Need advice about using a non-Apple mp3 player with Apple devices....

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Hi,
I have all Apple devices: computers/phone/etc.

I want to get a cheap non-Apple ipod type thing {mp3 player?} for my mom who is in a memory care facility and fill it with all the music she loves.
I don't want to get an ipod due to the fact that it may get lost, etc.

What do y'all recommend? Also, can I use my itunes account to get music on it? I'm just at a total loss as to how to do this because I've only had Apple products for the last 7 years!

Thank you for any/all help you can give!
 
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Hello - sorry about your mother's status - lost my wonderful mother in-law about a year ago - :(

You probably should give us some more information: 1) How old is she and can she manipulate a hand-held musical device; 2) Will she have to wear headphones or ear-buds (thinking whether she might be in a room w/ others) or can a speaker be used; 3) Does the device have to be portable or stationary; and 4) Is the music 'she loves' match what you have in iTunes (and keep in mind copyright issues)?

Answers to these questions might lead to a better recommendation - as an example, if she is in a private room, an inexpensive boombox w/ CD-Rs containing MP-3 files would be a consideration - use that in my basement workshop - can think of a number of other options; SO, let us know. Dave :)
 

Slydude

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Good questions Dave. I never thought of those possible issues.
 
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Good questions Dave. I never thought of those possible issues.

Hi Sly.... - thanks for your comments - my MIL passed away in her mid-90s - she was immobile but being cared for by my BIL in Montauk, LI w/ a live-in health care provider; she would have been unable to manage a hand-held device or to use headphones/earbuds, but background music from another device would have been an option; plus, she would have enjoyed music from her era, i.e. 1930s into the '50s. So, much to be considered. Dave :)
 

chscag

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I want to get a cheap non-Apple ipod type thing {mp3 player?} for my mom who is in a memory care facility and fill it with all the music she loves.
I don't want to get an ipod due to the fact that it may get lost, etc.

Hi:

My wife and I have lots of experience with providing MP3 players for folks in nursing homes or a memory care facility. Best Buy sells many different types of inexpensive MP3 players when they have them in stock, however, the best place to buy them is from Amazon.com. You can peruse what they have and get a good idea of what may or may not be easy to operate. Most of the inexpensive MP3 players have very tiny LCD sceens and operate from menus that might be confusing to your Mom. And if she has a problem with vision, those won't be any good for her.

Also... any MP3 player other than the ones from Apple do not sync with iTunes which means you have to load them the same way you would an ordinary hard drive. That may or may not be something you want to deal with.

Bottom line: We found the best way to deal with the things I mentioned above is to purchase Apple iPod Shuffles. They do cost $49 and hold only around 1.85 GB of music, however, they are the easiest to operate and will automatically sync with your copy of iTunes for loading. We use a non profit account to make the purchases either from the Apple store or Best Buy but we do a lot of purchasing. You only need one so my advice is to go with an Apple Shuffle. If it gets lost while Mom is in memory care, buy her another one. Not much you can do to maintain control over that.
 
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Hello All!

Thank you for your kind and thoughtful responses...RadDave, I'm terribly sorry for the loss of your mother-in-law.

RadDave:
1. My mom will have to have a staff member get her set up with the player; she could not work it at all.
2. I will be happy to try earbuds and headphones to see which works best for her. The way her living situation is set up, a speaker would most likely not work. {It is a very nice set up, where the rooms are off a common area where she spends most of her time.}
3. I am looking at a portable device. The director of her unit would keep the device in her desk when Mom isn't using it. There is no way Mom could keep up with it.
4. Her music preferences are Frank Sinatra, Big Band, etc. I planned on purchasing the music and putting it on the device; I don't want to infringe on any copyrights in this.

chscag:
What an awesome thing to be involved with! As a family member, I thank you!
If I were to get a non-apple player, would I drag and drop music from itunes? or would I have to get another program for that?

Thanks so much!
 

chscag

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If I were to get a non-apple player, would I drag and drop music from itunes? or would I have to get another program for that?

As I stated above a non Apple MP3 player is treated the same as a small hard drive. Which means you can drag and drop music to it from the iTunes music folder but not while using or having iTunes open. You can use the Finder or any other third party file manager if you have one. Not as easy as an iPod Shuffle, but doable.
 

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