iPod Mini vs. iRiVER

[detn8r]

OK, so I was looking into getting an MP3 player for Christmas. I wanted to listen in style with an iPod mini, but the iRiVER also caught my attention.

Does anyone have any experiences with an iPod (or iPod Mini) and or iRiVER?

The following were what I was looking at:

Apple iPod Mini 4GB Digital Player $382.95 (after taxes - CDN)
iRiVER iFP-799T1GB w/ FM Tuner & Recorder $322.00 (after taxes - CDN)

Could I get anyone's opinion or inputs? Thanks all

[detn8r]

OK, so I've decided to do a comparision of the two. (ref: http://detn8r.info/ipod.html)

Does anyone have an opinion?

[Spike]

Yeah, I have an opinion: iRiVER is bad. Really bad. I had a 64MB player, and ended up trading it in for something better. It just had really bad quality music and mine did NOT play WMA's, even though it said it did on the box.

Now, iPod, on the other hand, I trust. They have made excellent quality hardware, and now with the iPod Photo out, their company is going to just grow and grow. So I vote iPod Mini all the way.

My friend has an iRiver HP 120 and it works fine and I honestly like it better than my cousin's iPod equivalent of the 20gb player. Anyway as to your choices, I would suggest the iPod mini even though it is 60 more bucks since you do get more space and honestly, when will you really use FM tuner and voice recording? What for? The bad thing about the iPod mini is that the battery is not user replaceable unlike the iRiver iFP-799.

You can check out these sites for reviews:

iRiver iFP-799
(Make sure to click on the link for iFP-790 since they are practically the same thing)

Apple iPod Mini

[camster]

well, do you need the things that iRiver has like holding any file type? if you wouldn't REALLY need that, I would definitely go iPod. I've found something out. If you get an iRiver, you'll end up saying, "Hey, let me go get my mp3 player". If you get the iPod, you'll say, "Hey, let me go get my iPod." You wouldn't say iRiver for iRiver, and you wouldn't say mp3 player for iPod. iPod has revolutionized mp3 players, putting them in their own class. If money is the same on each of them, I would definitely get an iPod. I'm saving up myself. ($104.00 left)

[lazyturbo]

Yea, looks like the iPod is the better choice in terms of what they give you and the looks. Seems like the only good thing about the iRiVER is the FM Tuner and Voice Recorder, which I would like to have on an MP3 player. I hope they add it to the next generation of iPods.

The real question that should be asked is whether to get an iPod Mini, or an iPod.

[AzNSoldier]

iRiver would be better in that comparison chart.. The playing time is longer than the iPods.. 40 hour battery life... While it take's 4 hours for Mini iPod's battery to charge!!
oh yeah! A USB for people with no FIREWIRE port ;-)

[Someguy03]

AzNSoldier, the Ipod supports USB 2.0, and the Shuffle supports 1.1 and 2.0, so ya.

[Jeff]

Everyone that I know who has an iPod (including my technologically-challenged daughter)...LOVES IT. The interface, the feel, the usability. iPod is difficult to beat. Plus you get more cool points with an iPod.

[AzNSoldier]

Well yeah.. the iPod is nice like I said before but I would rather buy an iRiver . I have some friends with iPod and they always tell me their in iPod heaver, lol. So when I get an iRiver i'll probably be in iRiver heaven . iPod is great though and it got better reviews than the iRiver.