Beating the iPod Crunch

Business Week ^ | 11-22-2005 | Peter Burrows

[Fierce Allegiance]

Dos is good.

I prefer cobol. Be right back, I have to go down to the CPU room and throw on another tape in the 4th R2R machine, and add another box of keypunch cards.

[kjam22]

I've got a Zen Creative. Originally I bought an IPod until I realized that it only played "apple style" mp3's. I took it back and came home with the zen. For me, I don't want to create normal mp3's in my studio that the rest of the non-apple music industry can read, and then have to convert them to the apple version for my mp3 player.

The zen works great, and has a changeable batter.

[DaveMSmith]

How many megabytes is a 3 hour Rush Limbaugh show?

37-40 MB off his 24/7 link.

[xsrdx]

a general ignorance on the availability of better personal HDD music players

The iTunes+iPod combo is a powerful, one stop solution for quality portable music, and the AAC codec provides a better space/quality compromise than MP3.

There are good reasons for the success of the iPod, unrelated to "general ignorance".

[CarrotAndStick]

The Zen has the best audio performance, noticeable if you have good ears. The Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) on that thingy is the highest, better than Sony. Higher this value, truer is the audio output.

Of course, you need good headphones too.

[CarrotAndStick]

I agree about the Click-Wheel™ and the easier user-interface of the iTunes package.

But basing purely on audio performance and durability(read battery replaceability, see my earlier posts), the Sony player and the Creative Zen player beat the iPod hands down, atleast for now.

By the way, I have an iPod 20GB, which I dearly loved till I got the Sony NW HD5 player.

[GRRRRR]

ARCHOS...there is no other MP3 player, once you've tried this one...20gig and 40gig HD's, 10 hour battery life, plays video, pictures, games etc.Mash Here

[pageonetoo]

Overpriced iPods...

That is your opinion, not fact. Value is where you determine that something is equal to or more valuable than what you are giving up to gain it...

Picture an old balance scale. You put the iPod on one platform, ans start piling cash on the other. When you lay enough cash on the line, the scale tips. Nobody is forced to pile it on...

val·ue (văl'yū)

1. An amount, as of goods, services, or money, considered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return.

3. Worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor; utility or merit: the value of an education.

v., -ued, -u·ing, -ues.

1. To determine or estimate the worth or value of; appraise.

2. To regard highly; esteem. See synonyms at appreciate.

[CarrotAndStick]

Meet Creative's Zen:

Does the Archos player exceed the Zen's 105 dB Signal to Noise ratio? Besides, is Archos a Chinese brand?

[Glenn]

Overpriced iPods coupled with a general ignorance on the availability of better personal HDD music players

The market share numbers seem to say otherwise, eh?

Funny how AAPL market share is the argument many of you make for calling we AAPL fans "cultists" when it comes to personal computers, but ignore it when it comes to the iPod.

What fickle thinkers you are.

[GRRRRR]

Ooooh, that's nice! ARCHOS is a FRench/UK? company...they have offices world wide...not sure about the SNR, but it powers my Senn ear phones and SOny V300's very nicely...crisp highs and solid bass is there when I want it.

Chacun a son gout!

[CarrotAndStick]

Again, you are mixing up things here. As a shareholder, Apple = good buy. As an audiophile, iPods aren't the better ones of the lot, no matter how popular. Read my earlier posts.

[CarrotAndStick]

Good to know. I'll try it out soon. BTW, do you have an iPod? Try the large headphones on it, and you'll surely be disappointed.

[Glenn]

Read my earlier posts.

I have. You are saying iPods are overpriced and aren't really the best of breed. If there were something better out there, people would be plunking down their money on it instead, don't you think?

[CarrotAndStick]

If there were something better out there, people would be plunking down their money on it instead, don't you think?

How many people have "NW HD5"'s ringing in their heads compared to iPods? I must admit Apple has had a grand success in marketing their iPod player, but there are much better players around, with more bang for the buck. Not always do good products survive a popularity test.

Please read my posts on the cumbersome and damage-inflicting battery replacement procedure on iPods. Compare that with the Sony player, or the Creative player, as others here have testified.

And by the way, I do have an iPod. I also have the Sony player.

[Glenn]

Please read my posts on the cumbersome and damage-inflicting battery replacement procedure on iPods.

Red herring.

When I need plumbing done, I'll hire a plumber. If I need a battery replaced, I'll hire an expert. I've three of these devices and have never needed a battery replaced. I do not believe it is inevitable.

[dennisw]

Thanks. I was always curious how many megabytes a Rush Show is on your ipod type of device

[CarrotAndStick]

If I need a battery replaced, I'll hire an expert. I've three of these devices and have never needed a battery replaced. I do not believe it is inevitable.

I needed a battery replacement. I got it done through Apple. And the flaws came on the edges.

And oh yes, Li-Ion batteries have a limited charge-discharge life.

[Pete'sWife]

Wife and son each have ipods. Son's is a video version.

I still carry my trusty CD player. I look like a Neanderthal on an airplane, especially with the Bose headphones instead of those things you stick in your ears.
One of these days... (Pete's Wife's husband)

[Joe Republc]

I've been a happy owner of a Creative Zen Micro. The biggest reason I bought it was to take advantage of the $5 / month unlimited music subscription from Yahoo!

I'm listening to almost anything I want, wherever I want it. And legally....


Warning: When I bought it early this year, the digital subscription stuff was bleeding edge. I ran into computer-related hassles I don't think most people would put up with. Hopefully this isn't the case anymore for new Zen owners using subscription WMA files.

-- Joe