[CrawlingEye]

Ok, here's the deal, finally my girlfriend (after heckling me about loving my Karma) decided that she wants an mp3 player for when the weather gets nicer, so she can sit outside, listen to music and read between classes.

The thing is, she doesn't have a massive budget so this limits the choices. She also wants something with good storage (no iPod mini or Nitrus 4gig). She isn't too concerned with audio quality, but I'd like for her to get something that isn't garbage. Given her 'wants' the Zen Xtra 30gig's looking very good, from a feature stand-point. She can use my Karma quite well, so I think she can be marked as being able to figure out the UI as about average. (I think the Karma's UI is pretty good)

I've heard that some Creative players have problems with the UI though. I want to get her something that she can use pretty easily, so I'm wondering if the Zen Xtra suffers this problem.

I showed her the leading players: Karma, Nitrus, iPod, iPod Mini, Zen Xtra, NJB3, iHP100, and iHP120.

Out of the lot of them, she liked the Zen Xtra (looks-wise) best, but also liked the iHP. She said that she won't have much of a use for the remote (and that she wouldn't carry it with her much at all) along with the voice recording and ogg support.
So, given her budget, I'm thinking that her thoughts on the Zen Xtra are quite accurate.

What'd you guys think?
If anyone can find the iHP120 at under $399, it would enter the realm of being viable for her. The iPod she doesn't like the looks of and doesn't want to have to use iTunes. The Karma, again doesn't seem to have features that she thinks she'd use.

I'm thinking that as long as the UI of the Zen Xtra is at least easy enough for me to figure out (without much difficulty) and then show her, that she'll be easily content with it. Thanks.

Edit: clarified a bit.

 

[jpburton5150]

on amazon.com the ihp-120 is selling for $299.99

 

[Prince]

Here

Hope it helps.

 

[CrawlingEye]

Thanks. I just found the ign Zen Xtra review. It looks like the UI was improved over the older Zen's greatly, and even the software was much improved. Worse comes to worse, notmad is an easily viable option (although ign seemed to be fine with the current Xtra software).

I'm still open to comments on both the Xtra and the iHP 120, but I think she's pretty set.

 

[austonia]

Quote:

Originally posted by jpburton5150 on amazon.com the ihp-120 is selling for $299.99

actually, no. the iHP-100 is $300. the iHP-120 is $380 on amazon

 

[Prince]

Quote:

Originally posted by austonia actually, no. the iHP-100 is $300. the iHP-120 is $380 on amazon

Hmm.. by the time I posted the link, it still shows $299 AR. Amazon just did a quick update?

 

[CrawlingEye]

it says $350 for me.
As it stands, the Zen Xtra will give her more storage, the iHP will give her a remote that will sit unused, ogg support that she won't use and a voice recorder she won't use.

If the UI of the Zen Xtra is good (as the ign article seems to state that it's an 8.5 out of 10) then I think the Xtra it is. I hope some guys with the Xtra or who have owned the Xtra respond.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

The better question is, what kind of headphones will you be getting her?

 

[FrostyMMB]

Player for girlfriend? I like my iPod, but I wouldn't consider it my girlfriend if I didn't have one already.

 

[jpburton5150]

hmmm... my bad

, it changed...

 

[(yo_alexandru]

what about this

http://www.epinions.com/pr-iRiver_iF...yer_MP3_Player

http://mdman.net/ct/read.htm?sm_id=review&sb_id=-971

http://mdman.net/ct/read.htm?sm_id=review&sb_id=-942

http://mdman.net/ct/read.htm?sm_id=review&sb_id=-135

need more?

 

[CrawlingEye]

yo_alexandru, if you meant to show me the SlimX, this isn't much of a possibility. She wants a hard drive based mp3 player, so she doesn't have to carry around CD's.

Iron, I think I may get her some mx400's with the radioshack foamies, for now. Eventually, she may find herself a pair of Ety ER6's or Shure E2c's.

 

[Lisa]

Quote:

Originally posted by CrawlingEye She can use my Karma quite well, so I think she can be marked as being able to figure out the UI as about average. (I think the Karma's UI is pretty good) I want to get her something that she can use pretty easily I'm thinking that as long as the UI of the Zen Xtra is at least easy enough for me to figure out (without much difficulty) and then show her, that she'll be easily content with it. What'd you guys think?

That you underestimate your girlfriends intelligence in an embarrasing way in your post.

BTW. If she is mentally challanged I do apologize for my remark.

 

[CrawlingEye]

Quote:

Originally posted by Lisa That you underestimate your girlfriends intelligence in an embarrasing way in your post. BTW. If she is mentally challanged I do apologize for my remark.

Underestimating? Certainly not!

I think you greatly misunderstood the intent of that comment.
My intention was to show how easily she can figure out UI's of players; how tech-savvy she is, not how intelligent she is.
(If you're unfamiliar with "UI" it means "User Interface" nothing to do with intelligence)
I don't want to get her something that I would have difficulty understanding, and thus likely have difficulty making sense of to explain to her.

I'm fairly offended by that assumption.

 

[TMC]

I've had a 30GB Xtra for 2 weeks and it's pretty easy to use. I've barely looked in the manual at all and as long as you keep your id3-tags in order navigating won't be a problem. I just use ID3-TagIT to keep them in order and drag the files into the player using Nomad Explorer.