mp3 player/ipod - help please

[bubbles]

Never thought I would want one but apparently relaxation tapes have to be used via earphones to block out all extraneous distractions!!

Can anyone tell me where to start looking and which model might best suit OH's needs (I have no problem relaxing at all!! - my only problem is OH's stress)

It would probably be a good idea to buy something that would be compatible with our MacBookPro so that he can download whale music or whatever will work.

Thanks.

[RicandJo]

Well now there is a wide choice available to you. For sound quality and macbook connectivity I reckon I'd stick to an iPod. Widely available from the likes of Darty / Carrefour etc.

iPod nano would possible suit you well as it's small and light and you can select which music volume you wish to listen to.

iPod shuffle is seriously small but you have no control over what you listen to - just set it off and listen to a shuffled mix of everything that is loaded.

iPod touch (what I have) is a truly remarkable machine capable of wifi - email - internet access and much much more but probably more than you need.

one tip - if possible buy from UK (Amazon??) as they seem to be (like just about everything else) ridiculously expensive in France.

[bubbles]

Ah, thanks.

Stress levels seriously reduced already.

Will check out Amazon uk.

[Bugsy]

I've sent you an email.

Edit

Returned so you now have a PM

[RicandJo]

Bubbles you might like to download the software which your macbook uses for iPods in advance so you can have a go and see how you get on, what you can download etc.

http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/download/

More than music - for example you can rent movies etc for around £3 for 24 hours - once you download a movie you have a month to start watching it, after you begin watching it you have 24 hours to watch it as many times as you want.  Pretty neat.

 

[marcardis]

"Well now there is a wide choice available to you. For sound quality and

macbook connectivity I reckon I'd stick to an iPod. Widely available

from the likes of Darty / Carrefour etc.

iPod nano would possible suit you well as it's small and light and you can select which music volume you wish to listen to.

iPod shuffle is seriously small but you have no control over what

you listen to - just set it off and listen to a shuffled mix of

everything that is loaded.

iPod touch (what I have) is a truly remarkable machine capable of

wifi - email - internet access and much much more but probably more

than you need.

one tip - if possible buy from UK (Amazon??) as they seem to be

(like just about everything else) ridiculously expensive in France."

Slightly misleading.

With the iPod Shuffle you can play, pause and move through tracks using the controls on the headphone lead.

You can also create playlists and change these using VoiceOver.

I have just bought a new iPod Touch 64gb from Amazon France for 320 Euros with free delivery. Amazon UK's price tonight is £273,89 plus £5,30 delivery to France.

How do you reach the conclusion that iPods are ridiculously expensive in France?

Regards,

Marcardis

[RicandJo]

I know you can pause and stuff through the headphone lead. Can you select an particular album to play? A particular relaxing track? Do you have a screen to see what it is you're looking for? No. To me that's not being in control.

So amazon fr have a good deal - sale price is discounted from 380 euro for the 64g touch, amazon UK is not at a sale price. Under normal pricing structures that means in France it's nearly a hundred quid dearer. Go into Darty or Carrefour and you'll pay 360-400. At HMV stores they are £306 and usually include a £25 itunes voucher.

So I maintain, under normal pricing structures, iPods are, like lots of things, more expensive in France.

[Polly]

For really good info about the whole iPod range just go to the apple site http://store.apple.com/uk then you can see what does what, and all about accessories such as different earpieces.

I bought my iPod through them as the price was the same as anywhere else, and various accessories on Amazon UK and eBayUK.

[marcardis]

I know you can pause and stuff through

the headphone lead. Can you select an particular album to play? A

particular relaxing track? Do you have a screen to see what it is

you're looking for? No. To me that's not being in control.

So

amazon fr have a good deal - sale price is discounted from 380 euro

for the 64g touch, amazon UK is not at a sale price. Under normal

pricing structures that means in France it's nearly a hundred quid

dearer. Go into Darty or Carrefour and you'll pay 360-400. At HMV

stores they are £306 and usually include a £25 itunes voucher.

So

I maintain, under normal pricing structures, iPods are, like lots of

things, more expensive in France.

---

JEEP = Just Empty Every

Pocket

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/400080

As already suggested for the iPod Shuffle, use playlists,

obviously it does not have have a screen – most people that buy it

would probably notice this.

How do you arrive at the fact that the iPod Touch 64gb is nearly a

“hundred quid” dearer in France?

HMV's online price is £306 but not available. At an optimistic

online exchange rate of 1,12 this would equate to 342€ plus delivery.

As of this evening there are a number of other French online

suppliers in addition to Amazon France who have this model in stock

for the same price.

Anyone in France wishing to buy an iPod is probably unlikely to go

to Carrefour or Darty. In the event that they did, the Carrefour is

selling the iPod Touch 64gb for 399€ - £356 at the above rate.

Where does your “hundred quid” come from?

What are 'normal pricing structures'?

Regards,

Marcardis

[RicandJo]

I give up. The current exchange rate is 1.11

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/currencies/converter/#from=GBP;to=EUR;amt=1

So an optimistic online/currency exchange purchasing rate is 1.01 - 1.06.

Who mentioned HMV online????

I can't be bothered anymore.

[Jonzjob]

Bubbles, afer all this lot have you found out what you wanted?

I have an iPod Touch 16 gig and am very happy with it. Before that I had an 80 gig Classic with a tiny disk in it, but one day I dropped it while the disk was running. Well, the end was that it was a write off and I decided not to go to a replacement with a disk and up came the Touch.

It gets used a lot and gets chucked in my pocket with the earphones pluged into my lugs and a far away look while I listen to my favorites. As has been said there are a load of other functions on it, some that I use quite a lot.

If I had to buy another then I would get a Touch.

As for the exchange rate, you pays yer money and you takes yer chance. Amazon UK has got to be a good bet if you have a UK bank account, but it is an ancient fact that where ever you buy from some smartass come along and tell you that they could have got it cheaper somewhere else!

[Chancer]

[quote user="marcardis"]

Anyone in France wishing to buy an iPod is probably unlikely to go to Carrefour or Darty. [/quote]

Are you serious?

Given that very few French people purchase over the web (especially those of the age group of the members of this forum)  I think it is highly likely that they would buy in Carrefour or Darty, in fact I cannot even think of another well known retailer for this type of item.

[bubbles]

Still dithering over iPod but I think for OHs needs it would be a Shuffle.

At the moment it is just for listening to his relaxation stuff which can bring his blood pressure down by 10 points in 40 minutes! He is desperate not to resort to drugs!

The temporary solution is to unplug the laptop and place it on the bed next to him and listen to the CD like that.

We'll be in the UK next month so might just pop into the Apple shop and buy one there - even get a free engraving apparently.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

[RicandJo]

Are you flying or driving Bubbles?? if you're flying might be worth waiting to get one from HMV at the airport (Stansted???). A bit cheaper than high street prices. eg 64g Touch is £254........I'll check the shuffle prices for you when I go through on Saturday if you wish....

[cooperlola]

OK I don't have a Mac.  However, I'm really surprised that so many people are steering you in the i-pod direction.  Yes, I own one but my o/h has a Sony MP3 player.  Half the price for the same amount of memory and much more flexible in that you don't have to get tied into the (to my mind) painful to use i-Tunes (although you can use it if you  want, thus it should talk to a Mac' perfectly well. )

If I were starting again I wouldn't buy an i-Pod - I'd save the money and get a more traditional MP3 player instead.  But that is just my opinion of course and as I say, I am not a Mac user.