Jump to content

iPod vs. NetMD

Rate this topic


Guest Anonymous

Recommended Posts

Guest Anonymous

Hey,

Just wondering... would anyone recommend the iPod over NetMD (or minidiscs in general for that matter)? Obviously this is a minidisc forum... but I already have a MZ-N707 and would like to know if upgrading to an iPod would be worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That depends on what you'd use it for. If you're primarily going to be shuffling MP3s, go for the iPod. If you want to record concerts & such, or if you're like me and get confused having more than 50 songs in one place, keep the 707. The 707 is a great machine, and you already have it! However, if you're curious and have money to throw around, give the iPod a try, but wait a little bit until they at least throw a "line-in" onto it.

In my opinion, MD is nicer because it's a stand-alone piece of audio equipment that you have the option to hook up to anything for recording/playback. But then, I only have a handful of MP3s on my computer to fiddle with, so my own path is pretty clear...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well, if you are happy with your 707 rite now, i don't think it's worth the money to upgrade.

I'd recommend ppl to go for the ipod if they don't already have an md player and are comfortable with the price difference

however, if u are stinkin rich, then get it anyways...

:twisted:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

I'm a loyal MD user.  Being able to record my own music is just too cool.  Using something like an iPod would feel too generic, not personal enough for me.  I love my minidiscs too much.

iRiver's iFP-300 series allows direct MP3 recording (up to 320kbps), and has no restrictions on uploading.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

iRiver's iFP-300 series allows direct MP3 recording (up to 320kbps), and has no restrictions on uploading.

(I see no mention of the iFP-300 on their site. Obsolete already?)

Restrictions? Can you mount the iRiver as a drive and drag and drop files on it, huh? Can you throw an operating system on it and boot off of it? The iRiver is a brick that does nothing. Flash storage? You must be joking. The iFP-300 (when it was around) topped out at 512MB. I guess that's enough for 12 year olds that only listen to the songs on the Top 40. The iPod plays more than just MP3 (who doesn't support to 320kbps, duh) and Micros*it's WMA. Ever heard AAC? It makes MP3s sound like sh*t coming out of my a** after I eat the iRiver. Have you even seen an iPod out there in trailerpark land? The iRiver looks like a dildo, and doesn't have half the class of the iPod, but I guess that doesn't matter to pencil-necks that look like cyberp*ssies anyways. Can your iDildo replace your PDA? Does it have an alarm clock, an address book, notes, games? The iRiver freaking blows and I'm sick of this same anonymous Guest posting in every thread the iPod is mentioned. Gutless.

"THERE are two types of people in New York: Those who have an iPod and those who want one." Oprah gives an iPod to everyone in her audience. Etc., etc., etc. No one gives a sh*t about the iRiver except Wal-Mart shoppers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

(I don't even see the mention of the iFP-300 on iriveramerica.com. Obsolete already?)

Restrictions? Can you mount the iRiver as a drive and drag and drop files on it, huh? Can you throw an operating system on it and boot off of it? The iRiver is a brick that does nothing. Flash storage? You must be joking. The iFP-300 (when it was around) topped out at 512MB. I guess that's enough for 12 year olds that only listen to the songs on the Top 40. The iPod plays more than just MP3 (who doesn't support to 320kbps, duh) and Micros*it's WMA. Ever heard AAC? It makes MP3s sound like sh*t coming out of my a** after I eat the iRiver. Have you even seen an iPod out there in trailerpark land? The iRiver looks like a dildo, and doesn't have half the class of the iPod, but I guess that doesn't matter to pencil-necks that look like cyberp*ssies anyways. Can your iDildo replace your PDA? Does it have an alarm clock, an address book, notes, games? The iRiver freaking blows and I'm sick of this same anonymous Guest posting in every thread the iPod is mentioned. Gutless.

"THERE are two types of people in New York: Those who have an iPod and those who want one." Oprah gives an iPod to everyone in her audience. Etc., etc. No one gives a sh*t about the iRiver except Wal-Mart shoppers.

take some valium and learn to understand what you read and how to navigate websites. Also let me know when iPods will have at least 24-hour battery life and ability to record.

Why would I need my MP3 or MD player to be a PDA if I don't need one.

Your NY Post and Oprah quotes made me laugh, thanks.

And in my original post I wasn't even talking about iPod. Why are you so insecure about your Portable audio choice that you get so offensive when you suspect that somebody else doesn't agree with you. Where is more to life than iPod, go get laid...

I don't like hard-drive based devices in general but I am curious to see the competition between iPod and iHP-100.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, troll, one last response.

take some valium and learn to understand what you read and how to navigate websites. Also let me know when iPods will have at least 24-hour battery life and ability to record.

Take some valium? I know you people out there can only understand three-word sentences spoken in a soft monotone, but don't be so touchy.

I didn't say it could run for 24 hours...or are you just mentioning a feature* happen.

"Learn how to navigate websites." :?:

Why would I need my MP3 or MD player to be a PDA if I don't need one.

I just mentioned a feature*, just like you do.

Your NY Post and Oprah quotes made me laugh, thanks.

I'm sure that did you make laugh with confusion. You don't understand that they're examples of the iPod selling like hotcakes while the iRiver gets zero mention in the press because it's worth that much.

And in my original post I wasn't even talking about iPod. Why are you so insecure about your Portable audio choice that you get so offensive when you suspect that somebody else doesn't agree with you. Where is more to life than iPod, go get laid...

You tell me why you need to anonymously post in every thread that mentions one word: iPod. You need to justify your purchase of your iRiver?

Guess what? There's more to life than your iRiver! *gasp!*

"Go get laid..." Well, well, your momma is ugly, so there! :roll:

I don't like hard-drive based devices in general but I am curious to see the competition between iPod and iHP-100.

You're curious about doing nothing except posting anonymously. Gutless coward.

I'm not responding in this thread or any other iPod-turned-iRiver thread to anonymous posts from your p*ssy a**. Respond away, anonymous coward.

Later, troll.

Go take some valium, yo hurtin mah feelin! Too much scariness fa me! Too harsh! Too mean! If I spoke like dat mah momma would slap mah buttocks silly! Da! *cry*

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All right guys, easy now.

MD battery life trounces that of any solid state player on the planet. Plus, mindiscs are so much sexier than a hard drive...heh heh. Seriously though, IMO minidisc recorders give this feel to your music that you can't get from a solid state player such as an iPod. Being able to zap all your music from a big computer to a little computer somehow makes the music seem less personal. Making individual minidiscs just has a better feel to me than making playlists on a portable mp3 player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Bracken I love that you will call someone a pussy for only posting as a guest, as if your username somehow tells us something about you, or that talking shit (although some of it was pretty creative) with your username somehow makes you not "gutless?" Haha what a bitch! Is it possible that this other guest maybe doesn't want to take the time to sign up or whatever because he (or she?) is not interested in wasting time arguing with people online?

The only real problem I have with your comments is that you sound like an arrogant bitch. You think everyone has the money for an ipod? Is there something wrong with living in a trailer park? Maybe you need to get off the computer and take a walk around in reality.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Hey all,

Just wanna say thanks to all who have posted. It's been very enlightening to see what everyone has to say regarding the iPod and NetMD. I think I am gonna stick with my md for now - it's only 4 months old and I was interested in the iPod solely because I saw Oprah give it to her audience the other day anyways laugh.gif

Furthermore, I wanna apologize for the heated arguments and name-calling that my query has created. sad.gif Can't we all just get along? Let's all be happy! hehehe... yeah, that's all. Thanks again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't get what the admins of this board have in thier minds, as admin of 5+ boards, i had never let peoples post as guest and keep thier identity annonymous :roll:

Anyway to the one who started this thread: You can't compare a technogie to a device dude. It's like saying: "Pentium4 vs. 3D Now!" laugh.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Hey all,

Just wanna say thanks to all who have posted.  It's been very enlightening to see what everyone has to say regarding the iPod and NetMD.  I think I am gonna stick with my md for now - it's only 4 months old and I was interested in the iPod solely because I saw Oprah give it to her audience the other day anyways  :lol:  

Furthermore, I wanna apologize for the heated arguments and name-calling that my query has created.   sad.gif   Can't we all just get along?  Let's all be happy!  hehehe... yeah, that's all.  Thanks again.

I have owned 2 ipods (5 giggers) and 5 minidisc recorders (ranging from a mz-r50 to a MD-DR7 + a MXD-D40). Too bad the D40 cannot read CDRW's. sad.gif

As I look at my desk what do I behold? A DR7, R900 and a R909, but no ipods. Why? The ipods are okay, and now cheaper, thanks to the new ipod driving the price of the old models down. Nonetheless, I just couldn't get "into" the use of one.

The downloading thing just doesn't work for me. I make my minidiscs on my MD/CD deck. The ripping, tweaking the MP3 labels, making playlists, and downloading them is just to much like work. I enjoy setting up a songs on a disc on the fly vs. on the computer. Also, the battery life on the ipod is terrible when compared to a gumstick or AA battery. Yes, there is a website that sells the ipod battery, but you still have to disassemble the thing to replace the battery, say goodbye to the warranty too. Duracell is also making one time use gumstick batteries which can work in a pinch if your rechargeable goes dead.

I guess it is the difference between using an true audio recorder/player vs using a little computer. It just doesn't seem as "real" to me. I guess I am a child of the 80's and just enjoy recording my music vs. the modern U.S. idea of ripping the music. It is too bad that MD didn't catch on as well in the states as elsewhere. Oh well, we few are the lucky ones.

Joe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Um, sure, if you like taking things easy.

I prefer MP3 over MD because it's more user-configurable and can potentially have better sound quality if tweaked properly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with you and Joe. I just can't wrap my brain around the playlist thing (even Net MD's 'Group' function gives me the willies). I like to have something solid in my hand: "This is my Flipsides MD, and I will now play it." If all my music was buried on an iPod, I'd probably give up and let it collect dust instead of search for it or organise it into playlists.

I'm the kind of person who has 15 years of photographs sitting randomly and unlabelled in a few boxes because I'd rather go through and handle them all than try to sort them (playlists), label them (ID tags) and file them.

Never thought I'd be a fossil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Um, sure, if you like taking things easy.

I prefer MP3 over MD because it's more user-configurable and can potentially have better sound quality if tweaked properly.

MP3 is MORE WHAT? I dont get how people complain about how much you have to go through to get NetMD to work(really... its not bad at all you just have to have a brain), yet this moron outright says that MP3 requires tweaking to get better sound quality... and even if you find the right encoder, set the proper bit rate, and find the best compression MP3's still sound like crap compared to ATRAC. You simply have to hear it to believe it and here in the US there isnt much of that happening. IF Sony was smart they would set up side by side demo's of the iPod and any of the NetMD players, after one listen no one would want the Mac "bar of soap".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MP3 is MORE WHAT?  I dont get how people complain about how much you have to go through to get NetMD to work(really... its not bad at all you just have to have a brain), yet this moron outright says that MP3 requires tweaking to get better sound quality... and even if you find the right encoder, set the proper bit rate, and find the best compression MP3's still sound like crap compared to ATRAC. You simply have to hear it to believe it and here in the US there isnt much of that happening.  IF Sony was smart they would set up side by side demo's of the iPod and any of the NetMD players, after one listen no one would want the Mac "bar of soap".

Jermz, as much as I love MD, NetMD can't stand up to the *new* iPod and its amazing AAC-encoded tracks. Yes, ATRAC blew away mp3, but it loses to AAC. Just like you were saying, you have to hear it to believe it. ...and trust me, I didn't want to believe it, but I have to be truthful: Apple's AAC is better than ATRAC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the mz-n707 it was an awesome device when I was a windoze user. I'm a Mac user now and using the mz-n707 sucks cause I’m lazy and don't like to record in real time. If Sony would open up there eyes and make it Mac compatible then I would have to agree and say the netmd is better than the ipod.

But for now I think the ipod is better and if Sony doesn't wake up before I get my finical aid I’m getting a ipod and selling my mz-n707. biggrin.gif

It just makes me so mad how stupid sony is. If they made it compatible they would sell more netmd's, but there idiots and don't think things out Logically.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats fine if AAC sounds better... wonderful... but a MP3 isnt going to sound any better when played back as a MP3, you would have to re-encode your MP3 to AAC and thus create a more lossy sounding recording. I know your gonna say a MD just does the same thing with NetMD, but truthfully it doesnt. It plays back the MP3 track and encodes the audio as ATRAC... sure its not gonna sound better than it did before as a MP3 but its better than re-compressing a compressed file.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey i_don't_know, how much would you consider selling your 707 for?

I think atrac, especially sp quality atrac, sounds better than other compression formats. MP3 isn't as crappy as it used to be, and as Diajoubu says, some people find vbr mp3 created using a lame encoder to sound better. I can't comment on AAC because I haven't heard it yet, although in a few minutes I'm going to check it out.

Having noted this, I still like the more "hands-on" feel of MDs, and I hate making playlists. I have an almost illogical liking of md systems over other competitors. It's all about loyalty...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just found out that my friend is moving in next door in July. He said i can use he's pc for what ever i want. So i guess if i use cd-rw to get mp3 off my mac and use nero and simple burner on his pc. This might be a temp solution to my problem.

However if i do have to get rid of it. I think i would try to get around $120 for it. I got about 15-18 md's i will throw in with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Jermz, transcoding an MP3 to AAC and transferring an MP3 to MD are the same thing - you're transcoding lossy-to-lossy in both cases.

The only difference with MD is if you're using analogue transfer. In that case, it's even worse, because you're not just going lossy->lossy, but you're going digital->analogue->digital.

i_dont_know... don't get an iPod. Or at least don't just go out and get one. Look around the net for the Zen and the Muvo. They're both as good or better and sell for the same price or less.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • 3 months later...

seems to me apple had a better marketing strategy with the ipod than sony, considering the 1001 different gadgets you can get for the ipod. i just can't understand why they hang on to their old ways and don't see the light, i.e offer people the ability to use your device for everything(flexibility), that they can think of. this might entice people to buy it. what happens if the ipod can record as easily/well as a minidisc player, in a lesser model(say somewhere between the mini and the bigger unit)? i would say that would just about do it for minidisc here. having an nh900, i can say i would have to think about making the switch myself. i hope this current shakeup allows them the foresight to see why the competition like apple(and all the other mp3 player comp) has always been able to cause them trouble.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

The main strength of the MD is battery life, and size. IN addition for the AA units you can pick up a spare battery anywhere. In every other area of portable audio and recording theres a better device IMO. Personally I'm still using the old MD units because I like the sound, and I can pick them up dirt cheap second hand. MP3 players on the whole are too expensive.

If I could get a IRiver H series in the MD size using AA batteries and had the itunes (not iPod) interface and playlists that would be my ideal. Has to be cheap too.

In the meanwhile back to my realtime recording....sigh...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...