iPod Alternatives for Mac OS X? 151
pazu13 writes "I had a first-generation iPod which treated me badly and finally died, after roughly two years of use. I bought another one last year, but after a battery failure several months ago and a sad iPod icon this morning, I think it's time to take my business elsewhere. However, I own a Mac (which has treated me well), and Apple's market dominance seems to have driven most competitors from their own platform. XNJB appears to provide Mac-users more freedom of choice, but outside of this does anyone have a good recommendation for a non-Apple Mac OS X-compatible MP3 player?"
Cowon (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Cowon (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.cowonglobal.com/ [cowonglobal.com]
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I have a Cowon iAudio X5, and it's a great player for audio, which I bought it for. It uses a USB Hard Drive interface, drag and drop, so it works well. Caveat is that it does not use the itunes format, but you can easily find converters to get you MP3 (great battery life, lower quality), Ogg (Good battery live, better quality), or FLAC (poor battery life, excellent quality).
It also plays WAV and I think WMA, but I've not tried it with either.
It can play video, but you need
Re: (Score:2)
Not that I've doen any tests but why would flac provide bad battery life?
The codec is optimised to need crunching while ocmpressing yes but the playback is lightweight and integer, surely that should make flac provide the best battery life.
Or am I missing something?
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
the device does bump a lot more when playing FLAC, which does make sense, you can feel a couple of jitters when it does a read.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Well, personally I prefer the entirely un-artificial sounds of live music: all-natural metal guitar strings vibrating across electromagnetic pickups grown in the coastal regions of South America, driven through amplifiers made from a variety of organically-grown ingredients to give only the purest of sounds. But I suppose in a pinch, I'll listen to sounds created from strange man-made objects like hard drives and headphones.
Re: (Score:2)
Official iTunes compatibility list (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Official iTunes compatibility list (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Article ID: 93548 Date Created: December 15, 2003 Date Modified: September 26, 2005
the question did say OS X compatible, but did not mention if they have to use iTunes. so maybe there are more options.
Re: (Score:2)
Or that it's sorta kinda compatible but only in some cases...
Beware...
The old iTunes on Mac... (Score:2)
Re:The old iTunes on Mac... (Score:4, Interesting)
Since the iPod got big, Apple stopped writing drivers for other peoples players, and the player manufacturers stopped developing their own iTunes plug-ins with Apple's SDKs for fear of assisting 'the competition' (a brain-dead move if you ask me, there are bound to be some disgruntled iPod owners who don't dislike iTunes, and if one of the also-rans had good iTunes support they could scoop them up easily).
I know, I almost got a used 20GB Zen from a friend for about the same price as the iPod Shuffle I ended up getting. But when I looked at the Zen's support under iTunes, the plugin hadn't been updated since the days of iTunes 3.0, and lacked support for basic things like playlists, or adding the first song to an empty player (you had to use some other software to load the first song back onto the player if you emptied it completely, the plug-in only worked with a populated device). And as much as people like to complain about it's minor quirks, and as much as I preferred SJMP back in the day when Apple bought and reworked it, iTunes has really grown on me over the years.
So I went with the shuffle, and never looked back. Given that it's become a more or less permanent fixture in my pocket, I'm actually really glad I got something small and rugged.
Re: (Score:2)
Buy Used. (Score:3, Informative)
How does it integrate? (Score:2)
Anything that requires manually managing music using the Finder is a huge drag.
Re:How does it integrate? (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
If you're not familiar, Rockbox is seriously awesome. It supports Ogg / FLAC / Apple Lossless / WAV / AIFF / MP3 / MIDI / MOD / (many others that I don't use), and has software DSP for crossfade, gapless playback, crossfeed (makes headphones sound a bit more like
Re: (Score:2)
Have you considered a Zune? (Score:4, Funny)
Compatible with OSX, or *iTunes*? (Score:5, Insightful)
If you just want something you can use with a Mac, that's easy: get any music player that supports being mounted as a removable disk and having music added to it via the Finder (or other filesystem utility).
If, on the other hand, you want a player that syncs with iTunes like an iPod does... that's probably harder to find.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah because, you know, Macs are sooo user friendly.
Re: (Score:2)
Has always worked for me...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
For syncing, don't copy files in the Finder - it will litter your disk with
I use rsync. It is a command-line utility, but you can very easily set it up to run from a script file in the dock if you want. I organise my music files in my own directory structure just as I want them on my music player. Then I have iTunes set up not to make copies of files when I add them to the iTunes library.
For me at least, that is
Re: (Score:2)
Open Source (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Open Source (Score:5, Informative)
The Neuros [neurosaudio.com] and any player that supports Rockbox [rockbox.org] (which includes iPods, incidentally).
If you want Rockbox compat (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
When I looked into it, it seemed like the supported devices list was pretty short and in most cases, not fully implemented: some didn't support all file formats (ogg is my preferred format and it wasn't working on many) some had extremely short battery life when using Rockbox (I think that was the iPods) some seemed to not be available in the US, and in the iPod case, the currently available models weren't supported, I believe.
Re: (Score:2)
Beats me... I have an iPod (running the default software). Unlike the people who want Rockbox, I actually like iTunes.
Re: (Score:2)
Their page is a little vague - this is a portable MP3 player? Why are they calling it a "Digital Audio Computer" - and why is Windows listed under System Requirements? Is this a Windows device?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Get a nano, or a new video-capable iPod. Why try and jump through hoops mounting something in the Finder, dragging files, etc., and dealing with an interface that will inevitably be clunkier?
get with the times (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Not to mention spring for the extended warranty -- given how often iPods break (at least in my experience), it's actually worth it.
Re:get with the times (Score:4, Informative)
And almost every MP3 player on the market uses either the Samsung or the Toshiba. No matter what you buy, the failure rate of the drive will be about the same.
Instead of buying another player, why not look into dropping a new drive into your current one. It's not hard to do (I just did it with an old, beat-up 3G iPod of my own), and instructions are all over them internets out there.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Replacement batteries are cheap though, and despite popular impressions, it's not that hard to get into. I've popped open a first gen nano and two 4th gen iPods. I'd probably avoid the mini and the new nano though, I'm pretty sure those are a little harder to get into.
Re: (Score:1)
Any MP3 player that works as USB flash works (Score:1, Informative)
Two years? Hah! (Score:2)
I don't think it's the iPod. I think that certain people generate iPod destroying fields, and I'm one of them.
Seriously, I've met one other guy (at the Apple service centre) with the same problem (he was on his third iPod), but every other iPod owner I know has never had trouble.
I may risk buying a Shuffle - it's cheaper, with no moving parts.
*So
Re: (Score:2)
Make sure you get the new one that doesn't have a built-in USB plug -- the life of the 1st-gen one I had was tragically cut short when my boss accidentally broke the plug off when it was plugged into the computer.
Re: (Score:2)
I wonder how long before they use the magnetic adaptor for the iPods?
Re: (Score:2)
In the case of the 1st-gen Shuffle? Probably about the same time that USB starts using magnetic connectors. For other iPods it isn't a problem because there has to be a cable between the device and the computer anyway.
Re: (Score:2)
I realised last night that the iPod is not heavy enough to work well with magnetic connector. You would most probably have the iPod pulled from the desk before the connector separated.
Re: (Score:2)
I was mostly being sarcastic -- having a magnetic connector wouldn't have done a damn thing in my case, because the force applied was in bending.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
It was my favorite part too... right up until it broke : (
Re: (Score:1)
There has to be something to the fact that some people create strong enoug
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1, Interesting)
Beat that.
Best Buy Product Replacement Plan (Score:1)
Two weeks later, I drop the Micro and the HDD shatters. I take it to Best Buy, say that it doesn't turn on, they told me to go pick out a new one. This was 2 weeks after the 1-gen Nano came out so I got the 4-GB Nano. I use it for a while, but the thing gets scratched to all hell within a month.
Solution? Drain the battery and say it
Very creative. (Score:2, Insightful)
Yeah, dude! Insurance fraud is amazing!
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Very creative. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
My old 1GB Shuffle was pretty great, until Apple's firmware update bricked it. Computers wouldn't even recognize it enough to rollback the firmware update (or try it again).
Looked online afterwards and found out that this is a common issue.
Re:Two years? Hah! (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I... I love you.
Re: (Score:2)
Try a creative, (Score:1, Informative)
Plus creative supply better headphones than Apple (I tested the crea
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
How can it have better sound quality than a an ipod shuffle?
Objective tests show the shuffle to have a flat frequency response, lower stereo crosstalk than CD, lower SNR than CD, and ungodly low distortion.
Sure you like it, but damn, don't have to lie.
I can second this, Popular Science did the test a few years back and indeed, the Shuffle had the best sound quality (particularly bass response), thanks to not using any capacitors whose charge fluxuates based on how much power is being used to headphones at any given time (I don't recall the Shuffle's alternative).
The test was simple--hook the headphone jack up to a computer, play a signal chirp from 20-20,000hz, and graph the frequencies observed vs the frequencies played. The Ipod was ok, Creative's Zen
Re: (Score:2)
Archos (Score:3, Informative)
There are many iTunes plugins as well for any mp3 player that appears as a mass-storage device, and a lot of good MP3 players support mass storage mode (for DRM-free music). I believe the Sandisk Sansa appears as a mass storage device. As do the newer satellite radio receivers (like the XM Inno and the Sirius Stiletto).
Minority (Score:5, Informative)
Coming from the other side of things, I've wished since about week two of owning my Creative Zen Touch (40GB) that I had bought something else. Namely, the Ipod. The company is a pain to deal with if you have support issues. So is their player. Disconnected three times after being on hold 17 minutes each time (HMMM....). If you just want something to listen to music with, their players will work. But don't expect any of the promised firmware updates to fix any issues with the player, so make sure you know all the current problems with it. The problems with mine? Scrolling is horrible. 10x worse than the Ipods (which is perfect). You move your finger down the strip and the UI responds half a second later. On top of the that, it's innaccurate and un-predictable. Sometimes moving your finger a mm will move the song selector one strip, sometimes not at all, and sometimes it'll jump down three. You simply can't select songs safely when you're driving. In contrast, the Ipod's scroll wheel is predictable and goes where you want it. Every single time.
Other issues:
-after about 6 months of use (coming up on my second six months, had to send the first in to fix the harddrive) the "forward/skip" [>>|] button halfway breaks. By that I mean sometimes you want to fast forward in the song (this is another thing I'll get to later) so you have to hold down the forward/skip button until the slider gets to the point in the song you want to listen to...so you let go of the fast forward, and then, strangely, the player skips to the next track. Apparently sometimes taking your finger off this button after having it held down tells the player to stop fast forwarding and skip to the end of the song.
-As for fast forwarding, it's the most un-intuitive design. It isn't easy like on the Ipod, where you press the middle button and then move your thumb around the wheel. When you do this, the Ipod moves the slider that marks what part of the song is playing. You find the part you want, stop moving your thumb on the wheel, press the middle button again, and it plays. On Creative's players, you have to press forward and hold it down for [what feels like, I haven't timed it] 5 seconds to skip 30 seconds. A total PITA. Like to listen to your songs gapless? Be prepared to hold that button down and watch the UI for 15 seconds--(the slider movement speed increases exponentially, which means) when you finally hit the minute mark you want to listen to, you let go and find that it keeps moving ahead for the equivalent of two-ish minutes. Then it starts playing. So until you get used to letting go early, you'll be holding "|" down for another 5 seconds till you get to wherever you wanted. On top of all that, the player doesn't anticipate "jee, you know, this guy is scrolling forward and this part of the song isn't in my memory, I better spin up the harddrive to be ready for it", it waits until you've stopped fastforwarding, and then decides to spin up the harddrive, load that part of the song, and play it. And then if you overshoot where you were fastforwarding to, it does the exact same thing, it stops spinning and waits till you've stopped fastforwarding to spin up the harddrive and load that part of the song (which can't be good for the harddrive anyways, I'm sure this is what broke my first harddrive. Thankfully no problems with the warrant replacement). Like I said, don't expect to use this when you're driving.
-If something about your player breaks, be prepared to pay the shipping costs [and insurance if you want to be safe] on your end as well as $35 (when mine broke this was how much it was, I think it might have changed now) as a "processing" fee.
-good luck finding player covers if you want it protected. There's two that I know of, but they're both only available online. One is leather and costs something like $
Re: (Score:2)
Replacing an iPod battery is EASY. (Score:3, Informative)
I have to say it (Score:3, Informative)
I have 1.4.4, after many fits and starts with bad libxine1, etc, everything seems to have evened out and it works.
Give it a shot.
As long as your at it, get some better earbuds. (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Cowon iAudio (Score:1)
Can't go wrong with Archos (Score:3, Informative)
The nice things about them are:
1. Very Good build quality
2. Large variety of players from simple music only to full blown media players.
3. Mount as standard USB mass storage
4. NO DRM what-so-ever
5. Supports mp3, wav, ogg, wma, wmv, divx, xvid (some formats are player dependent)
6. Windows Media Player can sync to it (as can many other freeware library managers)
If my Gmini died, I go straight to the web and buy another Archos, no question.
-Jar.
Actually you can (Score:2)
I think my only alternative now is to attach it to a PC for reformatting and ebay it.
Repairing? (Score:1)
Don't get a Nex IA (Score:2)
IPod ripoffs (Score:2)
I just ordered one of the shuffle ones last night, so I'll know soon enough. Can't beat it for ~$50 for the 2GB one.
Re: (Score:2)
Firstly, I have made the mistake of buying from direct from China before - and when something breaks, you are on your own. The support is horrible, and even if they do accept it back, it takes a lot of money to send, takes weeks, and is so inclined to get lost on the way.
Secondly, this thing looks so shodily made, there is no way I would spend any money on this.
Let me guess, you are one of those guys who gets all his christmas presents from the dollar down the road,
Re: (Score:2)
Me too: player that uses "bulk storage" interface? (Score:2)
(this is where I "invented" (independently at least) the iPod shuffle... I feel that it's a pr
Re: (Score:1)
It just plain hits me as amazing how people will just say to go and buy a new IPod to replace the old one.
He bought a music player, not a computer.
Should it be normal to have the product replaced after barely a year or two because it is not the latest thing out there?
Seriously, do old players play mp3 files any less than the newer devices out there?
Does the sound quality degrade after a certain amount of time?
If the go
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Similarly, AA accus won't last forever, but a $20 charger and a dozen ~3000 mAh
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Though I do want one of the new 60G video models when I come up with the cash, but it's far from -needed-.
Yep, THAT sounds like the iPod to me. :) (Score:2)
That's the iPod, for me. Except the click-wheel is not "amusing". The emotion it invokes in me when I use it is closer to "blinding rage" than "amusement".
Here's a device you're going to shove in your pocket, and you're going to want to hit things like the volume controls and the pause and skip button by feel, and so what's the interface? A touch-sensitive wheel (so you have to lock it when you're not using it) that requires you to look at the screen to see
Re: (Score:2)
Doesn't play, friend. I've done the iPod thing and it doesn't work by feel. Hold it in your hand and find the right orientation by feel, don't brush the scroll wheel, you'll change the volume, or put it into the menu interface so when you TRY and change the volume it doesn't do anything because it's scrolling unseen through a list of menus... whoops, now you've changed playlist