I hated my iPod... is this the right PMP for me?

[Vechs]

I've been shopping around for a good PMP and first tried the iPod Video and returned it after about 5 hours.  I hated having to use iTunes.  And how you had to convert all files you wanted to play.  And how playing video on it required tedious and long re-encoding, and how the software that did that was a seperate 25$ ( I did find a free 3rd party program that would do it... slowly).  And how you could copy mp3s directly to it's hard drive, but it wouldn't recognize them.  That's crap.

My main question about this player is how you copy music and video to it from your PC.  It said in the product description that there is no software required, but maybe that means using it with other hardware, so I wanted a specific answer here.

Do I copy and paste files to it like I would any USB hard drive, and then it can play those files?

Is there any file managment software to deal with?

Will it use my pre-existing directory structure, or will it pull an iPod and say "no, screw you, I'm using the ID3 tags, your carefully organised folders be damned!"

Thanks

[ice.skillz]

Yeah, to copy file onto the 442 you could just easily drag and drop and it will play. But also some video might not be encoded to work on the 442, so uou might need to convert it. It comes with converter software, but there are lots of other free programs that you could use, and it works just as good.

All the file managment will be under Explorer, and it will use your pre-existing directory structure.

like my sig

[Vechs]

Cool, thanks for the info.  I think I'll order one.

[rastyk]

As far as usability, the ipod is wonderful -- the buttons and everything are really well-designed.

But if you're talking flexibility, the 442 just gets its stuff from a drag and drop.  And it reads divx

[Vechs]

Yeah, the iPod is pretty and nice to look at, but having to use iTunes with it was a fatal flaw for me.  And yeah it is an iPod "Video" but it's way too picky about what it will and won't play.  It's borderline false advertising, in my opinion.

[game_writer]

Wow, that's weird. I like iPods BECAUSE of iTunes. It's so easy to update your iPod from music in iTunes. I don't understand why this would be a negative. (No, I'm not using it on a Mac, either, but a PC.)

To each his own, I guess.



Game_Writer

[danil_den(at)hotmail.com]

Why not to convert your files... I use Soundtaxi & it works just fine!
http://www.soundtaxi.info/ []

[danil_den(at)hotmail.com]

Any other suggestions on drm protection removing...?