Best non-Ipod mp3 player compatible with Itunes?

I want a small flash-based mp3 player that I can use with ITunes. I would get a Nano but I want an FM tuner and don't want to screw with a tuner attachment on a nano. Any recommendations? It seems like IRiver had some cool stuff at CES but I know some of it will only be released in SKorea.

 

Whats so great about iTunes?

Windows media player is better IMO and will work with those players you are talking about.

 

There's nothing too great about ITunes. In fact, I'd say I'm a semi-disatisfied user. The issue is that I own a larger IPod and most of my music is on ITunes and I don't have the time or desire to switch it all out.

 

I recomend the Zune mp3 players.

 

It will take 3 seconds to put your tunes into WMP -> that is if you were smart to put your music as mp3's instead of apple's acc format. And you not "switching it out" you can have the music in both players.

Edit: can we get this thread moved to the right forum?

 

I've been using Iriver Clix (Gen1) for about two years now, and even the newest iPod doesn't have better sound quality than Clix. I'm sure it's compatible with iTunes from readings in other forums, but I just never have tried it.

 

I have a SanDIsk Sansa e260... but to get iTunes on it you have to burn a disk and then rip it as a WMA file to get it on. Has FM tuner/recorder and room for expantion (micro SD slot)

 

Wow I'm surprised no one answered this properly. I'm pretty sure iTunes only works with iPods and if you get a different MP3 player you would have to use WMP or the software that they provide.

 

I think the more specific reason is that iTunes uses AAC, which is a proprietary Apple format.

I have a Samsung P2. It's an iPod Touch-like device.

 

zune > than ipod

 

AAC is not a proprietary Apple format. It's part of the MPEG-4 standard.

However, if you've bought AAC tracks from the iTunes store, it may have Apple's DRM on it, which is Apple proprietary.

A few other companies' players play non-DRM AAC, including Zunes and some of the newer Sony models.

But I think the question was about what can actually be synced with iTunes. And I don't think anything really syncs with iTunes except for the Apple iPods.

You wouldn't need to "switch it out". The same files can be both part of your iTunes library and part of another program's library. Also, if you get an mp3 player supporting either MTP or MSC file transfers, you'll be able to drag and drop the files to the player using Windows Explorer.

 

AAC is not really proprietary however iTunes is. iTunes doesn't recognize anything other than an ipod to my knowledge. AAC files purchased from itunes cannot be converted to mp3 in itunes for example (Althrough you can easily get around that) and will not play on none apple deviced in some cases.

To use drag and drop you need a player that has mode selection for MSC. Itunes will not allow you to drag and drop to an MTP device. In MSC mode you can drag and drop from the itunes library to the player in internet explorer as swarmer said. To get it to work in MTP mode, you will have to drag and drop from where your files are actually stored on the harddrive.

Fortunately that means many players are compatable with itunes after all, its just less convenient. Take a look at the SanDisk and iRiver players which all have mode selection.