I'm looking to buy a new mp3 player with at least 10 GB memory, and have been looking at the Nomad and Archos jukeboxes. I've ruled out the iPod because of price, though if I could find either a decent iPod or Rio Riot for cheap I'd probably jump on either. Every professional review I've read for both Nomad and Archos is positive, but then I read consumer reviews and they sometimes rip them apart. I'm leaning toward the Nomad. Anybody have experience with either of these, or another in the same memory (10-20 GB) or price (low $200s) range that they can share?
Sorry I can't help, but I just picked up a 10 gig iPod on ebay for 290. It was the best investment I ever made. The thing is awesome. Sometimes it pays to be a little patient with ebay, I waited almost 8 days yet I got the iPod at a great price.
Count me in the iPod camp. I've had it since February and I absolutely love it! It's the best mp3 player out there.
I'm waiting till the iPod with a built in PDA/cell phone comes out. Seriously, why anyone would get an MP3 player that doesn't use Firewire or sync with iTunes is beyond my comprehension.
Are they seriously making one wih a built in PDA/Cell phone or were you just being sarcastic. As for the second part, OMG the first time I plugged it in and it uploaded I was like cripes. Firewire is mega fast, beats anything I've ever seen on a PC (even though you can get them, they're just not standard). Getting my PowerBook was the best investment in a long time.
With the new iPod software update version 1.2, you can use your pod for just about everything you'd use your pda for, and have all of your tunes with you and have functionality as a (20 gig) firewire harddrive, to boot. It really is a value for for what you spend. The cellphone thing isn't happening just yet, but give Apple a little time and they'll come up with something. P.S. Skipshady: Get your ass down to The Apple Store Soho. I went today, and it truly is a life-changing experience! They have the most knowledgeable and friendly staff you have ever met!
I have the Archos Jukebox. Its not bad. Every so often I get a hard drive error though. But overall i'd say it was a good investment.
I'm semi-serious. My understanding is that the iPod will eventually become a fully functioning PDA and if/when it does, it will become the most powerful portable computer on the market - imagine a Palm Pilot with 20 gig of storage and ultra-fast hot sync. Astorian - I was in SoHo yesterday and completely forgot about the Apple Store. I'll take a long lunch break one day this week.
I've got the Nomad...it's pretty cool. I'm happy with it. I'm sure it's even cooler than I realize, but I'm not that into gadgets. Once I get it doing what I want it to do, I don't really bother figuring out all the other special features.
I ordered the Nomad; I'll give a report when I get it. The mp3 / PDA link is easy to see coming soon, though the high-speed wireless phone with it is getting a bit far out into the future. I would guess that while there's a glut of space now, phone-to-phone mp3 trading would lock up the wireless networks faster than they could build capacity. Archos has a 40 GB mp3 player/recorder with digital still and video camera attachments coming out soon, and apparently Sony now has a phone with a digital camera -- you can download the pics from the phone by sending them via the phone to an e-mail address.
The Nomad Jukebox has arrived, and I've been using it for about a week. Overall I'm pleased -- sound is good, battery life seems to be strong, and at 10 GB it can hold something like 160 cd's. I've put about 50 on it so far and I've only taken up 3 GB. I've also put the software on both my work and home computers, so that audiophile co-workers and I can allow each other to listen to new things easily. I have not yet tried it in a car or hooked up to my home stereo, but it seems easy enough to do those things. Concerns: It is a pain to scroll through all of the artist names to find what you want, though apparently they have released new firmware that allows you to do this faster. While I don't mind much the time it takes to move cd's to the player using USB, my understanding of the iPod is that its Firewire connection is lightning quick compared to this. And the only place that you can make edits to what's on the player is when it's hooked up to your computer. Amazon.com now has these players for $220, but with $50 in rebates and no tax (most places) and free shipping. It's a very good deal.