iPod mini or zen micro?

Post by **DRuM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:10 pm

I've finally come into the 21st century and taken an interest in mp3 players. I'll say straight off the bat that the mini iPods minimalist chic design not only looks great to me but feels great in the hand because it's so slim. And it would fit nicely into my pocket because of it's longwise shape. It's also come down to £139.

Thing is, I read that the Creative Zen Micro has a radio built in and records too, which is very appealing. I think the micro looks sweet, but I've only seen it in photos so far. Reviews indicate that the battery life on both machines are far shorter than advertised, around 4 to 6 hours, but the micro does come with a spare battery.
What do you guys recommend? Anyone here owned both to compare?

Post by **FragaGeddon** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:12 pm

Post by **4g3nt_Smith** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:13 pm

The mini has an 18 hour battery now, and you can get a 6 gig, which IIRC is larger than the mirco.

Post by **phantasmagoria** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:20 pm

yeah, zen is 12 hours.

Post by **DRuM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:26 pm

I'm heavily leaning towards the iPod mini because of it's looks. It looks more sophisticated. I'm sure the engineering and sound quality is top notch on both so I guess that's not a problem. I just wish they'd put a radio in the iPod.

Post by **werldhed** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:27 pm

If you prefer the look of the iPod, I'd say go for it. The Zen also has a 6 gig version, which is probably cheaper than the iPod, but with less battery life (but it comes in more colors for those hip-minded kids!

) .
From what I've heard, the Zen has better sound quality and of course there's always file compatability issues with each one. So the form your music is in and where you get it should dictate your choice.

Post by **Foo** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:28 pm

Hope you enjoy being shackled.

Post by **PhoeniX** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:33 pm

iRiver - http://www.iriver.com/

Post by **DRuM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:42 pm

PhoeniX wrote:iRiver - http://www.iriver.com/

Those players look really nice. Thanks for the link pho, I'm reading up on it.

Post by **werldhed** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:48 pm

My problem with iRiver is that you have to buy a picture viewer -- which makes a 5 gig HD player way too expensive. for the price, I'd take an extra 15 gig of space over the color screen.

(the battery life IS nice, though...)

Post by **R00k** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:50 pm

Foo wrote:Hope you enjoy being shackled.

What's that supposed to mean?

Post by **4g3nt_Smith** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:51 pm

Foo wrote:Hope you enjoy being shackled.

Except not. Both play mp3s, and mpeg-4 is far less "shackelish" than WMA, which makes me throw up a bit at the thought of having to use it.

Post by **saturn** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:52 pm

ipod mini

Post by **DRuM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:53 pm

Hmm, tbh, the only mp3 player that appeals to me aesthetically outside of the ipod is this i-river model.

Post by **werldhed** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:56 pm

DRuM wrote:Hmm, tbh, the only mp3 player that appeals to me aesthetically outside of the ipod is this i-river model.

Doesn't that cost an arm and a leg, though? BTW, are you specifically looking for something with a small HD?

Post by **4g3nt_Smith** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:56 pm

That makes me sad to look at

Post by **DRuM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:57 pm

saturn wrote:ipod mini

Yeah, regardless of lack of radio, I can't help but feel drawn to the ipod mini. It really is the best looking one out there. And it does feel nice to hold.

Post by **saturn** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:57 pm

seriously, that looks shite drumboi

i got an ipod 4G 20 gb myself, but a friend of mine has an ipod mini, great interface and the size is great, fits perfectly in your hand. Less is better if you want to keep it pure when it comes to listening to music.

Post by **DRuM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:59 pm

werldhed wrote:
DRuM wrote:Hmm, tbh, the only mp3 player that appeals to me aesthetically outside of the ipod is this i-river model.

Doesn't that cost an arm and a leg, though? BTW, are you specifically looking for something with a small HD?

It's £60 more than the ipod mini. As far as HD space, doesn't bother me. I'll never fill it with a 1000 tunes. But my dilemma is radio, or, iPod looks.

Post by **DRuM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:01 pm

saturn wrote:seriously, that looks shite drumboi

i got an ipod 4G 20 gb myself, but a friend of mine has an ipod mini, great interface and the size is great, fits perfectly in your hand. Less is better if you want to keep it pure when it comes to listening to music.

Yeah I agree, the iPod is so appealing because of it's clean lines and total simplicity.

Post by **saturn** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:05 pm

DRuM wrote:
werldhed wrote:
DRuM wrote:Hmm, tbh, the only mp3 player that appeals to me aesthetically outside of the ipod is this i-river model.

Doesn't that cost an arm and a leg, though? BTW, are you specifically looking for something with a small HD?
It's £60 more than the ipod mini. As far as HD space, doesn't bother me. I'll never fill it with a 1000 tunes. But my dilemma is radio, or, iPod looks.

i've filled my ipod with 2000 songs, great for vacation or long trips. Never missed a radio.

The interface is best thing about the ipod(s), then the design. You will want to slip it in your anus for some hot buttsecx. That Good.

Post by **DRuM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:07 pm

saturn wrote:
i've filled my ipod with 2000 songs, great for vacation or long trips. Never missed a radio.

The interface is best thing about the ipod(s), then the design. You will want to slip it in your anus for some hot buttsecx. That Good.

But then it would get dirty

Post by **saturn** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:13 pm

riddla wrote:with a decent mic setup you could use one of these with an ipod to also be a recorder

http://www.griffintechnology.com/produc ... /index.php

if you put linux on the ipod, you can unlock recording rates up to 44 khz stereo cd quality. The Griffin is limited to 8 khz

Post by **R00k** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:14 pm

linux on the iPod? wha?

Post by **saturn** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:16 pm

DRuM wrote:
saturn wrote:
i've filled my ipod with 2000 songs, great for vacation or long trips. Never missed a radio.

The interface is best thing about the ipod(s), then the design. You will want to slip it in your anus for some hot buttsecx. That Good.
But then it would get dirty

me gots an iSkin for it, it's like a rubber