Comments on: Poll: Why don't you have an iPod or MP3 player?

What's wrong with you? Doesn't everybody have one of these things?

[kormiko]

I own a Zune and I'm happy with it (now that they fixed the majority of the software bugs), but one reason some people haven't bought an MP3 player might be because they hear the difference between MP3s and lossless. Now that lossless is becoming easier to get and hard drives are growing in size so that they store larger files, these people may change their ways and pick one up (unless they just prefer the old analog ... which is understandable).

[davinp]

An iPod is an mp3 player just the like the others, so you shouldn't say iPod or mp3 player. I have a Creative Zen Vision:M which I like very much. It is better than iPod.

[iparadisebeach]

That is like saying "Do not say kleenex say facial tissue" or "Do not say Jacuzzi say jetted tub." or "Do not say ChapStik say lip moisturizer." I feel like we should be on the same page after that. ( side comment, to my own comment I guess, MP3 player is so 2001 circa napster days, call it what you will but face it man you have an iPod )

[iparadisebeach]

Creative how? Zen where? Vision who? no..no.. you my dear sir have an iPod

[ikramerica--2008]

no, it's not like kleenex at all. Would you say "do you have a kleenex or tissue I could borrow?" no. if they are interchangeable, you'd either ask for one of the other. So the title of the poll should be "Why don't you have an iPod or OTHER MP3 player?" or simply "Why don't you have an MP3 player?"

Yep, I've got to agree. iPod is not at the same level as Kleenex. It's merely one of the first MP3 Players to make a name for itself. I have a Zune, and while the ignorant still call it an iPod, it's no iPod. But hey, I still have lots of love for the Apple products!

[cp256]

Absolutely! Only ignorant people and apple fanbois call any non-ipod MP3 player an ipod.

[riggs-74]

An iPod Shuffle is an Mp3 player. An iPod Nano is an Mp3 player. Even new generation iPods are Mp3 players. My friend, the iPod Touch is much, much more than an Mp3 player.

[mediocrates--2008]

I'm sure it sounds odd, but I never have the opportunity to listen to music away from home. Public transportation is almost non-existent in my southwestern city, and there's too much road noise in my convertible (Hey! It's part of the experience, dude!) That leaves the office, where it would just be rude to shut out my co-workers with a set of ear buds.

But at home, I have thousands of digital music files (in FLAC, ripped with an error-free, secure ripper). So I do my listening at home.

[iparadisebeach]

Sounds to me like you need a hobby that involves a little tuneage... *whiff* Smell that? That my friend is a workout! All ready for you to burn up the calories and that iPod battery. And my I be the first top pop your workout playlist cherry? A free Nike+ 45 min playlist perhaps? Link to follow (up hill of course ;-) www.itunes.com/nikeplus/freewo

[iparadisebeach]

Also, might I suggest, if you are having a large amount of noise in your drop top, trading it in for either one of these. BMW 3-Series Convertible (newest model of course) The smooth wind vector design atop a built-in wind deflector practically eliminate noise pollution into the cabin. (plus they just look hot) Or the new MB SLK, I'm not a huge fan of MB, but built into each seat around the necking is "wind scarf." A vent that counteracts the outside pressure. Enjoy

[rjplummer]

I have my music in FLAC and would want it lossless on a mobile device. I suppose I could convert everything to Apple Lossless and maybe I will someday, though I like that FLAC is open-source. Also, 120GB is about 15% of my collection and iTunes doesn't provide a very good experience when your library's larger than your iPod.

If I'm going on a trip, I bring my laptop and terabyte external drive. I can plug that into an inverter and use it in the car on long trips.

[tek-ed]

I agree with several others above. Since when does MP3 player equal iPod? I've owned an MO3 player ever since the first RIO player (which I still own).
I've owned several Archos evices and now I'm using a no name PMP with a 20gb hard drive and a 3 inch screen...and paid less than $120 for!
ed

[riggs-74]

It sounds like you've owned many Mp3 players. If you had bought an iPod (which plays Mp3 files), perhaps you would have only had to buy one.

[noodle_boi]

Can I add another reason to this vote. They don't have a functional AM/FM tuner on them. They either have FM only or none. As much as people love listening to music, I would like to be able to listen to the NEWS or SPORT channels on the radio, to keep myself updated on the world around me. What that, however, I've started considering puchasing a iPod Touch, not for it MP3 capability but for the fact that in my opinion it serves well as a PDA device with all the apps that are being developed when compared to the old Palm pilot. However, iPod Touch has still ways to go before I would call it a PDA, but it is worth considering.

[Alli_F]

Why is it no MP3 player has AM radio? I'd love to be able to not have to carry another device to catch local news outside of who's sleeping with whom...

[ikramerica--2008]

AM radio requires a loop of at least a few inches in radius. FM requires a wire or Y. So FM tuners can use the headphone cable to tune FM. AM radios can't. Larger AM radios have an internal loop antenna in the enclosure, but MP3 players are too small to have an effective AM loop. Walkmans back in the day that had AM had a loop inside basically around the edge of the case, but it was marginally big enough, which is why reception was poor.

[notovny]

I'm curious. What functionality would the iPod Touch need to have before you would call it a PDA? I've been using mine to do everything I did with my Palm Tungsten E, and more.

[SecondToSome]

I never really had a need for one. I thought about buying one, but I couldn't really think of a situation where I would get a lot of use out of it. All of my music is on my laptop's hard drive, and I take it with me wherever I go. When I'm in the car, I just listen to the radio or whatever CDs I have with me. I am 19 years old.

[one_flat_monkey]

i'm the owner of 3 mp3 players. i thought i lost the first one ( a Cowon Audio iAudio 1GB player ). then i bought a Creative Zen Micro ( 6GB ) to replace the iAudio player, which i found in the pocket of a winter coat.. i just traded 160K frequent flyer miles for a Sony Bravia TV and a 12GB iPod Nano.

i only have 12GB of 320kps tunes on my computer. i'm not sure i can tell the difference between 192kps and 320kps, but that's the format i have saved them. it's about 1500 songs.

i also have them in .wav format, to make CDs if i want to listen in my car, which, being a 2003 Accord, doesn't have mp3 plug-in capacity.

i'm in my 60s.

[ikramerica--2008]

without trying to offend you, at your age, you likely can't hear the difference between 320k and 192k. Physically, you can't. I'm 36 and I'm getting there. I could hear the difference in quality in my teens and twenties between all sorts of formats, between speakers, amplifiers, etc. Now, not so much.

With that in mind, you can set your iPod to sync with your library at 128k AAC (converting the songs for the iPod). Especially on the lower quality iPod output, you won't hear the difference and will be able to carry all your songs with you.

[arbearce]

Isn't an iPod a MP3 player? Did you just want to throw iPod in the title to get more hits? Pretty lame.

[TXinD76121]

I've never owned an iPod, although I've bought two of them for my son (he bought his third and current one himself). I'm 52 but definitely not anti-tech--I work on the computer, I'm a digital photographer, and my main source of music for my home stereo is files on my hard drive (mostly LAME-encoded MP3, MP4, Apple Lossless, and AIFF). And I'm a big Apple fan, having owned eight of them since the 128k Mac in 1984. But no iPod. Why? No idea. It just doesn't appeal to me. Then again, I have a headphone amp but no headphone (I use it as a USB DAC and preamp)--and I've never owned a cellphone! Seriously.

The other source feeding my DAC/preamp is a Thorens TD521 with an SME tonearm. Now if I could carry that in my shirt pocket....

Blue Mikey

I use my Sony Ericsson phone as the mp3 player. Doesn't have a lot of storage, but enough to listen to for a few days. Why carry another piece of device?

[jutell]

i own and Ipod but never use it for music---I have never been a fan of head/ear phones. I like to be enveloped by my music so the whole room moves. Nothing beats the spatiality of a good set of speakers. Portable music doesn't get me involved the way rocking the room does. That's why I bought a house 36 years ago as my landlady didn't like Led Zeppelin in the afternoon when I ran the vacuum cleaner during her soap operas. 62 years young.

[soundman45]

I've owned my ipod for about three years now. I love it, although I use it for what I call "it's intended purpose"..... as a portable listening device. I don't listen use it with my home sound system. I prefer uncompressed audio.

[OnlyJustSane]

I don't have an PMP or mp3 player because my phone touch HD performs the same functions.

This is the lamest poll I have ever seen, It offers no real value unless you want to manipulate data
There is only one option there that could be considered useful.
How about some real options ?

I prefer better sound quality than the file-types offered on most mp3 only players
I have another device that performas the same functions.
I just don't want to listen to music on the go.
I am the author of the poll and I just like whoring myself out for ipods and page views

[konami-code]

lol yeah, i agree

[konami-code]

lol yeah, i agree

[konami-code]

lol yeah, i agree

[hblauer]

I don't listen to music often enough to warrant buying a high priced MP3. Or any.

[cidman2001]

iPod...what's that? Seriously, I'm 43 and a former professional musician. I listen to most of my music on my home network or cds and radio in the car. My kids have iPods and I hate them. More accurately, I hate iTunes. I haven't seen such crapware since the AOL days. Just like back then, the sheep continue to follow regardless of how un-user friendly they make the whole experience. To add insult to injury, it's not cheap to play the iTunes game. If I were so inclined, and I'm not, I would just buy a generic mp3 player that simply plays music with tons of space and the most basic of controls. Who needs all the other crap just to listen to music?

[artistjoh]

You sound a lot older than 43. It seems CD's and radio were just fine in your youth and you sound like you are intimidated by newer methods of delivery of audio and video files. I put it that way because your closing statement "just to listen to music" tells me that you have never used an iPod beyond maybe hearing a song on someone else's. Nowadays the iTunes /iPod ecosystem is an entertainment universe of which music plays a significant but not exclusive role. For me I use mine for listening to podcasts. They are like the radio - only I can listen to the program to suit my schedule rather than submit to the scheduling that the radio station imposes. I have audio books on there and with ereading apps I have several books. I can surf the net, take notes, make audio recordings and lots more. I can even use Shazam or Midomi both of which can listen to a piece of music, identify the artist and tell me where to buy it. And then there are apps like Pocket Guitar or Pianist which put basic instruments onto the device and BeatMaker is great for composing beats.

You seem very ready to dismiss the iPod and keep to your tried and tested music listening habits but most of us who discovered the iPod in recent years have been very glad we did due to the expanding universe of things an iPod is capable of.

BTW I don't know how you have formed your opinion that iTunes is an expensive way to manage music. Most of us use it to rip our CD's at no extra cost than the cost of the CD itself. The CD then becomes the back up. Of course there are times when stores are not open and you want a particular song on the spot. At those times it is very convenient to be able to buy it directly on iTunes. It has the advantage often that because you can buy individual tracks you can save a lot of money compared to a CD because you only need to buy the song you want rather than having to buy the entire CD as is the case with CD's.

Another convenience is being able to use a 3.5mm plug to RCA plugs to plug your iPod into any stereo amplifier. It means being able to share music with friends at parties etc. I run an entertainment business and I commonly get young women who hand me an iPod so that they can have the music that they like for their event.

Shuffle is another iPod innovation (now on most mp3 players) that is hugely convenient for party events. I just hit play and I the music is continuous until I shut it off several hours later - no having to change CD's every so often.

You don't have to give up your old ways but you should try living with an iPod Touch for a month some time. You need to be warned that you might discover it hard to go back if you did.

[OnlyJustSane]

@artistjoh
your post was ...your just a fanboy
podcast = marketing term (give you a hint mp3 file type preceded the ipod)
"you sound like you are intimidated by newer methods of delivery of audio and video files." - or maybe he doesn't like hardware tied to bloated buggy software that runs as a service chewing up PC resources.
The compression of AAC is lossy and sounds like ass in comparrison to Flac or CD audio, maybe cidman2001 just likes music at a decent quality
"Podcasts" mp3's, audiobooks are all the same thing... without DRM you can play them on any mp3 player.
"Shuffle is another iPod innovation (now on most mp3 players) " - No not an inovation of Apple nor was it first seen on the ipod, infact most things Apple gets credit for are not created by them or even released first by them . Most are however marketed well by them.
Here go learn some history.
http://www.notascoolasitseems.com/review/innovation-what-when-and-who
The rest of you post reads like Steve Jobs himself wrote it. Get off your knees , wipe your mouth and stop drinking the marketing koolaide.
Today I am less sane than usual - sorry for the rant

[mojobone]

Had to post, as the choices in the survey don't cover my situation. I don't have a portable MP3 player, I use Minidisc for that. I have many digital formats and the means to play them all at home. If I want to hear something in particular, I choose CD; if I want to hear an extended mix, it's usually MP3 or FLAC. If I'm in the car, I can choose CD, FM, AM or or a disc of MP3s burned to CD. (satellite radio is also available, but I don't subscribe)

[wkbean]

An ipod costs too much money to accomplish too little. For that amount of money and bulky size i expect a computer that can handle music playback, concurrently with word processors, spreadsheets, presentations, not to mention research tools and internet access. I would also assume capability to handle mp3, ogg and flacc. Better phones, even lower end one like thE Nokia E63 handle all of this and more as a matter of course. The ipod brings nothing to the show but restrictions and limitatons. Just ask: How good is the I phone or ipod with flash?

[ikramerica--2008]

what bulky size. The classic? yeah, it's an old design, with moving parts. They keep it around as the high capacity unit. The Touch does what you ask, mostly. The other iPods are MUCH smaller, and weigh next to nothing.

[zakb7]

I have a head unit with a USB slot in my car, so I use a 2GB thumb drive to play digital music there. At home we have an Airport Express hooked into our stereo receiver, so we tend to play stuff from iTunes straight into the home stereo. For me, it's enough to have all the music I want in those two places, I never wanted to be walking around with it.

[bukchuhd]

I do not own an mp3 player or ipod. It's not that I am refusing to buy them, its just that I always had a phone that had a media player. I had a palm treo 650 for almost three years, and stored music on that. When the treo's age took its toll, I planned on getting an ipod or zune, in addition to a new phone, but I ended up getting an HTC touch phone with WM 6.1 which has a media player. I don't see the point in carrying two devices when I can carry one. I'm not looking for an "ultimate" media player, just something to play music on.