WHAT PLAYER SHOULD I GET?

[parks]

Would love to get an IPOD but as I have Windows ME, this is not possible as iTunes is not compatible!! Bummer!

What player should I get? Would like to get one that has a screen on the player and preferably is 40gb.

Am not a real techie so do not needs lots of extras, just want a good quality player that looks nice, is easy to use n holds all my music.

What do you suggest?

[Silver]

Well the first answer if to get a better operating system  

-WinMe really is the worst of bunch. Howver, seeing as that is the most annoying advice in the world....

Have a look at:

Nomad Zen (by Creative) more capacity than an Ipod and software works on Me:
http://www.nomadworld.com/products/Jukebox_Zen/

Sony do one - NW-HD1 (in the UK anyway) but is waiting to be made mp3 compatible...

Also there is the iAudio at http://www.mp3-plus.net/products.php


I would say that the iPod is still best of the bunch though.

[DrewKaree]

Would love to get an IPOD but as I have Windows ME, this is not possible as iTunes is not compatible!! Bummer!

It's my understanding that you do not have to use iTunes to get music onto your iPOD, and it DOES work with windows.  

You should be able to use an iPOD with WinME.

If all you want to do is to add music to your iPOD, then you don't need iTunes, and it'll work just fine, you just have to read the instructions as to how to do it.  Don't let using Windows be the deterrent to buying an iPOD.

All that being said, Creative's Jukebox is probably the best of the rest of the bunch, and you'll be able to carry around more than a comparably priced iPOD.

You're not really giving us a whole lot of information to go on, for instance, ease of use, fidelity, formats you want, etc.  so you're making a recommendation a bit harder.  Let us know if you simply MUST use something like iTunes, otherwise, research how to get music onto an iPOD and purchase that which you truly want.  

Otherwise, give us more info to use when recommending a product for you.  You'll appreciate the info generated when it better suits you
 

[najen]

Has anyone used one of those get an iPod free things.

Like: http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=15457404

and actually gotten an iPod. I've seen other posts that say they have, but I'm still sceptical of that...

[TalkingOctopus]

I recently received a 20 GB ipod as a gift.

[GGKoul]

I'm getting the 5 gig Creative Labs Zen unit.  It's far better then an IPOD.

Zen plays MP3s AND WMAs (Ipod doesn't play WMA)
Zen has a longer battery life then the IPOD
Zen offers a removeable battery, so when it dies, you can replace and continue to us the unit. 
Zen has a MS Calender & Contacts software built in
Zen has a AM/FM tuner
Zen offers a Voice Recorder

But the IPOD has tons of accessories...

[DrewKaree]

IIRC, it also has a laptop hard drive in there so you can easily and cheaply replace the hard drive with a larger one, should you so decide. 

If that's the model, there are numerous sites out there to demonstrate how (and show how easy it is) to do this.  The Creative software will format the new drive and prepare it for music after swapping out drives, so there's very little reason for you NOT to do this.

Laptop hard drives are fairly easy to come by, and a cheap upgrade too.

THAT alone should be reason enough

     *disclaimer*
     I dunno if you're getting the one that is swappable, or if ALL of them are swappable.

[GoldnRd]

I got a zen touch for the special lady for christmas.   Pretty nice device.   Honestly I don't see what is with the iPods (unless of course you get one as a gift... ).   They seem over rated if you compare them to similar products from Creative and iRiver unless you want to "buy" songs from iTunes.   And by "buy" i mean you don't own them.   At least Napster is honest with its new service and doesn't lie about the fact that you don't own the songs and can't do what you want with them.   Sorry for the Anti-Apple rant but sometimes they really get my goat.

One thing to look at for folks having trouble with iTunes (Which honestly I have never even opened due to my total and utter distaste for the interface of Quicktime) is the plugins for winamp that will interface Apple or Creative mp3 players.

Zen (This is pretty sweet cause you can also play songs off your player through a web browser)

http://winampzenplugin.sourceforge.net/

iPod plugin for WinAMP.

http://www.harrison-fisher.co.uk/mlipod/index.php?page=home

If you are having trouble give it a try.   Of course, get WinAMP 5.   Its worth it.