Iriver vs. Ipod (radio lover) please advise

[florencevassy]

It is time now to buy a digital music player (hopefully that will get me to the gym and out jogging more often). It seems to be between the ipod or iriver flash player.

I am not at all against the ipod but I am very attracted to the iriver flash player because it has an am/fm tuner and can record from the radio. I really like the idea of all of those things integrated together. I am a big radio fan and I like the idea of switching between the radio and my downloaded songs and not having to also carry around my Sony walkman radio.

But as a Mac user, if I got the iriver it seems that I wouldn’t be able to use any of the music downloading services. Am I correct about this? What advice could you give me?

Also, does the iriver work well with a mac? (I have a PB)

Thanks!!

 

[HELLFISH]

While the iRiver is nice (I have the 790), keep in mind that it's organization abilities are horrid. You can only browse your songs by folder and filename. Also, there are no playlists, only a program. Also, it will not play m4a files, so you'll have to convert them to ogg, mp3 or (ack!) wma to listen. The iPod is *sooo* much better for your music files that it isn't even fair to compare the two. The FM radio leaves much to be desired, due to the lack of any serious aerial. It will pick up only the strongest stations. You will not pick up stations that your vehicle or home unit can. Also, the navigation controls on the unit are difficult to operate. Selecting requires a straight down bush on the knob, but usually you'll accidentally move it up or to the right while trying to do this. Quite annoying.

Now it may appear that I just slammed the iRiver, but I will admit it is a nice handy unit to have around. Battery life is incredible, the FM is nice (the good stations usually have the strongest signals anyway), and it is very small. But my iPod is *so* much nicer, that’s on a completely different playing field.

I say wait a wee bit and see what happens with iPod flash…

 

[Mechcozmo]

The AM/FM receivers on stuff like that will suck. They are too small of antennas and so it will be full of static and other random noise.

Once you build up a collection of songs on your iTunes/iPod you will never listen to the radio again. No commercials, its what you want to listen to...

 

[wPod]

when i first got an iPod i was tired of my 32mB mp3 player and tired of the radio. i didnt like comercials on the radio and i wanted to listen to more than half a CD at once. the iPod is exceptionally good at carrying my entire music collection so i can listen to whatever i want whenever i want. unless you own only a couple of CDs then any flash player is out of the question.

as for the radio, i would assume any radio specific portable device would preform much better than an MP3 player that happens to have a radio slapped on it. if you really really want to listen to the radio through an iPod there are a couple aftermarket add-ons that will play the radio. then you can have the cool iPod with the radio.

 

[florencevassy]

Thanks / ipod radio add-in ??

>if you really really want to listen to the radio through an iPod there are a >couple aftermarket add-ons that will play the radio. then you can have the >cool iPod with the radio.

Is thre a specific radio add-on that you could recommend for the ipod?
Thanks.

Also, thanks a lot for your responses! I wondered if the radio on the iriver was any good. I really do listen to the radio as I walk home from work, I enjoy talk radio and the local rock / independent stations.

 

[solvs]

iPod + FMXtra. The iRivers are ok, but they aren't iPods.

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Why even bother with an iPod radio tuner add-on? You can get cheap mini portable radios for around £5 ($5-10) so just get an iPod and one of those. Doesn't matter too much if you lose it then.

iPods are the way to go if you can afford one.

 

[jxyama]

iPod + FMXtra.

man, to describe that as "for iPod" is a borderline fraud.