also *huge* in the other directions. They'd snap like a wafer in any girl's pocket (not true for guys because your pockets are big enough to put the mp3 player below the part where you bend).


Is playing ogg a big concern? Is it time consuming to convert ogg to mp3 in Ubuntu?Eh if you've got a lot it'd take a while. Ogg is a concern for those of us who dislike that MP3 is patent-encumbered.


Is there convenient ripping software for Ubuntu that rips directly to MP3?Sound Juicer can do it with the proper codecs


Some people panned the iAudio5.

What other iAudios or linux friendly MP3 players would people recommend?
The Cowon D2 (same brand as the iAudio) and iRivers are supposed to be good.

[beforewisdom]

This thread has been the single most useful place I've read for helping me to shop for an mp3 player. I'm certainly not going with the iPod now. Thanks.

[xarquid]

This thread has been the single most useful place I've read for helping me to shop for an mp3 player. I'm certainly not going with the iPod now. Thanks.

Going with the iAudio or iRiver?

- xq

And on your same note:
I was surprised that it turned into such a long thread so fast. I'm glad so many people found it helpful. I'm sure many will find it helpful for months to come (if not years). ;-)

[DUDE_2000]

Creative Zen Vision W, 30 gb
Does what I wanted it to do, but doesn't support free formats

and the buttons arent easy to use

[3rdalbum]

Although Sony have now dropped their software, and now use a simple drag-and-drop interface for their newest players - I'd be interested to hear if anyone has had any success in using these in Ubuntu, as I can't see a good reason why that wouldn't work.

Should have looked a bit earlier in the thread - I was the second person who said these worked perfectly :-)

[Flying caveman]

Is there some new fangled NON-portable MP3 player out now:confused:

[zvi]

I have a friend who has been using the Meizu m6 in Ubuntu and says it works really well. Right now I am looking for an Mp3 player myself and this Forum has been really helpful. Another one I have found which no one here has talked about is the Insignia Pilot, which supposedly has Ubuntu support. I read on a review that its sound quality isn't that hot, but on the up side it is loaded with features. Ugh, life is packed with such hard decisions.:popcorn:

[tubasoldier]

I use a Creative Zen Microphoto. It uses the Microsoft Transfer Protocol. (MTP). Not all that compatible with Linux but it can work. I have only gotten it to work with Amarok. I found that it was easier to mount it in Linux than in Windows. Even easier in OS X. But steer clear of Creative mp3 players if you are using Linux.

The positive aspect of it is that it has a user replaceable battery. I like that.

[euchrid]

Looks like I'm the only person here who uses cheap crap; I buy mp3 players off eBay, and I've had 2 that have lasted over 18 months each - one was £15 and the other £20 (that's British Pounds Sterling). The nearest available Big Brand (TM) models start from around £100.

The £20 one I had came with 4GB flash storage (flash doesn't jog/skip when you're moving), and I only had to replace it because the headphone socket was mashed up from being bashed around in my pocket. I use an mp3 player more or less every day, always while walking, usually about 4 miles - so a 'normal' person might find one of these things last a lot longer.

Sound quality was decent, but video isn't up to much (as you would expect). Ones that take AA batteries seem to last around 8 hours playing time, but my last one only lasted about 4 hours. However, these cheap ones work as a plug-in USB device, and you can just drag 'n' drop without any special software. There are a few models that take replaceable li-ion batteries.

At £20, it's more replaceable than an iPod or iRiver, and if someone tries to steal it, they'll be in for a big disappointment when they find it isn't worth much money. Just look up 'mp3 player' on eBay, and get a cheap one. You might get a dud, but then you might drop your £300 iRiver/iPod/Zen thing...

[jken146]

Cowon D2, because it plays flac and ogg vorvis, and because it's expandabe with SDD cards. The battery life is really good too.

[beforewisdom]

I read some glowing reviews of the iAudio7 as an uber linux friendly portable mp3 player.

I went to Amazon and a few other review sites. The near universal complaints seem to be:

- the touch screen interface is irritatingly oversensitive
- the screen is vulnerable to glare & smudging
- the interface is complicated
- it is thick

I would like to hear from people who LIKE the iAudio7 to comment on these complaints. I am trying to get a feel for how much an issue they would be for me.

Thanks.

[Wobedraggled]

Creative Zen 4gb and Microphoto 8gb

[arsenic23]

I would like to hear from people who LIKE the iAudio7 to comment on these complaints. I am trying to get a feel for how much an issue they would be for me.

My sister has an iAudio7 ( which I bought her ) and has been using Cowan mp3 players for a long time ( because I pick out all of her crap for her ). The only one of those points that I noticed myself is the sensitive touchscreen, but the device has a lock button that turns off the controlls so I never saw a problem with it. She just loves it, by the way.

[guitarthrasher]

I prefer to use the Sansa Express.
It has 2G of flash storage and can be used almost exactly like a flash drive by design. When plugged in, it is opened as a drive for drag-n-drop file managing. Also, with an expansion slot, it can be extended to about 4G of storage with a microSD card. I don't use it, because the microSD card I have is used with my Sony Ericsson W580i, which has a Walkman program on it. But, I figured that you might want to know that. 4G is a lot of music when you think about it.

Happy hunting for your MP3 player!

[paul101]

i Use My phone (Sony Ericsson w910i ( Walkman))

[bobdob20]

I use a Creative Zen Vision:M 30GB. Had it for a year or so now and it works really well. Gnomad2 works well for transferring songs over, but it would be nice to just be able to mount it and drag and drop songs.
Looking at the Rockbox site, the Creative Zen Vision:M is under "New Ports" so hopefully it will be supported sometime soon.

[aysiu]

I read some glowing reviews of the iAudio7 as an uber linux friendly portable mp3 player.

I went to Amazon and a few other review sites. The near universal complaints seem to be:

- the touch screen interface is irritatingly oversensitive
- the screen is vulnerable to glare & smudging
- the interface is complicated
- it is thick

I would like to hear from people who LIKE the iAudio7 to comment on these complaints. I am trying to get a feel for how much an issue they would be for me.

Thanks.
If you went to Amazon recently, you may have noticed my review of the iAudio 7. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, for all of those reasons, and for the fact that my screen cracked after three months of just regular use, and Cowon wouldn't replace the screen unless I paid $57.

Instead of doing that for a player that didn't suit my needs anyway, I paid $59 for a Sansa Clip and haven't regretted it.

The only downsides to the Clip are: 1. Won't play Ogg (though a non-issue for me, it may be an issue for you) and 2. Doesn't work as a USB drive for transferring files between Windows and Ubuntu, since they display the drive differently in the two OSes.

If, however, you use MP3 and only Ubuntu (not Windows), the Clip is great.

[kostkon]

I use an Ipod 5.5G, 80GB and I sync it with Floola.

[geoken]

I have a Samsung P2 with UMS/MSC firmware.

The player is really good, most Mp3 review sites list it in their top 5 (it's actually number 1 on AnythingButiPod and DAPReview). The player has a 3 inch touch screen and is extremely thin.

With the UMS firmware it acts just like a USB drive. When I plug the player into my computer a new drive appears on my desktop. I can open this drive just like any other drive and navigate my player's folders/files. I can add music to the player by dragging it to the Music folder, I can add pics by dragging them to the Pics folder, videos to the Video folder, etc.

The video files need to be in Xvid format and need to have a very specific resolution/bitrate. I encode on the fly using a Nautilus script that someone on the AnythingButiPod forums created. It's a great script which uses ffmpeg to re-encode the movies to the appropriate format and supports batch encoding.

[sherwoodwf]

i have and ipod video 5th gen. but whats wrong with your mini when i had mine i use to love it until it broke :(

but if your getting a new mp3 player you should get the ipod touch it looks well nice!

[D-EJ915]

Sony NWZ-A815, I used "drag-n-drop" and it works pretty well.

[beforewisdom]

If you went to Amazon recently, you may have noticed my review of the iAudio 7.


I did see it. I went to Amazon today.



I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, for all of those reasons, and for the fact that my screen cracked after three months of just regular use, and Cowon wouldn't replace the screen unless I paid $57.


How did the screen crack?

I read in a comment or two above yours that it is possible to lock the controls to get around the problem of the controls being too sensitive. Why didn't you do tha? Just curious, I'm trying to get a feel for the issues.



If, however, you use MP3 and only Ubuntu (not Windows), the Clip is great.

That would be me. Does the clip have the capacity to use an FM transmitter ?

[beforewisdom]

This MP3 player looks very good for my needs:
sandisk sansa m260

Does anyone know if it can use an FM transmitter to send the output to my FM car radio?

Any other comments on this particular player?

[aysiu]

How did the screen crack? I have no idea. It appeared to have cracked from the inside. I'm pretty confident I didn't do anything special to crack it (sit on it, drop it, throw it, etc.). I've had an iPod, a Sandisk player, the iAudio 7, and my new Sansa Clip, and the only time I've seen a screen crack that way was on the iAudio 7, and after only three months of use. Granted, I've read nowhere else on the internet about others having problems with the screen cracking, but this is my only experience with Cowon, and it's also been the only time I've seen this kind of screen crack.


I read in a comment or two above yours that it is possible to lock the controls to get around the problem of the controls being too sensitive. Why didn't you do tha? Just curious, I'm trying to get a feel for the issues. I like to switch songs every so often. Locking the controls would mean an extra two steps every time I wanted to skip a song.

So, under ordinary circumstances, to switch a song I'd just (Step 1) press the button to switch a song. Using control locking, I'd have to (Step 1) unlock the controls, (Step 2) press the button to switch a song, and then (Step 3) lock the controls again.

And, as I think I mentioned in my review, the controls were so sensitive that I often accidentally fast-forwarded instead of skipping songs. So locked controls wouldn't have helped with that either.


That would be me. Does the clip have the capacity to use an FM transmitter ? It has an FM radio. What's a transmitter? Is that different?

[myusername]

i have an 8 gb ipod touch (jailbroken of course) and if icould just get it to work completely in ubuntu i would never touch (pun intended) windows again

[beforewisdom]

The FM transmitter is an extension you can plug into some mp3 players that will broadcast the output into a nearby FM radio, like a car radio.

In my state it is illegal to drive with headphones on for fear of safety issues ( hearing emergency vehicles, car horns etc ).

FM transmitters for mp3 players allows drivers to keep their ears free.

Aside from wanting to listen to music while I work out I would also like an mp3 player to listen to podcasts on my way to work.

[aysiu]

The FM transmitter is an extension you can plug into some mp3 players that will broadcast the output into a nearby FM radio, like a car radio.

In my state it is illegal to drive with headphones on for fear of safety issues ( hearing emergency vehicles, car horns etc ).

FM transmitters for mp3 players allows drivers to keep their ears free.

Aside from wanting to listen to music while I work out I would also like an mp3 player to listen to podcasts on my way to work.
But don't FM transmitters fit into any headphone socket?

[retrow]

I use a Cowon D2 which I bought last April.

[Victormd]

I use Sansa e260 4GB, great little player (with photo and video as well - 1.5in screen :)), can use both on Ubuntu and Windows and transfer between them... would highly recomend.

[Breakage]

iPod nano 1g black with rockbox (audio sounds better through rockbox with big headphones), I also have mpd/mpc on it but it's laggy with a big playlist.

It's a triple boot with linux/ rockbox/ apple os, so it acts like a drive.

[beforewisdom]

But don't FM transmitters fit into any headphone socket?

I don't know, that is why I am asking. I am new to the whole mp3 thing.

[TeraDyne]

I'm using a 2GB Pink Samsung U3 and 2GB first-gen Black iPod Nano with Rockbox.

The U3 handles OGG, MP3, and so on, but it uses MTP for the transfers, so I have to use Gnomad to update my playlists and such. I take it with me to work, and the sound quality is very good.

The Nano has RockBox, so it can also play OGGs, but it's so old that the battery life has really dimished. That's why I bought the U3 as a replacement.

[plb]

D2 is almost rockboxed =)

[corney91]

I don't know, that is why I am asking. I am new to the whole mp3 thing.
They do. I have one which I bought for about £20, and you just plug it into the headphone socket and select a frequency. Pretty handy and cheap:)

Oh and I have a rockboxed Sansa e280. Brilliant device and completely linux-friendly (although I've heard version2 isn't)

[beforewisdom]

what is rockbox/

[andrewabc]

what is rockbox/
http://www.rockbox.org/

[wakeupinflames]

I really don't have a use for a portable MP3 player, but when I do listen to music on the go, I use my PSP. It isn't the most lightweight or the best, but it does get the job done.

[jolx]

i hav a sansa e260 with rockbox of course :guitar:

[Victormd]

Had never heard of Rockbox... Just installed on my Sansa e260 and gotta say, this is pretty cool!!! Everytime I come in here, I learn something new...
:guitar:

[bleedingpowers]

Had never heard of Rockbox... Just installed on my Sansa e260 and gotta say, this is pretty cool!!! Everytime I come in here, I learn something new...
:guitar:
This is a quick question for all those who are using rockbox on an ipod:

Did you ever figure out how to charge directly from rockbox using a wall adapter without the continuous recycling every so many minutes (depending on your timing out settings)????

I have to keep using Apple OS just to charge it from the wall adapter.

[Ozor Mox]

I use my Samsung E900 phone, with a 1GB MicroSD card for storage. I use a card reader to transfer music, because plugging the phone in directly mounts ok, but seems to have problems with unmounting and actually transferring the files. Also, Samsung are annoying and don't include a standard headphone jack on the phone, but only their stupid connecting format, so I had to buy an adapter off eBay for a quid or something.

Anyone who has the Sony-Ericsson walkman phones, do they come with a standard headphone jack?

[aroth87]

I have a Sansa e250 I got refurbished from Woot. Installed rockbox on it and haven't looked back. Its really nice, has good battery life, but 2 GB is starting to seem a little small. Oh well, its got a microSD slot for expansion so its really a non-issue if I would get off my butt and by a card.

When my friends ask me what it is I tell them its not an Ipod. :guitar:

Adam

[Kulgan]

Another iWhore here. I am Kulgan, and I use an iPhone :P

I'm having problems with picture management with GtkPod, but other than that it's good, even if the battery life isn't. I needed a new phone when I was considering getting an mp3 player, and the iPhone had just come out. Too convenient.

I know there are a lot of people who love the "drag and drop" style mp3 players. I guess they have their advantages, along with superior battery life (?), but I love all the apps you can install on the iPhone. "Link to the Past", anyone?

[thescientist213]

I've got an old 30g, or whatever i don't even remember anymore, ipod video. I loved it until the battery got old and now it lasts 15 minutes then dies. :/

[x0as]

8gb ipod touch

[user11]

I got a Nextar MA570 1GB portable mp3 player for Linux and windows. I didn't test for OGG yet, but I don't care because I only paid about $40 at Staples for it. Only drag is that "HOLD" doesn't keep the player from turning on. Works great otherwise, OLED display looks neato, charges via USB in about 30 mins, 15 hours of use ( I tested it too), REAL DRAG AND DROP, unlike that piece of craq NWZ-B105 SONY Walkman mp3 player. This was my first choice since the ever-so-reliable-yet-expensive Samsung MP3 players are dam near impossible to find (Yes, they play OGG, I have one but it's held together with rubber bands and it's 2+ years old)

The NWZ-B105 SONY Walkman falsely advertises drag and drop, which it doesn't have. Even with Windows XP it was a royal pain in the rear to get it working. I had to trouble shoot for about 45 mins. I found out It works through Windows media player 10 and 11 only, preferably Vista (*gag-cough*) but not necessary, because when I used XP it wasn't detecting the player consistently. nice of Windows to suggest Vista when I researched the issue, right? Do you feel the storm coming?

What happens is that most mp3 players that can play WMAs (including ones from manufactures that create real drag and drop MP3 players) have a new format variation on the solid state memory (or maybe even HDD too) that is only detected by Windows XP if it has Media Player 10 or 11 installed, and Vista by default. If you use Linux or Mac, it won't even see the device plugged in. Windows is trying to squeeze out other OS's from reading MP3/WMA players since Microsoft "generously" gave permission to companies to make WMA reading devices, since after all, WMAs are property of Microsoft.

Lesson learned, stay away from MP3 players that have Vista or Windows Media Player 10/11 as a system requirement specifically noted (we all know they have windows in general listed, but it usually generic sounding and not specific "windows98/ME/2000/XP"). So Samsung and Nextar seem promising.:KS

[T-Virus]

I really don't have a use for a portable MP3 player, but when I do listen to music on the go, I use my PSP. It isn't the most lightweight or the best, but it does get the job done.

I use my PSP as a MP3 player too. Though I'm thinking about getting a real MP3 player, Sony one probably.

[lzy2k1]

I have a 5.5 generation ipod... and i really like it... its a great audio player...
only problem: headphones died kinda fast...

[blithen]

Cowon D2.
AMAZING media player. With an extension slot for SD cards.
Video, music, recording, even flash games. This mp3 is awesome beyong belief.
And the audio quality PWNS iPod, and the equalizer is way better then iPods.

[KillerMRK]

I have a 3G nano. :D

[mrsteveman1]

This 3g nano i have sounds good enough for what i use it for, podcasts and randomly listening to songs sometimes. Plus the only reason i even use it at all is because it fits in my coin pocket in my jeans perfectly flat (i've almost washed in the washer a few times because i forget its there), otherwise i wouldn't be carrying it around at all and it would be completely useless to me.

I do find however that a LOT of the tracks on the iTunes store are very poorly mastered, leading some people to think the iPod sounds like crap. With good CD rips and good in ear headphones it sounds fine to me.

[MaindotC]

Can you play .flv's on your respective media players?

[hardyn]

Samsung U3... 60$ 2gb with FM tuner... good enough for me.

[little_penguin]

I have two Mp3 players (I love gadgets) - the Cowon iaudio7 and the Sansa Sandisk E280, both of which work perfectly with Ubuntu.

[MicahCarrick]

I'm using a Sansa View 8GB with Ubuntu 8.04. Although I think it works best in Amarok (you can use MTP mode and playlists), it also works in Rhythmbox and Banshee in MTP mode (and can be mounted with mtpfs and other command line stuff with mtp-tools) and works like any other thing in MSC mode (but you lose playlist support in MSC mode).

I wrote up my findings...
Sandisk Sansa View on Ubuntu Linux (http://www.micahcarrick.com/05-21-2008/sansa-view-ubuntu.html).

[scouser73]

I have a Toshiba Gigabeat F20, I'm not sure how to sync it to Rhythmbox to put more music on it though.

[amitabhishek]

I don't see a need for PMP. When I am at home, my TV is on. When I am driving car audio is on. When jogging radio on cell phone is on. Can't really listen to music in office either.

Though I want to buy a PMP but don't know where to fit it in my life.:(

[jonabyte]

I use a mpio (can't remember the model number). very thin and I can use a sd card which is nice to add extra songs. Also works well with Linux, at least the usb connection, not the software...

[uraldinho]

I use my mobile phone and a generic mp3 player with FM tuner. Something made in China, can't remember the brand name. The sound quality is as good as any, I read a few reviews before ordering and it turned out to be a good one.

I don't see the need to pay extortionate amount for an american brand name with a fruit logo on it.

[eddiemar]

cowon D2 is the best for linux users, hands down!

[elgalloloco]

Creative Zen Micro, works GREAT with GNOMAD2...

[Steve413z]

I had a Sansa e260 with rockbox, I started having a hardware problem with it, so SanDisk replaced it, they sent me the new version that doesn't support rockbox ughhh

Next MP3 player I buy, i'm just gonna buy the cheapest one I can, cause it doesn't really matter that much anyway

[Visti]

Creative Zen Micro, works GREAT with GNOMAD2...

My girlfriend bought one of these and I found it snazzy, so I picked one up myself. Now they're both bricked.

Her's with a HD failure with no further explanation and mine while upgrading the firmware leaving no firmware on the device and thus no computer will recognize, which in turn means there's no way to put another firmware on it. Because of a "foolproof" upgrade to include audible support.

Even before this I had to do a homemade fix to the infamous loose minijack connector on BOTH as well (if, or maybe when, you encounter it there are tons of guides on the net)

And before all of that, it was a freaking hassle to get anything on there even with XP and the included CD. I had to scour the net for a good hour or two before finding some obscure combination of software that would recognize it.

I, eh, wouldn't recommend it. But then again, you might be lucky.

I now have a Sandisk Clip, which is awesome. It's tiny, which I didn't really care for at first, but it's grown on me, because there's just no way to harm it. It's built like a tank and dropping it barely does anything, because it weighs so little. Hold a button while plugging it in and it's recognized as an external drive.

http://regmedia.co.uk/2007/08/28/sansa_clip_2.jpg

Now that's a player I'd recommend.

[CaseyTinsley]

A Moto-Q... Phone, Internet, Camera, MP3, Video, Etc.


Groovy little gizmo, except for the monthly sprint bill... :mad:

[jaithehulk]

I have a creative ZEN VISiON M:30g for about 2 years now.
Overall a very good player....
Supports Xvid and divx and thats the best thing about this player.
The freezes and crashes were very less...
Mostly it froze cuz of very high bitrate video or pics..
but no problems wid sound...

It works gr8 wid Gnomad2,mtpfs,Rhytmbox and Amarok

[MONODA]

i am going to get an iaudio7 soon, they seem awesome

[matchstich]

i know this is alittle off base but search is not working right now.

do i need a package to play a mp3 on my box?

thanks

[jimbosheep101]

creative zen v its cheap for waht u get

same memory as an ipod nano

pics

videos

mp3, wav, wmv

its smaller than an ipod and looks better, and half the price + u dont need any thing like iTunes, just plug and play, and it actually comes with some ok sample music

the firmware doesn't look as nice as an ipod but it is alot better sound quality

http://digadget.com/digital-gadget/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/creative_zen_plus.jpg

[Fedz]

Same as above: Creative Zen - works a dream on Ubuntu :-D

[tuebinger]

I have an iAudio7. I think it's a great music player because it supports FLAC. I don't listen to music anymore in any other format, except for the few mp3s I purchased as downloads.

[wolfen69]

i use my PSP for music. sure it's not the smallest, lightest thing around, but i just love it. and i have gaming, wireless web, pictures, videos.

[AmishFury]

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9931/e280rigpg0.jpg

Sansa e280v1 with rockbox
Sony E888 earbuds

if anyone ever makes a line out dock cable for the e200 series i'll get one and use it with my PocketAmp2v2 and my Etymotic ER-6 IEMs

[banjobacon]

I wanted an upgrade from my iRiver H120, so I bought a used 80 GB iPod Classic. I then realized that Rockbox does not support the iPod Classic, and is unlikely to do so any time soon. No big loss, I guess, since I'm not a huge fan of Rockbox (at least not on my iRiver). I guess this means I have to re-rip a bunch of my music into the mp3 format, but I was considering doing that anyway.

[Matt Damon]

My preference is my little 2G Samsung YpK3. It's got an FM radio receiver built-in and even the software supplied with it seems based on drag and drop. When using the Samsung with that other operating system it's easy to move music and other files around like a USB stick, except it's a much more useful & better looking.

My kids have a Ipod 30gig and a nano. I've learned to hate them (the Ipods) and that *&%#$#*ing iTunes with a Passion! I find the moment you want to try something a little different with an Ipod it's always about hacks to or alternatives to iTunes. The Samsung just lets me do it.

But.. Since I've become a follower of Ubuntu the Ipods behave well on Hardy with Rhythmbox.

[karellen]

Samsung U600
and my sister has a Creative Zen

[n00b4life]

I have a shuffle - is there any way to use it with ubuntu, or do i have to use windows? thx.

[SuperStuff]

Sansa M240 1G uses one AAA battery so easy to replace and the FM radio is nice to have for listening to games by my college NC State. The wife bought this for $40 at some black friday thanksgiving sale.

Ipod 4th gen 20G I got it broken for $10 and repaired it. Also intalled a new battery. Holds more than enough of my music. No color, no pics, and no video so just a basic music player. I would have said no problems, but just yesterday I had to restore it and sync my music back onto it after transferring the music files onto my ThinkPad R31 using Rhythmbox.

[~MK~]

delete

[~MK~]

delete

[Wobedraggled]

Creative Zen 4gb, works flawlessly.

[nick09]

I use the 80GB iPod Classic and I use Songbird with the ipod plugin to add songs and videos. Album art is messed up but all that matters is listening to my tunes, watching videos, and playing the games that came with my ipod.:)

[nick09]

I wanted an upgrade from my iRiver H120, so I bought a used 80 GB iPod Classic. I then realized that Rockbox does not support the iPod Classic, and is unlikely to do so any time soon. No big loss, I guess, since I'm not a huge fan of Rockbox (at least not on my iRiver). I guess this means I have to re-rip a bunch of my music into the mp3 format, but I was considering doing that anyway.

You can use songbird(grab from Mozilla site) with the ipod plugin to add songs and videos to the ipod as I have used the 80GB classic
(turned in my old 30GB video to best buy for the 80 GB; still had a warranty on it).

[~MK~]

My preference is my little 2G Samsung YpK3. It's got an FM radio receiver built-in and even the software supplied with it seems based on drag and drop. When using the Samsung with that other operating system it's easy to move music and other files around like a USB stick, except it's a much more useful & better looking.

My kids have a Ipod 30gig and a nano. I've learned to hate them (the Ipods) and that *&%#$#*ing iTunes with a Passion! I find the moment you want to try something a little different with an Ipod it's always about hacks to or alternatives to iTunes. The Samsung just lets me do it.

But.. Since I've become a follower of Ubuntu the Ipods behave well on Hardy with Rhythmbox.

I just bought the Samsung 2GB player as well (U3). I just do not know how to get music onto it. The software doesn't work on Ubuntu for me, and I have no idea what to do.

Someone please help, all I want is to jog and rollerblade with music.

Thanks,
Meghan

[FlyingIsFun1217]

I use a Zune. Works like wonders except for it's insane proprietary nature and barely-subpar battery life.

Grr. Really wish it were possible to use it on *unix.

FlyingIsFun1217

[reyfer]

COWON A3 30GB, supports OGG and FLAC besides those other codecs, supports Linux, and the video quality is WOW

[rzrgenesys187]

Sandisk Sansa Clip. Works great especially for portability with its size. The new firmware says it supports ogg audio files, haven't tried it myself since I don't have ogg audio files. Highly recommended

[toupeiro]

I was a former Zen Vision:M owner, and a very happy one at that but unfortunately the player got stolen.

I'm now running an iPod touch (my first self-purchased apple product) 8GB jailbroken and am very happy with it, although certain tasks are frustrating due to apples closedness. I can use it flawlessly for music so I am happy, and the installer.app is the sickest addon to a device like that I've seen!

[teaumaz]

Creative Zen 4gb, works flawlessly.
Did you get it to work in Ubuntu 8.04? I know rhythmbox can see what's on there out of the box, however, putting stuff on my mp3-player from within Linux, I just cannot seem to get that working.

To answer the original question: I have a Creative Zen 16 Gb. Good player if you use Windows, but for me as a Linux user, it's not so good:

- frequent freezes
- no OGG support
- I can only passively use it under Linux (I can see what files are on there) but cannot actively copy files to it.

[mini_g]

i use my PSP for music. sure it's not the smallest, lightest thing around, but i just love it. and i have gaming, wireless web, pictures, videos.

+1

Another PSP user here. I have an opened 1001 series, so I also use it as a truly universal (programmable) remote control, eBook reader, etc.
I just wish that the flac player was better... :(

[chewearn]

I have an old Creative MuVo V200 1GB. This one is USB mass storage, support drag drop from the file manager.

Another one, Zen Vision W 40GB. This one is MTP only. I copy audio files using Rhythmbox, and video files using gnomad2.

.

[ramjet_1953]

I use a Meizu M6SL.

Perhaps the title of this thread should have been 'Portable Media Player' instead of 'MP3 Player', as I'm sure that many Ubuntu users have 'seen the light' and don't use inferior propritory codecs over OGG and FLAC.

Regards,
Roger :cool:

[F1y3r3]

Did you get it to work in Ubuntu 8.04? I know rhythmbox can see what's on there out of the box, however, putting stuff on my mp3-player from within Linux, I just cannot seem to get that working.

To answer the original question: I have a Creative Zen 16 Gb. Good player if you use Windows, but for me as a Linux user, it's not so good:

- frequent freezes
- no OGG support
- I can only passively use it under Linux (I can see what files are on there) but cannot actively copy files to it.
I have Zen V. Same problem. Fixed by using gnomad2 and another distro :lolflag: But seriously you should try gnomad2.

[Frak]

80GB Zune

Music, Radio, Games, Multiplayer-Games, Social sharing, Video, Podcast updater...

Whats not to love?

With the exception that it only works on Windows. That doesn't phase me though.

[graabein]

I got an relatively old iPod Photo 60GB that works fine with GNU/Linux. It was sort of an impulse buy. If I had done more research I would probably go for an iAudio from Cowon.

Recently I bought a rather cheap Nokia N800 internet tablet that is small enough to work as a portable media player, even as a tiny boombox!

Get Canola:
http://openbossa.indt.org.br/canola/
http://www.marceloeduardo.com/blog/category/canola

[nikgare]

I've got a Creative Zen Stone - cheap and chearful!

[dinomite89]

I got a Ipod Video 30GB need to upgrade tho ive got about 120GB of music

[keiichidono]

I've been looking into getting a Zune but it only works on Windows so i'm farked, anyone knows something similar that's pretty just as good and pretty much the same price?

[FlyingIsFun1217]

I've been looking into getting a Zune but it only works on Windows so i'm farked, anyone knows something similar that's pretty just as good and pretty much the same price?

If you don't care about audio, I'd say an iPod. Seems to have great Linux 'support', and it's battery life and audio quality are pretty decent.

If you don't mind running a VM, you can use the Zune software with a VM that supports USB transfer.

FlyingIsFun1217

[JohnS3]

I want a new mp3 player that hopefully has a sleek interface and design, 16gb or more of memory, preferrably more than 32gb, supports video, works with linux easily, extra features, and posiibly wifi? any sugestions?

[AbredPeytr]

iPod mini running RockBox

[grossaffe]

I want a new mp3 player that hopefully has a sleek interface and design, 16gb or more of memory, preferrably more than 32gb, supports video, works with linux easily, extra features, and posiibly wifi? any sugestions?

sounds like you may want a sansa view with 16 GB internal flash plus 8 GB microSDHC chip. supports video, supposedly works with linux well, FM radio, internal voice recorder. no wifi, however.

[Luffield]

I have a V2 Sansa e280.
Pros:
+ It works well with Ubuntu
+ Plays music.
Cons:
- I can't install Rockbox on it so I can't change the default interface which I don't like at all
- the volume/scroll wheel feels flimsy
- it's kinda anal about id3 tags. I guess I can fix my files but it's not annoying enough to make me do it. Yet.

Overall I'm not too impressed with this device. And next time I buy an MP3 player I'll make sure I can install alternative software on it.

[Quillz]

I think I've posted earlier, but just an update... I now use primarily a 32 GB iPod touch, although I do have a few playlists on my 8 GB iPhone. I also have an 8 GB iPod nano, although I got this quite a while ago and rarely use it at all. I mainly stick to my touch for listening to music.

[joshdudeha]

I use my mobile for my music.

Sony Ericsson W200i, only got 167 songs on it at the moment.
But it is easy to use under Ubuntu :]
Just plug it in, copy and paste the songs onto it and you're done.

[Phreaker]

I love my 8GB Creative ZEN

[Corbelius]

Cowon iAudio F2 (http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/product_F2_feature.php)

[Chr0mis]

I've got an archos 204: 150 euros, 20 gb, works like an external hdd, works perfectly! and a creative zen v 2gb, which I use when I go running. This thing works, but detecting it on linux is crap.

[macogw]

I've been looking into getting a Zune but it only works on Windows so i'm farked, anyone knows something similar that's pretty just as good and pretty much the same price?

The Zune is an MTP device just like the Creative Zens. It should work fine. Microsoft gave the libmtp devs a Zune to use for testing.

[Rhubarb]

iriver 2GB S10, works as a mass storage device, plays ogg mp3 wav and wma.
Works perfectly in Ubuntu, and it's got the bonus that it doesn't support any DRM at all = none of my money going to support DRM.

[Jordanwb]

I got a 4GB RCA H100. It's pretty good. Battery lasts about 3 days on a full charge.

[squee]

12Gb Trekstor Vibez

Absolutely amazing. No video (why would you want that on a DAP??) but just look it up. Supports ogg too. Also there are firmware updates that make it even better!

[Frak]

The Zune is an MTP device just like the Creative Zens. It should work fine. Microsoft gave the libmtp devs a Zune to use for testing.
Yes, it does connect and is recognized, but as of today, it still does not work.

Why?

Zune requires authentication from the Zune software. Until somebody reverse engineers it, we're stuck at just seeing it.

[SilverWolf240]

I just got a Sansa Fuze on Monday, and I love it.

[gletob]

I have a Toshiba giggabeat F40 with rockbox

[plb]

nokia e51 with 4gb sdhc card. I can scrobble my tracks and everything on it =)

[Ub1476]

Cowon iAudio7 FTW.

SSD, support FLAC, OGG, etc, drag drop in Linux and Rhythmbox detects it, equalizer, best sound quality on the market, small and light, 60 hours battery life (mp3 probably).

[koji042]

I have an iPod Video 5g. Currently using the default firmware, but I plan on putting Rockbox on it at some point.

[mikedemario17]

Just curious -- what portable mp3 player do you use?

I am looking to buy a new one (I have an old iPod first generation that is about 4 - 5 years old (mini)).

I would like to get a new one (maybe not an iPod again...) with support for just dragging and dropping mp3s directly to the "drive" (like a drive!) and unplugging and going. And it working like that.

Any suggestions? What do you guys and gals use?

Just curious.

Thanks a lot,

xq
ipod touch...all day

[mikedemario17]

ipods r good... and eazy to use if u have the right softwere to add stuff...and then it will be like drag/drop...i would know coz i hack ipods...and make them better... look up ipodwizard.net...

[knopper67]

Cowon D2 FTW!

I just ordered mine last Friday from 1click2computers (Canadian online retailer) and should be here anytime this week. I can't see how anyone can purchase an ipod if they use Linux, it's downright insane. Who would even want an ipod anyway, all they do is lock you inside itunes. Cowon's players are a lot better anyways.

The only thing I could find that I hate about the D2 is that it only records in WMA :(
WHY Cowon WHY!??

[Jokimoto]

1st gen. Nano w/Rockbox. My 30G iPod was stolen before I had much chance to experiment with it.

[grossaffe]

1st gen. Nano w/Rockbox. My 30G iPod was stolen before I had much chance to experiment with it.

Woot rockbox, boo apple! sansa FTW!

[Jokimoto]

Yeah I'm pretty happy with it so far. The extra file-types supported is enough in itself to justify it.

[cardinals_fan]

Well, I own an old iPod Photo (remember those?). However, I don't use it because it's a piece of junk.

[grossaffe]

for sansa rockbox users, check out my new theme:
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsSansaE200/RockbuntuMenu.jpg http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsSansaE200/RockbuntuWPS.jpg

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/WpsSansaE200#Ubuntu