iRiver or iPod ?

lomb

The sony hd1 would probably smash any ipod or iriver into space, if it wasnt for sonys crazy copyright protection and compression format limits.
as small as a 4g ipod mini, magnesium case, 12-14 hour battery life, 20 gig hard drive, sony reliability, very high quality output, what more could u want?

chump

Well having owned an iriver H120, and played about with many an mp3 player, I'm gonna go against the grain here...

Now I love owning a "different", less main stream gizmo as much as the next kid, but you people must be mad to be slagging off the iPod so much...

I got, not for me now, a 30gig iPod video delivered today for an xmas present, 303euro delivered from apple (student price)...
It's a thing of beauty really. I always loved the clickwheel and the general ease-of-use, and the photo viewing is a neat feature... and as for the video ... brilliant (fair enough takes 30mins to convert an ep of Lost into the format... but you can get a freeware app that and queue them up over night and have the all in the morning).
I honestly believe the iPod is the most intuitive, easy-to-use, stylish, solid and honest player on the market.

I enjoyed my iRiver, but its GUI and interface just didn't cut if.
The H3XX players are just ugly ugly bricks.
The new H10 20/60gigs are just as big with a weak enough screen.

As for the X5... which I read up alot as was gonna pick one up in the sates late this summer... did it ever get an update for tags?
And the screen and interface aren't meant to be a patch on the iPod...

Now I wish it wasn't the case, but the iPod is a winner.
If I was to choose between the X5 and the iPod, I might be tempted for the X5, just to be different and the radio, which I like quite a bit...

BUT, all said, I do honestly believe the iPod is the best player on the market for non-fanboys.

cormie

I'm in no means a fan-boy, if iPod suited me, I'd get it. Bard I agree with your reasons there indeed. But for me, I'm willing to learn to get the most out of my mp3 player, music is very important for me, I listen to my iRiver on average 13-16 hours out of every 24 hours. Personally I think the iPod is quite confusing to use, again, that's my view, but I'm quite sure if I was to have a race from getting to a new song from the Play Screen, the iRiver would win if organised correctly. Yes, for the average joe, iRiver may not be the best, but for somebody who is willing to learn how to use it and what it's capable of, it's a great choice.

I don't think the H10 does iRiver justice, it seems with it they have gone down the simple/sleek route as it seems to get a bigger market. I hope they don't continue this trend. I don't understand why nobody else has brought out an mp3 player with optical ports for example. This was a feature on the H1XX when it came out about 2 years ago and technology has come a long way in terms of mp3 players since then but yet as far as I know, the H1XX is still the only one out there with optical ports.

I just can't wait until Hard Drives get vertical and they can fit 10X the capacity on the same size disk:)

Makaveli

chump wrote:

I enjoyed my iRiver, but its GUI and interface just didn't cut if.
The H3XX players are just ugly ugly bricks.

It spends the majority of the time in your pocket, what difference does it make what it looks like?

The GUI is a bit awkward due to the fact that you have to hold buttons to get into the settings menu but in a way that's a plus as when you go into the navigation it's just your file tree to navigate. Having to read the manual to find out how to change the mode is a bit poo but once you've done it once then that's not a problem. If the iRiver didn't have hinderances like this it would almost be the perfect player.

I haven't seen the IPod Video display videos, but I have seen the iRiver and the iAudio do it and I think they look better on the iRiver. However, for the price of the IPod Video it would be last on my list to buy, also the battery life hurts it for watching videos and the lack of audio formats supported doesn't help either.

matrim

I skipped most of the thread, mostly because all these threads follow the same path.

But I have to say if you get an iriver don't get the h10 -20g
It's not a patch on the h1XX or h3XX.

I had a h120 (great player, espically with rockbox) and had to get it repaired because of a small problem with the headphone jack.
Was told I had to change it and peats would only give me a h10. I knew I'd have to get a replacement but wanted a h320 or even to pay extra for the h340.
It doesn't have the same functionality as the others.

No ogg support, only supported by windows (they try to get you to use wmp10), shows as an mpt device not ums.

It's pretty much like an ipod now.

cormie

matrim wrote:

I skipped most of the thread, mostly because all these threads follow the same path.

But I have to say if you get an iriver don't get the h10 -20g
It's not a patch on the h1XX or h3XX.

I had a h120 (great player, espically with rockbox) and had to get it repaired because of a small problem with the headphone jack.
Was told I had to change it and peats would only give me a h10. I knew I'd have to get a replacement but wanted a h320 or even to pay extra for the h340.
It doesn't have the same functionality as the others.

No ogg support, only supported by windows (they try to get you to use wmp10), shows as an mpt device not ums.

It's pretty much like an ipod now.

yeah I agree, it's not a patch on the H1/3XX models. As I said, they went the simple/sleek market and I don't like it at all:mad:

muckwarrior

cormie wrote:

yeah I agree, it's not a patch on the H1/3XX models. As I said, they went the simple/sleek market and I don't like it at all:mad:

They're basically turning their back on all the things that set them apart from the crowd. Very bad idea IMO.

peckerhead

Can an old man who ended up buying both (for someone else) cut in here, hijack the thread and pick the collective brains for a minute? Some of you guys obviously know quite a bit about the iRiver... and about firmwares.

(btw Cormie, how do you ever find time to take photos if you're listening to music '13-16 hours out of every 24'...? )

My sister wanted an iPod Nano for her birthday, or 'whatever you call them' — so I did a bit of trawling around places like here, then got back to her and said 'Pshaw, don't mind that iPod nonsense, everyone with half a brain says the Creative/iRiver/etc. yokes are far superior'. Then I got eBaying and picked up — thought I was bloody great! :rolleyes: — an iRiver h10 5GB 'Pure' for just over €120. BNIB and all that, but obviously w/o the kind of guarantee you'd get from a retailer. Actually, the eBay seller was a single mother living in Guernsey — so she has better things to do than worry about my after-sales problems!

When it arrived, I took it out of the box, charged it up, transferred a gig or two of music onto it, then wrapped it back up and proudly presented it to sis (who assumed I'd spent €240 on her pressie ). Within a few days, though, things went pear-shaped — the yoke kept freezing/not finding the index file, etc. Got in touch with a half-savvy mate in Dublin (I'm 'down' in Limerick) who went onto the iRiver website, found the correct firmware upgrade and tried to install it for her, but it wouldn't 'take' and tbh I suspect he may have ended up formatting it and/or forcing some other/wrong version of the firmware... Now the yoke is showing no signs of intelligent life, and AFAIK iRiver don't have an Irish tech support op, or anyone I could appeal to under the 'manufacturer's guarantee' line. So the only decent thing I could do was say 'sure, drop it back down to me and I'll get you something else and keep that for myself' — and went and bought her a 4Gb Nano off the Apple site. One she can just send back if something's wrong...

I haven't got around yet to fiddling with it just yet, but I do remember that 'out of the box', the thing only had the old v.1.0 firmware, and I couldn't get the correct one to install either. So —

What is this 'Firebox' of which you speak?
Can I 'flash' the unit somehow and start again from scratch?
Anyone want to buy a barely-used (but not working) iRiver h10 5GB 'Pure'?
Or any other advice for me? (besides change my sig...)

cormie

muckwarrior wrote:

They're basically turning their back on all the things that set them apart from the crowd. Very bad idea IMO.

They even did with the H3XX, no LCD remote, they distributed it with that crappy little yolk, no wav recording and of course no optical ports. They seem to be taking a step further away with each unit they release.

muckwarrior

peckerhead wrote:

What is this firebox of which you speak?

I presume you mean Rockbox. It's basically an alternative to the iRiver firmware, but it's not available ofr the H10.

peckerhead wrote:

Anyone want to buy a barely-used (but not working) iRiver h10 5GB 'Pure'?

How much?

peckerhead

Ehhh, that last bit was in jest!

Actually I've just looked again at the website (while editing the link to the firmware page) and I see there's a new, improved v2.51 firmware there — so I have to at least try that first! The unit is sitting in work at the min...

[Edit: Rockbox, hmmm... I'll check it out in the morning, on company time/T1 connection ]

muckwarrior

peckerhead wrote:

Actually I've just looked again at the website (while editing the link to the firmware page) and I see there's a new, improved v2.51 firmware there — so I have to at least try that first! The unit is sitting in work at the min...

Robbed from mistic river:

Answer: Personally I would have used the "H10_Firware & Recovery_2.51" this is not only the firmware update alone but will format the player & loose all data, so be sure to copy & paste all your mp3's to a save place. Thereafter you'll have a clean drive & clean firmware.

peckerhead

Cheers muckwarrior — if that doesn't do the job, I'll pm you a 'first preference' before sticking it in the FS...;)

cormie

Bad luck Peckerhead:( hehe, your iRiver and my camera both broken! Hopefully the firmware will sort things out for you. Oh and I can take photos while either listening to music through my speakers, or with my earplugs in at college;)

astec123

Pecker I suggest you take a quick look to the site

www.misticriver.net browse on over to the H10 section and take a look at the suggestions.

In answer to the question, anything but the pod. Every single one of them says that it is smaller but then of course it is, but before you say that, consider this, the ipod needs 100s of extras to even start to have the same functions as the H300 H100 PMP or H10 of the irivers. IMHO I would take a Cowon (iaudio) or an iRiver.

Yes Im biased but remember I am also a writer/reviewer in my spare time so I know about the players somewhat.

The ipod is good for a few things
-looking good
-being small

But when you are away it is the functions you want, try going to the US and if you get bored in week two you can at least just listen to the radio, no extras needed. If you go to the theatre soon after you can always record the thing without worry and enjoy later in time, if you get bored on the train just sit down watching a video converted on iRiverter or one of several other converters. Then hit an internet cafe to get a few more vids and music files cleaning up the player as you go without even needing to look for itunes or any other program. Get even happier as your rockboxed player turns on playing mario or other GB games. Then when a friend comes over just let them plug into the line out for some video watching. Then go to the zoo and after back up your pictures from the camera to the player.

Be serious about this decision people, get the player that does the better deal. The iriver may be more costly but at 30yoyos for just the radio attachment the ipod will soon add up. Plus you dont get, a case, the battery pack (not with all models but my guide on MR is something to have a look at) USB, charger, host cables.

OK I may be biased as I said but think about it. Why pick a DAP (Digital audio Player mp3 is a codec!) that everyone has, do what apple tells you to do and "think different", get something else. It may just bring you some new friends.

Another reason to prefer iriver is that misticriver is also one of the most enjoyable forums around. Many dislike the hard handed modding of IPL and iaudiophiles.

Anyway nuf said, thats the crap from this yonder poster of the mistic brood.

Astec123 signing off.

muckwarrior

astec123 wrote:

The ipod is good for a few things
-looking good
-being small

In fairness you could add best interface to that as well.