Travel Technology - Which MP3 player best for long flights?

I have an Archos Jukebox 20GB player that uses rechargeable AA's. The problem is that the battery life is short (<5 hrs), which means taking extra batteries or a bulky recharger that takes hours to charge up the batteries.

I'm looking for a new player that has much better battery life, and lighter unit weight. I've heard that Rio and Dell's players might fit the bill.

MP3 players are probably the greatest invention for long-haul flyers since.....I don't know what!

Any suggestions on models?

Interestingly, after I saw your title but before I started reading your post, the first thing I thought of was "one of the old AA battery-based players". I get 6-7 hours from well-charged 2100mAh NiMH AA's on my ancient Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox. That'll get me a transcon flight; for longer flights a single extra set of batteries has sufficed.

It's true that you may need to swap batteries, but the batteries are cheap, readily available, and if you run out of charged ones you can even buy a set of alkalines in a pinch. Can't do that with players that use proprietary cells -- should you find yourself delayed, you may end up with no music.

That said, I actually have two MP3 players for different uses. My Nomad Jukebox (which I upgraded to a 40 gig drive) is for when I'm relatively stationary -- in the car, on a plane, etc. I also have a Muvo2 4GB, which gets a good 12 hours on a charge and is TINY, great for when I'm on the go.

The Dell Jukebox is probably the best choice, available from just $189 and battery power to last up to 15 hours.

An ipod won't work that well as it usually quits on you after just 6 hours...

Rio Karma. Last month I used it almost non-stop on WAS - EWR, then EWR-AMS, then AMS - TXL . And it still had juice left by the time I was at the hotel.
I think Rio promotes it as having as having a 15 hour bat. life. I would say they are not lying . Plus, the charger accepts voltages from 100 to 240 v.

I have the Dell 20G model and a Archos 20G v2 model. The Dell gets about 2x the battery life in the "real world". The only negative about the Dell is that you must use the included software (MusicMatch) to transfer files. I perfer the Archos becuase I can just drag the files over and I've setup my recording preferences so that it plays by Album, then track number (in order). But that's a small issue.

Amazon has the Archos v2 for under $150 after rebate (no shipping or taxes!), the Dell is a little bit more.

Hope this helps.

Bruce

Rio Karma. Last month I used it almost non-stop on WAS - EWR, then EWR-AMS, then AMS - TXL . And it still had juice left by the time I was at the hotel.
I think Rio promotes it as having as having a 15 hour bat. life. I would say they are not lying . Plus, the charger accepts voltages from 100 to 240 v.

I am thinking of getting one of these, I like that it can play Ogg Vorbis files AND that it has ethernet....

Perhaps this weekend :)

On a full charge, my iPod has lasted all the way from SFO to CDG. I never stopped it along the way. Note this is an iPod from 2002. I've heard the newer ones have smaller batteries in them.

Some tips for extending the battery life:
1) Don't jump all over the player on random tracks, instead, just let the tracks play sequentially. Jumping all over causes more battery drain since the hard drive is working more. I'm not sure this applies if you are using an MP3 player that uses flash memory.

2) Don't use the backlight

3) Let the battery drain totally before recharging. I know that Li-ION is supposed to not benefit from this but seems to work for me on my Li-ION battery devices. I usually set the iPod on play and let it run all night if I need to drain the battery.

I'm sure they're probably selling some charger that will work in the laptop power outlets also these days...

My suggestion: iRiver. It does have a great battery life, about 12-15 hours, dpending on bitrate, etc. Sound to me is great, and it has few nice added features, that I like.

such as Optical In/Out: you can hook it up to stereo, and, more important, you can convert CD right into the player. It is not a violation of copy protection laws, and it works on copy-protected CD´s :)

It comes with a remote control, whch I find very handy, both in fligh and in other situations: you can everything from the remote, which has a little LCD screen, and keep the player tucked away. Size is like IPOD. It´s not the cheapest, but for me has been worth he money.

I have a Dell and it has fantastic battery life. Also, the charger is international. I think the 15 hrs is an underestimate. I think I see close to 20 hours. JFK-SFO-PVG listening the whole way, moderate use of backlight for playlist construction, etc and plenty left when I got to Shanghai. JFK-NRT a few times also and plenty left when I arrived each time. Im delighted to be getting a mini-IPOD, it has great sound and is a lot smaller than the Dell, but Im hanging on to the Dell for long hauls.

Like NARacer, I too, have an iHP-120. I've used it on few transpac and transatlantic flights. Probably only turned off while watching a movie or 2 (and take-off/landing too). Never had the power running out on me. Of course, I always made sure it was charged before the flight. It's really nice not having to worry about conserving power. Definately wouldn't get on a plane without it.

This is most feature rich player when I brought it back in Nov '03. I'm not sure about the Dell and Mini-iPOD as they were released later.

Several models, including the iPod, can be used with cigarette lighter type adapters.

Belkin, Monster, and XTremeMac all make good ones for the ipod. They can all be bought at Apple's Web store (http://store.apple.com).

If I'm using mine for an extended period of time I'll just bring along the adapter and plug it in for the duration of the flight/drive/whatever. Most long-haul planes have power jacks now.

I have seen the adaptors for IPODs that will work with the system on AA planes. Is there one which will work on the UA type onboard power systems? Another option of course is to charge off a laptop which works fine for IPODs if you have a laptop with you.

I have a first generation 5gb iPod and while the battery is losing its grip on reality, I have yet to have it give up on any longhaul fight that it began fully charged. What I find somewhat absurd here is that the player needs to last whatever the stated flight duration is.

Let's set some guidelines here, unless you are completely anti-social, have a bladder the size of a supertanker, and have no intention of sleeping on an extended flight then you won't be using your chosen player for more that 7 or 8 hours in even the most extraordinary of circumstances.

All that said, I have trip after trip appreciated the short, simple cable I bought several years ago in tokyo that attaches my Powerbook to the Empower system without all the intervening bricks. And, I also enjoy the second battery I have installed in my IBM ThinkPad that lengthens out its duration to 4-5 hours.

Hmm, last trip I took to NRT I played music for pretty much 14 hours non-stop. Wouldnt be the first time either. While you may find your guidelines to be as you state, perhaps others dont. As far as I am aware I am not considered antisocial. Those Wagner operas are just long. But, whatever.

Hmm, last trip I took to NRT I played music for pretty much 14 hours non-stop. Wouldnt be the first time either. While you may find your guidelines to be as you state, perhaps others dont. As far as I am aware I am not considered antisocial. Those Wagner operas are just long. But, whatever.

I knew I should have put a smiley after my second paragraph. :o

...The only negative about the Dell is that you must use the included software (MusicMatch) to transfer files. I perfer the Archos becuase I can just drag the files over and I've setup my recording preferences so that it plays by Album, then track number (in order). But that's a small issue....

There is an aftermarket program for the Jukebox called Dudebox. It allows you to drag files, easily creates playlists, reorders the songs in the correct order and you can also copy programs off of the Jukebox.

It is worth the $25 if you do a lot of music transfers to the Jukebox.

http://www.redchairsoftware.com/dudebox/

Keba

I have a Dell and it has fantastic battery life. Also, the charger is international. I think the 15 hrs is an underestimate. I think I see close to 20 hours. JFK-SFO-PVG listening the whole way, moderate use of backlight for playlist construction, etc and plenty left when I got to Shanghai. JFK-NRT a few times also and plenty left when I arrived each time. Im delighted to be getting a mini-IPOD, it has great sound and is a lot smaller than the Dell, but Im hanging on to the Dell for long hauls.

Can the Dell store non-music files, i.e., digital camera output? I'd like to have a device that I can use as an image tank as well as an MP3 player. I know the iPod does this, but don't like its price/perf or shorter batt life too well.

I knew I should have put a smiley after my second paragraph. :o


Sorry, I guess I should have put one in after the comment about not being antisocial (as far as I know) and about Wagner ("Wagner has his moments, but oh the hours") as well.

Does anybody know by chance when Dell will make their players available in europe, too?

There is an aftermarket program for the Jukebox called Dudebox.

Thank you - I will check it out!

Bruce

For those of you with devices that take AA batteries, what about those Lithium ones they sell for digital cameras? Not the LiIon rechargables, but the Lithium use-once-then-throw-away ones. They last much longer than alkalines, and are even lighter. I think getting a set or two of those to keep handy when your rechargables give out would do the trick.

I just heard back from Dell Germany that it is not planned to sell the Digital Jukebox in Germany... :-(

Looks I have to decide for the iRiver then...

I just heard back from Dell Germany that it is not planned to sell the Digital Jukebox in Germany... :-(

Looks I have to decide for the iRiver then...

Why not just have the Dell shipped to someone in the US and send it to you, or pick it up next time you are here?

My suggestion would be to get an iPod -- any size and there is actually an accesory that hooks up through the dock connector and is basically a back-up/alternate battery source. It works on 4 "AA" batteries (if i'm not mistaken) so you can hook that up on extra long flights -- that attachment provides 15 hours of battery power if i'm not mistaken once again...the perfect way to go! :D


-I love my iPod! :)

My suggestion would be to get an iPod -- any size and there is actually an accesory that hooks up through the dock connector and is basically a back-up/alternate battery source. It works on 4 "AA" batteries (if i'm not mistaken) so you can hook that up on extra long flights -- that attachment provides 15 hours of battery power if i'm not mistaken once again...the perfect way to go! :D


-I love my iPod! :)

Have you ever seen that batery pack? It's massive and turns your iPod into a brick...

Personally if i were to buy an MP3 player for long haul flights I'd pick one that can last longer than an ipod.

I have to voice my support for the iPods as well. I use my 20gb'er and my new iPod Mini on transatlantic flights every other week, and it works great. I typically use it before takeoff, then after the meal and while I (try to) sleep. I prefer the Mini now as the extra small size makes for great travelling :)

Chris

Have you ever seen that batery pack? It's massive and turns your iPod into a brick...

Personally if i were to buy an MP3 player for long haul flights I'd pick one that can last longer than an ipod.

I agree that those battery packs seem bulky and heavy. I like the idea of toting along a auto power adapter, along with an empower-auto dongle. If you end up renting a car this is handy later in the trip as well.

I agree that those battery packs seem bulky and heavy. I like the idea of toting along a auto power adapter, along with an empower-auto dongle. If you end up renting a car this is handy later in the trip as well.

With all the VERY nice add-ons there are for the ipod I am amazed nobody else has made a better battery pack for it...

The suction cup thing Belkin has is without a doubt the ugliest thing I've seen for the ipod...

With all the VERY nice add-ons there are for the ipod I am amazed nobody else has made a better battery pack for it...

The suction cup thing Belkin has is without a doubt the ugliest thing I've seen for the ipod...

I have to agree with you that it is ugly and bulky, but when your stationary -- i.e. on a plane -- it's not really that big of a problem -- I could understand if your going jogging though :-p

BTW, the only reason I didn't get the iPod mini is because it is sooooo overpriced -- you get sooo much more bang for your buck if you go with the 20GB version.

I have the Iriver 120 also. Great battery life, love the ability to record speeches, other audio sources. And the drag and drop from Explorer is awesome; i back up my Powerpoints on it!

My daughter, a college freshman, asked for a player just as Dell introduced their unit. They’re cheaper than iPods. I was about to order it when I read Mossberger’s Wall Street Journal review. He made a number of interesting points.

My daughter had visions of using it in her car as a substitute for the radio. Mossberger pointed out that iPod is the only unit with a fully intergrated FM trasmitter, both physicvally and software. The iTrip is available for about $40. It fits on the top of the iPod, uses the iPod’s battery and can be tuned on the iPod’s screen to any frequency.

Another advantage of the iPod is that you can play your selections randomly without any extra steps. Apparently, with the Dell you must create a random file which must be recrated each time you add new selections.

Things are nearly perfect except that my car has a direct auxillary input in the glove box and it sounds better than the iTrip. But I'm not giving up my car for her Corolla.

My daughter, a college freshman, asked for a player just as Dell introduced their unit. They’re cheaper than iPods. I was about to order it when I read Mossberger’s Wall Street Journal review. He made a number of interesting points.

My daughter had visions of using it in her car as a substitute for the radio. Mossberger pointed out that iPod is the only unit with a fully intergrated FM trasmitter, both physicvally and software. The iTrip is available for about $40. It fits on the top of the iPod, uses the iPod’s battery and can be tuned on the iPod’s screen to any frequency.

Another advantage of the iPod is that you can play your selections randomly without any extra steps. Apparently, with the Dell you must create a random file which must be recrated each time you add new selections.

Things are nearly perfect except that my car has a direct auxillary input in the glove box and it sounds better than the iTrip. But I'm not giving up my car for her Corolla.


The itrip is a POS. It's a major pain to select a frequency, it's power output makes it useless for large metro areas and it won't fit when the ipod is in most cases.

We settled for the monster cable which is integrated in the car charger and has a button to select the frequency.

Nothing wrong with an iPod, my partner is an Apple man and I bought him an iPod as a present So we have one in the household and I use it sometimes.

But I have and use a Dell DJ as my primary player. Your statement about random play is very outdated - this was an issue with the original firmware but hasn't been a problem in quite a while.

I'm not sure what the benefit of the iTrip "integration" is. Probably like a lot of the iPod accessories, it's "cool" but no more functional than that of another player. Anyway, if you want to use one of these in a car an FM transmitter is the worst option. Better - if you have a cassette deck, use a cassette adapter (this is what I use); or an "FM Modulator" which apparently transmits directly to the FM antenna; or best of all hook up directly to an auxiliary jack on your car stereo.

The best thing about the DJ is the battery life. I play it a lot at work and often I don't have to recharge except on the weekend. The next best thing is the warranty. If almost anything goes wrong, they'll ship you a new (or refurbished) one almost immediately, very few questions asked. You don't even have to return the old one until you get the replacement.

However, I would NOT advise getting someone in the US to buy you a DJ if you live overseas - you will have difficulty getting warranty coverage. While All HD based players run the risk of various types of defects, especially a HD crash, and you may well need to take advantage of Dell's excellent warranty.


My daughter, a college freshman, asked for a player just as Dell introduced their unit. They’re cheaper than iPods. I was about to order it when I read Mossberger’s Wall Street Journal review. He made a number of interesting points.

My daughter had visions of using it in her car as a substitute for the radio. Mossberger pointed out that iPod is the only unit with a fully intergrated FM trasmitter, both physicvally and software. The iTrip is available for about $40. It fits on the top of the iPod, uses the iPod’s battery and can be tuned on the iPod’s screen to any frequency.

Another advantage of the iPod is that you can play your selections randomly without any extra steps. Apparently, with the Dell you must create a random file which must be recrated each time you add new selections.

Things are nearly perfect except that my car has a direct auxillary input in the glove box and it sounds better than the iTrip. But I'm not giving up my car for her Corolla.

And; claiming that an advantage because it runs off the ipod battery is a moot point considering the ipods miserable battery life. External tuners like the Belkin (with buttons and a nice LCD readout) run for weeks on a battery...

My daughter, a college freshman, asked for a player just as Dell introduced their unit. They’re cheaper than iPods. I was about to order it when I read Mossberger’s Wall Street Journal review. He made a number of interesting points.

My daughter had visions of using it in her car as a substitute for the radio. Mossberger pointed out that iPod is the only unit with a fully intergrated FM trasmitter, both physicvally and software. The iTrip is available for about $40. It fits on the top of the iPod, uses the iPod’s battery and can be tuned on the iPod’s screen to any frequency.

Another advantage of the iPod is that you can play your selections randomly without any extra steps. Apparently, with the Dell you must create a random file which must be recrated each time you add new selections.

Things are nearly perfect except that my car has a direct auxillary input in the glove box and it sounds better than the iTrip. But I'm not giving up my car for her Corolla.

The transmitter is also quite illegal to use (but legal to own!) in the UK as well which might come as a shock to some people. Beware if you are travelling to our fine shores

I am round at my folks house trying to install a load of songs onto my Dad's IPod because he asked me to do it. It was charged fully, initially and then left for a month or so whilst the correct USB cable was oredered/delivered. This is the first time it's been done, and I am using XP, the USB2 connectors and the Ipod dock. I've loaded up 154 tracks (516mb) from CD into Itunes and was expecting it to automatically copy across those songs.

What's worrying me is that the Ipod isn't appearing in the Itunes source window, which it should be I think. Also for the last hour and a half (at least) I've had the thing saying it's charging (battery indicator animated) Is all this normal? or should I panic now.

any help much appreciated,

I am round at my folks house trying to install a load of songs onto my Dad's IPod because he asked me to do it. It was charged fully, initially and then left for a month or so whilst the correct USB cable was oredered/delivered. This is the first time it's been done, and I am using XP, the USB2 connectors and the Ipod dock. I've loaded up 154 tracks (516mb) from CD into Itunes and was expecting it to automatically copy across those songs.

What's worrying me is that the Ipod isn't appearing in the Itunes source window, which it should be I think. Also for the last hour and a half (at least) I've had the thing saying it's charging (battery indicator animated) Is all this normal? or should I panic now.

any help much appreciated,

I just went through this with my ibook & ipod an hour ago. I got a new motherboard (yay applecare) in the ibook, which of course for some reason made the ipod not mount in itunes. Took an hour to fix it, go figure.

Go here: ipod connection help (http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/connect/) and see if any of those steps help out... there's "My Windows PC computer doesn’t recognize my iPod" towards the bottom...

Good luck.

Thanks for that, really appreciate it. I read it and figure the best thing to try is restarting the machine, but as it's 04:00 over here I might just get some sleep first ;) Weird thing is it recognises it exists in the Windows toolbar just not in Itunes. Odd......As a bit of a last resort a friend of my brothers has an Ipod & a Mac so I might try it on his machine later today.

Just noticed that it also says the disk might be formatted for a Mac, great, another possible cause.

Thanks Again,

Jimmie

Just heard about a new Sony product that is supposed to rival the ipod with a credit card size unit and much better battery life. The price is supposed to be about the same as the iPo d.

Has anyone read any reviews on this?

Just heard about a new Sony product that is supposed to rival the ipod with a credit card size unit and much better battery life. The price is supposed to be about the same as the iPo d.

Has anyone read any reviews on this?

It's a new HD (20gig i believe) based player out this summer. it can hold 3X the content due to greater compression. IPod folks say the greater compression means lesser quality, but apparently in some initial reviews even dogs can't tell the difference. ;)

New IPod itself is due within the next week (intro anyway, not necessarily availability). some news here (http://www.i4u.com/article1752.html)

Big Sony benefit (IMHO) - it uses a standard AAA battery. instead of a soldered down thing that will lose juice steadily over the years. This also makes it Transpac-travel worthy.

More info on the new iPod: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5457432/site/newsweek/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5457434/site/newsweek

It's a new HD (20gig i believe) based player out this summer. it can hold 3X the content due to greater compression. IPod folks say the greater compression means lesser quality, but apparently in some initial reviews even dogs can't tell the difference. ;)

New IPod itself is due within the next week (intro anyway, not necessarily availability). some news here (http://www.i4u.com/article1752.html)

Big Sony benefit (IMHO) - it uses a standard AAA battery. instead of a soldered down thing that will lose juice steadily over the years. This also makes it Transpac-travel worthy.

Sony's "great"er compression is their ATRAC system, which means you'll need to convert all your existing content.

IMHO Sony is too little too late.

Sony's "great"er compression is their ATRAC system, which means you'll need to convert all your existing content.

IMHO Sony is too little too late.

Wasn't aware of that issue - is that true even with the newest gen?

Re. your last comment - you may be right. But being first doesn't guarantee success. Look at Chrysler v. Honda in minivans. Sony's biz model is showing up fashionably late and growing share later, though even that has suffered recently (Clie, MD being examples).

Apple isn't relegated to being < 5% of the market by luck alone...

The new Ipod just announced. Longer battery life (12 hours), but still doesn't equal my 24hr jaunt with my minidisc player!

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5457432/site/newsweek/

Wasn't aware of that issue - is that true even with the newest gen?

Re. your last comment - you may be right. But being first doesn't guarantee success. Look at Chrysler v. Honda in minivans. Sony's biz model is showing up fashionably late and growing share later, though even that has suffered recently (Clie, MD being examples).

Apple isn't relegated to being < 5% of the market by luck alone...

Yep, it's a different, proprietary codec. I googled and read feedback from several forums. Reaction to this device and the fact that it will only play back in ATRAC is nearly universally negative. example (http://www.engadget.com/entry/1512853428563728/)

The above numbers don't have anything to do with the MP3 market, however. Apple dominates with 30% of it -- and this includes all types of players, including cheapo CF players.

According to the latest numbers from IDC, Apple has 3.7% of the computer market. Of course, this is only people buying them. The numbers of people using them are higher. IBM and Gateway both have about 5% market share. Since the previous report, it looks like Apple's share is growing. I believe the previous report had them at around 2.7% or so. If that was the case, 1% growth would be huge. With the way revenues are going (last quarter had the best revenue in 8 years) and the way profits are going (profits grew by a factor of 3 year-over-year), I can believe it.

My stock has tripled in two years. I am very happy. I'll be happier if we see profit sharing return. ;)

Wasn't aware of that issue - is that true even with the newest gen?

Re. your last comment - you may be right. But being first doesn't guarantee success. Look at Chrysler v. Honda in minivans. Sony's biz model is showing up fashionably late and growing share later, though even that has suffered recently (Clie, MD being examples).

Apple isn't relegated to being < 5% of the market by luck alone...


I would say the Sony model is more showing up very early, keeping everything as proprietary as possible and then having their butt handed to them. Can you say Betamax. To some extent I think Clie was partially the victim of the same thing. You could only use memory stick. Sorry, there are at least 4 devices I didnt buy because you could only use memory stick. Just wont do it. And a completely proprietary format, not a chance in the world.

Also as swise pointed out, those numbers are computer sales. In mp3 players it is very different. Sony isnt even on the radar in portable music sales at this time I suspect, despite the fact that they really invented the broader genre with the first Walkman.

Apple introduced lower-priced versions of its iPod digital music player with longer battery life. The new 20-gigabyte model iPod has up to 12 hours of battery life and it's retail price is $299.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=1&u=/nm/20040719/tc_nm/tech_apple_dc

Apple introduced lower-priced versions of its iPod digital music player with longer battery life. The new 20-gigabyte model iPod has up to 12 hours of battery life and it's retail price is $299.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=1&u=/nm/20040719/tc_nm/tech_apple_dc

That's why I cancelled my order for the Mini and purchased this one. It's all about the battery life (and the look and feel, and teh cost, and the storage space, and teh cool factor).

I would say the Sony model is more showing up very early, keeping everything as proprietary as possible and then having their butt handed to them. Can you say Betamax. To some extent I think Clie was partially the victim of the same thing. You could only use memory stick. Sorry, there are at least 4 devices I didnt buy because you could only use memory stick. Just wont do it. And a completely proprietary format, not a chance in the world.

Also as swise pointed out, those numbers are computer sales. In mp3 players it is very different. Sony isnt even on the radar in portable music sales at this time I suspect, despite the fact that they really invented the broader genre with the first Walkman.

That biz model sort of sounds like Apple. :p The king of proprietary (read, only one supplier) business!!

Memory sticks - Sony learned quick and licensed the cost of those down to match the other formats. it's no longer a big deal (shrug).

I suspect the Clie failure is more due to MS pocketPC OS beating Palm OS rather than a memory stick issue.

Whether it's Sony or Samsung or LG or whomever, someone will make a good run at Ipod (which is still in its infancy) - question is, has Apple got it in them to find the NEXT thing?

Back specifically on topic - Ipod still pales to Sony or any battery-powered device for a long flight as it turns into a paperweight halfway over the Pacific. :td:

That biz model sort of sounds like Apple. :p The king of proprietary (read, only one supplier) business!!

Memory sticks - Sony learned quick and licensed the cost of those down to match the other formats. it's no longer a big deal (shrug).

I suspect the Clie failure is more due to MS pocketPC OS beating Palm OS rather than a memory stick issue.

Whether it's Sony or Samsung or LG or whomever, someone will make a good run at Ipod (which is still in its infancy) - question is, has Apple got it in them to find the NEXT thing?

Back specifically on topic - Ipod still pales to Sony or any battery-powered device for a long flight as it turns into a paperweight halfway over the Pacific. :td:

Apple has certainly done this as well. But it is a real problem for Sony as well. In addition to the Betamax example which was huge, I disagree with the view of memory stick. It is not only a cost issue, although I dont think that the cost is the same, but that isnt the only issue. I have a camera, Palm, and IPAQ. I can put CF or SD cards in a couple or all of those. If I were to have a memory stick device the cards would be incompatible with anything else. I would have to get cards only for that device. That has kept me from buying because I have a selection of cards that fit other devices and I wasnt going to duplicate it. I doubt I am alone in that. I think the proprietary memory also hurt the Clie. For a while it looked like Sony was going to displace PalmOne in the Palm OS market but that didnt happen. I think proprietary issues with memory stick were on of the thinks that mitigated against them. If you got a Clie that was fine if you wanted to add the memory to a Sony notebook but not to others. Sure you can get an adaptor but if people already had the memory and adaptor with their older Palm, why get new ones just to get a Clie. Youre right about the battery life technically, but I can tell you I have, with external power, listened to my mini all the way across the Pacific on a number of occassions.

No one has pointed out that, even with the shorter battery time, it still fills the time. I've filled the infrequent dead time with "what do you have on yours?" conversations with other iPod users.

There doesn't seem to be a sense of community with other players--and I used to carry a Nomad Jukebox, a Rio 600 and a 300, so I'd know.

Also, I always bring my laptop with me and, when in C or F, the first thing I normally do is plug my Kensington brick into the seat, plug the firewire cable into the Powerbook and listen to it through my PowerBook during a rather violent game of Civilization 3. ;)

Has anyone ever used a Neuros? www.neurosaudio.com

Pretty big but it does just about everything. I'm thinking of getting the 129 with a 20 hard drive backpack.

Has anyone ever used a Neuros? www.neurosaudio.com

Pretty big but it does just about everything. I'm thinking of getting the 129 with a 20 hard drive backpack.

They are a total POS. CompUSA was selling them in their clearance section for $100 last time I checked.

They are a total POS. CompUSA was selling them in their clearance section for $100 last time I checked.

I have to agree with you , they are a horrible excuse for a MP3 player -- and I went to CompUSA the other day to look for a backpack for my laptop and lo, and behold, there they were -- they caught my eye because I had no idea they made MP3 players and I saw thier price -- tried one out and wasn't impressed one bit!

There are just so many choices out there now-a-days' but I stick firm with my recomendation of the iPod


BTW, You got PM MoreMilesPlease

Thanks for that, really appreciate it. I read it and figure the best thing to try is restarting the machine, but as it's 04:00 over here I might just get some sleep first ;) Weird thing is it recognises it exists in the Windows toolbar just not in Itunes. Odd......As a bit of a last resort a friend of my brothers has an Ipod & a Mac so I might try it on his machine later today.

Just noticed that it also says the disk might be formatted for a Mac, great, another possible cause.

Thanks Again,

Jimmie


Finally got it to work, someone at work suggested a software problem, and to re-install the software, which only took twenty mins. Ipod was then visible in ITunes and it updated fine, 967 songs later and it was loaded. If they ever make one that 'you' can change the batteries on I might consider one myself, otherwise I'll stick to minidiscs.

If they ever make one that 'you' can change the batteries on I might consider one myself, otherwise I'll stick to minidiscs.

You can. (http://www.ipodbatteryfaq.com/#2)

That's a bit advanced for me and sending the thing off wouldn't really appeal to me after an interesting experience with a very early Psion that was repaired by another firm. They were just replacing some connector pins and 'somehow' wiped the whole thing in the process, they were very appologetic but couldn't help much, repair was free though. I was very pleased to have all my data gone and no back up :td: Now make back ups of everything.

should be new thread. disregard this.

I got the new 4th gen. 40GB iPod and it has 12 hours battery life which is really good for the flights I am on. Plus, if you get the Belkin Battery Pack, it adds on 20 Hours with only 4 AA Batteries! I love the iPod.

James Smith

I got the new 4th gen. 40GB iPod and it has 12 hours battery life which is really good for the flights I am on. Plus, if you get the Belkin Battery Pack, it adds on 20 Hours with only 4 AA Batteries! I love the iPod.

James Smith

I agree with you 100% -- and for those that complain that the Belkin Battery Pack turns your iPod into a massive brick -- if i'm not mistaken the Thread Title is "Which MP3 player best for long flights" -- no which is good to walk around with, exercise with, or anthing else. And regardless, hasn't anyone ever told you that size doesn't matter ;) :D

I got the new 4th gen. 40GB iPod and it has 12 hours battery life which is really good for the flights I am on. Plus, if you get the Belkin Battery Pack, it adds on 20 Hours with only 4 AA Batteries! I love the iPod.

James Smith

Does it REALLY last 12 hours? The last one was meant to last 8 hours but you were lucky to get 4 hours out of it.

Plus, the battery pack doesn't exactly make it, emmm... small... Plus it's design with the suction cup is silly... I am amazed there isn't a better battery pack for it.

Does it REALLY last 12 hours? The last one was meant to last 8 hours but you were lucky to get 4 hours out of it.

Plus, the battery pack doesn't exactly make it, emmm... small... Plus it's design with the suction cup is silly... I am amazed there isn't a better battery pack for it.

Yeah, I got I squeezed 11 hours out of it on a long flight to London.

And regardless, hasn't anyone ever told you that size doesn't matter ;) :D

I have a mini?? :o

I have an Archos Jukebox 20GB player that uses rechargeable AA's. The problem is that the battery life is short (<5 hrs), which means taking extra batteries or a bulky recharger that takes hours to charge up the batteries.

I'm looking for a new player that has much better battery life, and lighter unit weight. I've heard that Rio and Dell's players might fit the bill.

MP3 players are probably the greatest invention for long-haul flyers since.....I don't know what!

Any suggestions on models?

My old Archos 6GB recorder uses 4 AA sized NiMH batteies. They are easily replaceable. For long trips, I just put in 4 good quality alkaline AA's and it lasts a long time. You can also pick up 4 more in any airport.

I can't quote an exact number of hours they will last, but it's a long time, and I've never had them die on a flight (including IAH-NRT).

I just bought a mini ipod battery extender from ebay. It looks really nice and well made. Runs on 4 AAs. Cant wait to give it a try on my 3 upcoming LGA-LGW trips.

The Apple/Sony comparison and the whole claim that Apple is proprietary is a little strange. I easily moved over my entire library of MP3s from my old Creative Jukebox to my iPod without a second of conversion. However, no matter what format your library is in, you'd have to convert it to ATRAC before you load it up. They claim it's a better compression technology, but considering they'd have to decode MP3, which is a lossy compression technique, then reencode, the copy will be, at best, the same in sound quality or, if ATRAC is lossy, even worse. Plus, you lose the ability to trade ATRAC files with other players--pretty much every MP3 player, except Sony, will play MP3 as a lowest common denominator... if you record meetings or speeches and want to share, this would be a problem if you had a Sony format (or course, I assume someone will break the format soon enough).

I realize some of the ire related to the iPod is the iTunes music store and how it is tied directly to the iPod. I really don't get this one, personally, as I don't consider their pricing to be all that far out of whack, their fair use technology all that intrusive and the application to be anything but easy-to-use and powerful at the same time. The pricing at Sony's site isn't all that different, the format is just as proprietary and just as tied to a single device. The iPod just lets you run MP3s, as well.

In addition, moving from USB 1.1 to Firewire was nice, too... I understand you can do USB 2.0, too, but what's the fun in that? i've got a perfectly decent Firewire port. ;)

Finally, if you carry an iGo compatible power adapter like I do, you can buy the tip for the iPod:

http://www.igo.com/Product_Detail.asp?PageSource=&CategoryID=936&ItemID=38880&ModelGroupID=16&BrandID=6&ModelID=7776

I don't have one, though, as I typically charge through the Firewire on my Powerbook, but I'm sure if you just wanted a standalone power charger for an airplane, this would work beautifully.

Timothy

I saw the new Sony player today.

Makes the ipod look like Fisher-Price.

I saw the new Sony player today.

Makes the ipod look like Fisher-Price.

Hmm, not sure exactly what that means but I think the uncertainty in being able to obtain content in secure audio format for it is a limitation. Apprently if you have files in other formats it will play them but not if they are secure audio files. So they have a big infrastructure issue to deal with in terms of getting content to people. I think that because of that they will be very unlikely to be very successful.

I saw the new Sony player today.

Makes the ipod look like Fisher-Price.

That's about how complicated it can be if I want to use it after 10 hours en route. ;)

I'll take the iRiver over anything else any day of the week. I use it for my daily commute (circa 90 mins per day) and can get over 2 weeks out of one charge as a rule. It was cheaper than the equivalent iPod, has the natty remote WITH an LCD on it (main unit lives in my bag or pocket and is never seen until the journey is over) and IMO the sound is slightly better than the same MP3 played on a 3rd gen iPod. Oh, and as someone else said, you can get external FM transmitters for them (anything thats generic really).

I think this just boils down to this:

1. There seems to be very few real crap MP3 players anymore
2. People are skeptical of Sony's unit, but others like minidiscs
3. Some people love the simplicity of the iPod at risk of the shorter battery time
4. Some people hate the simplicity of the iPod AND its shorter battery time
5. Buy what you like, for the most part

Timothy

Sure... my iPod only lasts about 8 hours, but I can last at LEAST 25. Baby. ;)

While searching for the best MP3 HDD player for me, my thoughts were the following:

1. Ipod - deselected because I want the player to transfer music without any software (i.e. it should act like a harddisk and I can use the Windows Explorer to move my music).

2. Sony - deselected because of their ATRAC format. I have one of those small Memory Stick players and moving music and converting to ATRAC is a major PITA. Plus, you cannot get music back from the player to another computer - copyright restrictions. I hate it !

3. Iriver - seems to be the right one - albeit prices for the 20Gig player in Germany are still high (459 Euros for 20 Gig and 529 Euros for 40 Gig).

Did I miss something ? I really want to buy one very soon, but the risk of choosing the wrong one is high considering the relatively high prices...

Best
Christian

Eurochris:

The prices in USA seem vastly, vastly lower.

IHP-120: circa 280 USD
IHP-140: circa 370 USD.

It should therefore be a no-brainer, that if you can ask someone to buy it while they are in America (or another FTer coming to Germany can maybe bring you one) then it makes for one hell of a price.

BTW, I have the iHP-140 and it's excellent, especially the SRS feature which adds a considerably more "spacious" sound, wheras without it, music through earphones tend to sound as though it's originating in one's head.

Thank you Stargold !

That is a HUGE price difference at a 1.23 USD per Euro exchange rate.

My company sends me to Philadelphia end of September, I guess I just have to wait until then :eek:

Thanks again
Christian

I really like the Dell.

Just got an iPod. So far so good.

I have been wondering about the long flight/battey issue.

I am wondering if anyone has actually used the devices Apple sells or approves to connect repeatedly and successfully to the airplanes power ports. The discussion so far has suggested that it can be done, but I don't seem to see (m)any folks who made a practice of this.

I'm fraidy cat when it comes to hooking expensive things up to electricity when I am not sure it is OK.

I bought the 40. I - perhaps foolishly - recorded alot of my classical music in the Apple loss-less or mp3 at 192 bits. Big file, I hear, are hard on the power consumption. Since I will use the iPod through some decent sound systems, I do want good reproduction even on those pure tone piece like oboe and violin solos and sonatas. Thoughts?

Best wishes,

Teacher49

Just got an iPod. So far so good.

I have been wondering about the long flight/battey issue.

I am wondering if anyone has actually used the devices Apple sells or approves to connect repeatedly and successfully to the airplanes power ports. The discussion so far has suggested that it can be done, but I don't seem to see (m)any folks who made a practice of this.

I'm fraidy cat when it comes to hooking expensive things up to electricity when I am not sure it is OK.

I bought the 40. I - perhaps foolishly - recorded alot of my classical music in the Apple loss-less or mp3 at 192 bits. Big file, I hear, are hard on the power consumption. Since I will use the iPod through some decent sound systems, I do want good reproduction even on those pure tone piece like oboe and violin solos and sonatas. Thoughts?

Best wishes,

Teacher49

With large (lossless) files the file is too large to be buffered, so it has to be read off the constantly spinning hard drive.

The 40Gb has a 32Mb buffer, so compress them using the method with the least compression that keeps the file under 32Mb and you should be fine.

I've been following the maxim "less is more" in some areas of my life lately. Hence, the iPod went off to e-Bay. But I still gotta have my music - so here's what I do:

Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones (http://www.bose.com/controller;jsessionid=BbGuHXXgC5w8lG2HidNIK2LI0isE eOpKCPQa2976OFh1TcYpHa83!719771355!-1318345393?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=qc2_headphones_index&linksource=avb_txt_qc2&pageName=/home_entertainment/headphones_headsets/index.jsp)

J. River Media Center 11 (http://www.musicex.com/mediacenter/) (the Alpha version)

and, on longer flights (with no Power Port adapters), I borrow my co-worker's:

Valence N-Charge battery (http://store1.yimg.com/I/valencetech-store_1806_286827) - adds 10 hours or so to your computer's run time.

I just copy 20 GB over the night before my departure and I've got tons of music for my trip. My laptop plays well - even when the top is closed and in the seat pocket ahead of me. Once less device to carry. And that is a Good Thing. ^

I've been following the maxim "less is more" in some areas of my life lately. Hence, the iPod went off to e-Bay. But I still gotta have my music - so here's what I do:

Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones (http://www.bose.com/controller;jsessionid=BbGuHXXgC5w8lG2HidNIK2LI0isE eOpKCPQa2976OFh1TcYpHa83!719771355!-1318345393?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=qc2_headphones_index&linksource=avb_txt_qc2&pageName=/home_entertainment/headphones_headsets/index.jsp)

J. River Media Center 11 (http://www.musicex.com/mediacenter/) (the Alpha version)

and, on longer flights (with no Power Port adapters), I borrow my co-worker's:

Valence N-Charge battery (http://store1.yimg.com/I/valencetech-store_1806_286827) - adds 10 hours or so to your computer's run time.

I just copy 20 GB over the night before my departure and I've got tons of music for my trip. My laptop plays well - even when the top is closed and in the seat pocket ahead of me. Once less device to carry. And that is a Good Thing. ^

Excellent advice on J.River, without a doubt the best media player there is.

Just got an iPod. So far so good.

I have been wondering about the long flight/battey issue.

I am wondering if anyone has actually used the devices Apple sells or approves to connect repeatedly and successfully to the airplanes power ports. The discussion so far has suggested that it can be done, but I don't seem to see (m)any folks who made a practice of this.

I'm fraidy cat when it comes to hooking expensive things up to electricity when I am not sure it is OK.

I bought the 40. I - perhaps foolishly - recorded alot of my classical music in the Apple loss-less or mp3 at 192 bits. Big file, I hear, are hard on the power consumption. Since I will use the iPod through some decent sound systems, I do want good reproduction even on those pure tone piece like oboe and violin solos and sonatas. Thoughts?

Teacher49,

I've used the Monster iPod cig lighter adapter in both cars and boats with no troubles at all. They also make a new iAir charger (http://www.monstercable.com/computer/productPageComputer.asp?pin=2504) which provides both EmPower and cig lighter plugs for the latest generation iPods.

Cheers,
Chris

With large (lossless) files the file is too large to be buffered, so it has to be read off the constantly spinning hard drive.

The 40Gb has a 32Mb buffer, so compress them using the method with the least compression that keeps the file under 32Mb and you should be fine.

I remember buffering had a few issues with some of the earlier models, but I thought they improved this with the newer ones... I thought the iPod buffered the first 32 Mb, regardless of file size.

I'll go see if I can find anything in the docs at some point today.

Also, Teacher49, if you haven't looked into Apple's lossless format available in iTunes, you may want to check it out. It will shrink the file size a little bit without compromising quality. I have heard good things about it.

Monster accessories are about as good as it gets. You should have no worries there. Just about anything out there should be fine to plug into your iPod. Those available through the Apple Store (http://store.apple.com) will have jumped through a few hoops to prove themselves worthy. Of course, many not available through the Apple Store are also fine and may not be included by Apple for reasons unrelated to quality or compatibility. Could be that they can't produce at the volumes required, or that they simply don't have an oem contract set up yet, etc etc.

I remember buffering had a few issues with some of the earlier models, but I thought they improved this with the newer ones... I thought the iPod buffered the first 32 Mb, regardless of file size.

I'll go see if I can find anything in the docs at some point today.

Also, Teacher49, if you haven't looked into Apple's lossless format available in iTunes, you may want to check it out. It will shrink the file size a little bit without compromising quality. I have heard good things about it.

Yes, it ill buffer 32 regardless, but with a lossless uncomrpessed file 32Mb is around 30 seconds :)

I have been using the"proprietary "Apple lossless" for the music I want to reproduce to best quality. That process does in fact compress. They claim there is no or little loss of quality.

One CD from a set of the Brandenburg Concertos, for example, runs 1.2 hours of orchestral music, and is compressed to 87.2MB.

Another recorded in "Apple Lossless" - 38.7 minutes only of straight piano Bach's French Suites (...er Freedom Suites) is a whopping 153.1MB with track sizes of 3 - 10 MBs.

It's a bit like comparing Apples to oranges (:p ) 'cause I still haven't recorded the same disk at different ratios to compare quality or size. Just been transfering music to hard dirve for a week and bit . There's a bunch of options: MPEGs at 128, 160 or 192, Apples ACC and Apple's Lossless.

Oh, well, learning curves being what they are only time and experimentation will tell.

Best wishes,

Teacher49

I have been using the"proprietary "Apple lossless" for the music I want to reproduce to best quality. That process does in fact compress. They claim there is no or little loss of quality.
the term 'lossless' means exactly that - no loss. the only difference is that the file is approximately 50% as big as the original. after decompression, it is bit for bit identical to the original.

while lossless might be nice for a high end home sound system, i wonder if anyone can really hear a difference listening to music from an ipod on portable headphones in a noisy aircraft...

It's a bit like comparing Apples to oranges (:p ) 'cause I still haven't recorded the same disk at different ratios to compare quality or size. Just been transfering music to hard dirve for a week and bit . There's a bunch of options: MPEGs at 128, 160 or 192, Apples ACC and Apple's Lossless.
go to preferences, click on importing, pick custom... and you can go as high as 320 bps for mp3 and aac. at the same bit rate, aac sounds better than mp3, but the higher the bit rate the less noticable this becomes.

By far, a 20gb Ipod is the best for a long flight. It has games, random playlists, and a built in battery that can go for 6+ hours non stop - then only needs a 2-3 hour recharge to be ready again....

I wish I'd seen this thread earlier.

I have a Creative Jukebox 3. It's 40 gigabyte, sounds great, and can run for 22+ hours (that's not a typo) if you add a second, optional Li-ion battery. It doesn't play games, but why should it?

It has an optional remote control that can turn it into an FM radio though, of course, you can't use the radio mode in-flight. I drop the JB3 into the seat pocket in front of me. I use it with Bose QC2 phones, though I also use a Total Airhead headphone amplifier, which lets me run the JB3 at lower volume, giving even better battery life than the 22 hours, and still provides plenty of power for the not-very-efficient Bose (their one drawback).

Since I've put together this sound system, my whole experience of flying has changed. There's nothing better than getting an upgrade to F, getting my glass of white wine, reclining, cranking up my sound system and losing myself totally in music for the next 3, 5 or 15 hours.

I wish I'd seen this thread earlier.

I have a Creative Jukebox 3. It's 40 gigabyte, sounds great, and can run for 22+ hours (that's not a typo) if you add a second, optional Li-ion battery. It doesn't play games, but why should it?

It has an optional remote control that can turn it into an FM radio though, of course, you can't use the radio mode in-flight. I drop the JB3 into the seat pocket in front of me. I use it with Bose QC2 phones, though I also use a Total Airhead headphone amplifier, which lets me run the JB3 at lower volume, giving even better battery life than the 22 hours, and still provides plenty of power for the not-very-efficient Bose (their one drawback).

Since I've put together this sound system, my whole experience of flying has changed. There's nothing better than getting an upgrade to F, getting my glass of white wine, reclining, cranking up my sound system and losing myself totally in music for the next 3, 5 or 15 hours.


I think you have convinced me I need a headphone amp. I have both a Dell and an Ipod Mini. I usually use the Ipod because I really like the interface for transfering music much more than on the Dell. The Dell however does go 18-20 hours on a charge. I think you need some kind of external power for an Ipod for it to qualify for a long flight, 6-8 hours isnt long. I have done JFK-SFO-PVG on the Dell and had charge left. But I have a battery booster for the Ipod that I bought for under $20 on ebay and takes 4 AA batteries. I use NiMH rechargeables for a number of things including this device. I can easily go probably 24, maybe 32 hours with the Minis internal battery and one set of AAs. But I do need a headphone amp I think.

Thanks for all the advice on this thread.

Report on trip #1 with the iPod

Regarding battery life:

First of all, I did everything "wrong." I loaded it up with large files so that my classical music will play well on a good home stereo system. I used the backlight. I changed selections whenever I felt like it. I set EQ's to settings other than "flat." All these things are supposed to consume more power.

The damn thing would not die! It played about 10 hours through lounge, 4 hour flight, taxi ride, 2 hours setting up my extended stay accomodations. Finally, I gave up, and went to bed putting it in the dock for re-charging.

So far, so good on that count. Next month it's trans contintental and transatlantic and I see how that goes.

As to the rest, I confess I have "fallen in love with it" in a way I woulud have scoffed at a few months ago. I like gadgets and depend on technology to support my work when on the road, but this this is just very slick.

Best wishes,

Teacher49

I think you have convinced me I need a headphone amp. I have both a Dell and an Ipod Mini. I usually use the Ipod because I really like the interface for transfering music much more than on the Dell. The Dell however does go 18-20 hours on a charge. I think you need some kind of external power for an Ipod for it to qualify for a long flight, 6-8 hours isnt long. I have done JFK-SFO-PVG on the Dell and had charge left. But I have a battery booster for the Ipod that I bought for under $20 on ebay and takes 4 AA batteries. I use NiMH rechargeables for a number of things including this device. I can easily go probably 24, maybe 32 hours with the Minis internal battery and one set of AAs. But I do need a headphone amp I think.

I used to use the headphone amp for movies, airplane sound, and music listening on my computer. It did make a big difference in quality. When I started unsing the Ipod, I found that the sound was good enough that I didn't need to carry a headphone amp. I now have 3 headphone amps that sit around unused. Also, I started using Shure headphones, which are very efficient. These actually work best with an attenuator to reduce the volume from either my laptop (for movies) or from the airplane sound system.

It used to drive me nuts that the horrible quality of airplane sound was full of hums, whines and other noise. One day I figured out that the problem is that my beloved Shure headphones are so sensitive that you need to keep the volume at minimum levels where the noise/signal ratio is quite high. By using the attenuator, I can turn the airplane sound control to a higher level and thus reduce the noise/signal ratio. Funny, but a headphone amp can actually accomplish the same purpose as the attenuator because you have a precise volume control to turn down the throughput to the headphones.

I think you have convinced me I need a headphone amp. I have both a Dell and an Ipod Mini. I usually use the Ipod because I really like the interface for transfering music much more than on the Dell. The Dell however does go 18-20 hours on a charge. I think you need some kind of external power for an Ipod for it to qualify for a long flight, 6-8 hours isnt long. I have done JFK-SFO-PVG on the Dell and had charge left. But I have a battery booster for the Ipod that I bought for under $20 on ebay and takes 4 AA batteries. I use NiMH rechargeables for a number of things including this device. I can easily go probably 24, maybe 32 hours with the Minis internal battery and one set of AAs. But I do need a headphone amp I think.

Take a look here:

http://www.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=3&subTopicID=27

I have the older (and discontinued) Total Airhead by Headroom and I love it. It will drive my Bose beyond painfully-loud levels (I have to watch it), and adds no coloration, distortion or hiss whatsoever.

What are the physical dimensions of the Dell? And how big is its hard drive? I like my Creative JB3 very much, but I'd love something shirt-pocket size, though with the same storage capacity, battery life and sound quality.

I used to use the headphone amp for movies, airplane sound, and music listening on my computer. It did make a big difference in quality. When I started unsing the Ipod, I found that the sound was good enough that I didn't need to carry a headphone amp. I now have 3 headphone amps that sit around unused. Also, I started using Shure headphones, which are very efficient. These actually work best with an attenuator to reduce the volume from either my laptop (for movies) or from the airplane sound system.

It used to drive me nuts that the horrible quality of airplane sound was full of hums, whines and other noise. One day I figured out that the problem is that my beloved Shure headphones are so sensitive that you need to keep the volume at minimum levels where the noise/signal ratio is quite high. By using the attenuator, I can turn the airplane sound control to a higher level and thus reduce the noise/signal ratio. Funny, but a headphone amp can actually accomplish the same purpose as the attenuator because you have a precise volume control to turn down the throughput to the headphones.

Have you ever come across a headphone amplifier with a balance control? Like many folks out there who are no longer kids, I have a slight hearing deficit in one ear -- nothing serious, but enough so that stereo is unbalanced and the sound field is shifted slightly to the side. I find it galling that I can't find either an MP3 player, a headphone amplifier or phones, themselves, that have a balance control that will let me compensate.

Have you ever come across a headphone amplifier with a balance control? Like many folks out there who are no longer kids, I have a slight hearing deficit in one ear -- nothing serious, but enough so that stereo is unbalanced and the sound field is shifted slightly to the side. I find it galling that I can't find either an MP3 player, a headphone amplifier or phones, themselves, that have a balance control that will let me compensate.
The iRiver H120 and H140 have a balance control. They're hard-drive based like an iPod. FYI . . .

Well, I was looking for a decent mp3 player and settled on a Dell Jukebox. Only problem was I despise MS XP and still run Windows 98SE, so no Dell for me.

I settled on the iRiver iHP-120 20GB and I absolutely love it. I believe the sound quality and ease of use is what I like most about it. The player came with a carrying case, USB cable, line-in cable (so you can hook it up in your car or to your stereo), an internal and external microphone so you can record, and crappy earbuds (NC headphones anyone?).

It has an FM tuner that you can use in the US, Europe, and Japan (different frequencies). It also has recording capabilities (analog and digital). There are too many features to talk about.

The player says it'll run for 16 hours, but I've never had to use it that long before. It did run 14 hours for me once from LAX-TPE (including terminal time) without skipping or freezing up.

Anyone willing to spend $275-300 for a 20GB mp3 player should definitely consider this one.

Well, I was looking for a decent mp3 player and settled on a Dell Jukebox. Only problem was I despise MS XP and still run Windows 98SE, so no Dell for me.

I settled on the iRiver iHP-120 20GB and I absolutely love it. I believe the sound quality and ease of use is what I like most about it. The player came with a carrying case, USB cable, line-in cable (so you can hook it up in your car or to your stereo), an internal and external microphone so you can record, and crappy earbuds (NC headphones anyone?).

It has an FM tuner that you can use in the US, Europe, and Japan (different frequencies). It also has recording capabilities (analog and digital). There are too many features to talk about.

The player says it'll run for 16 hours, but I've never had to use it that long before. It did run 14 hours for me once from LAX-TPE (including terminal time) without skipping or freezing up.

Anyone willing to spend $275-300 for a 20GB mp3 player should definitely consider this one.


I gave up on the iriver, it's simply too complicated to operate smoothly. What good are all these fucntions when it's almost impossible to use them without carrying the manual along...

For me the Rio Karma has turned out to be the best option.

I am actually kinda starting to warm up to Iriver. Also I still think Karma was easier and more convinient to use, I am pleasantly surprised by the recording function of the Iriver. It does very well even when the player is a dozen feet away from the person speaking. The only drawback is that iHP also seems to record the spinning of the hard drive which tends to get annoying.



I gave up on the iriver, it's simply too complicated to operate smoothly. What good are all these fucntions when it's almost impossible to use them without carrying the manual along...

For me the Rio Karma has turned out to be the best option.

I am actually kinda starting to warm up to Iriver. Also I still think Karma was easier and more convinient to use, I am pleasantly surprised by the recording function of the Iriver. It does very well even when the player is a dozen feet away from the person speaking. The only drawback is that iHP also seems to record the spinning of the hard drive which tends to get annoying.

Though, to their defense, they do enclose an external mic with the H-series. No more hard-disk spinning sounds :)

I have one and I love it too. I don't use the DB function as I'm wary of it taking much longer to start up - preferring to simply use the directory system which is actually very logical.

The new firmware (v1.60) now supports on-the-fly file delete, amongst a handful of new features. I will be installing it shortly...

I recently got something from Sharper Image that is handy for all my flights. It is a regular power adapter that plugs into the airplane power system. You can plug in any device into it including ipod,laptop,cell phone whatever. This is great because you only need this for any laptop you have instead of using a special plug for your laptop. It is not heaby but a little bulky.

Rob

I gave up on the iriver, it's simply too complicated to operate smoothly. What good are all these fucntions when it's almost impossible to use them without carrying the manual along...

For me the Rio Karma has turned out to be the best option.

I guess I'm just a tech geek. I like to go through the manual a couple times and work everything out. It took me a couple days to get through it and I haven't had any problems since. I guess the iRiver isn't for everyone, but I still like it. :)

Thought it was time to revive this thread as there have been several new models improved and/or introduced. In December I bought a SanDisk 1GB player that uses a single AAA battery (which you can pack TONS of in your carry on, $130 at Amazon), mostly for the gym. It will hold about 400 songs, which is more than enough for two transAtlantic flights. Plus, you don't have to worry about bringing USB cables, charger cords, etc, as you just toss the depleted AAA. It's a bit bigger than a Bic cigarette lighter.

That said, CNET recently featured several MP3 players that have removable lithium batteries. That allows you to carry a charged spare in your bag. Ones that caught my eye were:

* Creative Zen Micro: 5 GB, 3.8 oz., 12 hr battery life, around $175
* iRiver H10: 20 GB, 5.8 oz., 16 hr battery life, around $300

They claim the Creative Zen Touch has 24 hr battery life, weighs 7.1 oz., and goes for $220. (but battery is not removable)

Is there any play list functionality with the SanDisk? Or a way to jump albums or songs? One of the amazon reviews said that you could only listen to music in the order that the songs were placed on the device?

I am considering this devices for working out purposes...

Is there any play list functionality with the SanDisk? Or a way to jump albums or songs? One of the amazon reviews said that you could only listen to music in the order that the songs were placed on the device?

I am considering this devices for working out purposes...

That Amazon review is wrong or the person hasn't read the instruction book. You can jump from album to album, or track to track (5, 7, 3, etc). I've never used playlists.....probably should. (that's proof in itself that people don't need 30 GB, and that they only listen to a few songs off of each album, unless, of course, it's U2's Joshua Tree or Rush's Moving Pictures!)

Don't forget about the new iPod Mini. $249, 6GB, and 18 hours battery life.

advex,

have you compared teh sandisk in size to the ipod shuffle? does it feel significantly bigger? looking at the specs, its about .5 in thicker. of course this has a fm tuner and lcd display

--

on another note, does anyone know when apple will be releasing the next shuffle? i am debating between getting the sandisk now or picking up a cheap used ipod shuffle from an upgrader.

It's shorter than the Shuffle but a bit thicker. Since the Shuffle has no display, I wouldn't consider it at any price.

on another note, does anyone know when apple will be releasing the next shuffle? i am debating between getting the sandisk now or picking up a cheap used ipod shuffle from an upgrader.

With Apple it is simple, they are ALWAYS releasing something new. It doesn't make sense waiting on what the next new thing will be, as with them there is ALWAYS something new. I know a couple of ipod customers that are mighty pissed at the moment based on yesterdays announcements, but hey, that is the electronics world for you, Apple is not that different, they just seem to do this a little more than other...

The 1Gb is now $129 on their site, but is usually available for $99 refurbed in their stores.

With Apple it is simple, they are ALWAYS releasing something new. It doesn't make sense waiting on what the next new thing will be, as with them there is ALWAYS something new. I know a couple of ipod customers that are mighty pissed at the moment based on yesterdays announcements, but hey, that is the electronics world for you, Apple is not that different, they just seem to do this a little more than other...

The 1Gb is now $129 on their site, but is usually available for $99 refurbed in their stores.

Product refreshes usually come about every 3-6 months for each product, but this is not gospel. I've seen a product stay pretty much the same for a year. They're never disclosed beforehand, but sometimes there are rumors. Sometimes the rumors are completely bogus, other times there are some elements of fact, and other times every detail is determined beforehand.

Before yesterday's iPod and iTunes (built in podcasting support) announcements, there actually hadn't been a product announcement for 2-3 months for anything, believe it or not.

The Apple Store does have a price protection policy (http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/salespolicies.html#Apple%20Prices), accessible through a link to their terms and conditions found at the bottom of every page of the Store Web site:
Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 10 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 business days of shipment.

I think it seems like Apple revises their product line more than other companies for the following reasons:
- more people pay attention to Apple's product announcements, because they're often more interesting than other companies' announcements, and they're usually kept confidential as long as possible, generating a sense of surprise
- product announcements are staggered for each product line instead of happening all at the same time. With 5 major CPU lines and 2 major iPod lines, that keeps things busy. This doesn't even include software, with about 7 main products or suites.

Product refreshes usually come about every 3-6 months for each product, but this is not gospel. I've seen a product stay pretty much the same for a year. They're never disclosed beforehand, but sometimes there are rumors. Sometimes the rumors are completely bogus, other times there are some elements of fact, and other times every detail is determined beforehand.

Before yesterday's iPod and iTunes (built in podcasting support) announcements, there actually hadn't been a product announcement for 2-3 months for anything, believe it or not.

The Apple Store does have a http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/salespolicies.html#Apple%20Prices]price protection policy, accessible through a link to their terms and conditions found at the bottom of every page of the Store Web site:
Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 10 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 business days of shipment.

I think it seems like Apple revises their product line more than other companies for the following reasons:
- more people pay attention to Apple's product announcements, because they're often more interesting than other companies' announcements, and they're usually kept confidential as long as possible, generating a sense of surprise
- product announcements are staggered for each product line instead of happening all at the same time. With 5 major CPU lines and 2 major iPod lines, that keeps things busy. This doesn't even include software, with about 7 main products or suites.

Compared to their competition Apple changes their lineup a lot more. Rio/Diamond/SonicBlue or whatever they are calling themselves at the moment seem to change their lineup no more than once every 18 months, iRiver a little less. The only exception seems to be Creative, but they just stick a new name on the same thing and go on record saying they will "beat Apple" :D