So, after reading the site’s “manifesto” and looking at the swag, I clicked on “alternatives.” What would I find, but a single product?! It’s a joke that the site rebelliously claims to help you “break free from restrictive formats and a single source for music” but then only offers one format and one player as an alternative.

yeah, but I guess EnzoTen’s point is, you DID click on it & check it out…

Also, a quite question about the site – how can this site propose to give people a better view of the whole MP3 Player market and support only the facts if their missing a review of the iPod itself? Isn’t it necessary to know about the iPod in order to make a decision about the rest?

“how can this site propose to give people a better view of the whole MP3 Player market and support only the facts if their missing a review of the iPod itself?”Because there are more than enough reviews and information on the ipod on other sites. This site covers a piece of the information you need to collect in order to make an informed decision between the ipod and the others.

It’s just to get people talking. iPod owners are not going to switch and if you are researching mp3 players then are obviously not very interested in an iPod or you would just been like all the other “sheep” and bought one. View the site for what’s it is, poking fun at iPod owners.

Am I the only one who is really disturbed by the concept of this site? “Don’t be an iSheep — print out these stickers and do our SanDisk corporate advertising for us! Better yet, GIVE US MONEY for a trucker hat or hoodie (you know, to go against the mainstream) with our iSheep logo on it so that you can turn your body into a free SanDisk advertisement!”

Isn’t it a bit strange that the “alternative” the horrible iPod is an MP3 player that looks strikingly similar to the iPod? It even has a cheesy type of click wheel rip off. If they truly plan on converting anyone, a good plan would be to ditch the iPod rip off and make something very unique, after all, the “alternative” should be something original.Also, I wouldn’t say all iPod owners are sheep. Perhaps they own a Mac, a system that a surprising number of MP3 players don’t work on, and want to be able to use their applications like Garageband, iWeb, iMovie, etc. with iTunes so the logical step is to get an iPod. Not to mention the fact that an iPod is easy to use, nice looking, and the iTunes music store is very simple. Just a thought.

Well – GUESS I agree with EnzoTen. There is more in the world than just the iPod of various different flavors. The site URL is negative though. It should perhaps be morethanjust ipods or something. If you look at any product that is well marketed and successful – even overhyped – that doesn’t suggest that the product is bad. Most smart people are well aware there are alternatives. May they continue to choose on merit and personal preference!

A clear case of iEnvy. Cudos to the effort, the idea is simple and clear enough but the actual design and followthrough are childlike and rather unproffessional.SanDisc don’t have a brand identity strong enough to carry this statement.Then when they display a product that looks like a badly done clone of a certain popular mp3 player … come on! Spend the time and the energy to produce a product worth marketing. Hire a god damn product designer and give the world a truly beautiful mp3 player. The iPod isn’t exacly the worlds most beautiful or ultimate piece of industry design, it’s just that everything else looks like child toys (or vibrators) in comparison.The Texas Industries calculators are sexier than this SanDisc POS.

The only reaction I had was “meh” and closed the link after a few moments. If their only technique of advertising their product is to try to sandbag the competition, rather than focus on the positives and the benefits of their products, then what does that tell you about the company? For me, it tells me that it is not a company with which I wish to do business. Viral marketing, or whatever they want to call this style now, is just like politicians slinging mud, it makes both sides look bad.

I saw posters plastering entires walls, with iDon’t and iSheep bilboards in alternating patterns/colors… much like apple did with ipod posters.These were in downtown berkeley, university ave (near shattuck)kinda funny

iDont…. Wow! What a great idea! – because, like… this is so much easier and cheaper than actually thinking up new ideas and paying for R&D to try and come up with a better product and service! Way to go SanDisk!I predict this could be a runaway success converting literally several iPod users!

The funny thing is, the iPod stilk kicks the Sansdisk player’s ASS! – much like it kicks every other MP3 players ass.

Shut up Chris (or should I say iSheep) The ipod has one thing, design. other than that it’s no better than any other mp3-player. I like the looks of it, but I would rather have a uglier and more userfriendly player. Hate itunes….

Design is more than looks. At least the way Apple does it… They’ve really nurtured the UI and the entire user experience from the click wheel, to transfering songs from iTunes, to downloading podcasts, etc. etc. etc. in a way that none of the competition can get near.The SanDisk (and the others) are just poor ripoffs, and their campaign is pathetic – their selling point seems to be that their player ISN’T as massively popular as the iPod – oh WAUW I must have a player like that.If you want to go for something else, just to be different, be my guest…

@poejavloWow, you really are a sheep. You just spit back exactly what engadget said on thier site. Oh, you did add an extreamly witty comback at the end. =|

Hey all you ipod haters out there, check this out “More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: iRiver gives up on digital media player market” put that in your pipe and smoke it losers! Apple has em all beat and they are dying fast, close this shit site now and cower.

@SrevieJwow you are a really angry… did you get beat as a kid?

um e, no I did not and by the way I’m not angry.

I wouldn’t necessarily consider buying a Sandisk music player, but I’m glad someone is making news by ‘revealing’ that there are other options on the market. I’m not saying that any of the iPods are necessarily bad, but I don’t think they’re worth the hype, or the cost. I did some research and found a great 30GB player (Creative Zen Sleek Photo) with FM tuner and Voice Recorder (neither of which are features on ANY iPod, both of which are features I really wanted). It also lets me make playlists on the fly, and has a few other cool features that the iPod doesn’t offer, all for about $150 less than the 30GB iPod Video. I just didn’t want to pay extra for video features I’ll never use anyway. Don’t make your decision after reading just one site, whether it be idont.com or apple.com… do some research, and find what suits YOUR needs best. Otherwise, you really are a sheep.

No wonder Creative is losing money this past quarter if Kurt found a 30GB Creative Zen Sleek for $150!A question for all the iPod haters: Do you similarly reject Windows PCs for being crappy? Do you “Think Different” when it comes to PCs, or do you buy what everyone else buys, use what everyone else uses, and recommend what everyone else recommends?It’s very ironic that Sandisk is trying to pull a campaign that Apple first came out with it in 1984. Not to mention that Apple’s “Think Different” is SanDisk’s “Think For Yourself”.PC::Mac as iPod::Sensa e200How does it feel, to be the minority iPod haters?

In fact, the Creative Zen Sleek Photo was on sale for $170. And I’m not an iPod hater, I have friends who love theirs and I considered it as an option, but I wanted FM radio more than video, bottom line. In response to “thinking differently,” I personally, do. I’ve tried iTunes, as well as many other players before deciding which one works best for me. Good thing that since I use a PC, I actually have options on what music player I can use, so I can try them all and decide for myself. Why use iTunes, iPhoto, and iGarage when you could try Musicmatch, Adobe Photoshop Album, and Cubase SX? And if you don’t like them, try something else. That’s what thinking for yourself is.I really have no problem being a part of any minority. I’m not going to buy something just because “everyone else is.” Thanks.How does it feel, to be so insecure that you MUST join the majority?

I too had to do my own evaluation. In 2001 I decided the PowerBook was for me. The existing Dells, Gateways, and IBMs didn’t offer the balance of usability, design, and features that I wanted.Then in October of 2001 I had to do that again when I bought my iPod. Go for the bigger, heavier, harder to use, slower, and less functional Creative Nomad Jukebox, or buy the smaller, faster, simpler, and easier to use iPod?Five years later I still don’t regret my choice, but now I get to sit on the other side of the fence. People have stopped questioning my choice of Mac over PC, but I get to watch as they defend their choice of Creative/Sandisk/iRiver over iPod.

Hey heres an idea, how about you DON’T BUY AN MP3 PLAYER. You don’t need to be listening to music everywhere you go. That is what is meant by really saying “iDont”.

All these ad campaigns and marketing schemes are there to extract the most possible money out of you the consumer. In our consuming obsessed society, try zen consuming. Hum a song in your head. then you’ll really get one over on these organisations that produce products with extortionate markups, out of materials that fuel wars in distant continents, that luckily for us, we can be blissfully ignorant of as we never have a conversation anymore as we’ve all grown white leads out of our ears. Sorry for ranting, I’ve had a long day

It is amusing to watch the uproar that results whenever Apple does anything. There are a lot of Mac haters out there. I personally have not purchased an iPod yet but plan to in the near future for the exact reason Cameron G states. I own a Mac and would like to know that the MP3 player I purchase will integrate with my computer flawlessly. iPod is also the only system I’ve seen that offers players of a capacity useful to me (I have a giant CD collection). I could max out other players and not have scratched the surface of my collection. I have many friends with other players who are very happy with them. The knowledge of other players is out there.aNthraXx: I feel the sameway about cellphones. You don’t have to be reached at every minute of the day. Most people aren’t that important yet cellphones are everywhere. Music on the other hand is one of the most important things in the world to me. Not everyone understands that.maumau: Come on now, that was just a pile of rhetoric and you know it. Besides, most people are not worth talking to, and if they were and I would turn the tunes off to speak. I’ve yet to meet the moron who wouldn’t.

Please rebel against the unfortunately much more mature and successful product, because we want to earn some of your money too, so be unique and buy our product instead! We are so anticonformist, we even made our product resemble an iPod as closely as we could! Pathetic…

Well,I did a side by side test of 3 players, a 4th gen iPod, a DMP3 (160 GB rules , and an iRiver IFP 395. And I did not believe my ears, that the iPod sounded the worst. Same samples off course. Not to mention the lack of features, radio, recording, multi level organisation etc. The only point where iPod has the advance, is the click wheel. The rest is really for “lazy” users.So there IS truth in this sheepy campaign. Now I own an X5 60GB. Zillion lightyears over iPod, if you use your head for something else than eating.

Some people are a little angry here.It’s a marketing campaign. I have an iPOD and it was a POS. I had it replaced three times in one year while under warranty. Then it went out again and was told you are SOL. I only bought the IPOD because it was the biggest at the time. Apple created a product that is easy to use and created an atmosphere where people said they needed it. Again marketing. The only reason that it keeps selling is because of this “coolness” factor. If you could care a less, then you will see clear as day that the best player on the market for the IPOD is the Creative Vision M. Sandisk is marketing a flash player becuase its not in the same class as the IPOD.I own the e270 and it’s hands down better than the nano. You get more space, better features, and you are not limited to iTunes. On top of all that, it is cheaper. The SanDisk player in my opinion is not an IPOD killer, but is a nano killer.I was in the store the other week before I got my e270 and saw two teenagers saying I am getting the black nano. Why because their friend had one. Not because it’s the best player, but because everyone else has one.This campaign is to say look at what we have, you can be different. Apple has the market for coolness and buzz factor, but if you really research the players you will see there are better ones out there. In the end that is what it is all about, can you get people on your band wagon.

smeakim, i think you have got it exactly right that most people buy ipods now as they are cool, i have to say though when they first came out they were better than anyting else at the time. however now with better packages from the other companies the gaps closing but until they can offer the same package as ipod in that it is all so easy to use most people will stick with ipod.i also dont really get why everyone is so angry about ipod i mean there products are better than most, but then again i dont get why people wont get something other than an ipod even though it is clearly better than the equivalent ipod, i.e. creative zen vision m to the ipod video.i was initially going to get an ipod video as my mates had one and i wanted an ipod (marketing), also it as the first that did video that i had seen.however after doing a fair bit of research i found that the creative was infact a better player just that it didnt have all the hype surronding ipods. one thing that is great about the ipod though is that as so many people have them if ever there is problem with the ipod it can be fixed easily.so in the end you have to make up your mind on what you want, do you want a player that looks cool, is fashionable and is easy to use. or something that has loads of features, each feature is of a good quality as in he case of the video on the creative zvm and greater freedom in choosing where to get music/videos from.i dont really think there is that much of a problem in following the crowd, that is if the product is the best available, when its not and you just follow the crowd as you want to fit in, then it becomes pointless and you should look around for better products.oh just to mention so tht you dont think im a ipod hater/lover i wn an ipod and also a creative so i dont really have any bias either way. i also found this site through research of the ipod video and its alternatives.

smeakim, i think you have got it exactly right that most people buy ipods now as they are cool, i have to say though when they first came out they were better than anyting else at the time. however now with better packages from the other companies the gaps closing but until they can offer the same package as ipod in that it is all so easy to use most people will stick with ipod.i also dont really get why everyone is so angry about ipod i mean there products are better than most, but then again i dont get why people wont get something other than an ipod even though it is clearly better than the equivalent ipod, i.e. creative zen vision m to the ipod video.i was initially going to get an ipod video as my mates had one and i wanted an ipod (marketing), also it as the first that did video that i had seen.however after doing a fair bit of research i found that the creative was infact a better player just that it didnt have all the hype surronding ipods. one thing that is great about the ipod though is that as so many people have them if ever there is problem with the ipod it can be fixed easily.so in the end you have to make up your mind on what you want, do you want a player that looks cool, is fashionable and is easy to use. or something that has loads of features, each feature is of a good quality as in he case of the video on the creative zvm and greater freedom in choosing where to get music/videos from.i dont really think there is that much of a problem in following the crowd, that is if the product is the best available, when its not and you just follow the crowd as you want to fit in, then it becomes pointless and you should look around for better products.oh just to mention so tht you dont think im a ipod hater/lover i wn an ipod and also a creative so i dont really have any bias either way. i also found this site through research of the ipod video and its alternatives.

Apple do something very simple, and very well. They really do try to ‘think different’…it comes across as authentically caring about design and user-experience. I’m open to hearing the accusations of ‘locking us in’, ‘closing us off’, etc…but I for one have never felt that: If I want to dump MP3s on my iPod, I can, and how is that different from many of the world’s websites being ‘IE Only’?Sorry. Rant over.I will move away from iPod as soon as there is something better, cheaper and as soon as I feel the company making it cares about ‘getting it right’ for the user, rather than getting it right for themselves. Yea, I know Apple care about themselves too, and they can be on the borders of BS in a lot of their marketing, but I’ve used lots of gadgets, and I like Apple’s best.The iDont website stinks of negative marketing by a competing big brand, with us consumers being played for sheep: “Look, if we make people with white headphones look like sheep, then all the kids will click on ‘The Alternative Link’, and then hopefully buy our player….just like sheep”SanDisk have gone down a point in my estimation (from ‘neutral’, because I haven’t tried any of their products), and it will take more for me to consider their products, ‘cos an awful lot of good stuff is already out there, and you gotta ‘prune’ the tree somehow.

iPod’s image has moved from rebellious and hip to pretentious and yuppie-esque.It is overpriced, you can’t just drag-and-drop MP3 files [without a 3rd party app] and iTunes blows dogs for quarters.iSheeple, please understand that you’re paying for Apple’s “I’m cool” ad campaign when buying their products. Yes, it is the case with any other product out there, but with Apple it is to a much greater degree.

Beckie, you can believe that if you wish. I believe the iPod premium is paying for the development of new iMacs and OS X and iSights.1) Overpriced: Have you heard? iRiver and Dell have moved out of the MP3 player space because they can’t compete. Creative Labs has lost money because of Apple’s constant price drops. Apple’s iPods are competitively priced, not overpriced.2) Drag and drop: Uh, I have 1,782 files in 25 genres and 119 artists. Drag and drop is a pain. I prefer plug and unplug, thank you.3) iTunes: It’s got great features (and a few bad ones too), such as smart playlists, integration with a CD ripper, integration with CDDB, music playback, network music sharing, plug and play compatibility with the iPod, integration with a music store, and ID3 based music organization.

I just bought an iPod. There were two reasons:1) I wanted a 60 gig player – I have LOTS of music.2) I wanted something I could update from my LINUX based home PC. I don’t like iTunes but there are plenty of open source iPod updaters out there.I could address #1 as there are a couple of high capacity players out there like the Zen Extra, but I didn’t like the way they looked. Anyone suggest nice looking alternatives?#2 is down to the protocol the player uses – most will mount as USB mass storage devices, but there isn’t much information on which ones will or won’t.So does that make me a sheep, or is the above a reasonable justification for iPod ownership?

one thing people forget.With a Plays4Sure player you can do almost anything.Look.Lets say I have an ipod and Apple doesn’t have a certain 2pac CD on their store (alleyezonme), then I can’t buy it. That’s it with ipod you’re choices are cut.Lets say I have a zen and Napster doesn’t have that 2pac CD….I can easily switch to another service with WMP10 or 11 and find that song. All from 1 program all in less than 5 minutes.I used iTunes for 2 weeks just to see what all the buzz was about, but it is no better than current solutions in WMP10. From selection to integration to syncing. I can sync tons of devices to WMP10, I can make perfect auto playlists, I can CHOOSE which music store I want based off of selection, I can sync automatically when plugged, I can sync to UMS devices, and I can CHOOSE to CHANGE my player and easily transfer purchased songs to it.Before anyone attacks me for saying WMP10 is better than or equal to iTunes, note this, my sister (who has mainstream computer retardation) can completely make use of the software. In reality, iTunes uses the same system as all others for integration and sorting. ie Multiple types (artist, tracks, genre, etc..). The so called elegance comes from the marketing.The final point is that competing players have beat ipod on features and usability. Some will fall back on ipod’s small profile and I do admit that a Zen is larger (by a 1/4 inch). However, we have reached the point where barely matters. If I saw someone who weighed 130 lbs and another who weighed 90lbs would I call the 130lb person fat? BOTH are small enough.A Zen Vision M supports more video formats, has a significantly better screen, voice recorder, way better battery life, fm radio, and better sound quality. The only thing its missing is an abundance of overpriced-$300-causeitswhite-accessories. Ipods aren’t bad feature wise but they are nowhere near the top.Those are my reasons against ipod.

Just an update. I didn’t realise this, but the iDont thing is now a major advertising campaign here in the UK, with posters on the Underground (Tube). It’s going for the ‘viral marketing’ scheme of not putting anything other than the picture of the dopey/evil looking sheep with the white headphones, and the words ‘iFollow’ and the website address. It looks almost spray-painted, so that it might have been a graffitti artist who did it.Is this the first advertising campaign that will deliberately try to embarrass/shame/insult about 10% of the people (carrying an iPod) who see it?I’m just trying to think of a parallel.Would it be OK if they said something like : “Hey you! You’re wearing jeans! You’re a mindless sheep for copying everyone else! Wear something different!”

Ant –Not only would that be OK, but I would wholeheartedly agree with it!– DLF(DAP user w/o any jeans in his closet)

I’m sure iPods are lovely and so are the various other MP3 players on the market. I’ve considered buying an MP3 player but have yet to, due the sheer variety of choice! Hours have been spent in research.What I specifically object to about iPod is the crappy headphones they supply. Clearly made with the lowest possible quality of components and emitting more sound outwards than into the ear. Being a book reader on the London Underground has become increasingly frustrating when all you can hear is piercing, tinny beats eminating from four drones around you. (Louder than a thundering train in a tunnel!)Obviously buying better headphones cures the problem, but what self-respecting iPod user could give up their shiney, white ones? Regretably, precious few. Design over quality? I can’t help but slowly nod.

DLF — OK. Substitute whatever trousers you own for ‘Jeans’ — Still not insulted, and think it pathetic? Yea, me too.Oh, and DAP users are complete donkeys.

Hey Rhynehardt, I appreciate you posting. I wanted to address some of your points, which are absolutely right.”Lets say I have an ipod and Apple doesn’t have a certain 2pac CD on their store (alleyezonme), then I can’t buy it. That’s it with ipod you’re choices are cut.”Unless you go to a store and buy a CD.”Lets say I have a zen and Napster doesn’t have that 2pac CD….I can easily switch to another service with WMP10 or 11 and find that song. All from 1 program all in less than 5 minutes.”And the possibility still exists that neither Napster nor any other music store has that CD… in which case you need to go to a store.”I used iTunes for 2 weeks just to see what all the buzz was about, but it is no better than current solutions in WMP10.”No better NOW. WMP10 has caught up ”From selection to integration to syncing. I can sync tons of devices to WMP10, I can make perfect auto playlists, I can CHOOSE which music store I want based off of selection, I can sync automatically when plugged, I can sync to UMS devices, and I can CHOOSE to CHANGE my player and easily transfer purchased songs to it.”That was not so true a until a year ago. You can look up copies of WMP9 and compare it to iTunes 5 and iTunes 4 and iTunes 3 if you wish. So in a way all the benefits you tout were subsidized, paid for, and developed for the iPod owners and copied by everyone else trying to catch up.”Before anyone attacks me for saying WMP10 is better than or equal to iTunes, note this, my sister (who has mainstream computer retardation) can completely make use of the software. In reality, iTunes uses the same system as all others for integration and sorting. ie Multiple types (artist, tracks, genre, etc..). The so called elegance comes from the marketing.”No, the elegence comes from design and engineering. The adoption comes from marketing. Look back to 2001, when Windows Media Player 8 came with XP, or version 9 with SP2, and see just how much they sucked compared to WMP 10 and iTunes.”The final point is that competing players have beat ipod on features and usability. Some will fall back on ipod’s small profile and I do admit that a Zen is larger (by a 1/4 inch). However, we have reached the point where barely matters.”About the size, look it up; Creative didn’t catch up with size until 2004, with the release of the Zen Touch using a 1.8″ HDD and the Zen Micro using a 1″ HDD. Prior to that they were using 2.5″ HDD

you marketing assholes would sell your own children bleach for breakfast.. “and it also whitens teeth!” i can hear it now. Fuck i hate people who think institutionalized lying is a viable career path. Assholes……………………….~

im with jro…sheep, isheep… all the same…

jro…I think you’ve just agreed with the point about the ‘iSheep’ marketing campaign: a completely marketing-led campaign with little ethics.Or did you mean to put down iPod users?

Take it from someone who sells these for a living. 80% of apple’s market is trendiness. Kids buy them because they want to be popular. I have a fresh example for you: Today, a mom was buying her little kid a DAP. The kid was maybe 6. He wanted a shuffle, so I showed the mom a SD m230, as I do with everyone who asks for a shuffle. I told her about the voice recording, fm tuner, screen, increased battery life, user-replaceable battery, and better sound quality. It even comes with an armband. She went back and talked to her son, told him all this. He still wanted the shuffle. Why? He didn’t have a reason. He did have a reason why he didn’t want a the SD, though: it wasn’t a pod.Were it not for spoiled kids, apple would barely be holding its head above the water. Why spoiled? Because I see maybe one individual under 18 a week buy one with their own money. For a parent to buy a 200$ or 300$ item for their 14 year old is absolutely ridiculous. I was lucky to get 100$ spent on me during the holidays. They’re 14 and want to listen to music? It’s called a CD player, and it costs 30$.Oh, and another interesting tidbit: Almost every adult that buys a DAP buys one of the small flash players (Sony, Samsung, SD, iriver) or the sandisk e2x0. I actually really like that little player, and so do many customers.By the way, louis, know why Creative was using 2.5″ drives for so long? Their customers wanted them to. A few months ago, I could buy a 30GB Zen Xtra for around 180$, buy a 100GB 2.5″ drive for around 130$, slap it in there, and I have a 100GB DAP for a little more than a 30GB pod. However, I’m not sure why you mentioned drive size, because he didn’t.

So let me get this straight. You were trying to sell a six year old something with a screen, a voice recorder, replaceable battery AND replaceable battery cover. That, and the six year old probably can’t even count up to 30, and you want him to use a SD m230?For a six year old, a Shuffle is nigh indestructable. Not only that, there are only two modes of operation: Straight and Shuffle.But that’s because your judgement is flawed and biased. If were getting a DAP for my kid, my first priorities would be durability, price, and usability. The Shuffle is still unparalleled because it has no screen to break, no battery covers to snap or lose, and it is tiny. Don’t forget that six year olds have smaller pockets!You want to know why I mentioned drive size? Because size is a function of usability. An original 2000/2001 Creative Nomad Jukebox was the size of a Mac mini; the next Zen Jukebox was the size of a paperback novel and then finally the next Zen Touch was the size of a deck of cards. Perhaps Creative’s customers wanted 2.5″ drives, but the remaining 80% of the market wanted 1.8″ and 1″ drives (see today). Creative was left behind by both Sandisk and Apple (I hear Sandisk is #2 behind Apple).So geeks may have loved Creative, but they only make up a small percentage of the population.

I love the way all the iPodPeople defend their team by assuming that all opponents must naturally be part of another team. Talk about missing the point of “individuality”. They let fifty cents’ worth of plastic and silicon define who they are, hence negative comments about an electronic gadget become personal attacks.iPod is intended as a merchandise delivery device, nothing more. Everyone who “buys” (literally) into the image becomes just another consumer of istore, the Golden Arches of the web – fifty million served and counting! I wonder how many anti-globalization militants also own ipods? The irony here is that so many ipod owners fancy themselves original free-thinkers.The ipod is just a tool, not a substitute for personality. It doesn’t make mp3s sound better than any other mp3 player. It’s fine if you’re too dumb to manually transfer mp3s to your player and need a fancy GUI to hold your hand along the process. But if you want a revolution, you’ll have to look where your VISA isn’t accepted.

The iPod as an mp3 player really isn’t that bad. It just happens to have a userbase that thinks that stock earbuds are the best thing since Kraft Dinner. The ipod has rockbox, and, if it were to have UMS, it would be perfect…Seriously, anyone who uses stock earbuds should be shot.And who can blame Sansa for trying? They’ve even approached the developers of Rockbox in an attempt to improve their product. Apple has had their product out for some time now, and they still dont support [any] features except playback of mp3 and proprietary formats.

iPod users are still zombies. Oh yeah, Steve Jobs needs another Jaguar so get out there and buy more iPods!

Give an A+ to Grey Advertising for riffing on the iPod posters. I sighted them on 2nd Avenue and Seventh Street (pasted on the plywood which covers the renovation where Kiev restaurant used to be). Their art director also deserves an A+ for the visual design of the iDon’t Web page.The concept strikes a very resonant chord with me. The whole iPod thing where it’s all about showing off your white earbuds with their white wires and white this and white that, it’s all more than a little annoying.At first, I thought this might be some kind of student’s final project. It was naturally a bit disappointing to discover that the seemingly subversive art was yet another ad campaign.Still, the content of the site was fairly entertaining. The idea of an alternative to the oppressive iOcracy has appeal. Like many people, I detest living in a world where people like Bill Gates can get away with dominating entire categories of software. I’m one of those people who uses Firefox instead of IE, AMD instead of Intel. If I wasn’t so lazy, I’d probably go over to Linux. Naturally, the alternative has to have an advantage, as Firefox clearly does, but it makes sense to support some choice in this supposedly free marketplace of goods, services, and ideas.The problem with Sandisk is that, up to now, they havea come across as a mass-storage company that decided to throw a few flash-memory players at the market and see if anything sticks. Their M2XX line of compact flash MP3 players looks terrible. I hate membrane switches. They look really crappy, something best to avoid in a product which already seems slightly disposable.These newer Sandisk players actually look like pretty good products and the reviews here and at CNet are positive. Unfortunately, they’re not a whole lot cheaper than iPods (J&R price on the 2 Gig Sansa e250 model is $160 versus $185 for a 2 Gig Nano). At a regular chain store like Best Buy or Circuit City (speaking of no alternative) the prices are about $180 and $200 respectively.Sandisk does have a similar, older model, the c150 (running on a AAA instead of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery) where a 2 GB model at J&R or Newegg goes for $130.If you look around, you can find some bargains on the flash players. I just picked up a Lexar LDP-400 for $20. It’s only got 128 Megs of storage (for another $10 you can get the same player with 256 MB), but 35 songs is an ample selection for my short commute. And I can change them any time. As for user-friendliness, I extended the USB plug on the player, plugged it into my XP-based laptop, and the player was auto-detected and my Musicmatch jukebox software autolaunched. It took about two clicks to transfer an MP3 or WMA file. The whole process was over in five minutes. Getting Podcasts into my laptop was a little more trouble, but once downloaded it was just as quick and easy to get them into the LDP-400 as any other MP3 file.Egloskerry has some good points about flash players. And, yeah, if kids really can’t live without music, get ‘em a CD-R compatible portable player. But in the real world, what they really want is to have what all their friends have, which makes them essentially the same as all the yuppies flagrantly flaunting their white earbuds.

“idont.com” talks big mouth about apple, like its a sheep-zombie maker… as oppose to what? pcs? what an oxy moron… pcs have had global control over all computer market for years and years and apples actually stands for everything against that monopoly… if a lot of people wake up and feel the vibe, thats actually a good thing in this case!…i dont get it: are they trying to send us a righteous message or trying to sell their mp3s and merch? what a market scam… is this marketing, the very sin they are accusing mac of, isnt that what they are doing right now? btw, ipods are not a reflection of mac in general… they are too commercial… that is… =P lol

Um, I had an Ipod before every trendoid asshole had one and it was still a novelty, with my 2-3 gen I ran ephpod, with my 60 gig video I run anapod.I don’t buy crappy online DRM low bitrate swill, and I don’t use Itunes. The only apple software I’ve ever run is the firmware updater.I just had $400 to blow on an MP3 player, and I wanted music videos. It was this or the Creativelabs, Creative had a nicer screen, but cryptic and poorly arranged controls. That and a very plastic feel. Not worth it just to play Xvid.The pod is good hardware, I’ve repaired a few, its the SOFTWARE you need to avoid Itunes is what makes it stupid. If it was my only choice I wouldn’t have one free.So if your ipod is crippling your choice in any way its because you can’t manage your hardware., or you are too lazy to rip your own tunes.Fuck status. Who cares? the hardware is slick, intuative and easy to repair. Long as I don’t let it near their software what am I missing out on? I can’t use the itunes store, oh break my heart. : /

i love my ipod. although i think the “idont” thing is going to do more damage to ScanDisk’s Sansa e200, because anyone who has seen the adverts. is gonna think of the ipod before anything else. The whole campaign stinks of a negative thinking. I hope ScanDisk falls flat on it’s face.

I hope that someday, someone will be able to take down iPod, but not like this, this is just retarded. The only way to show that your better than someone else is to beat them at whatever they’ve owned at, not to insult them.

Good Lord.These ads annoy the crap out of me. Seriously…..at what point did people just begin flat out ridicule as a campaign strategy……why didn’t they just write “you suck” in graffiti all over the ipod posters adorning city streets…it would have been the same thing but cheaper.I also do no find insulting people to be the best way of showing how you are different or better….but I am not a 5 year old girl (I assume the heads of this campaign are and that their mom’s need to spank them good and hard, for such behavior) Seriously, it’s pretty narsty……AND THEN to find out it’s a commercial for a product!?!?!? I was like…. you have GOT to be kidding me. This ad campaign may be the most disgusting thing American advertising has produced since Paris hilton bit into a burger in a bikini.

After having an iPod Shuffle being replaced one week after purchase and stopped working again out of the blue after 8 months because of the same error – green/orange blink of death – I gave up on Apple and its crappy products. iSheep fanboys, don´t even think of pointing me to Apple´s support pages, “Understanding iPod shuffle’s status lights ” or anything else. Just get the picture of how many angry iPod Shuffle owners were affected by the same problem:here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1518896I tried everything on forums, support and related… I don´t care. I want to listen to music, not spend hours trying to fix crappy hardware/software.One thing is for sure: “Enjoy uncertainty” as you never know when your iPod is gonna stop working.

call me stupid, but when I first saw the iDon’t ads, I thought they were making a comment of the ubiquitous nature of all these people walking around with earbuds, ignoring everyone and everything in their immediate surroundings, oblivious to the world.duh.I find it even more ironic that upon entering their site, they want to sell you on an item that works for WINDOWS.sheep or just a load of sheep dip?

i really think the iDont website is very pointless they say the ipod buyers r sheep so how come they r so concerned with those sheep second if they hate the ipod as a whole y does SANSA have a click-wheel like interface? really those people should get down to earth and stop critisizing apple just because it has the biggest market share of sales and they dont

At what point does missing the point become the point you are missing?If you buy something because of the ads you deserve everything you get, maybe not with that product but your method of choice will land you in trouble somewhere down the line.More products = more choice = more factors to consider.Some think that’s a bad thing because they don’t want the hassle of learning something ‘unnecessary’ so they go with the ads. Whether it’s pro or anti iPod ads you are STILL a sheep because of your method of choice.For the iPod haters who cry “sheep”, by your own logic you are also a sheep unless you were doing it before the ad campaign told you to, sorry.So I don’t fit the profile: over 30 with functionality as focus. As Slick Rick said- firefox because it works better, linux if I wasn’t so lazy. For 3 years my white “MUG ME” earphones have been left in the packaging. After 6 years I’ll be moving to Mac soon because my needs have changed as have the available solutions.OK, so some 6 year old wants something purely because all his friends have it. So what? How does that affect my choices? Whichever way that sways me I’m just as much a sheep because a factor unrelated to functionality has affected me.Guess what- thinking is an option. It costs time, but used wisely it can save time and money. If product B’s main selling point is it’s not product A then that says a great deal about A’s advantages over B’s lack of functions. You can only use something for what it is (or you can make it be) not what it isnt.STFU. Stop bleating about marketing- on both sides. It’s the second biggest indus=try on the planet and it only works because most people are too dumb to think for themselves. The url IS negative, but it can be justified by a review of the iPod’s failings compared to another product. Surely it becomes useful only at THAT point?Yes some items are only popular because of marketing, until people wise up to the point they can make their own choices marketing will continue to play such a huge role. But the flip side is just as dumb.I’ve always said Bill Hicks was a god, now it’s cool to say that. If someone accuses me of bandwagoning why should I even take the time to explain my position? Their ignorance tells me how successful any explanation could be.AOL is a massively popular isp, now that’s just wrong in so many ways. But how much will bleating change it?

HELLO, PEOPLE!!!!SanDisk is the #2 supplier of MP3 players after Apple. They are NOT hurting for market share.Additionally, they supply the memory to Apple!!!!!!!!!!So if you have an ipood, you already OWN a sandisk product!! And to say that a Sansa player is less than an ipood in anything but playing streaming, and you’re delusional.I got the Sansa M250, it’s a nice little player for the $$. My biggest beef was on install, it loaded WMP10, which I had been avoiding as I don’t want the big M to spy in my computer, thank you!!!!So I reverted to WMP9 as best as I couldm and went to MediaMonkey after using JHymn to strip out all my songs from itunes.That IS a big prob with the ipood, besides all the kids having one (I guess I’m a black sheep!)Once I put MY OWN cd’s into itunes, they were “trapped”. Got some tunes from a friend who pods, they were”trapped”. I have freed them with the jhymn and put them into media monkey, a nice lil program I must say! Volume levelling, drag and drop playlists, reads a gazillion formats including ogg. Sync is way easy, I choose the playlist I want, and fling it to the sansa, or just click the list in the sync menu.One other GREAT thing about the sansa, one setting allows it to be used as a thumbdrive!!! It plays audio books, has 20 presets for FM radio playing, AND an audio recording function!!! For 1/2 the price of a limiting ipood, and it runs about 20 hours on ONE single aa battery, available worldwide.What’s not to like?

One other thing that cracked me up on that site – my Sansa came with white earphones!!!!LOL!

“Additionally, they supply the memory to Apple!!!!!!!!!!”I dont know where you get your information but this is completely WRONG!Samsung supplies Apple with memory. Samsung also supplies SanDisk with flash memory.

I thought I got that bit o’ info off of this site, or possibly a hack site. It was an article explaining why SanDisk had been slow to catch up with Apple in the 2 and 4 gig area, because they were supplying Apple.I get my terminology mixed up a lot. Firmware, memory, chipset, whatever! And why would Samsung supply flash memory to the largest manufacturer of flash memory cards?I dunno. But I KNOW that when I want mp3, I use my Sansa! And that I DON’T want an ipood!Funny, all the hoopla over the video ipood. A buddy of mine had 3 Archos video players back in like ’02 or ’03. Took ‘em on planes, used them all over the world, wouldn’t trade them for the world!Also interesting was the article here on ABi about sound quality on mp3 players. The ipood came in LAST. But, a friend plays hers through her car stereo, and it sounds ok…..She thinks the Sansa player is nice, ergonomic for walking with, and nice features. We’ll see which of ours dies first…..

idont is a really disturbing website. it insults the intelligence to look at a site that tells you to think for yourself, while at the same time trying to spawn a legion of idont zombies who, for no logical reason dislike the iPod because it’s not “cool” to use the same mp3 player that most other people have.their site should say: listen to our BS, not theirs.

Finally checked out iDon’t and actually expected to see something witty about market trends and alternatives. Instead I get a well disguised marketing ploy that makes a point of insutling iPods, iPod owners and Mac OS users rather than introducing any worthwhile new product. Apple never sold it’s iPod by insulting anyone or anything or calling for mass fealty — or breaking free from anything other than where you’re able to enjoy your music (and now movies). Grow up.iDon’t — and this web site — are a joke! Bye.

Apple is an amazing marketing company. I love their product design (The actual casings), and I like the look of their new OS. I think the Nano is DAMN SEXY.I am an Apple Systems Administrator, and have been for 10 years, writing Apple apps, understanding their technology and architecture. I’ve seen Apple go through a lot of changes, and lately I tend to give them kudos on the business side of things.Apple did it – they saw a market that people were lazy on – and jumped on it – skillfully and wittingly. Good for them. Its too bad too – because there really always has been other good, cheaper choices for MP3 players – but no one saw the money in marketing them.I’ve also been a Window Sys Admin for just as long, using Active directory, writing C++ and VB code, etc – and appreciate not only Microsoft but all Linux/UNIX flavors as well. You can do much more in enterprise level computing with PCs. Ask any true programmer or Enterprise IT director. Apple over priced for business, and nowadayHowever, on the honesty side, Apple seems to have taken the Amway route of marketing psychology; Let’s not lie but tell them, “We have a product that does this” in a way that, by default, the general public will assume that this is the first product that does it. Its not lying, becuase they never said they were better than – its just using the assumption you know people will make….And they KEEP DOING IT! Apple’s new PC/MAC commercials are the same way! Completely trusting that people are ignorant enough to buy in to it! Apple is saying, “We know you’ve not actually tried a PC, so here’s more PC bashing to make you feel you’ve still made the right decision about support computers you have to replace yearly for current software and DMPs that support only one SUPPORTED method of management…”Apple started the bashing first. In searched, I find more macites pointing out the blue screen of death (Which, btw, is old news), who say they now have a Mac becuase they were sick of it (Ever try actually following the instructions and fixing it?) Heh, welcome to kernel panics and no error codes (The GREY screen of death!) where the fix is still the OS 9ish, “Please Restart Your Mac”.In the end, I find it VERY funny that Apple users call others conformists – while Apple allows users to do what they want, PCs allow users to actually do what they want and then change the way they do it along the way. Its funny that Apple’s campaign was think different – because they had every one conforming and thinking one way; doing things only one way, becuase it was the “best way”.I say think for yourself as well – but feel ashamed that the first marketing ploy on this insults the few users out here that truly have done the research.How many commercials have you seen from Microsoft that knock Macs? Do you mac users really think it’s because Apple is better? Do you really think Apples are easier to use? Would you bet your life on it? Are you prepared to argue that a Mac is better than all the available features (meaning available software) for a PC?If so Bring it on. Otherwise – Do your homework, iPod users – if you’re going to brag about CDDB integration, at least realize that this worked in OS 9s SoundJam and WIndows Musicmatch FAR before iTunes… And that its a STANDARD for all CD ripping software. This is a great example of clueless Apple ranting.

I’m a person who has no mp3 player (and is looking to buy one).But, I think I speak for most people that there are some ups to buying and Ipod.There are bt sites (ipodnova.net) that are DEDICATED to uploading videos for people to put on their ipods, hence it’s name. This site includes many many reality shows, and almost everything you could ever want.Now, I probably won’t be getting and Ipod as it is beyond my price range.

the thing is this. I had an ipod. well 4…and all of them did the same thing. Freeze, die, and lock up. and everytime i wanted a new one( for the warranty replacement) i had to drive 45 minutes plus just to get to the nearest apple store. I opted for this because its practically the nano with about 5 times the functionality. Sure it has its querks, but it’s a godsned compared to the lack of functionality ipods have. If apple had any logic, the would at least include an FM tuner, recorder, and a legitimate pricing. i now own then Sansa e200 and to quite honest i am very pleased. ITs double the amount of memory of the nano (1gb) for the same price. cannot beat that.sorry guys.

If you have an ipod you have an ipod. You are unlikely to change unless you have had a very bad experience with it or got fed up with ut. I am the owner of an 4ogb iriver. i bought it cause it had 40gb, a radio a voice recorder and played mp3, ogg and wma (all for less than the 40gb ipod)I get a lot of stivck from ipod users thats its ugly. BANG.Thats what its all about LOOKS. who cares if you got 40gb or 1gb. Its the look.Apple got there 1st, and others are playing catch up, and in some cases trying to copy to steal the market. They wont.Even the long awaited Zune, im not sure will steal anyone, but will be a great alternative.Oh well

Totally agree with Rich.iPod headphones are rubbish. leak sound like a colander and ruin an otherwise adequate product. I’m suprised more users haven’t been attacked for disturbing the peace!!!

I personally think that because this site (when it was up) made fun of iPod owners, ipod owners may switch to another mp3 player, but not the one they say to. Would you want to buy something from a salesman who calls you stupid?I am an iPod Owner, and Because of this site I refuse to consider the sandisk crap.I think this is horrible marketingg. I now know not to buy sandisk.

“The campaign either rubs you the right way or rubs you the wrong way. It doesn’t matter, either way you got rubbed. “Nuff said!

Personally, id say that in all market segments of all types whether MP3players, PCs, Fashion, theres always a company that gets away with hype and inferior quality products. But the truth is that the company had its roots somewhere.Id say iPod is a great MP3 player and i mean great!. But with time other companies have started catching up and Creative have the ZVM to compete, which i believe is a superior player but not by so much of a gap.The ZVM beats iPod video in Features , performance / technical specifications etc. But the iPod is still a god when it comes to design and you can see the ZVM has actually tried to copy the iPods design.Personally id buy the ZVM over the iPod anyday because i believe its a better player. Buying a product from an alternative company just because they are an alternative is the most stupid reason. You have to have a reason to buy an alternative. So why blame superior Marketing by Apple, let them bask is their glory, it does not mean they will always be the superior makers of MP3 players. iPods dont offer much flexibility for PC users and PC users are more than Mac users. The problem is with the makers of OTHER mp3 players, they simply cant compete with the ‘mighty’ iPod. Creative are doing pretty well now, but Apple already have a headstart because Creative didnt always have a brilliant MP3 player.The only reason why im against the iPod is monopoly, its like they have a monopoly based on their aggresive marketing and ‘sheepy’ followers, this monopoly stunts the market where other players are afraid to enter the market to compete… But what am i saying, we have Zune and ZVM, so who cares what product is out there, let the consumer buy whatever they want. Its called choice and whatever choice the ‘blind’ consumer makes, its still their own choice and their own money. the iSheep thing is sorta crap coz the best way to compete is to put a 1:1 comparo of their player next to the iPod and tell people why they should buy their player. If not its a waste of time because such lame advertising wudnt affect my purchase decision if i were an iPod lover

Why in God’s green earth would you use a MAC? Talk about limited.That’s the primary reason I refuse to contribute to anything related to MAC. Why must everything for MAC be made by MAC and no other company? Communisim here we COME!! If Mac allowed 3rd party companies to actually make software and whatever for MAC maybe it might be a little more useful. If MAC is sooo good, why do you think 99.99% of Fortune 500 companies use PC’s? Oh thats right, it’s a conspriacy. Whatever, get off this site and go play in your white store of one mindedness.

Heck, dont worry about this advertising scheme. If a good mp3 player is a good mp3 player, then that’s all that matters. just do a bit of research, find the one suits you best, and if that happens to be an iPod (or SanDisk, for that matter) then so be it!!!I personally have a SanDisk e260, but that’s because i did a bit of looking, and it suited me best. And i didnt even KNOW about this ad before i got it!!its the one that suited me, but i also considered a nano, so basically, im neutral, when i comes to the ipod vs. everything else users.

Mac has no third party software???? What are YOU smoking??????? All thats missing are some games, and even thats changing.That 99% is changing. Fast. Look at Vista sales recently?Go roll around in your PC of of infestation. heh.

The iDont program was just a younger slanted version of the Mac vs PC ads filling the air with overstated BS, and yet you Podders continue to bitch and moan about negative advertisement.Fact of the matter is, Apple gets by on name recognition and trendiness alone. I work at Best Buy in Springfield, Oregon selling computers and mp3 players. Customer after customer is astounded to hear that there are viable options to iPods. Seriously, folks, the people I sell mp3 players to didn’t even think to ask what the options are.And what do you think they walk out of the store with after I tell them of the better, often user replaceable batteries; the multitude of alternatives to iTunes; the near standard inclusion of FM radio, voice recording, etc (things Apple believes you should pay extra for); and finally the difference in price over “similar” products?Teenagers will get the iPods (to match their DKNY jeans, trendy hoodies and Sketchers) while adults will get the SanDisc, the iRiver, the Creative, or the Samsung players.Unless they are buying $350 iPods for their trendy teenagers.Don’t even get me started on track records either. The single most commonly returned for service product in our store are iPods, and the Apple warranty is, for all intents and purposes, opperates on a three strikes policy.Not to mention that our employee discount is based on cost, so I know that Apple fucks every single store that sells their products. If it weren’t for accessories, none of these stores would make any money on iPods.At least most of the mp3 players are sold at a 10-20 percent markup. But instead, Apple is so greedy that the only way anyone can make any money from their product is by latching on to the all-too-frequent launches of new iPods that function the same way, and hoping someone needs a case or iTrip.Ridiculous excuse for a business plan, it’s a shame it works so well for them.

Hello, everyone! 1st post.I’m 45 years old and just ordered myself a Sansa Clip as my first MP3 player. I learned at an early age to ignore marketing (and that is easy to do since I don’t watch TV or listen to the radio), as marketing exists for one reason only: To sell a product- and usually by appealing to emotion rather than logic.As a first time consumer in this market, I am well aware of iPods- but I didn’t consider purchasing one even for a moment- just as I never considered AOL when I first got a computer in ’99. Lets face it, if you buy the product that is the most popular and most heavily promoted, a large percentage of the price you pay for that product is to cover advertising costs- AOL customers pay more for lousey dial-up than I pay for DSL…and, in the lower-end MP3 player market, iPod Shuffle customers pay substantially more for a player with NO SCREEN, half the capacity and less features than the Clip.Sadly- Sandisk does not appear to be marketing their products very efficiently though. The ad associated with this article is the 1st. Sandisk ad I’ve ever seen…and had I seen it before being aware of the merits of their product, I would have had a negative image of their product. Hawking something that looks just like an iPod while enticing people to buy it just for the sake of being different, rather than extolling its’ actual merits, leads one to believe that they have nothing more to offer other than a different name- which is a shame- since they really DO have more to offer. Such inefficient advertising will only hurt Sandisk while helping Apple- and that is a shame, because Sandisk certainly seems to have a superior product at a substantially cheaper price. I may be a natural-born contrarian…but I buy products based on their merit and value- and when I see a company tgrying to use emotionalism or status or anti-status to “sell me”, I assume that they have little substance to offer.

I think the purpose of this site is to show you that there are alternatives to an ipod, there are so many people who just buy an ipod without looking at the alternatives because an ipod is all they know.

OK so I have never had an ipod/mp3 player before and I have finally broken down since I like to listen to books on cd and my cd player in my car is broken and not worth fixing nor buying another.This said, I need one of these MP3 things now. My list of wants include the ability to: listen to audio books (with bookmark capability, load some songs – I don’t really need a soundtrack to my life but it might be nice at the gym – and remember my cd player is broken in the car, I would like it to have a radio, I doubt I would watch movies they are so tiny the computer is already ruining my eyes, I’ve heard you can use it like a flash drive and transfer files (say a word doc or illustrator file) from one comp. to another. That’s handy. Being able to look at pictures (yes, tiny) is probably bigger than my cell phone anyway, then I think the voice recorder feature I have read about it evil and I like it So I guess that’s my requirements. 4G or 8G? Oh and like most people in, well everywhere, I want the cheapest best one. PLEASE help me figure this out. Any yes I have googled over and over, the terminology eludes me AAG, UCL, ETC… BIG thing here, just to add another layer of difficulty – I have a Mac and my sister and partner in audio books (and maybe a little music has a PC. Ideas (I looked for an X5 and can’t really find one I’m sure will work, (2 on ebay)They seem to be as much as an ipod. Thank you ahead for you kindest consideration and recommendation

This commercial and design says everything anyone needs to know about MP3 players and companies producing them that are not Apple.They wish they were the iPod and wish they could get the herd of “iSheep” to their side. The iPod is user friendly no matter how you look at it unless you are a “hater” and if it wasn’t other companies wouldn’t be mimicking the design and saying “hey look at us, we are like the iPod only better” The funny part is they are not. Because in addition to all the great marketing Apple does they also provide you with a good, user firendly, reliable product. That is in addition to looking good. So to all the haters sit down and just go buy and iPod. If you want an alternative go buy it but you are making a poor consumer decision. Apple makes more expensive products but from my experience, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! All these companies, Microsoft included wish they were in Apple’s shoes these days. It’s comical how Vista and Windows 7 attempt to take all the good ideas from Mac OS