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MP3? MD? I'm Clueless

G'day all,

I travel a lot, and just finished dragging my Panasonic portable CD player, Headroom Airhead amp, Grado 60's, and a dozen CD's with me all over Asia. Heavy, bulky...what a pain, there has to be an easier way to enjoy tunes on the road.

While in Hong Kong I perused the MP3, MD, and iPod players but I honestly don't have a clue how these formats compare. What are the most obvious differences? What sounds best? Can I copy CD tracks on to these, or do I have to download compressed files? How do you program these miniature wonders? Which format is the most cost effective, sounds best, and is easiest to use? Thanks to all who take the time to educate me. Best, Jeff

p.s. I'm not Clueless, he already hangs here. I should have said I don't have the foggiest
jeffloistarca
jeffloistarca OP
1,004 posts
 
On,

Do I have to pay to download the music I'd like on the iPod, or can I upload my own cd's on it?
eastein
97 posts
 
Go to www.apple.com and download itunes, put a cd in your computer and click import, it will transfer compressed MP3 files to your computer, you can set the size/quality in the preferences 128k is standard, 190k is better, 320k higher quality... Also check out the Music store, you can click on a song to hear a sample and then buy it for $ .99 or the whole "CD" for $9.99. Then with an ipod, just plug it in to a usb or firewire port and it will sync all of the songs in itunes to your ipod assuming it has the capacity.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,229 posts
 
You can rip your own CDs via a computer (Apple or Windows) into an iPod.
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Jeff- I can't compare the other formats, but I have been using a minidisk player w/Etymotic ER6s at the gym. The player is smaller than a deck of cards and about 1/2 the size of an ipod. I have been using a 4:1 compression scheme thats built in, the allows about 320 minutes on each mini-disk. Sound quality is quite acceptable and with the Etys weighing just a few oz.,its a VERY portable set-up. You can record digital to digital or directly from the analog outs on your CDP.
kennyt's avatar
kennyt
1,226 posts
 
Jeff,

As a frequent traveler myself, I can tell you nothing beats the iPod! I am still using a 20Gb version and can fit the majority of my music in my shirt pocket and even have simple games to play on it! I compressed all my CD's @192kbps (now using AAC instead of MP3) and with good headphones, the player sounds more than adequate for use in planes/airports/trains....and given the 10 hour battery life, I don't need to worry about batteries on any but the longest trips. My iPod currently has 3465 songs, 9.6 days of continuous music on it!!!! Tough to beat when you consider how long you can be stuck in an airport!! With the iPod I always have something to listen to, and it fits in my shirt pocket!!!
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