Viable iPod alternatives that work "reasonably" well with Macs?

[joeconvert]

WOW

Do you have any sources to back any of your claims up? The Creative Line of Hard Drive based players all have better sound quality than their ipod competitors. Most noteably the Creative Zen Micro which beats the crap out of the ipod mini in sound tests. Don't believe me? Visit Tom's Hardware.


Way to show your ignorance guy.

I was gonna write in and make a remark about this gu having the guts to voice his opinions on MR, but then he referenced Tom's. Geez. Not exactly an impartial source.

 

[bbj4ever]

I hear what you're saying, but I'm not looking for the latest thing. I want high capacity and high quality. I've researched Creative like crazy, but (like all the other hard drive players) I'm not pleased with how they are all only really interested in the PC market and haven't tried to work on a real option for Mac users. On one hand I'm not surprised given the small percentage of the market "we" represent (and the assumption that we'll all instantly want or buy iPods), but on the other hand "we" are the market that paved the way for continued and growing success of the (multipurposed) hard drive based players. Conversely, I don't appreciate how Apple isn't putting in features (or limiting our access to features) that are readily available on other players--especially recording, as I've previously mentioned. Photos have nothing to do with music, so the new stuff is of now interest OR use to me. No one stepping up and providing the best of both worlds, and I'm not buying two players to meet my needs.

I'm also one of those folks who has a huge music collection and loves damned near every last note of it. So, I ideally want my player to be able to hold all of it, not bits and pieces.

In the end I'm still waiting for my ideal iPod...I'd love it if Apple made it, but so far they're still coming up short (just like everyone else).

 

[Sir_Giggles]

Tom's Hardware used to be a good source of unbiased opinions, but it's nowhere near that now. It's way too commercial. Alot of the articles now pander to the lowest common denominator.

 

[Mantat]

Btw, just wait 10 days and get the highly probable to be released soon new iPod Flash. Should be announced at the jan conf or every rumor site are going to look ridiculous...

 

[MrJohnson]

I'm sorry, then how about these reviews?

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1725110,00.asp

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1730981,00.asp

 

[Peyote]

I'm sorry, then just ignore these reviews also.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1725110,00.asp

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1730981,00.asp

You're just arguing at this point that the things that are more important to you, should be more important to everyone else. If you don't like iPods, stick yours somewhere creative for all I care, but this arguement is pointless.

If you like a higher capacity, etc, go with the ZEN. If you are more into interface, ease of use, etc, get a Mini.

Each player has it's advantages. Arguing that one is better than the other is retarded.

 

[hulugu]

I'm sorry, then how about these reviews?

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1725110,00.asp

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1730981,00.asp

Reviews are great sources for initial information, but I would suggest to everyone on this thread to actually play with as many of the Mp3 players as possible before taking a particular position.
Personally, I have played with offerings from Creative, Rio, and Dell—shudder—and while some have interesting feature sets, the Rios' ethernet streaming for example, they don't compare to the iPod.
The iPod does many things well, it is well designed, connects seemlessly to amazing software, works on Macs and PCs, works with the best of the litter music store, and is connected to a company that actually has tried to develop a fair and intelligent set of consumer-rights. The machine itself works like a champ, has a great battery life (not the best, but possibly the most honest), and comes with some interesting little tricks, as well as an ever-growing catalogue of cases and aftermarket parts.
Could the iPod be better? Yes, it could have better sound, it could have a better battery life, it could do lots of things to make it more attractive to buyers. But, it does many, many things very well.
Viable alternatives, sure. But, you have to admit the the iPod remains one of the most attractive options out there.

 

[freiheit]

I know they don't want to develop something that supports a O/S that is less than a 2% marketshare.

Quite true, and yet they're quite willing to put their money behind a less-than-10% marketshare format (MS's equally proprietary DRM protected WMA format). If all the reports are true that iTunes and iPod command more than 90% of the legal music downloads market, then any company making players for WMA is fighting an uphill battle. And that sub-10% market is divided up between Samsung, Creative, iRiver, Sony and at least half a dozen other player makers, so at best each is looking at about a 2% marketshare of their own.

Back when I was an OS/2 user in the late 90s, I heard a lot of developers complain they couldn't be bothered to support an OS with less than 90% of the market and that I should switch to Windows because "everyone uses it". By that same logic then, all mp3 player makers should close up shop and concede victory to Apple; Microsoft should get out of the business and quit whining about people choosing not to use their format.

 

[gekko513]

I'm sorry, then how about these reviews?

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1725110,00.asp

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1730981,00.asp

If you're going to argue using links, please make sure that the links actually back up the point that you're trying to make. I just checked the extremetech article and it says nothing at all about the sound quality of the Zen Micro being better than the iPods

Also, you say that the iRiver makes it easier to put music on the player because you can use drag and drop. Actually I can't think of a more cumbersome way of transfering music. Doesn't that mean I have to remember and track down all the songs I have added to my library since last time I plugged it in? And how do I update the song ratings?

That said, the players that don't have any organizing software ARE an alternative to the iPod on the Mac, but you do of course lose out on all the advantages of having good software to help you organize and sync.