[jon_m]

I'm looking for an MP3 player to give as a present - for someone who's not that good with computers, so would ideally want one that you can use with easy-to-use software where you put in a CD and this lets you rip the MP3s/WMAs and copies them to the player. A radio would also be good. This is to buy in the UK. While sound that doesn't *really* suck would be nice, tbh I don't think it'd be that important for the recipient.

Was thinking of a creative rhomba - would that do the business? Or should I look at something else?

Thanks,

Jon

 

[LaBreaHead]

Since you mention Creative, I'll say that I have a Creative Muvo and a Creative Zen Nano, and have given three to non-computer people who find them easy to use. However, I loaded them with music for the recipients -- I just use Windows for that, as I've found Creative's software a little uninteresting and confusing. A free download of the basic MusicMatch Jukebox and Media player might help with ripping and transferring songs. Or, you could help with, or do all of, the loading of songs for him/her. Is that something you would/could do?

Anyway, the Creatives sound pretty good and are small and easy to use (and easy and safe to mail back and forth, if distance is an issue, if you do the loading). I listen to the 1GB Zen Nano at the office an hour or two a day. Flash memory, no moving parts, very easy to carry around.

User-replaceable batteries (AAAs for the Creatives) might be a good idea for the non-computer-proficient, which might affect your decision-making on this. The "Plus" model for the Zen Nano has the FM radio, and the "FM" model of the Muvo TX also has it.

I don't know whether the Sandisk line includes FM radio, but they have one that uses a media card in addition to internal memory, and they've coming out with two "stylish" ones this spring with up to 4GB capacity in one of them.

 

[1911]

i second that...the creative nano plus also has a line in that you can download music into directly from a cd player without having to use a computer. i like it

 

[jon_m]

cheers - will see what comes up on ebay

btw, the musicmatch software - does this let you use the same software to rip a CD and transfer to the player?

Thanks,

Jon

 

[LaBreaHead]

There's some kind of "device manager" function, which I don't use (for flash players, I just use drag and drop with Windows -- very simple and visually logical). It might work well -- maybe search the MusicMatch site for information on that function. I wish I could give you a more definitive answer. But it works quite well as a ripper and player.

 

[jon_m]

thanks - got it up and running with windows media player

may try musicmatch as well later...

 

[jon_m]

oh yeah, got a creative rhomba player off of ebay in the end