I don't really know anything about MP3 players, but I know I don't want an Ipod because there have to be better things on the market. I was wondering if any of you people knew any good ones that worked great for you or a friend. I would like the player to:

*Be somewhere between 512MB and 1G (Don't have much to stuff on it)
*Have a long battery life
*Have skip protection
*Be able to pick the song I play

I don't need it to be a taser and a camera or anything weird like that, I just want it to play music into my headphones and not be a CD player. Thanks for any advice.

My friend had a good experience with those little Samsung players. I don't remember which one he had.

ive heard that creative labs has a good player and also dell but im not totally sure about the dell ones.

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CYPRESS GARDENS ROCKS!!!!!
SHEIKRA KICKS BUTT:FIRST TIME 01/25/06

This might be a little too big for you, but Rio makes a pretty slyck MP3 player, so you might consider this:

http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/sho....asp?model=295

It's 2.5GB and can hold around 600 songs, which is pleanty of music. It also has a 20hr. battery life.

I have the 5GB version of that, and I've been really happy with it, it's lightweight, slim, and easy to use.

EDIT: And to trainguy, Dell uses creative audio systems in their MP3 players, so they're basically the same, except for the outsides.

^speaking of rio, i have the rio nitrus (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=507846) i bought a refurbished one for $49 on ebay a year ago and it has been working great so far. its really small, and with 1.5 gb it can hold about 400 songs. thats what i would suggest.

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512MB to 1GB will put you in the flash based MP3 catagory. There are two types to buy: A unit where you connect a cable to and add songs as you go, and a "thumb drive" sort of style where you physically plug the actual unit into a USB port. Pick one you think would be effective, and not a pain. I got a hard drive based and it obviously uses a cord, but I also have a flash drive (Not a MP3 player) that plugs right in. Both are fine.

If I was purchasing a flash drive right now, I would look at features and reliability. These things are prone to breaking...seeing as their small...you could easily fumble it and drop it on the ground. Make sure you buy one that is durable.

I don't know a certain product off the top of my head, but heres a few things to remember:
-Compatbility: Make sure your product isn't locked with a certain program
-Battery Type: Built in or removable
-USB Drive Speed: 2.0 or some other crap?
-Battery Life: A flash drive will typically get great life.....some more than others, but overall, a fairly decent amount.

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Thornton to Heatley all day, every day.

I would sell you my ipod mini, but that whole long battery life just wont work out. I would give it for like 25-50 bucks too...but id also have to find it.

I had read the Matts entire post anyway, i understood that

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Dirty Tramp

Eh.. READ!!!!

I had an nomad or what ever, but i took it back to get a TV...

Creative players are pretty neat.

I really like the Creative Zen Micros. That's the one I'm going to get after i get my new digital camera. (been saving up!) It's small, compact, and it comes in different colors! The Creative Zens are pretty big. The Micros are small and nifty...

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hey bEnCeRiSbACk why would you sell your ipod mini for 25-50 bucks is it broken or something

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CYPRESS GARDENS ROCKS!!!!!
SHEIKRA KICKS BUTT:FIRST TIME 01/25/06

Definitely no.

Matt, do you also want to have a nice cheap Media Player? Best thing for your case, an iriver U10.

iriver U10 info

Probably the best thing for you since you don't have much, has a great battery, etc.

It also comes in a 512 MB model as well.

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Yeah i have a Rio Nitrys as well and it's pretty sweet. It's 1.5 gb and its really tough. The screen on mine is all scratched up and i have a crack on the case but it still works fine. The battery is ok. Sometimes it'll last like 10 hours and sometimes 2.

Not really, i am going to send it in soon so it gets a longer battery life thoguh. That was the main problem. I also just prefer cds because it is sometimes easier. I still have iTunes though, which I love. I could see myself starting to use my iPod more in the future anyway.

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Dirty Tramp