Iriver iHP-120 or 140 vs. IPOD?

[m61376]

Debating about the Ipod or the Iriver MP3 players- hope I am posting in the right forum- I know this is prob. a loaded question, but any opinions would be appreciated, since I know very little about this.
I am leaning towards the Iriver based on what I have read. I am thinking about getting the iRiver for my daughter, but she wants to make sure that there is a good program that is similar to iTunes, where she can put all her CDs on the computer, that is compatible with iRiver. What is out there for that?
THANKS!

 

[Wiktor]

Red Chair has this Irivium Explorer
http://www.redchairsoftware.com/

I think it's about the only program that was made with iHP in mind. Other may work too because iHP functions as an external drive.

I don't have an iHP but it is a good piece of hardware and pretty good functionality too. I think you should decide if you need the FM tuner, recording features and that LCD remote. If you will not be using any of that iPOD may be the better choice.

If you need some user opinions go to:
http://www.misticriver.net/
There are forums where you can ask questions

 

[Koing]

I'd probabyly go with an iPod for your daughter as it will be easier for her in general. Sleek interface etc.

Get the one with the remote and docking station as it is better value for money imo.

Koing

 

[SickBeast]

The 20GB iRiver player is around $330. The 20GB iPod goes for $400. I guess the iRiver is a pretty good deal in that case. The thing is though, and this may not be a fair comparison, the 15GB iPod is only $299, and you can get them for $250 or so with the student discount. Even at $299, most people would probably buy one instead of the iRiver based on price alone. Add to this, everyone knows what an iPod is, their marketing is better, etc etc.

As for the features, I find the "notes" and "games" features of the iPod totally useless. The only feature I use is the contacts one because I find it extremely functional. I purchased it solely as a music player, and for it to do otherwise is useless for me.

The recording features are a novelty on the iRiver player and they don't even work properly based on what I've read on the internet. There isn't even a monitor function to tell you whether the sound is distorting or not. The FM tuner, while useful, would go totally unused in my case. Why would I listen to static, low-fi radio signals w/ commercials when I have 5000 songs in my pocket? I could go on and on, but I'm sure you can see that I find these things a waste.

The only thing I find interesting about the iRiver players is the battery life. This is quickly counteracted by a few things, however:

-they're ugly
-they have a terrible interface, and navigating through large file lists is very difficult compared to the iPod
-they're physically 15-50% thicker than the iPod depending on the configurations compared
-no itunes
-lack of accessories in comparison to the iPod

So, in a nutshell, I would reccomend the iPod to you without hesitation.

 

[Gurck]

I'd go with the iRiver. I did a lot of research on them recently, and while I didn't read up on the iPod, as I'll never buy an Apple/Mac product, the battery life (lack thereof, rather) is reason enough to avoid them. The iRiver was everything I'd want from a player... unfortunately I have a hard time justifying that price tag for a mobile hdd with a phono jack and mp3 decoder, so I haven't gotten it. Their prices recently dropped a good bit at Newegg; from $350 to $285, then back up to $300 for the 20gb model, and from $450 to $385 for the 40gb one.

 

[gsellis]

I would love an iRiver iHP-120. It records. It has line and an records. It is about $400-500 cheaper than a DAT recorder. I could use it to record off of a microphone on a mic stand. Yum. Not sure how well it does, but...

 

[SickBeast]

You guys need to realize that this person's daugher is not an "uber-geek" like we are. She does not care about line-in recording. She will want something that plays music, looks pretty, and is easy to operate. The iPod fits the bill here. Anything else would be uncivilized. PWNED.
:beer:

 

[Gurck]

iRiver is pretty sleek as well, and she won't have to spend more time recharging batteries than listening to music. It's cheaper too.

 

[Anonemous]

Originally posted by: m61376
Debating about the Ipod or the Iriver MP3 players- hope I am posting in the right forum- I know this is prob. a loaded question, but any opinions would be appreciated, since I know very little about this.
I am leaning towards the Iriver based on what I have read. I am thinking about getting the iRiver for my daughter, but she wants to make sure that there is a good program that is similar to iTunes, where she can put all her CDs on the computer, that is compatible with iRiver. What is out there for that?
THANKS!

Even though I lean toward the functionality and value of the Iriver, if your daughter is looking for something similar to iTunes and she's going to be one using it than get her the IPOD so she won't complain later or have regrets.