iPod v. iRiver

[lucasl]

Hi,
I'm looking for peoples experiences with media players.
Basically, someone has given me an 8GB iPod Nano. I have three options:
1. Keep it.
2. Sell it (in Aus they go for between $150-220) and get an iRiver E100 + spare cash.
3. Sell it and get an iRiver LPlayer + spare cash.

What are people's experiences with these three players? I've read that the E100 has an average screen and the LPlayer has dodgy artist/album sorting.

More importantly, my iPod experience has been lousy with Linux (I use banshee and i ain't switching), but apparently MTP is more stable and mtp-tools makes life easy.
Please Share:D

Thanks!

[jolx]

well im having no problems with my sansa e260. i previously had an iriver x20 and i could not get it to work, every time i plugged it into the computer no matter wat i did i could never turn it back on again afterwards, it would just keep freezing

i realise your looking at a different iriver but this was my experience with the x20

[barbedsaber]

iAudio
http://www.minidisc.com.au/iaudio-x5-30gb-colour-screen-p-665.html
there are a few flash based players as well http://www.cowonglobal.com/
but the iAudio range looks great, I started saving last week, gotta get the X5 30Gb

[R_T_H]

I don't know about iRiver, but I have a Sony NWZ series 8 gigabyte model. It uses mtp, and is simply plug and play - like a memory stick. The disadvantage is that it's user interface isn't the best I've ever seen - but at least it's not Apple :)

[Anzan]

You could put Rockbox on the iPod. Or sell it.

I put Rockbox on the one I had but it still creeped me out so I gave it away.

[srt4play]

You could put Rockbox on the iPod. Or sell it.

I put Rockbox on the one I had but it still creeped me out so I gave it away.

The only ipod nano rockbox works on is the first generation, which he doesn't have.

[Hilipatti]

The vendor lock-in and all the other bad stuff related to the iPod makes me recommend that you sell it.

I bought an iPod back in the day because it seemed to be the best choice among mp3 players because it seemed to have superior battery life.

But the iPod sucks and I regret it. If you want to buy another player I would like to recommend the Cowon D2 which seems to have great battery life and good sound quality. They also advertise that the device is supported with Linux. Though what this really means is, that the player acts like an external hard drive when you plug it in.

[clueless]

I have an iPod nano that I use with Amarok and have no problems. The only thing that I cannot do is sync it with the nike website (I have the nike+ adaptor) but otherwise no problems at all.

[4th guy]

My girlfriend has an iRiver. If I were you, I'd exchange it for one of the iRivers for the following reasons:

iRivers are not snobs
... are less likely to attract theives (due to them not being iPods)
... have a huge screen, compared to an iPod
... include FM radio
... can have expandable memory (and who said that Apple is cutting edge?)
... work on Linux just like an ordinary player (iPods are encrypted or something)

[lucasl]

I have an iPod nano that I use with Amarok and have no problems.

I hate Amarok with a passion. The interface is so cluttered its appalling.
Anyway, I'll get a Creative Zen or an iRiver E100.

[Sinkingships7]

I hate Amarok with a passion. The interface is so cluttered its appalling.

+1, I've never understood how other people can like it so much. But then again, I'm also strongly opposed to playlist-based playback.

[doorknob60]

+1, I've never understood how other people can like it so much. But then again, I'm also strongly opposed to playlist-based playback.

Amarok FTW! :KS :D

[Harpie Queen]

I'm currently tossing up whether I'll keep the iriver x20 my friend might sell me, and I'm finding that good. I really think you should steer away from ipods. Once I put an ipod nano 1st gen next to a Zen Micro, and despite having vastly superior head phones comparatively the ipod sounded about as pleasureable on the same file as a baby seal screaming while dieing. Zens have awesome sound quality, but I magnetised mine by accident, irivers have almost as good sound. My experience with the Zens has been awesome sound quality, easy to navigate, good customer support, buggy loading software. The iriver is harder to use, and I have heard of a quality decline in irivers, so do some research there. A problem with the zens is lack of ogg support, which is why I'm going for an iriver now.

[pwnst*r]

I don't know about iRiver, but I have a Sony NWZ series 8 gigabyte model. It uses mtp, and is simply plug and play - like a memory stick. The disadvantage is that it's user interface isn't the best I've ever seen - but at least it's not Apple :)

yeah, apple's interface sucks.

[bashveank]

Technically, they both have great audio quality, so in that regard its a judgement call. I would go with the iPod for the interface and integration with iTunes, but either one will work fine.

[Firestem4]

I used to own an iRiver, and I loved it. It just became dated very quickly...and I broke mine lol..

I hate iPods with a passion though, but I can offer you my experience with the iRivers.

First off, there is quite a range of players. They support many types of audio formats and have rather good battery life. They work as an MTP device so no stupid software.

If you can, I recommend you get an iRiver that has the SRS WOW equializer. It is by far the BEST EQ I have ever heard in any mp3 player. It is a hit to the battery life (from 9+/- to around 4, 4 1/2 [On the model I had anyways]). But the sound was phenomenal. I've had experience with other SRS products, they make things sound great.

Trivia for you: iRiver has been around before the popular "iName" nomenclature was popularized by Apple. iRiver didn't copy the name for sucess. =)

[bashveank]

Trivia for you: iRiver has been around before the popular "iName" nomenclature was popularized by Apple. iRiver didn't copy the name for sucess. =)

The iMac came out before iRiver was even a company...
I don't think that they blatantly copied the nomenclature though.

[CJ Master]

You do realise point 2 and 3 are the same, right?

[thisllub]

A friend has had an IRiver for years.
Last Saturday he died.
The IRiver was playing in the hospital until it ran out of battery.
Now it will not recharge and start.

[pwnst*r]

A friend has had an IRiver for years.
Last Saturday he died.
The IRiver was playing in the hospital until it ran out of battery.
Now it will not recharge and start.

:\

[Johnsie]

I've stopped using Amarok since I got Spotify. I'm looking forward to a mobile version of Spotify. I'm too lazy to hook up an mp3 player to the computer every time I want to update my music collection.