So, my MP3 player just died...

[Phoenixsong]

...and I'm in the market for a new one. It's a shame, really--it was a great little player, and I never had a problem with it up until the last few months when all of the newer operating systems decided they wouldn't recognize it without me having to bend over backwards... guess that's just what happens when the company stops supporting it, though. I would just replace the battery on this one (assuming that that's what's wrong, I have no idea) or buy the same one again, but, well, it's discontinued and not well-supported anymore.

So, in addition to the comparison shopping I've been doing and will continue to do until I can afford to replace it, I figured I might ask you guys about what you've had experience with. Any recommendations, warnings, whatever. Just keep the following in mind:

-No iPods, no Zunes. Ugh.
-I don't have hundreds of dollars to spend, so if you know of anything good in the $30-$80 USD range that would be preferable.
-I don't need a ton of space--I'd never be able to fill up one of those massive 160GB things--but I do need a minimum of 4GB. SD/microSD expansion would also be cool, especially if it's ~4GB.
-It doesn't have to be super-fancy, either. Fun toys like touch screens and built-in speakers and the ability to play videos are neat and all, but I listen to music and that's about it. As long as it actually has a screen and a shuffle function, maybe some playlist capability, it's fine.
-Newer models are obviously preferable to older ones. I don't want to have to take a sledgehammer to my computer just to make it see my MP3 player.

I think that's about it, so recommend away, I guess. If you've had a good experience with one that's more expensive or higher/lower capacity than what I'm looking for but comes in another size, feel free to suggest that, too.

 

[spaekle]

I've never personally used one, but I know the Sansa is pretty cheap (just googled and am seeing them new for as low as $45) and that they have SD support. I considered getting one but went for a Zune instead. They get good reviews, anyway.

 

[departuresong]

Anything that Rockbox runs on, really.

 

[Tarvos]

i use a creative zen x-fi

 

[glitchedgamer]

Before my iTouch, I used a 4GB Samsung YP-S3. It only cost me $60, and it was a great little player. Problem is, it's software SUCKS and the official store is dead. Like ShiningGlass said, I would go for a Sandisk model that will run Rockbox. Great fun.

 

[surskitty]

Sansa thingies with microSD bits are great. I used to have a 2gb sansa something (size of an iPod nano); it broke after over a year. Now I've got an 8gb clip (slightly bigger than the iPod shuffle, has a screen and is actually ... useful).

 

[Phoenixsong]

Hm... I've had a few Sansas before. Lost the first one, and then the second one's firmware started having heart attacks and rendering itself unusable more often than not; that one's constant issues was why I went for the one I was using up until yesterday. Apparently Sansa's firmware being rocky from time to time is a fairly common occurrence, given the reviews I've seen for even the newer models, and I'm a little leery about going back to them.

However! As luck would have it, we never returned my old e280v2 and it's been sitting in my mom's closet for the past... almost two years now. That Rockbox firmware looks pretty cool, and it has some support for e200s, so I'm trying that out on it now (luckily my computer still recognized it and it ran without dying for long enough to get it on there >>;). It does seem nice so far, so I may end up sticking with it and not having to spend any money at all. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Furret and glitchedgamer.

The X-Fi does look good, Altmer, if a bit pricey given my current finances. The player that just died was a regular Zen, so I'm pretty familiar with Creative. Assuming I can actually afford it, if the Rockbox thing doesn't work out I might give that a try.

Thanks, you guys. :)

 

[Tarvos]

i got mine as a present - i'd look towards something slightly less expensive

 

[Valerunner]

Get Creative or Phillips.

I myself use my PSP and while it's bulky, it does everything. Even got a GBA emulator with both Golden Suns.

 

[ultraviolet]

I have an iriver E100 which are made by some guys who came from samsung, I think. The one I have is outdated a bit (got it last year) and it's got something like 8GB, and you can add a micro SD, too. Stores pictures, videos, music and text documents, has a microphone for recording (fairly good quality), can pick up the radio, and it has speakers on it so you can listen to it without headphones (also fairly good quality). You can use it with wmp, but it does come with its own application for pictures and such. It was around 200$ when I got it, I expect there's something better now for the same price.

 

[departuresong]

$200 for only 8GB? That's ridiculous. (Although I guess I am a bit excessive when it comes to music. 429 GB isn't that bad, is it?)

 

[Tarvos]

200 AUSTRALIAN dollars.

Also I don't even have 429 gigs of music. I have about... 100? on my pc in total, that is. My X-fi has 16 and I haven't upgraded it with a memory card yet.