Need a new mp3 player

Tusky

So I have finally accepted that my Creative Zen Vision M 30gb is dead for good. I'm now in the market for a new player although my budget is fairly small unfortunately. I previously had an iRiver H140gb so I am used to have lots of storage space but because of low funds, Im possibly gonna have to look at something smaller.

Budget - E.200-250

Functionality, ease of use and ideally, drag & drop transfer are all things I look for. Possibly most important is a good screen navigation system. I also like players that are pretty but this top of my list for importance.

Radio isn't important to me.

Was looking at the 16gb model of this.



or the 8gb ipod touch ?



Thoughts ?

p.s At least 10 of my friends have a Creative Zen Vision:M and they have all broken. Has anyone else had this problem ? Its a pity because its a great little player. Creative fixed it the first time it broke but its now out of warranty.

zilog_jones

My brother's Zen Sleek has outlived his 16GB Zen (decided to stop charging after a couple of months), so I dunno what Creative are up to recently...

There's really not much of a selection of HDD based players these days - they seem to be going the way of the MiniDisc player. There's the iPod Classic, the new Zune (not on sale outside the US yet AFAIK) and... the Zen Vision:M I guess The only other things with HDDs are big PMPs with massive screens - dunno if you'd be into that, and they're not really in that price range!

There's lots of 16GB Flash-based players around though. I'd recommend the iAudio 7: had an 8GB one since September - sounds great and no trouble with it... yet . There's also the Sony A810 series (though the A820 is out soon), the Samsung P2 (no 16GB here yet), some smaller Samsung, the SanDisk Sansa View, and some others.

Lots of reviews and stuff here: http://dapreview.net/news.php

Gran Hermano

Having used both the iriver and Zen M, I'm really liking my Zune 80.
With 80 gigs of storage and a great UI it's well worth the price;
if you know anyone in the US get the to pick one up for you because
at approx €220/USD349 it's a bargain.

As for the reliability of the Zen M, I've 3 owned by family members, all owned
since launch, and have had no bother with them.

Tusky

zilog_jones wrote: »

My brother's Zen Sleek has outlived his 16GB Zen (decided to stop charging after a couple of months), so I dunno what Creative are up to recently...

There's really not much of a selection of HDD based players these days - they seem to be going the way of the MiniDisc player. There's the iPod Classic, the new Zune (not on sale outside the US yet AFAIK) and... the Zen Vision:M I guess The only other things with HDDs are big PMPs with massive screens - dunno if you'd be into that, and they're not really in that price range!

There's lots of 16GB Flash-based players around though. I'd recommend the iAudio 7: had an 8GB one since September - sounds great and no trouble with it... yet . There's also the Sony A810 series (though the A820 is out soon), the Samsung P2 (no 16GB here yet), some smaller Samsung, the SanDisk Sansa View, and some others.

Lots of reviews and stuff here: http://dapreview.net/news.php

Cheers. Thoughts on the models I posted ?

Tusky

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Having used both the iriver and Zen M, I'm really liking my Zune 80.
With 80 gigs of storage and a great UI it's well worth the price;
if you know anyone in the US get the to pick one up for you because
at approx €220/USD349 it's a bargain.

As for the reliability of the Zen M, I've 3 owned by family members, all owned
since launch, and have had no bother with them.

80gb for E220....! Nice.

Would I get stung with tax if I ordered it from an American site ?

Royale with Cheese

In terms of functionality ane ease of use I'd stick with the creative, but they do seem to have some reliability issues lately. Didn't they stop making the zen vision m because they just kept breaking? I've had one for a year with no problems yet.

Maybe the new one is more reliable. I'll probably get one when they get to 60gb+ and under €300 for that much storage. I have the old 60gb zen vision m, fairly chunky. I wouldn't go near an ipod personally. Hate the software. The players themselves are pretty cool though. But I've a fair few wma's, can't be arsed converting all that music so an Ipod could play it.

Gran Hermano

Zune will handle everything the Zen M will apart from divx/xvid, you'll
need to convert video to WMV or other Zune friendly format (easily
done with a program like Super or Zune video converter).

Zune is easier to use and has a much better interface than any Creative
device i have used.

Zune will handle TV out for video/music/pictures, the new Zen does not.

Support for podcasts on the Zune is great.

zilog_jones

Not really a fan of Apple so anything I say about the Touch would be biased against them . It could be an interesting system if they allowed 3rd party software to be made for it (I know there's ways but I don't think it works on all models or something). You'll have to put up with iTunes or some equivalent to put any music on it so your hopes of dragging & dropping are out the window. And I know this is just one experience but my friend's already returning his after like 5 months because the headphone socket has gone dodgy.

Haven't used the Zen much - found the small buttons a bit fiddly, and some people seem to be having this "white screen of death" problem (dodgy firmware I think).

Tusky

Basically the options that Im most interested in are...

Samsung P2 (8gb) ? 4gb model is e159.00
iPod Touch (8gb) e259.00
Creative Zen (16GB) e179.00 32gb is 265.00
Microsoft Zune 80 (80gb) 220 Including shipping form ebay

Prices are from Komplett.ie & ebay but if anyone knows a cheaper alternative, that would be great.

Anyone know if you get a warranty when you buy a factory boxed player from ebay ?

cosgrove80

Tusky wrote: »

Basically the options that Im most interested in are...

Samsung P2 (8gb) ? 4gb model is e159.00
iPod Touch (8gb) e259.00
Creative Zen (16GB) e179.00 32gb is 265.00
Microsoft Zune 80 (80gb) 220 Including shipping form ebay

Prices are from Komplett.ie & ebay but if anyone knows a cheaper alternative, that would be great.

Anyone know if you get a warranty when you buy a factory boxed player from ebay ?

I'm in the same boat as yourself. I'm looking into getting a new mp3 player and have narrowed it down to pretty much the same list.

Another possibility is the Archos 605 wifi. It has drag and drop, so doesn't require any software and also plays divx/xvid without re-encoding.

Bit chunkier than the others on the list but could be an option.

griffdaddy

Tusky wrote: »

Basically the options that Im most interested in are...

Samsung P2 (8gb) ? 4gb model is e159.00
iPod Touch (8gb) e259.00
Creative Zen (16GB) e179.00 32gb is 265.00
Microsoft Zune 80 (80gb) 220 Including shipping form ebay

Prices are from Komplett.ie & ebay but if anyone knows a cheaper alternative, that would be great.

Anyone know if you get a warranty when you buy a factory boxed player from ebay ?

The difference in storage alone should swing it in favour of the Zune, even that aside, it's a very nice little player, the sound is very high quality and the screen is pretty good too. i ordered mine off e-bay about 2 months ago to dublin. the retail box is only about as big a perfume box, so it slips through easily and the guy i used was very conscious that it would and seemed to have good reviews for getting it through. I'll pm you his name if you want, i'd need to check my ebay history.

conzy

Is video important to you? If so the ZEN is the best option due to Xvid/DivX and a 16.7 million colour screen, it also has drag and drop on XP/Vista

If video isn't important to you, get something that IS NOT a Creative, becuase Creative are a naughty company...









My Creative boycott is proving more difficult than anticipated.. Damn their Xvid support!

Tusky

cosgrove80 wrote: »

I'm in the same boat as yourself. I'm looking into getting a new mp3 player and have narrowed it down to pretty much the same list.

Another possibility is the Archos 605 wifi. It has drag and drop, so doesn't require any software and also plays divx/xvid without re-encoding.

Bit chunkier than the others on the list but could be an option.

I'll check it out, cheers.

conzymaher wrote: »

Is video important to you? If so the ZEN is the best option due to Xvid/DivX and a 16.7 million colour screen, it also has drag and drop on XP/Vista

If video isn't important to you, get something that IS NOT a Creative, becuase Creative are a naughty company...

My Creative boycott is proving more difficult than anticipated.. Damn their Xvid support!

I'd be careful about buying Creative as I have literally seen dozens of them break. Every single person that I know that had a Zen V:M has had to have it repaired. They do make nice players though.

griffdaddy wrote: »

The difference in storage alone should swing it in favour of the Zune, even that aside, it's a very nice little player, the sound is very high quality and the screen is pretty good too. i ordered mine off e-bay about 2 months ago to dublin. the retail box is only about as big a perfume box, so it slips through easily and the guy i used was very conscious that it would and seemed to have good reviews for getting it through. I'll pm you his name if you want, i'd need to check my ebay history.

Yeah please do. I'm 90% sure im gonna go for the Zune 80 having read a load of reviews. Just cant argue with 80 gigs for 220 euro! Looks like it has a nice big screen too. Only download is that you cant use it as a portable hard drive and no support for divx. Neither are deal breakers though.

Do you get a warranty as normal if you buy over ebay ?

zilog_jones

Have you looked at any of the Cowon stuff? www.advancedmp3players.co.uk is where I got my iAudio 7 - 8GB is down to £120 now and 16GB is £200 (+£12 shipping = about €270). It's quite small, and the battery lasts for ages (at least 40 hours from my experience if not 50). Though if you care about video playback it's not for you - it can do video but the screen's tiny!

zilog_jones

Tusky wrote: »

Do you get a warranty as normal if you buy over ebay ?

As the Zune is only intended for the US market I doubt it's valid anywhere else.

Tusky

zilog_jones wrote: »

As the Zune is only intended for the US market I doubt it's valid anywhere else.

Surely they would still have to honor the warranty ? What if I bought it in the States and brought it home ?

Just been looking up the Archos 605 WiFi. It looks amazing! Pretty cheap as well. Only problem is that it seems to be mainly about the video. Not a single review has mentioned anything to do with audio playback. Hmm

Its really a choice between Archos 605 WiFi 30gb & Zune 80gb.



v

cosgrove80

Tusky wrote: »

Surely they would still have to honor the warranty ? What if I bought it in the States and brought it home ?

Just been looking up the Archos 605 WiFi. It looks amazing! Pretty cheap as well. Only problem is that it seems to be mainly about the video. Not a single review has mentioned anything to do with audio playback. Hmm

Its really a choice between Archos 605 WiFi 30gb & Zune 80gb.

http://www.computerinnovation.com/ is a Canadian site that has a good rep for archos players.

A 30GB 605 with mini dock (allows tv out amongst other things but not dvr) and screen protector works out at about €230 delivered, if you avoid customs.

I've been hovering over the purchase button for a week now, but can justify the cost at the moment.

I'd be interested to hear what you go for

pleasant Co.

Tusky wrote: »

Surely they would still have to honor the warranty ? What if I bought it in the States and brought it home ?

Sure, but you would have to pay all postage fee's to-from the states if there was an issue with the ZUNE as that would not be Microsoft's obligation as their warranty is for the states only...

out of curiosity how'd your ZV:M break? was it the hard drive?

Tusky

cosgrove80 wrote: »

http://www.computerinnovation.com/ is a Canadian site that has a good rep for archos players.

A 30GB 605 with mini dock (allows tv out amongst other things but not dvr) and screen protector works out at about €230 delivered, if you avoid customs.

I've been hovering over the purchase button for a week now, but can justify the cost at the moment.

I'd be interested to hear what you go for

I was looking at it on this site.

http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/Portable_Media_Players.3/Archos.3/500947/Archos_605_WiFi_30GB_Portable_Media_Player.2523.html

220 euro + delvery charge with no extras. The box looks quite large so Id rather just avoid customs. Ack, I hate choices like this!

Archos 605 - One review Ive read said the resolution is a good bit higher than a standard tv!! I also really like the stand at the back to prop it up for watching video. Also the web browers add on with wifi could come in handy but is around 20 euro extra. It looks fair bit bigger & its primarily a video player when I am only interested in video as a secondary function with audio being my main focus. Also Ive read that the battery isnt great...BUT it has a touch screen!

In regards to the Zune 80, its got a smaller screen and is a lower resolution (although any review ive read still raves about the screen...which I suppose is an even bigger compliment to the Archos). It doesnt play divx or xvix (which isnt really a big deal) and you cant use it as a portable hard drive. but it is almost 3 times the capacity as the Archos and looks prettier.

Ive read lots of reviews and watched lots of videos on both and I think they are both great value. I can still remember paying 440 euro about 5 years ago for my iRiver H140

Mactard wrote: »

Sure, but you would have to pay all postage fee's to-from the states if there was an issue with the ZUNE as that would not be Microsoft's obligation as their warranty is for the states only...

out of curiosity how'd your ZV:M break? was it the hard drive?

Yeah, good point. Well when I rang up they told me that it would be 100 euro to replace the hard drive so I assume thats what they think the problem is. I think last time it was a problem with the processor though.

grimm2005

I got an 80gb archos 605 for €290 inc. delivery from newmp3technology.com as a replacment for my ageing 30gb ZVM (which still works a charm btw). I can't rave enough about it. i love every aspect of it including the music player. only thing is the battery life could be a bit better but it does the job for me (somewhere round the 3hr mark for video with all settings on default, playing downloaded xvids).

If your only going for video as a secondary function it may not be for you. I'd go for the zune 80 in your case if your not going to be using much video. I only really ever used my ZVM as a video player on my tv as i found it a little uncomfortable watching somthing on a bus on a 2.5' screen. But watching the 605's 4.3' widescreen is very comfortable. I'd say i pretty much use music and video 50/50 now.

But like i said, if your not going to use much video, you'd be best off with the zune for the increased battery and smaller size. I used a mates zune 30gb and its pretty darn slick and the interface is very nice

Tusky

grimm2005 wrote: »

I got an 80gb archos 605 for €290 inc. delivery from newmp3technology.com as a replacment for my ageing 30gb ZVM (which still works a charm btw). I can't rave enough about it. i love every aspect of it including the music player. only thing is the battery life could be a bit better but it does the job for me (somewhere round the 3hr mark for video with all settings on default, playing downloaded xvids).

If your only going for video as a secondary function it may not be for you. I'd go for the zune 80 in your case if your not going to be using much video. I only really ever used my ZVM as a video player on my tv as i found it a little uncomfortable watching somthing on a bus on a 2.5' screen. But watching the 605's 4.3' widescreen is very comfortable. I'd say i pretty much use music and video 50/50 now.

But like i said, if your not going to use much video, you'd be best off with the zune for the increased battery and smaller size. I used a mates zune 30gb and its pretty darn slick and the interface is very nice

So you have a Zune 80 & an Archos 605 ? Lucky bastard!

Whats the Archos 605 like as a music player ? What is the battery like when playing audio files ? Also..is it a bit big and clunky to use as an mp3 player? Given the sizen and quality of the screen, I think I would use the video aspects of it as well to be honest...but audio would be slightly more important to me.

Ive heard that the Zune battery aint the best either.

Blah. This is an impossible choice.

kaimera

Zune battery is grand, I can get thru 2 or 3 ninty min movies and have about 1/4 or so left from a full charge. Video playback is gorgeous on it.

No drag & drop is a kick in the nads. Big thread on PMP about the zune. I'm well happy with it tbqh. Love it to bits. Cucusoft converter is all ya need for any movie files.

Gran Hermano

Just a quick comment re: Zune's battery life - a lot of the posts/reviews
on the internet about the poor battery are from people who don't know
the difference between putting the player into hibernate mode instead
of shutting it off completely (an easy enough mistake to make).

zilog_jones

Tusky wrote: »

Surely they would still have to honor the warranty ? What if I bought it in the States and brought it home ?

I'm quite sure they are not obliged to honour the warranty at all if you take it out of the intended market. We are very fortunate being part of the EU, as free trade means the warranties have to apply throughout the EU as well.

They might still service it for you if they're nice, but you'd have to pay for it all.

Tusky

zilog_jones wrote: »

I'm quite sure they are not obliged to honour the warranty at all if you take it out of the intended market. We are very fortunate being part of the EU, as free trade means the warranties have to apply throughout the EU as well.

They might still service it for you if they're nice, but you'd have to pay for it all.

This might be a deal breaker for me then. Every mp3 player I have owned has broken at some stage and I have always used the warranty to have it repaired for free. If it is out of warranty, I generally upgrade.

Went into Peats today to take a look at the Archos 605. First impressions werent great. Its a little on the large side to be used primarily as an mp3 player and it certainly doesnt look as slick or smart as the Zune.

However, when I fiddled around with it I started to realize how powerful it is. Videos look better than dvd quality and thats not an exaggeration. It almost looks HD. The touchscreen is nice and it has a stand at the back to prop it up while you watch video. Im fairly sure it can also be used as a removable hard drive. It also has a little set of speakers if you dont want to use headphones.

The menu system, while not overly complex, doesn't seem to be nearly as slick looking as the Zune though. Everything seems a bit all over the place.

cj2007

you should try ebay things are always cheaper there.and also id go with the apple itouch as you can browse the internet etc but also iv had 2 ipods and never had a problem with either and if you do have a problem they usually replace the item or get it fixed free of charge if its under a year old after that its still cheap enough to get them fixed

pleasant Co.

Tusky wrote: »

However, when I fiddled around with it I started to realize how powerful it is. Videos look better than dvd quality and thats not an exaggeration. It almost looks HD.

Since it can't do higher than DVD Quality vids methinks you are believing what you want to believe

Tusky

Mactard wrote: »

Since it can't do higher than DVD Quality vids methinks you are believing what you want to believe

Maybe its just because its such a beautiful image coming from a such a small screen that makes it look better than it is.

Or maybe Im just crazy.

pleasant Co.

lol, yeah...probably :-)

Would you be against getting an ipod classic? they're quite nicely priced - even over here (80gb - €230 RRP) the 2.5" screen can be ok for the occassioal vid I guess...

Tusky

Mactard wrote: »

lol, yeah...probably :-)

Would you be against getting an ipod classic? they're quite nicely priced - even over here (80gb - €230 RRP) the 2.5" screen can be ok for the occassioal vid I guess...

To be honest, Ive never been a fan of the ipod. Always gone for the alternative player (iRiver, Creative). The only reason I am considering the ipod touch is because it is so bloody cool looking! Ive wanted one every since I messed around with an iphone. No interest in the older ipods.

[edit] Arg, Ive just found a 16gb ipod touch for 260 euro. Only adds to my selection headache.

pleasant Co.

Well if you are fine with the price / capacity / size of the ipod touch I see very little reason not to go for it... I don't think I will buy an ipod touch ever again...the iphone however...that I can see myself buying....

Tusky

Mactard wrote: »

Well if you are fine with the price / capacity / size of the ipod touch I see very little reason not to go for it... I don't think I will buy an ipod touch ever again...the iphone however...that I can see myself buying....

Did you have a problem with the touch ?

My head tells me to go for the Archos or Zune 80 but the gadget lover in me wants the ipod touch.

pleasant Co.

Tusky wrote: »

Did you have a problem with the touch ?

The Touch was fun, had good sound quality and worked well. I bought the 16gb version back around when it was released, and it was a great unit... I did have a problem with the lack of storage space on the device and the fact that it relied so heavily on it's screen (the screen is glass to one drop and it is ****ed), I like being able to raise the volume and skip tracks without taking my DAP out of my pocket, with the Touch this wasn't possible... so although it was a very well made toy I found it to inconvenient so I sold it to macspower here on the boards

Tusky

Mactard wrote: »

The Touch was fun, had good sound quality and worked well. I bought the 16gb version back around when it was released, and it was a great unit... I did have a problem with the lack of storage space on the device and the fact that it relied so heavily on it's screen (the screen is glass to one drop and it is ****ed), I like being able to raise the volume and skip tracks without taking my DAP out of my pocket, with the Touch this wasn't possible... so although it was a very well made toy I found it to inconvenient so I sold it to macspower here on the boards

Thats likely to happen to me as well. I always go for features over style but I think I may have to get the ipod touch. Will most likely see it up on adverts in a couple of months to raise funds for the Archos or June 80 !

pleasant Co.

Tusky wrote: »

Thats likely to happen to me as well. I always go for features over style but I think I may have to get the ipod touch. Will most likely see it up on adverts in a couple of months to raise funds for the Archos or June 80 !

Yeah, buying new stuff is always fun , and in a couple of months we should have new Archos units (either available or announced)

On a similar note, I'm eyeing up the nokia internet tablet at the moment - it runs on an open source operating system and has had loads of work done to it... I've loads of DAP's so I think it may be a nice addition to my collection

art

Tusky wrote: »

Thats likely to happen to me as well. I always go for features over style but I think I may have to get the ipod touch. Will most likely see it up on adverts in a couple of months to raise funds for the Archos or June 80 !

I was bought an iPod Touch there last Christmas, had no intention of buying one myself, but was unexpectedly very impressed. The navigation is excellent, turning it on it side and flicking through album covers is unique or just holding it and flicking with a finger to quickly scroll playlists etc. Sound is good, videos I thought looked fine on it - though that's not something I've done on other players so have little to compare it to that way but it is the first time I actually wanted to watch a video on a small player like that. And then having the option to go on the net while listening (assuming in a wifi zone) is a big plus for me. The downside as Mactard said is doing everything through the touch interface but I'd certainly recommend giving it serious consideration.

Tusky

art wrote: »

I was bought an iPod Touch there last Christmas, had no intention of buying one myself, but was unexpectedly very impressed. The navigation is excellent, turning it on it side and flicking through album covers is unique or just holding it and flicking with a finger to quickly scroll playlists etc. Sound is good, videos I thought looked fine on it - though that's not something I've done on other players so have little to compare it to that way but it is the first time I actually wanted to watch a video on a small player like that. And then having the option to go on the net while listening (assuming in a wifi zone) is a big plus for me. The downside as Mactard said is doing everything through the touch interface but I'd certainly recommend giving it serious consideration.

I am indeed. Cheers for that.

Wonder what the chances of getting stung at customs if when ordering one from ebay.com

Anyone know what the chances of getting caught are ? How much dya have to pay ?

pleasant Co.

Tusky wrote: »

Wonder what the chances of getting stung at customs if when ordering one from ebay.com

Anyone know what the chances of getting caught are ? How much dya have to pay ?

More like, what are the chances you wont get caught... customs are pretty stringent these days...

In terms of money... add on anywhere between 40-70 euro depending how much the package is valued at.

Tusky

Mactard wrote: »

More like, what are the chances you wont get caught... customs are pretty stringent these days...

In terms of money... add on anywhere between 40-70 euro depending how much the package is valued at.

Balls. You can get a 32 gb touch for 298 euro including shipping. Wonder is it worth the risk.

pleasant Co.

Tusky wrote: »

Balls. You can get a 32 gb touch for 298 euro including shipping. Wonder is it worth the risk.

Yep, that still works out cheaper than here and you get the same warranty treatment and you may not be caught....

.... just to freak you out... my fear of what would happen to my ipod touch:



via http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/31/flickr-find-working-iphone-destroyed-screen/

Tusky

Mactard wrote: »

Yep, that still works out cheaper than here and you get the same warranty treatment and you may not be caught....

.... just to freak you out... my fear of what would happen to my ipod touch:



via http://www.tuaw.com/2008/03/31/flickr-find-working-iphone-destroyed-screen/

Youch. That would be heart breaking.

So if it costs around 300 and I got caught, it would probably come to around 370 or something. Would be a kick in the teeth.

pleasant Co.

I bought a pair of headphones from the states sometime last year.. they cost about $200 (a little under)....I'll just go have a look see if I kept the customs invoice/receipt...

stand by for an edit :P

Edit: Luckily I keep every single receipt... so I can tell you I got charged €42.87 in customs duties...

Tusky

Mactard wrote: »

I bought a pair of headphones from the states sometime last year.. they cost about $200 (a little under)....I'll just go have a look see if I kept the customs invoice/receipt...

stand by for an edit :P

Edit: Luckily I keep every single receipt... so I can tell you I got charged €42.87 in customs duties...

WHAT?!?!

So the headphones cost roughly 128 euro and you got charged 42 euro at customs. Thats 1/3 of the price...!

By that rational, if the mp3 player is 300 euro, I would get charged 100 on top of that. How do they calculate it ? Do they look up the price of the item in Ireland and get 21% of that ?

kaimera

I got my zune on ebay and it arrived with no probs from customs. US Seller.

JackKelly

haven't read all the reply's so apologies if you have already ruled out an ipod classic, just thought i'd give my opinion.

I had a 10gb 3g ipod (back in the day) and used it regularly until the battery refused to charge. Wasn't really impressed with them over all and made a point of avoiding them in future mp3 escopades.
Had an 5gb iriver, 4gb creative zen, small 1gb creative muvo etc in between, none of which i was really happy with.
Recently decided to give apple another chance and got myself an 80gb classic in the US and I am more then impressed.
They really are class. Great battery, easy interface, and iTunes isn't that bad. Photos,Movies,Podcasts (another thing I hated until I actually tried them) I really don't have any complaints

80gb Classic's can be got for around 200 and I'd defo recommend one

pleasant Co.

Tusky wrote: »

WHAT?!?!

So the headphones cost roughly 128 euro and you got charged 42 euro at customs. Thats 1/3 of the price...!

By that rational, if the mp3 player is 300 euro, I would get charged 100 on top of that. How do they calculate it ? Do they look up the price of the item in Ireland and get 21% of that ?

Well I'm not sure what the exchange rate was last year so I can't confirm that

To be honest I think it is worth the risk as you will have the same warranty as one you buy here... you may be stung but you may not... even if you are stung the overall cost remains lower than here...

Tusky

kaimera wrote: »

I got my zune on ebay and it arrived with no probs from customs. US Seller.

Good to hear

TimAy wrote: »

haven't read all the reply's so apologies if you have already ruled out an ipod classic, just thought i'd give my opinion.

I had a 10gb 3g ipod (back in the day) and used it regularly until the battery refused to charge. Wasn't really impressed with them over all and made a point of avoiding them in future mp3 escopades.
Had an 5gb iriver, 4gb creative zen, small 1gb creative muvo etc in between, none of which i was really happy with.
Recently decided to give apple another chance and got myself an 80gb classic in the US and I am more then impressed.
They really are class. Great battery, easy interface, and iTunes isn't that bad. Photos,Movies,Podcasts (another thing I hated until I actually tried them) I really don't have any complaints

80gb Classic's can be got for around 200 and I'd defo recommend one

Thanks for the info but Ive pretty much decided on the ipod touch.

Mactard wrote: »

Well I'm not sure what the exchange rate was last year so I can't confirm that

To be honest I think it is worth the risk as you will have the same warranty as one you buy here... you may be stung but you may not... even if you are stung the overall cost remains lower than here...

Yeah, maybe. Ive found a couple on ebay for 340 delivered. 40 euro more expensive but I think its a safer way to go than ordering from the states.

I always go over budget when buying PMP

Budget: 200-250
Pruchase Price: 340

Tusky

Took the plunge and ordered an ipod touch 32 gb for 345 euro. Thanks for your help, appreciate it.

kaimera

BOO

Zune ftw :pac: Hope it works out grand thru customs

pleasant Co.

Tusky wrote: »

Took the plunge and ordered an ipod touch 32 gb for 345 euro. Thanks for your help, appreciate it.

Deadly stuff, let us know how it goes Tusky!

btw, I'm a tad jealous.... but even at 32gb that's just not enough capacity for me music...

Tusky

kaimera wrote: »

BOO

Zune ftw :pac: Hope it works out grand thru customs

I bought it from ebay.co.uk so no customs worries. Thought 340 was quite a good price to be honest

Keep your eyes on adverts.ie, you may see my ipod up there in a couple of months if I end up wanting a zune!

Mactard wrote: »

Deadly stuff, let us know how it goes Tusky!

btw, I'm a tad jealous.... but even at 32gb that's just not enough capacity for me music...

I have about 40 gigs of music but I can pick and choose what I put on it. creative ZVM was only 30 gig sand that served me well.