An Alternative to the iPod Touch- the Samsung Galaxy Media Player Review

I check my reader stats from time to time and what strikes me as one of the most interesting factoids is that several of my older blog posts always seem to be in the top five for number of hits per month. Time after time, the articles that start with the phrase "An Alternative to..." always seem to be of consistent interest to people seeking out something else, something past the mainstream other don't consider.

If you read the title of today's post, you'll see that I'm no fool (usually) and today's alternative product is a legitimate contender for the title of "iPod alternative". The Samsung Galaxy 4.0 Media Player. It looks just like a standard Samsung smart phone without the phone part and that's pretty much what it is. The Media Player sports a 4" screen, dual cameras and even GPS(!) as well as the Android operating system (but only runs Gingerbread, a three year old OS).

The Samsung Galaxy Media Player
(Samsung.com)

However, the best part is the price. Ipod Touch's can easily run north of  $250 for the 32G model while the Samsung starts at $150 (street price) and can be expanded to as much as 64 gigs by adding a 32 gig micro SD card to the 32 gig version.

So, how does it work? Based on the thousands of reviews posted online, it seems others agree that the player is an ideal "other choice" for those who have had it with the bugs and self-imposed limitations of iTunes. The reviews state the player is easy to use- especially with Google Music- and others also report using the player a type of poor-man's cell phone when paired with Skype (free calling!). There's is also the 100,000+ apps in the Google Play store with games, video players and other applications available to anyone with an Android OS system.

The pros are:

- Decent battery life
- A micro SD slot to expand memory up to 32G
- dual cameras
- uses Flash to play videos
- 100,000+ apps
- good external speakers
- GPS
- Also available in 5" and 5.8" sizes
- Price! Less than $150 online.

Cons:

- Older Android issue OS
- far fewer accessories
- screen not as sharp as iPod (ok, but not great)
- Bland styling
- Plastic construction
- Managing MP3 files not as intuitive as iPod

But nothing says as much as the opinions of others and hundreds of those regarding the Samsung Media Player can be found at Amazon.com by clicking here and at Ebay.com by clicking here.

If my stats are telling me anything, they say consumers are starting to seek out choices beyond the mainstream that deliver just as much satisfaction as the most popular one and if Samsung can update the player with the latest software- at least the Jellybean OS- then Apple better start working overtime with an iPod Touch replacement.

Apple iPod Nano reviews. Is the 7th time a charm?

So, your kid is telling you she wants a new iPod. But the iPod Touch goes for as much as $395.00. I can almost hear my bank account crying from the pain of monetary withdrawal. Don't feel bad- kids don't feel your pain.

But, not to worry- some tech-challenged folks aren't aware Apple offers more than the iPod Touch when it comes to an excellent choice in MP3 players. The seventh generation iPod Nano has just debuted on the scene with some new and not so new features sure to please your child on Christmas morning for much less cash out of your pocket. 

The size and new headphones are both improvements
(apple.com)

About twice the size of the previous generation Nano- look at a standard business card and you'll get the idea of the new size- the latest iteration from the company in Cupertino has a much easier to navigate interface with selections for music, podcasts, photos, FM radio and video. Yes, you can watch video on the 2.5" screen, but would you want to? 

Apple includes Bluetooth with this new offering which allows users to wirelessly transmit audio to Bluetooth receivers now found in newer cars, stereo speakers and headphones. In other words, the Nano can sit in your pocket, happily playing audio to your headphones without a wire stretching from the pocket to your head. 

While all of this added tech and improvements is nice, how does it all work together as a package? Turns out, it's pretty good. For $149, you get your choice of   dark gray, silver, purple, pink, yellow, green, blue, and red and 16 Gigabytes of memory- enough to hold thousands of songs and pictures. Also, Apple includes a new design of earplugs meant to fit better with greater comfort. 

Color and sound meet
(Apple.com)

One item that might cause some confusion is the Lightning Connector. Apple has changed  the data/power connector on all iPods to a entirely different design incompatible with previous versions. To continue using older charging systems like clock radios or other legacy docking systems, you must buy an adapter commonly available at electronics stores, but get them now as they will be scarce for a time after the holidays due to high demand. 

iPod Nanos are sold just about everywhere and the prices never really change, so buy them wherever you find them because Apple doesn't discount their products and the price you find at store A will be the exact same at store B. 

Need to know more? PCMag.com looked over the Nano when it came out and have something to say about how well it works. Click here to read it. Theverge.com did the same and they have a slightly different take on the Nano but both agree that for less than 150 dollars, there's not a better choice out there.

I think your kid would agree.

iPod Nano watch- Why didn't I think of that?

I have these things I call "million dollar ideas"- they're inventions I think up that (theoretically) will make me a million dollars...someday. The iPod Nano watch should have been one of them. Put simply, this is a wrist strap that securely holds a standard Apple iPod Nano (latest generation only and sold separately) and is worn as a standard wrist watch.



This gives a good indication of size.
(source: Amazon)

It's so simple, it's beautiful. The iPod Nano is small enough to be a slightly large watch face (see my previous post here for the dimensions) and the "watch face" display is one of the standard displays on the Nano anyway, so the execution could not be simpler. The picture pretty much says it all. 

There's several styles, makers and colors of the watch strap available and it makes a great gift for Nano owners or as a great accessory to go with a brand new Nano. The cost seems to be well under $20 for most styles. You can go to Yahoo! Shopping to see a representative selection.

After all, do you know anyone who owns a watch that not only keeps accurate time but holds 2,000 songs as well?

It might be time to get one today.

iPod Nano reviewed



A herd/cluster/flock/school of iPods.
(Credit: Apple)



Engadget, one of the web's premeire electronic gadget sites, has a review of the new iPod Nano. Redesigned and overhauled, the Nano boasts new features and a snazzy new look.



About the size of a matchbook (remember those?) it can hold thousands of songs, podcasts or audiobooks and can run for hours on its little, bitty battery.

One of a slew of new iPod devices introduced a few weeks ago, the Nano falls in the middle of the iPod range between the micro-sized shuffle and the cell-phone size Ipod Touch. Priced around $179, This is going to be the must have present of the 2010 Christmas season.



Your kids and/or grand kids will want one, so you should know all about them to be a more informed consumer.

And, while you're at it, you might want to get one for your favorite blogger too!

Go see the Engadget review by clicking here.

BREAKING NEWS! Apple's new iPod Touch hits the market!

There's at least $687 worth of iPods in this photo.

A few months after the 4th generation iPhone went public, now it's time for the 4th generation of the Apple iPod Touch to debut. Known as the "iPhone without a phone", the new iPod Touch has a ton of new features that's best described at Apple's website. You can go to it here.

Apple also debuted new versions of the Nano, Shuffle and Apple TV, which we'll touch on in a later post.

What does this mean for Apple? Well, the Christmas buying season is soon approaching and there is just enough time for teens to get whipped into a consumer frenzy and beg their parents or grandparents for this exact item. It is expensive, starting at $229 for the 8gig version, but I predict that Apple will not be able to keep them in stock.

That is the most sure-thing prediction since I predicted my teenager would be hungry at dinner time.

How an iPod is just like a Jeep and a box of Kleenex.

The word iPod is alot like the word Jeep.  Both are brand names but both are also synonmous with the product they represent. The makers of Kleenex often take out ads in jounalism trade magazines making the point that Kleenex is a brand name for facial tissue.

The iPod is like that too. Many folks simply say they "have an iPod" when they really have something else as their MP3 player of choice. This avoids having to explain exactly what brand you have ("Archos? Who's that?"), what it does and you usually end up the explanantion with the phrase "just think of it like an iPod".

In the world of MP3 players, the 2nd most popular player in the United States after the iPod is the Microsoft Zune HD. Never heard of it? Not to worry, most folks haven't either and that's a shame because the Zune is a darn fine player in it's own right. It has a HD screen (thus the "HD" portion of the name), huge memory- up to 64 gigabytes- and a touch screen that is simplicity itself to use. It can hold 10,000+ photos, audio books and even has an FM radio! OK, that doesn't seem like such a big deal, but the iPod Touch doesn't have a radio at all...so there!

The best thing about the Zune HD, however, is the Zune Store. Think of it like Microsoft's version of iTunes. Millions of songs and movies are for sale, thousands of podcasts available for free and a special little item call the Zune Pass. For $15 per month, you can download unlimited (yes, unlimited!) amounts of music into your Zune player for as long as you pay the subscription. the good news of all this is you get to keep your choice of 10 of those songs every month forever- even after you cancel your Zune Pass subscription. Apple has nothing like it and no one else does either. You can also buy songs and keep them permanently one at a time too.

The Zune HD doesn't come with all sorts of apps like the iPod (although it does have a few that come preinstalled), but it's comparable in nearly every other way and the best feature of all? It's cheaper than the iPod- 16G versions start at $156 (go here to see it on sale for that price), Apple's 8G iPod touch starts at around twenty dollars more with half of the memory. ($175). So, you're getting twice the memory for the less than the price of the iPod Touch.

Available at most big box stores, the Zune HD is available right now. Go to the Zune site here to learn more.

Remember, it's just like an iPod.

Only better.