mp3 Player for Holiday

[Lead_Head]

Hello all,

I'm going on holiday in a couple of weeks and I'm thinking of purchasing an mp3 player to take with me. Now obviously holidays involve being around the pool, on the beach and cramming a wet towel with sun cream in a bag along with your wallet and music.

I've not decided on a budget yet so I'm open to all suggestions, and space wise I'd like to at least have quite a few albums, especially things like 3 CD compilations to store on it. I'd like a display, colour or not doesn't bother me.

The smaller the better, as I will probably use it for cycling and the gym when I get back off my hols. The mp3 players I've seen already are products like:

iPod Nano (probably 2gb version),
Creative Zen Sleek etc

I liked the look of the iRiver H10 when that came out, but thats a bit dated now, what's iRiver's latest offering? I've also heard stories about the iPod Nano being fragile, does this mean it'll break after 5mins use on holiday?

I'd probably get a case with it too, so any recommendations for a case for your choice would be helpful. I don't mind going second hand either, is it worth searching the depths of eBay?

Any links appreciated as well.

Cheers,

[Vini]

i was gonna splash £180 on the 30gb ipod video, but as im only away for 6 days (Exit Festival) i gathered i'd need about 2gb tops.

so got a 2gb memory stick for my w800i. thatll do me. £30 as opposed to £180.

[pr0p4g4nd4]

If you look after the nano, the nano would be a great choice. However it is quite flimy without a decent hard case. Here's the sort of thing you might want: Clicky!

[Lead_Head]

I've got a w810i but I don't fancy taking it on the beach or having it poolside even though it's insured. I wouldn't be able to contact my insurers and they could rack up massive bills before I get back if it were stolen. I want to escape the phone and just have a nice chill out holiday.

[wmsteele]

We have both the Nano and the Zen in our household. The Nano looks the business but its really fiddly to get music onto, iTunes is horrible and anything downloaded from it cant be played on any other player. The Zen is magic as far as usability is concerned, no drivers or any special software required. Both sound equally as good, the Zen however can be played much louder than the Nano can. Both come as standard with rubbish ear phones, budget for some good ones (highly recommend Sony ear buds), you wont regret it.

[Lead_Head]

I've got some decent Sony headphones from my mini-disc player I had many moons ago, I currently use them with my w810i.

So you think the Zen is the better all rounder? Which Zen model have you got, the Zen Sleek?

[wmsteele]

Have an old Creative 4Gb Nomad MuVo (still an excellent player) and a nice new Zen Sleek. Both are of equal quality, no fuss just quility products.

[Moonshade]

Hm, I don't know much about the iPod mini really, but I've heard they're fragile + my little brother has one and well he is not happy with the battery time apparently it doesn't last very long, at least not as long as it says it should. But I don't know if they'll break after 5 mins.

I have an iRiver iFP-795, with the space 512 mbit. I really like it
The sad part was that I could not change the colour on that one ..the others that have less than 512 you can have different colours on I think. Blue and red is the common ones..at least that is what I've seen.

Good Luck choosing music is something one must have on the beach, have a lovely summer holiday!

-- Moon

[Slick]

I've just bought a cheap mp3 player for my hols as I didn't want to take my ipod trekking around Thailand. I went for this in the end:

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/99158/rb/20127737980

Under £30, 1GB and with a radio. It should be arriving today so I'll post up impressions later.