MP3 and Radio.
- Thread starter Sue Ellen
- Start date
Yes, that should do the trick. Another brand to look at is [broken link removed].
Also check the portable media players forum on boards.ie
(Be prepared for religous wars when you look at forum discussions on these things).
Make sure as well 1GB is enough capacity for you. If you have low capacity requirements, a high-end phone might do the business. e.g. the Sony Ericsson w800i looks nice, has 512MB memory MP3, FM radio, (oh yeah, and it's a phone so less to carry around). About €300-400 though.
I have an iPod mini, nice machine, but doesn't have the fm tuner.
Also check the portable media players forum on boards.ie
(Be prepared for religous wars when you look at forum discussions on these things).
Make sure as well 1GB is enough capacity for you. If you have low capacity requirements, a high-end phone might do the business. e.g. the Sony Ericsson w800i looks nice, has 512MB memory MP3, FM radio, (oh yeah, and it's a phone so less to carry around). About €300-400 though.
I have an iPod mini, nice machine, but doesn't have the fm tuner.
DrMoriarty
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Yep, that's a good little player. There are lots of 1Gb alternatives out there nowadays, but not many of them with an FM tuner built in, if that's important to you. Here's the [broken link removed], and a cheaper [broken link removed] model — but I don't know who sells them over the counter in Ireland. While you can certainly buy these things cheaper over the net (and especially on eBay — here's one that just failed to sell for [broken link removed] incl. postage to Ireland), you might prefer to pay a little more for the peace of mind of an easy return under guarantee, if you had a problem with it.
Depending on what quality you burn your mp3/wma files at, 1Gb will hold up to about 200/250 average tracks, which is probably more than enough if you visit the computer most days. You might even find that 512Mb capacity is enough for you? I have two mp3 players — a cheapie 512Mb yoke like the eBay one I linked to above, which I paid less than €50 for and which lives in my jacket pocket and gets used on the way to work, on train journeys, at the gym, etc.... (that last one was a lie, by the way) — and also a slightly chunkier 20Gb hard-drive type which tbh I really only use when I'm away for longer spells, like on holidays.
One last thing — well, two, in fact.
(a) while the Creative and iRiver are undoubtedly better build quality (and have better quality earphones), their internal Lithium batteries mean that the only way to get juice into them is through the accompanying mains charger. Lose or break that, and it'll cost you to replace it. Whereas the cheaper eBay model I linked to above takes a standard AAA battery. I use rechargeables, but in a fix there's the option of just popping in a standard alkaline bought at the nearest 24-hour shop (I once had to complain in a hotel that there was no battery in the TV remote control...
)
(b) Whatever you buy, don't expect wonderful FM reception. Even 'quality' mp3 players have an internal antenna about the size of a pin, so you may find that the signal drops if you're inside a large building, shopping centre, underground carpark, etc.
[Edit: My mistake — I see that Creative Zen Nano Plus in fact takes an AAA battery. That alone would recommend it to me over the iRiver. I presume it's around the €150 mark here? Can't find it on www.argos.ie...]
Depending on what quality you burn your mp3/wma files at, 1Gb will hold up to about 200/250 average tracks, which is probably more than enough if you visit the computer most days. You might even find that 512Mb capacity is enough for you? I have two mp3 players — a cheapie 512Mb yoke like the eBay one I linked to above, which I paid less than €50 for and which lives in my jacket pocket and gets used on the way to work, on train journeys, at the gym, etc.... (that last one was a lie, by the way) — and also a slightly chunkier 20Gb hard-drive type which tbh I really only use when I'm away for longer spells, like on holidays.
One last thing — well, two, in fact.
(a) while the Creative and iRiver are undoubtedly better build quality (and have better quality earphones), their internal Lithium batteries mean that the only way to get juice into them is through the accompanying mains charger. Lose or break that, and it'll cost you to replace it. Whereas the cheaper eBay model I linked to above takes a standard AAA battery. I use rechargeables, but in a fix there's the option of just popping in a standard alkaline bought at the nearest 24-hour shop (I once had to complain in a hotel that there was no battery in the TV remote control...
)(b) Whatever you buy, don't expect wonderful FM reception. Even 'quality' mp3 players have an internal antenna about the size of a pin, so you may find that the signal drops if you're inside a large building, shopping centre, underground carpark, etc.
[Edit: My mistake — I see that Creative Zen Nano Plus in fact takes an AAA battery. That alone would recommend it to me over the iRiver. I presume it's around the €150 mark here? Can't find it on www.argos.ie...]
N
newmoney
Guest
Sueellen,
I was looking for exactly the same thing a few years ago and went for the iBead MP3 Player but I'd say that tings have moved one a bit since then. My advice would be to check out www.advancedmp3players.co.uk where I bought mine without any bother. The one I would probably recommend for you would be the Safecom 265Mb or 1Gb which is integrated with an FM radio... great for the train/bus/walk commute. Anyway that site's Top 10 list is a good place to start on the LHS of the homepage. The main thing to note is a) do I want to keep a complete catalogue - then go for a harddisk based player or b) do I want to listen to the odd album & have regular access to a PC, but mostly the radio - then go for a memory based player.
I was looking for exactly the same thing a few years ago and went for the iBead MP3 Player but I'd say that tings have moved one a bit since then. My advice would be to check out www.advancedmp3players.co.uk where I bought mine without any bother. The one I would probably recommend for you would be the Safecom 265Mb or 1Gb which is integrated with an FM radio... great for the train/bus/walk commute. Anyway that site's Top 10 list is a good place to start on the LHS of the homepage. The main thing to note is a) do I want to keep a complete catalogue - then go for a harddisk based player or b) do I want to listen to the odd album & have regular access to a PC, but mostly the radio - then go for a memory based player.
DrMoriarty
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By and large, there's a lot less to go wrong with flash memory based players — no moving parts. I've dropped mine from a height several times (no, not deliberately!) and it's still working away, despite a crack in the perspex covering the display window.
I have a Creative MUVO TX FM 512 MB and it works well. Runs off 1 AAA battery. Can play MP3 & WMA.
Can record FM broadcast to MP3 but this is a very battery-hungry mode of operation.
Also the FM autoscan function is very useful when in Lansdowne Road cos you don't have to shell out for a Reflink.
Can record FM broadcast to MP3 but this is a very battery-hungry mode of operation.
Also the FM autoscan function is very useful when in Lansdowne Road cos you don't have to shell out for a Reflink.
MonsieurBond
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If you have an iPod already, why not buy the [broken link removed] for c. €50?tiger said:
Seems like quite a neat solution to me, especially if coupled with an iPod Mini or iPod nano....
MonsieurBond said:
Nice accessory, hadn't seen it before. Looks from the link though it only works with the latest ipods (nano & video), & €55 is a bit steep. My phones (don't ask) have radios anyway. Now, did I leave the headphones with the digital camera, or it that them under the xbox...
I've had a 5GB Creative Zen Micro with FM radio for a while now and love it. I got it from . That was the best price at the time. I run a bit, I'm going to get a Zen NanoPlus as it's Flash, but it also has a built-in radio. I notice there's a Sony one with an FM radio also.
Yes, I use it to get the Ref at matches too.
What I miss with all these gadgets though is AM radio. If you're one for listening to commentary at matches, sometimes it's only available on AM.
Helen
Yes, I use it to get the Ref at matches too.
What I miss with all these gadgets though is AM radio. If you're one for listening to commentary at matches, sometimes it's only available on AM.
Helen
MonsieurBond
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In the whole iPod versus everything else debate, people always seem to forget that the jukebox software is almost as important as the player itself. iTunes is widely regarded as the best-of-breed.hotlips said:
Check out this recent, interesting article on www.ExtremeTech.com : Joining the Dark Side: Switching to iPod.
MonsieurBond
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I agree, actually, €55 is a bit steep. Apple should launch an iPod with built-in FM - don't know why they have never done so; it seems like an obvious seller.tiger said:
It does appear to work on older models.
As Soy says below, the [broken link removed] product works on all iPods - the LCD display on the remote is used as the tuner. Unfortunately, it's $50 as well.