Idiot iTunes/iPod/MP3 question
 

Can you download stuff from iTunes and use it on an MP3 player? One of my scrip customers asked me and I have no idea, since CDs are still a relatively new concept to me. So i figured safest to ask the experts.

thanks

clueless in michigan

we've downloaded from ITunes to an Ipod, trying to remember about the Zune. It was fairly easy.

Thanks,. It's the MP3 player we need to know about -I'm assuming that's what a Zune is?

I think it depends on what kind of MP3 player it is. iPods will definitely work, because that's what iTunes was designed for. Other brands, I don't know.

thanks will ask. yes I should have specified non-iPod MP3 players. that's how unedumacated I am on this topic.

iTunes is for iPods and it is basically useless with any other device.

What people actually want is something they can plug in and it will show up as a drive, that they can then browse and drag and drop their volumes of mp3 files onto. It's a not-iPod. I've had several not-iPods and they all sound and work great. My current not-iPod is from Sony, whose current Walkman is an excellent device with superior headphones. Sansa and Creative and a few others also have nice not-iPods.

Not only does a not-iPod do more than an iPod, but it also costs much, much less.

I do not believe the Zune qualifies as a device that anybody actually wants, and the fragile 30GB hard drive approach now seems less interesting than an unbreakable 4GB or 8GB flash memory device. The trend is towards larger phones and smaller music players.

I think there is software that will convert from i-files (M4P?) to MP3 format. I don't have this software. What I do is burn a CD from itunes, then rip it using Windows Media Player, choosing it to be ripped as an MP3 file. Then it's good to go on my Samsung MP3 player.

thanks all

the only thing i've seen that can convert an ipod file (aa) was this program that actually played the file on the sound card and simultaneously re-recorded it as an mp4. in nearly real time....so it takes for freakin ever.

this is way beyond the level of me and therefore my customer, so I believe the answer I was seeking is no, sadly. Thanks again.

(I still have vinyl LPs and a working player in my family room)

Boy, that Amazon one-click thing is dangerous! :)

Bought a 160g iPod today. Whoo! Hope this will give me incentive to finally do something about my music collection.

BTW, I note here an interesting article about cleaning your scratched ipod (yes, even the screen) with Brasso: http://www.i-hacked.com/content/view/190/90/