Help Please

[dhs]

As I am the only person on the planet without an mp3 player I feel the need to join the throng. But, what do I look for, what is the best make, what accesories will I need and where do I legally download music? A mate of mine uses limewire, is that a legal site?

Thanks in anticipation. :mat:

[SHAHZ]

Id say go for the IPOD, and download your tunes from itunes

[Damer]

I only have an iPod shuffle but still think it is great. Very small and light. You get all the software iTunes with it as well. A doddle to use.

[Brettster]

it depends how much music you want to listen to, with a hard drive based player you can store thousends of tunes, I dont listen to much music outside of my car so I just use my phone to play mp3's a sony ericsson W800i walkman phone.has a 1 gig memstick and will store around 15 albums worth of tunes.

[aido]

Limewire is a grey area, the software itself is legal but probably 99% of the files transferred across the network are illegal!

There's a cheap Russian site called www.allofmp3.com which you get some bargains on, much cheaper than iTunes and you pick the format and bitrate you want - it's another grey area though but currently it's legal!

I've used the iTunes store for a few tracks but it's a pain as they're protected by DRM and so won't play on my Soundbridge (nothing that a wash with jHymn won't sort though!)

I've got a couple of iPods, one of the 1GB Shuffles and a 30GB G2 but I'm after one of the newer 60GB one's as mine are full!

I use a Mac here so stick to iTunes, I think it's great :D

[Mr Morse]

I recently bought my first MP3 player, a Sony NW-HD5H with 30GB HDD, cost just over £200 duty free in Amsterdam.

I use it at the highest sampling rate of 256Kbs which gives excellent quality.

Don't use any free download sites, just copy my CD collection to home PC then upload selected playlists as I only use it in the car or when hanging around airport lounges

[Matthew_McNally]

There's a cheap Russian site called www.allofmp3.com which you get some bargains on, much cheaper than iTunes and you pick the format and bitrate you want - it's another grey area though but currently it's legal!

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problem with the russian sites is that do you really want to give your credit card details to dodgy russian web sites who specialise in illegal activities? :shutit: :shutit:

of of these companies disappeared for a while, as they had not paid their backhanders to the russian mob that month.

do these sound like people you give credit card details to? :D

[aido]

That one's a pretty safe bet Matt, wouldn't normally use those but did a background check on them first :D

Been signed up six months and no problems yet ;)

Can't go wrong at $2 for an album :D

[Kazi]

iPod Mini!! Great piece of kit. iTunes software is great and the online store is fantastic.

Was glad I went for one. :D :D :D

[johnboy]

I have a 20 gb ipod and its easy to use, and to download music to, and sounds very good too.

I use itunes music store to download the albums that arent already in my collection.

[Adie]

Ipod for me too. Its easy to get albums and songs off the net and put it straight into itunes. (All legally of course )

[fergy]

Got the wife an 20GB ipod..excellent...have an itrip so she uses it alll the time in the car.

Dropping hints that I'd like a 60gb one for xmas...have to see what happens..

[Rillo]

Creative Zen Xtra 60 Gig - 7000 songs and counting :D

[stevenage_saint]

i got an I river 40gb one and have been extremly happy with it. It is all down to personal prefrence as to what you want. I nearly went for the IPOD but i decided that so many people at work had them I wanted to be different, and the Iriver had got rave reviews.

[Jolliffee]

Do the iPod's play MP3, thought they had their own format?

[Kazi]

Do the iPod's play MP3, thought they had their own format?

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They play mp3s and other formats. You can choose which under a preference setting. :)

[dhs]

Thanks very much everybody, all a great help as usual. Looks like an i.pod is the best so I will get one today.