Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

1st mp3- narrowed down to two- please help

Apr 19, 2006 2:07AM PDT

Finally giving in and getting an mp3 player. I've narrowed it down to two... the ipod nano (4GB) or the Creative Labs Zen Micro (5GB).

I'd also like to know what you think about the digital music services that are out there. Should I stick with the ipod for the reliability of iTunes or are the others just as good?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Reply to: 1st mp3- narrowed down to two- please help
Apr 19, 2006 2:39AM PDT

I like both of the devices, since I have both. But as far as the music services, I say stick with iTunes, it's much more reliable, and you don't have to hassle with the DRM licenses. When I was using my ZM, I just ended up transferring my CDs to it, because I was so fed up with the licenses expiring or the music services being buggy (and I've tried all of them). iTunes is by far the best way to go, so, I'd say get the Nano.

- Collapse -
Creative
Apr 19, 2006 2:56AM PDT

Both of the mp3 players you mentioned would be a good choice for a first mp3 player.

The iTunes service is a bit more reliable and you can always convert music you buy using a third party software

Keep in mind that with the Creative you can sign up for something like Napster ToGo. For $15/month you can download all the music you want and never have to buy any - unless you want to keep it forever. With this, you do have to connect to the server once a month to keep your license file updated - which is a slight inconvenience. This kind of service isn't right for everyone but it is a great option for the right kind of user.