I've been thinking about getting an mp3 player. The problem is that I don't want one for music, so I can't really justify the high prices of the top quality players. Still, they seem kind of neat, and I can't find the perfect compromise between cheap and a large storage size yet.
The main reason why I want an mp3 player is because I want to download a few rifftrax from Mike Nelson's new website. He's released a few for movies I have so I want to try a couple. The problem right now is that I don't want to play the mp3 and the dvd on the same computer, even though that's my best option. I would like to be able to have the mp3 playing seperately. I also have a problem where the computer in my room is Windows 98 which doesn't work with flash drives. An mp3 player would allow me to watch movies in my room while listening to rifftrax, a better option then using the other computer.
There's also a podcast I like, plus any possible podcast I find in the future.
So I've been looking for a cheap mp3 player. The problem is that I want as much room as possible, even though I probably don't need it. For some reason I'm determined to have at least 512 MB, even though I doubt I could justify it. Despite that, I still want a GB or more so I won't run out of room soon. This makes it hard to find a cheap mp3 player.
So I've been looking at the iPod and the Zune. Now, since the Zune hasn't been a big success, I've been hoping that maybe it'll drop in price and I would have an mp3 player. From what I read, it would give me 30 GB, a radio tuner to listen to Caps games, and would allow me to watch wmv files. Sadly, there's two problems. The first is that I may have jumped the gun about the price issue. I don't think Microsoft is going to drop the price any time soon. If they did, I would have owned one for fifty bucks, maybe even a little more. The second problem is that I talked about this to my friends and Lita told me not to get one and gave me a dozen reasons not to. Her poin being that it's a lousy mp3 player compared to others. So no Zune for me.
As for the iPod, I'm just not sure. Even the cheapest iPod is about 80 dollars. I keep thinking to myself that if I wait a couple years they'll release one for 50 dollars and it'll still have a screen and wheel thingie. Another dilemna I have is that I could just get the cheapest one, but then I could get an iPod nano for a little bit more. And if I could get an iPod nano, why not get an iPod that can play movies? (Of course, it would be nice if it played movie files I could make for free.) I really wish I had a clue what I really needed, because I think my purchase may ultimately be influenced by how neat the technology looks.
There's an Apple store at one of the malls I go to, but it's set up so that the salesmen do all the work. I'm really shy so I prefer to look around and not have to talk to a salesman until I'm ready to buy something. Also, there's something about that store that makes me wonder if that it's too nerdy, even for me.
I'm also getting tired of the Apple vs Microsoft crap. It makes me wish I could find a good third party alternative, but I'm not sure where to look. I've tried amazon, but some of the stuff I've looked at was voted down by amazon reviewers. Whenever I go to stores 90% of the mp3 related stuff is iPod accessories. ("Oh wow, this thing is 30 bucks! Oh wait, it's just a carrying case.") There's a lighter-shaped mp3 player at the school bookstore, but I can't find a price for it nor can I find it anywhere else in the store. (What's the poin of having a store with space if you're going to force a customer to go up front and ask about a product? That really annoys me.)
So that's why I don't have an mp3 player. My sister's boyfriend sent me a link to a website with refurbished iPods, and my sister even recommended to me get an iPod (she's had one for 2-3 years.) I may eventually, but I felt like typing this anyway. Maybe I can finally see what those millions of accessories do.
2 comments:
Dude, just because you'd rather look around and make your own decisions without having a pushy salesman get all up in your face doesn't mean you're shy. I'm not shy and I hate it when salesmen come bother me. I prefer to shop in stores where I can make my own selections but if I need to ask someone a question I can.
Also, I hear good things about the Zen Creative.
Then again, whenever you actually want an employee to help you find something they all flee the store.
I heard the iRiver is good, but that's all I can tell you about it. I heard it's good and that's all I know.
The word verification is idytjeh. I think your blog is calling me an idiot in Canadian.
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