that everything with a docking station is proprietary

[AdminAssistant]

So where do these snobby Apple people live?

Apparently in the greater Kansas City Metro area, because that's where I've run into it the most. "Oh, you have a PC? I don't understand why anyone uses a PC. I have a Mac. Macs are just so user-friendly. Bill Gates is a wanna-be crook. Windows is for stupid people. I can't believe you didn't get an IPod!" blah blah blah

Yes, I have been openly mocked many times for using and liking my PC, my Sanza Fuze, and Microsoft products (by both Apple and Linux users, btw). Actually, if I turned off the cynicism and got down to reality, the main reason why I don't by Apple products? They're more expensive. Always. I actually did use a Mac, back when I was working for a freelance reporter in 2000-2001. And I hated that damn thing with the fire of 1000 burning suns. I understand that it was an old OS, but yes, I have tried a Mac. Did not like it.

[Boozy]

What is this "attitude" that Apple users supposedly have, and why have I not run into it in my everyday life at all?

I have friends who use Apple products, friends who don't, and friends who use some of both (as I do). Other than a brief discussion immediately after the original purchase (new toys are exciting), the topic of our electronics branding never comes up. Ever. I can truly say that no one in my life gives a damn about what kind of mp3 player or computer I have.

So where do these snobby Apple people live?

[HYHYBT]

iTunes only converts to AAC if you tell it to convert or import them, and changing the setting once in Preferences fixes it. IPods do not play every format iTunes will; for instance, iTunes will play MIDIs directly, but iPods do not, unless they've added that feature recently.

[Dreamstalker]

But if iTunes is used as the default program and converts it to AAC (it will try), you can't really play/put it on anything else.

[the_std]

no it's because Apple spent an insane amount of money to promote them as the be-all end all of mp3 players(when they don't even play mp3s they play AAC files), and the public rather than research products-went for the hype(why do you think they charge more for having less features?)

First of all, I said one of the reasons, and having a myriad accessories available to you at any given times is definitely a contributing factor. Good marketing (the promoting you're talking about) is part of any successful ad campaign. Almost all of the popular things out there have ads that make larger than life claims to be "the best of the best". And I don't know where you're getting that iPods don't play mp3 files. They definitely aren't limited to AAC files. Any file format that works with iTunes will play on an iPod. I suggest you do some research before you go for the hype.

[BlaqueKatt]

Plus, one of the major reasons to buy an iPod is that almost any accessory you want is available for them.

no it's because Apple spent an insane amount of money to promote them as the be-all end all of mp3 players(when they don't even play mp3s they play AAC files), and the public rather than research products-went for the hype(why do you think they charge more for having less features?)

[Dreamstalker]

For awhile I had a Rio Karma player; that used mini-USB and had a perfectly serviceable dock that held it upright...I can't use it for my Zen though because the cradle is specific to the player.

You're right about connectors being anywhere; my Rio had it ideally positioned on the bottom of the player, the Zen has it on one side.

[the_std]

But see, docks like iPod docks that are truly universal (would have to connect through the headphone jack) would not be nearly as stable or attractive as an iPod dock. The iPod dock connector is enough to hold an iPod up, and iPods are shaped to go along with this. With off-brand mp3 players, headphone jacks can be nearly anywhere on the player, and that is not nearly as neat, attractive or simple as the dock connector on an iPod. Plus, as I had previously mentioned, most iPod docks will connect an off-brand mp3 player. You just need the auxiliary cable. I know that 90% of the ones we sell have an auxiliary in, and therefore can be used with any mp3 player.

Also, iPods having an insane number like 70% of the market share means it makes perfect sense for nearly all docks to be iPod compatible. They're going to make products for what people like to buy! That's so shocking.

Plus, one of the major reasons to buy an iPod is that almost any accessory you want is available for them. It's a bit of a catch-22, but people are buying iPods because you can get accessories for them, and accessories for them are available because people are buying iPods. This is how commercialism is. Some day, the bubble will break and something else will be popular. But fear not - you can still get almost any accessory for an off-brand mp3 player, including docks! All it takes is a bit of knowledge and, some times, a bit of a workaround. It might not be as easy or as pretty, but that's because off-brand mp3 players are not constructed with these things in mind.

[lupo pazzesco]

I'm another Creative mp3 player. First I ever had was a Creative, and the only reason I still don't have it is because some jackass essentially was playing keep away and managed to drop it down 3 flights of stairs. Wasn't much of it left. I have a Zen, 32 gb right now, and have had it for years. It's wonderful, and I love how I can use the same cable for it, my cell phone, my external hdd, etc, etc.

Mom has an ipod, and itunes and all that other i-stuff. And just yesterday she was talking about how itunes songs she'd downloaded had disappeared. she tried to get them back, and was told she'd purchased them already, and when she clicked the link to accept the song back, she was going to be charged again.

I'm with Dreamstalker and the OP. While it's other companies that are putting out the itoems with ipod docking stations, ultimately apple is in a way forcing it because they are in possession of so much of the market. I quite frankly hate ipods, and will probably never, ever own one, much to family and friends' shock and dismay. Sorry, guess I'll remain "uncool" that way.. just my two cents, though.

[Dreamstalker]

It's Apple's proprietary interface though; so in a way they are.

I'd like to see a truly universal MP3 player dock.

[HYHYBT]

Can't get an adapter because the dock is also proprietary, so basically if you want to be able to have a dockable mp3 player apple is forcing you to buy their product....wait don't they accuse other companies of doing the same thing....

*Apple* is forcing nothing of the kind. The manufacturer of whatever you want to dock your player with is.

[BlaqueKatt]

and the iTunes store has been DRM free for about a year now.

wow so you can burn a song purchased off itunes more than 5 times now...if not it's still DRM-and amazon has never had any kind of DRM-so...wow let's applaud a company for finally doing what everyone else has been doing for years-that's supposed to somehow help their cause....

plus I don't see any ipod with an fm radio or instant messaging capabilities-or the ability to customize the menu/interface-those are all available on creative models.....as well as SD card memory expansion....

[powerboy]

I have a Sansa MP3 player that I use for my music that I have on CD. Also have an iPod that came on my iPhone 3G. For the record, I had the MP3 player before I got the iPhone. Yes I am aware that I can upload songs from the CD's onto iTunes. Done that already. Also none of my songs disapearred from iTunes

[Dreamstalker]

I just can't stand the Apple "attitude" (of both the company and some of the more rabid fans). So I don't want to be trendy, big deal.

for the record I have a creative mp3 player-the first company(june 1999) to come out with portable mp3 players, the company apple stole the "incredible user interface" from

I bought myself a Zen two years ago and love the hell out of it (I was a Creative fangirl with their first sound cards). 2x the memory of an ipod for less than half the price, I can put my videos on an SD card, etc.

The things I've been trying to find are portable speakers and/or a dock so I don't have to daisy-chain USB cables together to reach a computer to charge iit...I can find docks that I like, but then I'd have to futz around finding an adapter that actually works.

My mom has an ipod (not exactly by choice) and absolutely HATES iTunes. One day as an experiment I tried to put some of her music on my player...for some reason iTunes wanted to convert everything already on my player and "import" it (um, NO).

[AdminAssistant]

hm...I dunno. All I know is that my friends who use ITunes will occasionally notice that some of their music has 'disappeared'. That never happens with my WMP.

Again, for many it's just preference. I do not want to use Apple anything. I like my PC, I like Windows, I really like my off-brand MP3 player. I just wish other companies would make accessories that could work with it.