[ibo]

Thank you for the sugestions. I was looking at iAudio 7, seems to be very interesting little device, I wonder how it handle the bookmarks. The same about other devices. If I turn off the player in the middle of the track, does it start at the same point when I turn it back on? This is very important for audiobooks.

Does anyone know an electronics store selling iAudio 7 in Chicago area?

@fiish: I read on MediaMonkey forums they made somehow the software work with the 6th Gen i-Pod. This can be interesting cause it bypass i-tunes and it makes the ipod a viable option again..

I solved the problem I had with the Sandisk Sansa c140. When transfering the files directly in windows explorer, it was messing up the playback order of the tracks, very bad for audiobooks, I tried MediaMonkey to create a playlist and now it plays the tracks in correct order. It handle bookmarks nice, unfortunately 1Gb is not enough anymore. I read a flash Sansa 16Gb is about to be launched for under $200. Nice.

 

[ahamric]

ibo -

I have a Sansa E250, and I have to say that for audiobooks it sucks! The reason is that there is no bookmarking feature, you can only pause a track and then come back to it after you've turned off the player. I was half-way through a single-track version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (20 hours) and I had to recharge. Well, as soon as you plug into the USB port, bye-bye location.

I have thought about downloading Rockbox because they have a firmware that will bookmark, but I've been too lazy to invest the time in trying to figure out how I can install and remove it if I want to. Plus I hear battery life is not good on the Sansa.

I think Zunes might have decent bookmarking, but if I were doing primarily audiobooks, I would make bookmarking the #1 must-have feature.

I also live in Chicagoland, and have been getting my audiobooks from Chicago Public Library and Oak Park library (OP uses Netlibrary, but the selection is so-so). I live in Forest Park, that is how I was able to get OP and CPL library cards.

 

[ibo]

@ahamric: thanks for the info about your Sansa, I will consider something else. I am geting a lot of audiobooks from the library too, Mt. Prospect has free downloads. True, the selection is not that big, but is enough for the moments when kids get to crazy around me

I was thinking about what you said about bookmarks and I belive you are right, I should make bookmarking my #1 must-have feature.

Do you know a GOOD audio or electronics store in Chicagoland selling more than i-pods, maybe an iAudio 7 by chance?

 

[ahamric]

Not sure about stores in the Chicagoland area. You might try Fry's, they are always in the paper, or maybe ABT. I decided I wanted the Sansa and got it for a present... figured I could make the audiobook thing work with just the pause feature. However, it just hasn't turned out well. Especially since I like to listen to audiobooks on the el commute but music when I go to work out. I suppose it might not be so bad if you are listening to shorter stuff, but I only go for unabridged stuff and all the ones I have downloaded are a single file.

There are forums at www.anythingbutipod.com, if you take a look over there you might be able to find info on audiobook-friendly MP3 players.

Good luck!

 

[ibo]

I have concluded that the following players could be what I am looking for:

iAudio 7 16Gb

Creative Zen v plus 16Gb

Sansa View 16Gb

All 3 have their strong and weak points.
To my knowledge only iAudio is now in store, the other 2 arriving soon, so I hope I can wait a little until all are stores and I can read some reviews.

Thanks to all who helped me with advice.