ipod mini or creative zen mini?

[dave_p]

creative has cheaper, user replaceable batteries which is tempting.
how long will an ipod mini last before you have to send it in for a new one?

[holikujak]

the battery thing is over played you can have a mini for 5 years without having to send it in if you take care of it, you can have a BRAND X for 3 months if you dont

[Directive0]

they're probably both JUST as reliable hardware, the real gap is with the software... if its not worth it to you I'd say go with the zen..

[atarinaper]

id go with the apple ipod mini, i have an ipod and looked quite a bit at other mp3 players. In my opinion all others were just knockoffs of the ipod. I have no problems with battery life and or dropping it.

[Rak]

i have a zen. better sound reproduction that the ipod. plus it's different, seems like EVERYONE has an ipod now. but there's gotta be a reason for that. the ipod interface is outstanding.

[Directive0]

better sound reproduction that the ipod.

I'm not attacking this comment, but how noticable would you say we are tlking here?

[Rak]

better sound reproduction that the ipod.

I'm not attacking this comment, but how noticable would you say we are tlking here?

no attack bro, that's a good point. but i do know that creative made its bones in professional computer audio equipment, while apple got big with frooty personal computers.

[Directive0]

better sound reproduction that the ipod.

I'm not attacking this comment, but how noticable would you say we are tlking here?

no attack bro, that's a good point. but i do know that creative made its bones in professional computer audio equipment, while apple got big with frooty personal computers.

well then I dunno how accurate your assumption is, cause apple just buys its components from other companies as most companies do, I would wager most products on the market have almost EXACTLY the same frequency response and clarity. But who knows.

[Rak]

better sound reproduction that the ipod.

I'm not attacking this comment, but how noticable would you say we are tlking here?

no attack bro, that's a good point. but i do know that creative made its bones in professional computer audio equipment, while apple got big with frooty personal computers.

well then I dunno how accurate your assumption is, cause apple just buys its components from other companies as most companies do, I would wager most products on the market have almost EXACTLY the same frequency response and clarity. But who knows.

i still think my assumption is accurrate. although i doubt creative uses the same components as apple, even if they do the machines still need to be put together. and i don't think it is unreasonable to assume that a company who specializes in building professional computer sound equipment might make a better sounding mp3 player than a company that specializes in building home computers. but you are right, who knows.

[Directive0]

werd.. who knows.

[Adamitron]

screw the ipod mini and get a 20 gig. you can probably find a nice 3rd gen for a decent price still.

[brainfartalerts]

Apple gained early market share dominance much as Palm did in the PDA market but much like Palm, their lunch is starting to be eaten. Unfortunately this is not a new trend for Apple. In fact, research suggests that it is systemic to the way they do business.
To illustrate this, the following results are mirrored in other venues as well as the following article - pretty clean and simple:
Mini vs Micro

The Micro is more "Feature Rich" than the Mini and though debatable, appears to have the edge in open architecture compatibility.

[dave_p]

thanks for all the help. brian, i did exhaustive research on the mini vs micro. the mini is tied to itunes and incompatible with my usb 1.1 win me hardware, and the micro is plagued with headphone jack problems. plus i am going to skate with my player. i arrived at an unlikely solution. a sandisk 1 gig flash mp3 player. 140 out the door cash at circuit city. drag and drop loading, integrates seamlessly with media player and musicmatch, small and sounds ok. looks exactly like an i river, so i think they might oem them. seems nice. i plan to wear it out and be able to make a better decision next time as ill have something to actually compare to. so far so good though. doubles as a flash drive.

[brainfartalerts]

flash is excellent and with the price of gigs going down, its hard to beat. out of all the flash i've used (since '98) only one card has ever gone bad which is great compared to the hard drives i've gone through.
i'm glad canon has stayed with it.

[bean-a-reano]

I got me one of them i gig irivers. Good sound quality, drag and drop software. Like he said compatible with my musicmatch. Fast loading with usb2. The navigation system is straight forward. It works well while skating and has enough power to push my big headphones.

[brainfartalerts]

Sounds like a weiner. The price is hard to beat.

Serious question, how do they hold up when soaked?

[dave_p]

from what i understand the flash players can withstand some water. just take out the battery, let it dry for a coupla days cross your fingers and you have a 50% chance. i know a guy who has washed compactflash cards in his pants pockets on numerous occasions and they have survived.