non-iPod MP3 players that work with Mac OS X

[aysiu]

This is way off-topic, and really has nothing to do with Linux, but I tried searching on some Mac forums, and whenever this question was asked, the forum members would just try to convince the original post-er that she should get an iPod.

My question is this (and please answer only if you have actual experience with a non-iPod player on Mac OS X--don't answer if you just think that in theory something should do something):

When an MP3 player, say a Samsung Yp or an iRiver says it's compatible with only Windows XP, does that mean it really just won't work with Mac OS X or that the software to manage music won't work on Mac OS X (i.e., drag-and-drop will still work, and creating playlists with different folders will still work)?

I'm asking because my wife is a bit disillusioned with iPods, but she has a Powerbook and loves OS X. She doesn't, however, want to buy a cute MP3 player only to find out that either:

1. you plug it and it doesn't get recognized as a USB device (highly unlikely, but possible)

or

2. you plug it in, drag and drop songs in, but somehow they aren't recognized (I don't know--filesystem incompatibility or whatever reason it doesn't work).

I may just suck at searching for things on Google, but I haven't been able to find much on this.

P.S. My Sandisk player works just fine on her Powerbook, but she doesn't dig the Sandisk players that are available. Oh, and my Sandisk player (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00066EK36/002-3938934-0665643?v=glance&n=172282&n=507846&s=electronics&v=glance) officially does support Mac: "Compatible with Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, XP; Mac OS 9.2x+, 10.1.2+"

[teaker1s]

I would have suggest that you look for a mp3 player that is seen as a usb storage device-find a model you like and look for a user group or forum to check.
some mp3 players need a driver and software eg my creative nomad to gain access to them and from my experience it's annoying as you find that you want to use another app with it sooner or later

[aysiu]

Thanks for the response. Yeah, I guess the driver/firmware thing could be a problem.

[bionnaki]

my iriver h340 works with osx.
drag & drop music onto it - in however directory structure you like.

[aysiu]

my iriver h340 works with osx.
drag & drop music onto it - in however directory structure you like. Awesome. Thanks. That's exactly the kind of response I was looking for.

[erikpiper]

Iaudio players apparentley work- they say that linux/mac work!
http://eng.iaudio.com/
Go to HHD Mp3, and the X5, and scroll way down. Impossible to link directley.
And they even support flac and oog!

[Brunellus]

Most iRivers should work fine under mac OSX. They mount as USB mass storage.

[dosed150]

most mp3 players that use ums should work the mp3 player im getting rio carbon should work fine you can also get an itunes plugin for it

[aysiu]

Keep 'em coming if you've got them. I appreciate the responses so far.

[xequence]

All sony MP3 players are windows only.

[aysiu]

All sony MP3 players are windows only. Really? As in, you can't even drag and drop songs in using Mac OS X? It won't even show up as an external hard drive?

[xequence]

Really? As in, you can't even drag and drop songs in using Mac OS X? It won't even show up as an external hard drive?

It shows up as an external drive but you can only use that to store data. You cant playback music that you put on through that.

You need to use Sonicstage, sonys included iTunes like jukebox thingy. On older sony players you could only put on atrac3 files from sonicstage and it gave you a really small simple other program for MP3 files, but in the newer players sonicstage can transfer MP3s.

[aysiu]

It shows up as an external drive but you can only use that to store data. You cant playback music that you put on through that. Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.