I can see a new generation of MP3 players coming just around the corner. Something like the Mojo, but using CompactFlash memory or compatible micro hard drives instead of SD cards. These have a much higher capacity and aren't any more expensive and you'd basically end up with an iPod mini which could be expanded with additional removable memory units. It would also be nice to see them incorporating AM as well as FM radio in the designs. You'll see these by next Christmas, and by then the firmware kinks the current players have ought to be sorted out as well. So, if you don't have a 12 year old clammoring for an iPod right now, you should probably hold out and see what the next year brings.
One thing I did find while shopping around was a really exceptional set of ear plugs. The ear plugs which are supplied with the various MP3 players, including the iPod are barely adequate. The sound quality is usually fair, but suffers from the fact that they are relatively hard and rigid in shape and therefore don't really fit your ear very well, and a poor fit means the sound doesn't resonate well. They're also quite uncomfortable. The obvious alternative is to go with real headphones that cover the ears, but they're bulky and inconvenient. In my manic shopping around I found something even better. Koss makes a set of ear plugs called "The Plug" which are truly exceptional. They enhance the standard design with large foam adapters which are provided in half-a-dozen different shapes to fit any ear. The adapters fit over a sound transmitting tube which carries the sound into the inner ear, and once you find the adapter that's right for your ear there's no loss of sound around the edges like you have with standard ear plugs. The result is far superior comfort and sound quality, and they're a great purchase at around $10. If you're looking for a stocking stuffer to go with your daughter's iPod, look no further.(The Plug on Amazon)
Article comments
1 - Aaman
So you've got your mojo working - good fer ya.
I use a Muvo TX myself - love it. Also, WMA10 on my Dell Axim X50.
That pink IPod is forever seared in my retina
2 - Tom
I did a lot (many months worth) of research before settling on a player and wound up choosing the Ipod. From scouring the many mp3-player specific forums, I found that nearly every one of the non-Ipod units out there had some signficant and consistent quality issues, from hard drives randomly failing in large numbers to parts actually physically breaking. The Ipods may be expensive but there was a much higher quality guarantee - I saw very few consistent problems brought up with the Ipods, instead seeing completely random problems that often seemed to be due to user error. Quality does cost extra and Apple obviously knows this, jacking the price up quite a bit, but that's what happens when something is both quality AND the hot brand to have.
3 - Aaman
If you don't know of Apple hard drive issues, you haven't looked hard enough. All harddrives are prone to error, Apple no exception - flash memory based devices, on the other hand, are far less error prone - both the Mojo and the Muvo use flash memory. The IPod is slick and looks good, no doubt.
4 - Tom
Any portable device with a harddrive in it is going to be prone to problems; I'm saying that, across the board, the Ipod seems to have a lot less of these issues while other players consistently and repeated showed the same problems over and over again. The other thing the Ipod has going for it is the super-easy interface. This thing is so easy to use that my dad, who picks up on things-computery pretty slowly, was able to play around on it with very little instruction.
5 - Dave Nalle
The problem with the MuVo is that it isn't MacOS compatible, which is a terrible failing in a device as simple as an MP3 players.
BTW, to update the story, my daughter didn't like the color of her iPod - silver was all they had in stock before Christmas, so I'm buying a pink one this week and trading it to her so I get her silver one and she gets the new one.
Dave