Im Clueless About I-pods, Please Help!

My kids have the disney mix stick which is just an mp3 player for kids. no screen, no fancy stuff, just a few easy to use buttons in the shape of mickey. My 6 year old has a hot pink one that says forever a princess on it, my eight year old has a pirates of the caribean one and my 9 year old has a high school musical one. There are so many to choose from and they store so many songs! They even have a slot for a memory card if the internal memory is not enough for you. They only run about 40-50 bucks and right now target has some on clearance for 25 bucks! I even use them from time to time!! I love them and they are so cute!! My 9 year old wanted an ipod but after getting the mix stick she said she liked it better. Hope this helps!

I am equallly clueless, but my then 6 year old, got an MP3 player for Christmas this past year. The thing we are the worst at is downloading music for her, but all in all she really enjoys it. We got her a simple pink one from walmart that was about $50 I think, and she has had no problems with it. She likes to take it on the bus, and around town some, so I personally am glad that we did not spend a ton of money on it! I would just check at walmart or something, and enjoy this next fun phase of her life....she is growing up :( ~A.~

My son was 11 at Christmas, and that was the ONLY thing on his list. I checked out several different types of MP3 players including the ipod. At his age, and being a boy, there was no way I was spending 150-250 dollars for it to be broke or lost within the week.

We chose the Zin 2G and LOVE IT! It cost approx 70 dollars and so far, has been well worth it. The only problem I see with going with an mp3 and not the "name brand" Ipod, is that the accessories that are so cute and all the craze of the kids, don't work with anything but the Ipod.

Hope this helps you. I wish I would have posted a message like yours over christmas, lol.

The iPod nano 2G is $150.00! The shuffle is around $80.00 I think. My son got one the iPod nano when he was 15 y/o. They a senitive little things that get lost very easily. At 6 years old, I would think about getting an inexpensive MP3 player at Walmart or Target, as a dry run. Oh, I think Target sells reburbished iPod nano's...again, just to see how she takes care if it at first. Good luck!

Ipod is Apple's copyright of a MP3 player. MP3 player is just the general name. An Ipod is a MP3 player.

For a child of 6 years, I would recommend something simple such as the Ipod Shuffle. It does not have a screen but only the Play, Stop, Pause, Rewind, and FF functions. Simple enough for her to comprehend and operate.

Do be careful, however, and set a LIMIT to how loud and how long you'll let her listen to it. The little ear pods that you use for MP3 players do not really allow sound to go anywhere but right to the ear drum and can cause hearing loss over a period of time. Apparently just having no other outlet for the sound to go increases the decibels. iPod can produce sounds at more than 115 decibels can damage hearing if exposed to as little as a half minute per day. www.webmd.com has a good article on mp3 players.

I think the Ipod is worth the price. She will have it for a long time. And I second, the Ipod Shuffle is perfect. Very small, lightweigh, with a clip and not too expensive! I have one for the gym and love it!

MP3 is not just the player...MP3 is actually the type of file the music is formatted in. Most music is in a .wav format, and will play on any CD player. MP3 files have to be played on an MP3 player...and an iPod is, like the other mom said, just Apple's version of a handheld MP3 player. You can get cheaper ones. Since you said she's only 6, you might consider getting her a cheaper brand and then upgrading it in a few years. At least if you get her a cheaper one and she loses or breaks it, it wouldn't cost as much to replace. However, if you decide to go with Apple, I second the iPod Shuffle. They're small and now they clip-on to your sleeve or pocket. They also come in a variety of colors (including pink).

I too am clueless. I also though that there was a difference in the type of file on an Ipod and MP3 player. I was told some songs could not be downoaded to an Ipod from the same site as MP3 as they are different formats. I really don't know. I got my 14 year old for Christmas an MP3player from Wal-mart $38 that is 1g with a removable memory card but so far have not filled up the internal memory. Hope this helps! I would love to know where a site to download for free is or if there is a pay by the year that is not a scam. The one we found was like $24/year but was a scam. I am told some are like rnting music and once you cancel your service all songs downloaded will not play any longer.

J.

If you decide to buy one, I would definitely get her an Apple product. Either a Shuffle ($79.00) or a Nano (about $149.00)if you plan on getting her an MP3 player. There are other brands but Apple makes the most user friendly products...I think. You can load your cds onto your iTunes and they will load into your iPod. :)

***If you get her one....make sure that she keeps the volume low....hearing loss is a huge issue if played too loud.

Between my sister and myself, she has an I-Pod and I have SanDisk MP3. The only difference is the amount of songs she has versus what I have. The IPod holds a lot more songs. My MP3 player with 2 gigs of memory and still has plenty of space (I have just over 200 songs) it came in a variety of colors and all I need is the USB cord to download from Windows Media Player. I purchase songs from Wal-Mart.com for .88 cents and use Media Player to gets songs from CD's.

Hi M.,

You can go on the Apple website and get a refurbished iPod. They are cheaper than new ones, and I think you still get a waranty on them. I bought one a few months ago on their site. I had to keep checking early in the morning, because they typically sell out each day. So far, it's been great!

Good luck! C.

I-pods because of the name are a bit pricier. However I find that the Apple applications that support it are a bit easier to use. But you are also talking to someone who when we get pregnant will (before arrival) purchase an additional Ipod (both my husband and I have one) and a station for it for the babies room. So for the difference between what they call an MP3 player vs an Ipod - nothing really functionally speaking - they both play all sorts of music files. Size/Price/Visual/availabity of periferals are the biggest differences. They make more stuff to go with the ipod devices. Like little boom-boxes that they plug into - without having to buy extra cables and stuff.

So depending on your budget and how your going to execute the music (headphones vs. boom box), either one will hook you up to the tunes.

If you have any more questions let me know.

Liz

I bought my daughter the iPod mini. It is a small square iPod that holds around 240 songs and clips on your shirt or belt or purse --anything. My daughter loves it. It is so tiny that you can put it in your pocket. The sound is really good, too. It costs around $75 at WalMart.