Jeffrey Daniel Frey’s Blog

Okay… so last week I wrote about a gift shopping list for podcasters and included an iPod on the list. I received the following feedback: “My son don’t like apple and I’m wondering…”, “She doesn’t own a Mac, so…”, and “…what other mp3 players are there?”

So, I guess I need to give you a bit of information on what to get instead of an ipod. Hopefully, you all know by now that podcasting without an ipod is possible. You can consume and listen to podcasts with other players than just an iPod, and without getting into the “ipod vs this or that” debates, I’m just going to give you a few ipod alternative recommendations.

Apple iPod - first the iPod. In my opinion, the best.
http://www.apple.com/ipod/ipod.html

• around $350 for an 80GB hard drive
• $250 for 30GB
• both Mac and PC compatible
• it weighs about 5 ounces
• from experience, the battery lasts about 18 hours
• easy and intuitive to use

ARCHOS 604 WiFi - a great player that does a lot more.
http://www.archos.com/products/video/archos_604wifi/index.html?country=global〈=en
If you’re considering getting a player for someone and have the money to spend, this would be the unit. It not only does so much more than mp3 playing, but it will play files from a wireless network.

• $450 - 30GB plus a bunch of extra features
• $400 - 80GB with no WiFi (there are other models as well)
• Mac and PC compatible
• it comes with a DVR Station to let you record videos
• it weighs about twice as much as an iPod
• nice touch screen interface

Creative Labs Zen Vision:M - an alternative to the iPod with the same 30GB memory and 250$ price… PC Only.
http://www.creative.com/products/mp3/zenvisionm/

• $250 - 30 GB
• PC Only
• 3/4 the battery life of an iPod
• weight is the same as an iPod
• the user interface/menus are intuitive, button locations/functions will take some getting used to

Microsoft Zune - I’m not sure why this was created. What were they thinking? Still, I have to list it here… it is an alternative that has received a lot of press… and some people will like it. I, though, only got the chance to use one for a short time and didn’t like the device or the music service.
http://www.zune.net/en-us/meetzune/device.htm

• $250 - 30GB
• PC Only
• About the same as the Zen Vision:M
• weight same as iPod
• I think the user interface is okay, though the menu structure/song download interface may take some thinking at first

So, there you have it… three alternatives to an iPod. My advice, just buy the iPod. If not, go to the store and find an example of each of these and try them. I listed them in order of suggestion, though the ARCHOS is a bit pricey. If deciding between a PC only player, take the Zen Vision:M over the Zune.

If money isn’t an object, check out the TrekStor i.Beat organix Gold:
http://trekstor-fileserver.de/www/en/products/detail_mp3.php?pid=46