Do You Use Your Pocket PC For Music?

[Ed Hansberry]

In preparing for my trip tomorrow I was getting my music arranged on my Pocket PC. I do know though that some of my fellow Mobile Device MVPs use dedicated jukeboxes, like the Ipod or Dell's MP3 player. I know I have nearly the room other devices have, but with the space available on my memory cards, I have room for almost 17 hours of music, which for me is plenty, especially since I am very likely to listen to some recently purchased CDs multiple times. :D Windows Media Player on the Pocket PC coupled with <a href="http://www.handango.com/brainstore//PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=30011">CEPlaylist</a> for powerful playlist creation and arrangement fulfills all of my needs, and I don't have to carry an extra device or charger. :way to go:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2004/20040403-windowsmedia.jpg" />

[Ed Hansberry]

I know I have nearly the room other devices have,
Should say "I know I don't have nearly the room other devices have..."

[ctmagnus]

I use my Pocket PC to listen to music on a daily basis but every once in a while when I want to listen to something that isn't on the SD card at the time, I'll use my jukebox.

[Tom W.M.]

It's really the only purpose of my BE-300 (OK, not really a PPC, but it can be made to function like a PPC2000 device) now that I have my MobilePro 780. Of course, I don't use WMA—OGG Vorbis and MP3 for me! (But let's not start a huge debate on formats; I'm sure we've all seen enough of those :roll: )

[marlof]

Since I have a broad taste in music, and what I want to hear is largely depending on my mood, I love having my 20 GB -and growing- of MP3 files with me almost at all times. It is soooo cool to be able to choose from your complete CD collection. Only if I want to travel light, I plug in a filled CF card in my 2210, and that's good too. Like Ed, I like listening to new records more than once in a row, to really get the hang of them. So it's just a matter of having the right things on that card.

[rudolph]

Currently, I do play my music on my axim with a 1gb cf card. It does the job niceley, but I'm looking to buy one of those 20gb "mp3 players" (I actually want an "ogg player") so I can put all my music on it and take it with me. The player that I'm probably going to end up getting is the neuros (http://www.neurosaudio.com). It's a big device, but it plays ogg files and has quite a bit of features.

If only I had one of those 24gb cf cards for my Pocket PC, then I wouldn't need a separate player.

[c38b2]

Curious... why do people listen to music? Does music provide a needed distraction from reality? Does music provide something to concentrate on when otherwise you would get agitated with boredom? I have some music, sure, but I can't even imagine filling gigabytes with it. Of course, I encode in 56kbps MP3, so... :lol:

[scargill]

Well I have an mp3 player too, but its a pensized one, 128mb....my PPC has 3/4gb over my 4 storage cards, beats my pendrive anyday!

[Rikostan]

I don't listen to music on it much, but I do use my iPaq to listen to audio books on the hour long commute to work

[OSUKid7]

I actually listen to the radio the most, but for mp3s/wmas I use my iPaq if I'm not at my computer. Other wise my 5.1 audio setup is better than headphones.

[Paul]

I didn't vote cause although I use my PPC for listening to music in my car. I use my Sony NW-S4 to listen to music while I run. I like small flash memory based players that I can strap onto my arm.

The thought of dropping my PPC on the groud or trying to use it with sweaty hands prevents me from trying it. Maybe if I can find a good but not too bulky case.

[kamikun]

....I use my Sony NW-S4 to listen to music while I run. I like small flash memory based players that I can strap onto my arm.

The thought of dropping my PPC on the groud or trying to use it with sweaty hands prevents me from trying it. Maybe if I can find a good but not too bulky case.

You bring up a good point. I have read many references to people using their PPC for jogging music. But what in SamHill do you guys use to secure the device?

The thought of jogging with my $600 e800 and hearing the plastic, toy-like shattering of its case as it hits the asphalt makes my blood run cold. Don't know about you but I don't wear a belt when jogging so that rules out the, already, bulky leather case with clip.

At the risk of thread-drift, can anyone point me to some solutions for this or to another thread where it's already been discussed?

Thanks

[dmy]

Curious... why do people listen to music? Does music provide a needed distraction from reality? Does music provide something to concentrate on when otherwise you would get agitated with boredom? I have some music, sure, but I can't even imagine filling gigabytes with it. Of course, I encode in 56kbps MP3, so... :lol:

4 hour airplane flights, 8 times a month since September..... not to mention the time sitting in airports on either end (not counting delays). I plug those Shure E3's into my 2215 with some nice jazz on the SD card, and the world goes away and I can read or whatever. Best part is that the E3's (I formerly used E2's which are as good for blocking noise) cut all that background noise on the airplane including the screaming 2 year old in the seat behind me.


D.

[mcsouth]

One of the biggest motivators to buy as big an SD card as I could was simply to hold more music - I have a 512MB SD card right now, which is full - 90% of it is music. I would prefer to have a 1GB SD card (I had a 1GB CF card in my Jornada previously), but they are just a bit too pricey for me yet. And yes, I do take my PPC with me to the gym when I work out, so that the music helps keep me going - haven't dropped it yet, but I will admit that does concern me at times.......

I will also admit that the multi-GB music players have been looking mighty attractive lately, but I just can't see myself carrying yet another device around on a regular basis - my pockets are already too full of PPC, cell phone, keys, change, wallet, etc. (I guess I need a Scott evest ;) ). I'm sure that most of us have busy schedules, and the thought of not having my music/ebooks/web with me when I have a few precious moments to enjoy them is not an option - hence the PPC fills an important role, as it is always with me.

Future ideal unit at this point? iPaq 6300 with a 4GB SD card!!!!

[cribbagewiz]

Actually, I use my Axim primarily for movies, though occasionally for music/comedy. My primary music device is my Sony Sports Discman MP3/CD player. Portable hard drive and flash devices simply annoy me.

It's a billion times easier to just pop in a new CD when I want a different selection of listening material. With MP3 on CD support, it's a no brainer. If/when portable DVD players (with or without screens) that support MP3 data discs, I may upgrade to one of those, but until then, give me my Axim and my MP3 CD player!

I had one of the upgradeable firmware RioVolt MP3/WMA CD players from SonicBlue, but when they flatly refused to honor the warranty when the device broke well within the warranty period, I wrote off the company for good. The menu and audio quality were superior to just about anyone else, but their devices were too expensive and too fragile.

[Casio Collector]

Hi - I use my iPAQ H 5450 with a 256CF and a 128SD card, and these serve most of my portable music needs, encoding at 64kbps WMA V9.

However, when I really am in a mood for quality, call me old fasioned, but I cannot beat the sound of my Sony D-EJ955 Discman.

The breadth of sound from it and the quality is far superior when I need a quiet isolation, but usually my iPAQ is fine.

[Jon Westfall]

Being able to listen to MP3's was one of the major selling points for buying a ppc for me - and for not buying just a dedicated mp3 player. For a time I had a palm, an mp3 player (creative nomad jukebox - blue one), and a cell phone. Now I have those all in 1 device. Although I have to admit, the new mp3 players still draw me a bit...

[Aerestis]

yeah I like to listen to tunes when I am plugged into an outlet, at school and stuff. My sd is only 128, so i only have around twenty five songs, but that's one hundred percent ok with me. I use 128kbps format, and it's usually my own music, so I don't get tired of it so much as listen and plan on how to make it bnetter after school. I've had the same tracks on my card for about a month, heh. Even a 64 meg card would be fine.

[bjornkeizers]

I don't listen to music on my Ipaq. Not only would it drain my battery too fast, I also don't have the space to store my files.

I use an Archos Jukebox Recorder 10 gigabyte for my music needs. It's pretty old, but still a very good player. The next time Im upgrading, it'll probably be one of those all in one multimedia players, that can also play movies and my entire picture collection.

[ale2999]

Yea the music was a big seller point for me too. My 256 mb sd card is 90% full of music. I want a bigger one, but dare I say I dont wanna spend money. I was pondering in getting a muvo 2 to get the microdrive off it, but I am scared of its battery time and of it skipping

[Anthony Caruana]

I usually have 4 or 5 CDs of music on my SD card. I use it when I'm on the 90 minute commute to work on the train and when i'm typing away in Text Maker with my external keyboard.

It's just a way to block the outside world out when i wnat to be alone in a crowd.

I really need to spalsh out on some decent noise cancelling headphones. Any recommendations?

[Iznot Gold]

Yep another one here who plays music on my PPC whilst commuting. I also like to record radio plays / shows & transfer them to SD card for the same puposes....must get a bigger SD card!

Although, I have been increasingly looking towards a seperate device...the point Marlof makes is a very good one .....

PS...nice to see Marlof again..Hi...it seems a while since I last saw you post...I know you semi-retired as contributing ed but good to see you still posting
Regards
David

[dean_shan]

I'm too cheep to buy a MP3 player. I just use my PPC to do it.

[unxmully]

I stopped bothering listening on a PDA when I got my iPod last year.

Currently I have 4gig+ of music (rapidly growing) and the convenience of not having to pick and chose what I listen to on a daily basis, and fire up a PC in the morning to change the albums I've got on a small card means I'll not bother doing anything different for a long time.

[omikron.sk]

Guys, you're talking about being afraid to drop your PPC. My h2210 had 2 really bad falls, since I bought it and it works without any problem. It didn't even stop playing music from CF.

[Andrew]

I use my ipod for my music, especially as I also have audio books on there, that I couldnt hope to fit on to a memory card in my ipaq. Plus I tend to carry around the cab files on my memory card for reinstall as well as some programs for my laptop, so theres not to much room there anyways.

[Sven Johannsen]

My biggest reason for using a seperate MP3 player is battery life. I can afford to have my jukebox die in the middle of a plane ride. I can't afford that to happen with my PPC.

[Cameron_Talley]

I used to use my PPC to listen to one album at a time via a 128 sd card. I would transfer an album in the morning before school, which usually took about 30 minutes (no reader here...only through activesync).

Then both my parents got iPods, and I was hooked.

So I got an iPod, and have never looked back. 1995 songs and growing, which is over 4 days of music. I love having EVERYTHING I own with me at all times, so I can play whatever I want.

I still use my PPC on an everyday basis, just not for music.

[rij73]

I used to copy music to my old minidisc player for portable music, but that only holds 1 cd per disc. I would use windows media player to make a random playlist 80 minutes long, and then I would play that into the minidisc. This could only be done in real-time.

Now I use my axim with a 256MB card. I have Windows media make a random playlist of 256MB and I transfer to the pocketpc using the media player. It's about 3 hours of music. When I get tired of those tracks (after a week or two), I just create another random playlist and replace them.

I only listen to music for about an hour a day, and I use a screensaver to turn the display completely off, so the battery problems aren't too bad. I wouldn't want to listen to music more than that anyway, as I'm a musician, and most of the time really appreciate quiet... I think hard disk mp3 players are really really cool, but I can't think of a situation for me where I would need to have my complete collection with me. It certainly wouldn't be worth carrying a third device around all the time...

[that_kid]

I use my ppc to play music sometimes but i just brought a 40 gig ipod for my music needs. I lije to keep my music collection with me andvwhile my 512 sd card dis a good job ], the 40 gigs in the ipod holds more and offers more music choices. My music collection is larger than my ipod can hold but I can have a good variety of music at any time. Plus like Sven said i'd rather my ipod's battery go dead rather than my ipaq.

[gibb-a]

I used to use the 256MB SD card in my iPAQ to have selected tracks to listen to. I also was resisting buying another thing to carry around. But since it doesn't look like we'll be getting any HD-based PPCs with 20GB storage, I finally broke down and bought an iRiver ihp-120 and now I love having all my CDs available on it!

[Registered]

Shouldn't one of the poll options have been:

"Yes I would love to, but Microsoft in its eternal wisdom decided not to create a Windows Media Player 9 client for first-gen devices (ie. 36xx) and the streaming capabilities in earlier clients are ... well, crap ?"

[dma1965]

I mostly use my 4155 to listen to news on the dreadful commute home, uing Plus! Sync-n-Go, but my 3 month old son loves to fall asleep to The Beatles or Miles Davis played through the tinny iPaq speaker.

[brntcrsp]

Integrated media was the second reason for buying a PPC back in 2000, after my PIM needs. I couldn't justify buying just a mp3 player and a pda but the two together fit my needs well. I listen to music during my commute by bus across town, and then on long trips i break out the 2GB PC Card and expansion sleeve for the good old Jornada 568. So as to be unobtrusive I normally run around with the J568 in my pocket with the display off and I find that I still have a pretty good charge after listening to music for 2 hours, and then the daily use at work with the standard battery. if i use the extd. battery I find that I can go about 3-4 days before I need to plop it in the charger.

I refuse to take my Pocket PC when I exercise though, too much bulk for my tastes. Plus when running the streets I prefer to hear my surroundings just to be aware.

[Lucky Bob]

I probably would listen to music on the go with my Ipaq 3765, but the quality of the sound is horrible. The humming and buzzing and popping just hurts my ears. :cry:

[Zack Mahdavi]

I use my PPC to play songs when I'm walking in between classes or walking somewhere on campus. I use Pocket Player to play the music, especially since I like playing internet radio.

I use my iPod when I'm studying. The reason why I don't use my iPaq is because the battery life is too short in my opinion. It generally doesn't last very long playing music.

[rpommier]

....I use my Sony NW-S4 to listen to music while I run. I like small flash memory based players that I can strap onto my arm.

The thought of dropping my PPC on the groud or trying to use it with sweaty hands prevents me from trying it. Maybe if I can find a good but not too bulky case.

You bring up a good point. I have read many references to people using their PPC for jogging music. But what in SamHill do you guys use to secure the device?


I run with my 2210 all the time, this is what I use: http://www.casedirect.com/product_detail.asp?UID=2004040418024847&T1=CAS+NDM+1&menu=00

It works really well and keeps the device secure and minimal bouncing...

[rpommier]

What do you guys encode with? I usually use 128k WMA and get acceptable sounds with that if I rip directly from CD. Converting from mp3 is hit and miss...

[ctmagnus]

I use WMP9, coming straight from the CD. I use VBR at one notch to the left of the middle. It isn't quite 128kbps but it still sounds wonderful through either my Sony MDR-EX70LPs, Koss The Plugs or Sennheiser PX200s.

[Jonathon Watkins]

What do you guys encode with? I usually use 128k WMA and get acceptable sounds with that if I rip directly from CD. Converting from mp3 is hit and miss...

I use 192kbps MP3s for my PC and then convert those to WMP 64kbps for use on my Axim. It sound good enough for me. 8)

[Jeff Rutledge]

I listen to mp3's using WMP almost every day to- and from work on the bus. I listen to my tunes and read my e-book (which I just got in to).

All in all, it makes for a fairly enjoyable trip.

[MrPlastic]

Who here would be interested in a clamshell PPC phone with an iPod-sized harddrive? And what if it could take 4.0 megapixel pics, too? If there's an interest, I know they'd build it. And I know for a fact the guys at XM Radio and Sirius are working on bringing their services to cell phones and other "portable media". They've both got job listings for engineers on their websites right now. I think our handhelds are about to get pretty powerful here in the next year or two.....

[pad]

I record lectures on my PPC and then listen to them while preparing to exams. I find it one of the most brilliant and exciting features of PPC. You can note things that you didn't manage to note on the lecture, and I find it much easier to memorize when I listen to things.

[dean_shan]

I record lectures on my PPC and then listen to them while preparing to exams. I find it one of the most brilliant and exciting features of PPC. You can note things that you didn't manage to note on the lecture, and I find it much easier to memorize when I listen to things.

Yeah same here. Do you use NoteM to do it? That's what I use.

[pad]

Didn't mean to advertise here, but I use VITO SoundExplorer :D

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

I go back and forth on this quite often. I have a total of 1GB of storage space and use the majority of it for music and videos.

In the end the reason I choose not to purchase a dedicated music player is b/c of the number of devices I have to carry with me. I travel out-of-town every week to work, and my current number of gadgets that require a charging cable is mind-numbing already.

Currently, I do play my music on my axim with a 1gb cf card. It does the job niceley, but I'm looking to buy one of those 20gb "mp3 players" (I actually want an "ogg player") so I can put all my music on it and take it with me. The player that I'm probably going to end up getting is the neuros (http://www.neurosaudio.com). It's a big device, but it plays ogg files and has quite a bit of features.
I believe there is a Rio model that plays ogg files as well (just in case you didn't know). I was considering it myself for a short time.

The thought of jogging with my $600 e800 and hearing the plastic, toy-like shattering of its case as it hits the asphalt makes my blood run cold. Don't know about you but I don't wear a belt when jogging so that rules out the, already, bulky leather case with clip.
I have a simple washable pouch with a drawstring at the top. If I jog outdoors, then I'll just wrap the drawstring around my wrist. If I'm jogging indoors (treadmill), then I'll wrap the drawstring on the front handle bar. Been doing that for the last 2-3 years.

[uvahoos]

I'm in the separate device camp. For a number of reasons, I use an iPod Mini for the vast majority of my music listening. I sometime use my 512MB CF card in my iPaq 2210 and that does the job, but I have yet to find a good player on the PocketPC that has a nice interface you can use one-handed. The iPod is great because I can actually control it with one hand and often without actually lookig at it. And I don't want to run the risk of damaging my iPaq while working out.

I also have close to 400 CDs encoded onto my MP3 server at home and it's much easier to pick and choose what I want to listen to for the entire week on my iPod, rather than being limited to a few albums on my CF card. I'm a bit of a bitrate snob so my idividual albums can be quite large, and I just can't get into the habit of syncing new music every day.

Also, one thing that no one has mentioned... I sometimes share my iPod with my wife, but the iPaq is all mine! : :lol:

[ale_ers]

I didn't vote cause although I use my PPC for listening to music in my car. I use my Sony NW-S4 to listen to music while I run. I like small flash memory based players that I can strap onto my arm.

The thought of dropping my PPC on the groud or trying to use it with sweaty hands prevents me from trying it. Maybe if I can find a good but not too bulky case.

I have this same dilemma. I often use my ipaq for music while sitting on a plane or similar down time and I even use it when I jog while traveling. This way I don’t have to pack a separate device. I just put it in a waterproof pouch (buy it at any large sporting goods store…it looks like an industrial zip-lock with a handle) and I don’t worry about dropping it on a treadmill. But when I am at home and jogging outdoors, I use a flash based player. This way I don’t worry about dropping it, I don’t have to carry it (it straps to my arm), and I don’t worry too much about the weather (it is kind of rubber coated).

I am in the market for a new flash player though, and I would love one that you could swap SD cards from the player to the ipaq without having to re-encode. I don’t know if that is possible, or it might be common…my old nike psa can never read songs from my ipaq. To me that would be the best of both worlds, just keep one card for music and use it at home or away.

[Lynn]

Well, I wanted to listen to music on my 2215, but I can't find the slot for my cassette tapes. I even RTFM, and I can't figure out where the slot is.

[axe]

Yes, and I even used it in a car I drove, when it didn't have a CD player.
I bought a little $35CDN dollar FM broadcaster from Radio Shack and plugged it in and ran my MP3's from there. One AA battery in the transmitter and my iPaq on a car charger and I was good for my long 12 hr drive. With a 128Mb CF, 256 SD I had about 6 hrs of music on it. It was great! I just had to adjust the radio station occassionally when the local stations took over the ones I was using.

AXE

[jeffmd]

Most of my music is on cd, cause as soon as i get 700 megs of the stuff (either anime ost related, or video game ost related) I burn it. I then listen to it mainly on my rio250 which provides the best quality and battery life. I also have a deck in my truck that plays mp3-cd's.

I usualy will use my pocket pc if I am checking out music that hasnt been burned yet, or if im traveling someplace and it would be troublesome to carry around the mp3 cd player.

the HD decks are ok but imo, are a bit to pricey. the highest end cdmp3 players (iRiver 400-550 series) are under $200 and are real slim. they use easily swapable gumstick batteries. And if hell breaks loose and you break the thing, you are only $200 or less in the hole. with a hd based player, its $like 400 for a deascent amount of storage, no replaceable battery, and you need a pc to load music onto it. And if you break it, it's a huge chunk of lost cash. You can buy something like the best buy replacement plans which cover user neglegence, but you can do that for both players and the cdmp3 player plan will be much cheaper.

And for those looking for a good joke...

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2003-05-28&res=l

[Dazbot]

I use my 2210 for music , mainly while out walking, but I miss the inline remote control my Sony mini-disc used to have. :cry:

Does anyone know of a remote control for Windows Media Player that works over bluetooth or serial :?:

[pad]

Does anyone know of a remote control for Windows Media Player that works over bluetooth or serial :?:

That would be too good to be true :)

[jeffmd]

you could use a remote desktop program like VNC (You will need some kind of working tcpip link.. wifi will work, not sure if bluetooth can form a tcpip bridge). However at last use, vnc was taking upwards of 30 seconds to download the initial image, so fast it is not.

[KenClunk]

I use my PPC ecveryday in the car for 45 min to and from school then to and from work. When I go running i use it as well and also use it at school in between classes. Here's something that will make you wonder though. I have a 128 SD card that I use, nothing else. I mean i have a 64mb CF that is always in the PDA for games and programs and another 128 MB card for my Camera but I only use the SD card for music. It holds around 35 128kb songs. I know i don't have my whole libray with me all the time but then again at any one time I have never gone through all the music and been left listening to the same thing. Granted on road trips this does not work well but i have a MP3 CD player as well.

[ctmagnus]

I should have mentioned this in one of my previous posts in this thread, but with the encoding method I use I am able to fit eight full-length albums on my 256MB SD card. I've made MP3 CDs that held only three CDs worth the way I encoded them.

[Sheena]

Well, I outfitted my last iPaq (2210) with music partly in mind, so my SD card is 256K and the CF is 1GB, but the main purpose of me having a PPC is to read, anything from eBooks, documents or web pages. While I'll have some music stored on the iPaq, I'll continue to use my regular CD/MP3 player until I rob the proverbial bank and go iPod. :twisted:

When playing music on a PPC the battery life is a big concern of course, but much more critical for me is having a remote control always handy. I live in NY and I read during the 'sitting' time of long commutes, but constantly listen to music while walking, waiting, in crowds, etc, where it's not convenient or safe to use the iPaq. A remote is indispensable for volume control, quick muting, & navigating through the songs. I'd hate having to pull the iPaq out for that, having to enter a password & such, just to see the name of the song playing. It's just not practical. For now (and music-wise), the iPaq is nice as a backup device when you can only carry one item (leave the purse, throw the PPC in a pocket, run).

Rosie :ppclove:

[nategesner]

I use my 2215 for music. I have a 256 MB card now, but am upgrading to a 1GB so I can store movies as well. People are worried about battery life, but my 2215 lasts plenty long. I play music with the screen off and use my buttons to control things, and the battery has never died on me yet. I always carry a spare battery with me on long trips, but you can also consider the extended life battery. I believe it will give you 36+ hours of continuous use and very few people are away from an outlet for that long!

On the other hand, the cost of purchasing a 1GB card is $250 or more. I could spend a little bit more and get an "entertainment" player that has 20-40GB, a slightly larger screen, better sound, and plays movies and music. That way my wife could use it on a regular basis and I could take it when I go on trips.

Hmmm...I'm starting to reconsider my initial decision!!!

[Cleisthenes]

nategesner:
re your 256mb card: is it CF or SD?
re using 'buttons to control things': how did you get the buttons to do that?

[OSUKid7]

re using 'buttons to control things': how did you get the buttons to do that?
Set it in WMP...Tools > Settings > Buttons.

[Sheena]

The 1GB cards are getting cheaper, but it's still going to take a while. I found my SanDisk in Amazon during a sale for less than $175 and that was over 6 months ago; the Lexar 256MB (yes, I meant MB before, not "K"!!!) was about $65 at the same time but bought at the store.

And if anyone gets a chance to talk to the HP people, please mention for me that I won't buy another PPC unless it has at least both these cards, ok? Although it would be nice if they could also read a USB key. :wink:

Rosie
(dreaming)

[Falstaff]

Buy.com (http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10318746&mp=81&loc=101) is advertising a deal for a 1 GB SanDisk CF card for $180 with a $30 mail in rebate. That would be very good for music, if only I hadn't just bought a 512 MB card, ohh well, I'll have to wait for the MuVo2 to start shipping again.

[Powderfinger]

I use my trusty but old Jornada 568 for most of my music listening. At work my PC is frequently maxed out crunching numbers in Minitab or some such drivel and often I have to close programs so I don't tax the system so I just listen to WMA files through my PDA. I've got several 256, 512 Mb CF cards and a new 2 Gig card. I actually like the smaller cards as I can fit all of one bands recordings on a card so listening to a specific band is easy but the 2 gig card is nice too. Now here is the cool part. :D I hook up my Bluetooth cell phone headset (which has a Bluetooth adapter as my cell phone has no Bluetooth) to an adapter so that it fits in the audio jack on my PDA. I then listen to the music through the headset, wirelessly. The audio quality sucks but it is not as bad as listening to music with the volume so low that you can't hear it anyway. Plus, I can walk all over the office and still hear it. I do not bug my co-workers and I can still talk to my boss when she drops in :oops: without missing a beat as the headset only goes in one ear. I don't have to turn anything down. I can walk through the plant with my PDA in hand and be listening to TOOL or Rage or whatever and nobody is the wiser. Some ask what the thing in my ear is but I usually tell them it is a hearing aide. That is funny as it usually stops all questions about it. 8)

[nategesner]

Almost every music player available allows the user to "map" buttons to certain controls. I've mapped my action button for play/pause, stop, next, and previous. I then mapped two buttons for volume up and down. Finally, pressing the action button toggles the screen on or off. This allows me to turn the screen off to conserve power, but I can still operate the buttons.

I forgot to respond to someone: my 256MB card is SD and I have a 64MB CF card. I want to buy a 1 Gig CF card, but now I'm starting to question whether I want to do that or just buy an MP3/Movie player with a much larger hard drive that I could share with my wife.

[vdospec]

Weird, I love to listen to music now, only when I run into it. Meaning on my XM Sat Radio in my Miata, or Watching DTV and seeing "The Blue Man Group"

When I was in my 20's that's all I would do, Wash and Wax my Camero, and Listen to my Kick A** Stereo that cost me $6000.

Back then Technology cost money, now I can by a Surround Sound that cost me $500 and it sounds better.

I bought a 40gig unit RCA Lyra, simply amazing; I think collecting all my Tunes was more fun than listening to the music.

I do not listen to much as I'm to busy communicating with people. Flying my Airplane or Scuba Diving and enjoying the world.

But it is funny why I just cannot seem to put on headphones like the kids do now.

The only time I crank now is if I'm in my Convertible by myself, and that doesn’t happen often, my wife goes with me everywhere as we enjoy the same sports and Dining etc... But when we get a little tipsy from Dinner Drinks, we crank the tunes all the way home...

Then we find a reason to not get home to soon

So no, my PPC is my GPS in my Car and Plane now. Carry's books, but I never read them for some reason, that's another story.

[raptor13]

I have been debating about whether to use my ppc as my mp3 player or to get a seperate mp3 player. The thing I really like about the ppc is that it holds the place where I left off....for example, I like to listen to longer programs like audio books and radio shows. On my old mp3 player, if I turned off the player, it would start over from the beginning and I would have to find my place again in the program. Maybe someone knows if any of the newer models do this now? My mp3 player is a Rio sport.

Another thing that would be nice is a built in FM trasnmitter, are there any units other than sonicast that have this? Thanks for any help, I am relatively new to most of this technology but I am loving it! Mike

[Paula]

I used to, until I got my iPod. I found that the battery would drain too quickly and at times it would pause when I clicked on other applications.

[ctmagnus]

at times it would pause when I clicked on other applications.

This is the biggest thing that has me keeping an eye on an iRiver device.

[nategesner]

I used to, until I got my iPod. I found that the battery would drain too quickly and at times it would pause when I clicked on other applications.

What are you doing that causes your battery to drain so quickly? Make sure you toggle the screen off to save some battery power. I picked up a spare battery for real cheap and take it with me on trips. I listened to two hours of music while playing a game and then watched a two-hour movie on my Ipaq before the battery was low enough for me to swap it. Of course, it all depends on the type of PDA you use.

I have an Ipaq 2215. I listen to music at the same time I'm logging my workouts using Mobile Coach (great software!). Despite having about 60 songs loaded on a Sansdisk 1GB card, my music never skips or pauses. I use Media Player and map the buttons to skip forward, backward, stop, play, and toggle the screen on/off. The buttons can stay mapped even when the player is in the background. I jump songs, toggle the screen on and off, and use my workout program throughout my workout and I never get a skip or pause.

Perhaps you just need a better PPC? While an MP3 player is an attractive product, I can't justify carrying two different devices. And an MP3 player with decent storage size is almost the same cost as a 2215, which is capable of a heck of a lot more. You would probably be better off just saving a little more money, selling your PPC on e-bay, and then upgrading to a nicer PDA that does everything you need it to do.

[FrozenIpaq]

Would like to say a few words: Ipod=too much memory, not all needed. Pocket PC w/ 1 GB SD or CF works just as good, and well, is just better Period.

[Kati Compton]

Would like to say a few words: Ipod=too much memory, not all needed. Pocket PC w/ 1 GB SD or CF works just as good, and well, is just better Period.
Depending on one's needs of course. ;)

[Joseph Moon]

For some time I have wrestled with using my PPC as a jukebox. Especially since you can get a 4GB SD card for alot less than a 4GB IPod.

Anyway, I have been looking for some decent headphones. I have recently examined Shure's e4c. I am scratching my head wondering how to justify $150 (eBay) for headphones... I mean, the $10 ones seemed to work ok... But I am so curious... Is there that much of a difference?

Any help would be awesome...

Joseph...

[Brad Adrian]

...I have recently examined Shure's e4c. I am scratching my head wondering how to justify $150 (eBay) for headphones...
Well, the Shure buds are pretty expensive, but they're among the best you can get. I've had a pair for awhile and really like them.

I think the main difference you'd notice with the more expensive phones is their enhanced bass and much better fit in the ears. With my Shures in, virtually ALL outside sound is blocked, even without any music playing.