Other MP3 Players

Hello everyone,

Can anyone recommend a non-Apple 2-4 gb mp3 player (mac compatible) that has a playlist feature like the iPods?

I have an old 1st gen ipod that I originally wanted to give to my daughters (toddler & infant) and load it with all their kids music onto it after I get a newer 5th gen ipod for myself (I have Panther). But that went to crap after my old ipod no longer connects to my G4 iMac. It still plays music but you can't load anymore new music onto it.

I could try my luck on ebay for a 2nd gen ipod nano, but i have not bought anything on ebay in 4 years. Don't know if my rating would drop. I am interested in your thoughts on other mp3 players that I could purchase at a store. I like the playlist feature. Reason being is that my toddler listens to these CDs so much, she can identify what color the CD is by the songs played. For example, if she asks for the "purple CD" and I purposely slip in the green CD, she has a fit! "Nooooo! Purple one, daddy!" Sounds silly, but playlists are important.

I looked at a few in stores but they all seem like drag & drop flash drives with no organization. Just plays songs shuffled. Am I wrong about this? Please give me your input.

And while I'm at it, would anyone know what stores (Best Buy, Walmart, etc) would do if they had any leftover inventory on previous generation ipods? Clearance them? Send them back to Apple? I love the ipods and the ipod nano is perfect for my needs. But finding a 2nd gen nano might prove challenging.

Thanks,
Gary

Do yourself a favor and just get an iPod. Nothing else really compares. Your eBay rating isn't affected just by being inactive for a few years, although I found my account had to be verified when I went to use it after an extended period of inactivity. My wife just bought a used iPod nano off ebay for a child's gift and paid less than half what retail is (or was).

As suggested above, if you're really like the iPod playlist feature, then just go ahead and get yourself an iPod. It's clearly what you want, and you won't be satisfied with anything else.

if you're really interested in staying away from ipod, the best thing you can do is check a non-apple based site...

this one usually has very good information.

http://anythingbutipod.com/

Thanks for the input guys. I'm sure you're right that I won't be satisfied with anything else but the ipod since I'm already very familiar with it. But unfortunately the 2nd gen nano is no longer available in stores except for the internet. But if I must, I can live with that.

A TRULEY Mac-compatible Mp3 player...?

I know this thread may be a bit old... but I am hoping this forum will offer advice/suggestions that I haven't been able to find.

I have been looking for an inexpensive mp3 player that is "actually" compatible with Macs. I have read enough responses to this question from others on this site and others to know that most advice given can be put in the "just by and iPod" category (unfortunately many of these types of responses are at best not helpful and at worst can be quite rude). Because of these I feel the need to justify my question:
I love Macs and have been on a Mac since they looked like little grey oscilloscopes (does this date me?)! This, however, doesn't mean I feel the need to shun everything else.

All I want is a simple inexpensive Mp3 player to listen to my audiobooks (5 hour daily commute) and some tunes at the gym. I would also love it to have a voice recorder and FM tuner if possible. There are a number of devises out there that will do all of this for under $70. So... while I would love to get the latest iPod Touch - I cannot justify spending over $200 when this will only satisfy one need.

Many years ago I bought an iAudio overseas and it was perfect (2006). Alas it has broken... and I have been using an old Palm PDA (still retained for translation software not elsewhere available) to play and organize my audio files. Obviously not the most convenient option.

Over the years, I have purchased and returned (or "won" and later "gifted") about 11 different players all claiming different degrees of "Mac Compatibility" (including a newer iAudio with no luck). I can do without all the video conversion functions that require Windows software, etc., but my biggest complaint is that when I AM able to "drag and drop" files over, there is no way to organize them into play lists - obviously necessary for Audiobook files. With my old iAudio, all I had to do was put them in folder on my desktop, drag the folder, and could tweak the order in the player itself.

Is there ANYONE out there who has encountered and overcome such issues?
(or... if anyone has a new iPod touch to sell me for $70? ...just checking!)
I am fine with using any plugs, or hacks, or other 3rd party interfaces if necessary.
So, please... any constructive advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I'll be happy to list those I've tried (what I remember) if it helps anyone in a similar situation.

Thanks!

First, Welcome to the Mac Forums.

You do realize that posting in a Mac forum and asking about other products is not going to get you many responses? Or, at least positive ones.

My suggestion is to take a look at what Apple has to offer in the way of a refurbished Touch. LINK You don't have to buy the latest generation to get the options you spoke about above. As for the $70 price range, that's not going to be easy unless you get extremely lucky.

You might also try eBay and perhaps local for sale listings. It sounds like you're not in the US, but you should have local listings that you can scan through.