[waffenschmidt]

Stevesolo, if you're in the last stages of cancer you're certainly in a better position to make moral and ethical decisions about your life than any of us are.

Carry on, and best of luck to you.

 

[austonia]

Quote:

Originally posted by waffenschmidt I acknowledge my own ethical lapses and the fact that it really isn't any of my business. What I do think is important is to consider the recipient of the gift. Personally, I'd love to get a new HD player as a gift, but I'd be uncomfortable if it came filled with music. I suppose there are some who wouldn't.

I would venture to say that more people would be happy to get a player full of music. The people I know, regular blue collar people,
have no problem with sharing music. I don't live inside a bubble, so I can only extrapolate from there.

And for the less technically inclined, like my mom, if I gave her a jukebox, She'd just be happy to have a nice walkman full of music.

 

[stevesolo]

Originally posted by austonia
By the way, as long as all your mp3's are tagged you can just as easily add them to another Creative player using their new MediaCenter program.

Thanks for your support on the copy issue. I realize that I could use Media Center but it certainly would be much more time consuming than to transfer directly from Playcenter 3. I have also spent a lot of time with PC3 making adjustments so that titles and artists are accurate and consistent.

I also like the case the 2.0 comes with where the screen can be fully viewed which I dont think the Xtra case allows for.

 

[austonia]

Quote:

Originally posted by stevesolo Thanks for your support on the copy issue. I realize that I could use Media Center but it certainly would be much more time consuming than to transfer directly from Playcenter 3. I have also spent a lot of time with PC3 making adjustments so that titles and artists are accurate and consistent. I also like the case the 2.0 comes with where the screen can be fully viewed which I dont think the Xtra case allows for.

Actually, it's just as fast. Like I said, as long as they are all tagged, both programs work in exactly the same way, they just look different.

Its very possible that the Xtra is compatable with Playcenter 3, by the way. I say this because I have a Nomad Jukebox 3, and it works with both Playcenter and the new Mediacenter. They both use the same transfer protocols to talk to Nomad players, including Zen.

I used to own an original Zen (firewire), it was a very nice player. I think the Zen Xtra is even better, however, with the larger screen. Much easier to read. I would prefer to get the Xtra as a gift even though the new case does not let you see the screen through it. Not much work to take it out of the holster

 

[moi]

jpelg,

I respect your honest answer. I too made (really really bad) tape copies of lp's (by holding the tape recorder in front of the record player) & did not distribute them as frankly they were crap quality.
However now with the advent of pc/mac/internet/mp3 and all, I have made cd's for Christmas presents for my family & friends (along with needing to also buy them the required mp3/cd players to play the things). They are from (no internet downloading) my own cd collection & I know that no one would ever have bought the particular music I give. I see it as like lending a book to someone & then having them pass it on to someone else. I certainly don't expect the book industry to come after me for that. In fact, my (small) distribution of music has led to members of my family now BUYING lots of music as they have become hooked on a particular artist or genre of music they would never have known of before. I am not writing this as this is what I want to believe, I KNOW I am not taking away money from the RIAA & in fact I am doing a pretty good PR job of getting non buying members of my family to go & spend money on their own music. I think there is a hugh gray area in all this copying from someone like myself who makes perhaps 12 cd's per year & someone who bootlegs thousands of cd's for sale. The moral point comes not from what our conscience tells us but apparently what the RIAA tells us is right & wrong. I disagree with their moral/legal standpoint. I use the very simple equation, by giving this music have I discouraged someone from buying the same piece of music, if no, then no foul. As far as the industry saying that sales are way down, well we are in an economic slump & EVERYTHING sales wise is down. Since I got my first MP3 player (the supposed scourge of the music industry) I have spent thousands of dollars & pounds on music. Yes, the very instrument that was going to ruin them has in my case pumped a lot of my money their way & my music buying has in turn given music to my family & friends who in turn are now buying mp3 players & buying their own music.


Take care

 

[waffenschmidt]

Quote:

And for the less technically inclined . . .

LOL. I can relate to that. I might as well give my wife a paperweight as a HD player with nothing on it (no offense, Honey).

Stevesolo, since you're going to be opening up the packaging and loading music anyway, couldn't you just pick up a "like new" unit from someone on eBay? I suppose you'd be missing the warranty, but it might be a way to accomplish your goal.

Edit: Reread your post and your preference not to go "used." A quick Google search seems to indicate that there are still quite a few companies that claim to have the 2.0 in stock, but the pricing isn't real great compared to the other players available now.

 

[Fish Tank X]

Steve solo: *AHEM!!* going on with the thread in it's origonal path, did the order fall through? That place should stock it!