An MP3 player (not ipod) with at least 20Gb HD. Must play MP3s... no funny other thingys.

One that works with windows media player so I don't have to go about making my whole playlist library again. Sorting out 5000 odd tunes from scratch would be a pain in the arse.

Something below £200 if possible.

I don't need it to have pointless gimmicky toys like video playback or camera or any of that useless twaddle. Just play my music and keep playlists intact.


Can anybody suggest something to me?

Thanks I'll look that up. The prettiness of the thing is not my concern either so I'm not overly concerned with how bulky or unmodern it is so long as it does what I want.

The review sites I've been busily browsing recently say that Creative zen, archos and particularly iriver make the best ones. Some of the irivers have near perfect reviews. I'm looking to get one of those.



What is this firmware stuff I keep seeing mentioned? What does it mean? How do you get it and why do you need it?

I was so excited this week to purchase my MP3 player. It was my first. See I've been in the dark ages using the ancient technology of Minidisc for the last... well it's been a while anyway. So I was eager to be stepping up to the modern age with one of these new toys.

I researched and looked at a whole heap of them online and asked people. I was against getting an ipod because my whole music library is on WMP and stored as MP3 and I don't want to be fussing about with Apple stuff that restricts me.

I thought I found a gem... it had great reviews, looked pretty and Bill Gates was holding one in a picture with a grin on his face. I figure if Big Bill likes it it must be good.



I bought the Iriver H10 20GB little thingy







Excuse me I just have to curse and bang stuff about for a while...







Right... I'm back and calm now.



It's an EVIL machine. Don't buy it and stay well away! I should have trusted my earlier instincts and bought the Creative Zen toy instead but Bill persuaded me you see.

The main problem I have is that it won't synch my playlists. It copied all my songs just fine, but not the playlists. So they play in random order. One minute soul, the next grimey thugged out hiphop and then consciou reggae? WTF is the point of that?

I'm VERY VERY fussy and particular about my music as anybody who knows me knows well. It has to be just so. This machine simply does not deliver for me. I MUST have my songs in the order I choose. I MUST. Or there is no point.

Oh and it also freezes with a screen telling me not to disconnect the USB or else. Problem is it stays stuck on that and doesn't change. You can't even switch it on or off! Evil thing!

Oh and I've been waited ages for their support network to email me back... I'm not bloody phoning america or France for a helpline at premiem rate neither. NOW I find the countless websites with people moaning about this things and the same problems I have had too. Only now after I shelled out money NOW I see the bad reviews and angry forums!

I want to smash it to bits but I'm not rich and it cost me quite a bit! I'll probably end up taking it back but it's ruined the experience for me. I was so excited to be buying the thing and now I'm cynical and dejected about all of the damned things.

aww and it looks so pretty too!

Why the aversion to iPods? I thought it was just mini's that were unreliable?

I love mine just cos I'm not a tech head. Its plain and simple to use I can have my beloved play lists etc but the battery died a death long before it should have. I thought that was just cos I use it constantly. it's clinging on for dear life till I can afford a nano but hubbys psp has to take priority for now so nano will have to wait

I dont have an apple computer and all my library is on media player stored in mp3. I don't want ipod so I'll be restrictec to ipods forever after and I don't like the idea or itunes and being stuck to paying for that... nuh uh!

ah thats the difference. my music is all stored in "My Music " folder. They're all mp3. I find iTunes easier to use than media player. I had a mini discplayer for yonks and the format is quite similar to the one i recived with that.

What does having an apple computer have to do with it tho?

I heard that with itunes you need to keep paying for your tunes and they're unuseable if you don't. Also ipods convert music to a format which I don't like. The bit about Apple computers might have been wrong though. I just see em as fashion tings and not convinced by em.

Lol, most people don't like iPods these days contrary to what u might see on the tube lol! I think the main reason they appeal to people (me included) is cos they look pretty and theyre easy to use.

Definate fashion items tho. Not much else about them. I'm still hoked tho!