Help! My son wants an ipod and I can't afford it.

[eyeontheprize]

Are there anyalternatives? Be kind this is all foreign to me.

PS I have to be away from the computer for an hour or so, I'll check back then.

Thanks in advance, and Happy Holidays!

[Solon]

1. Here's an alternative...

:evilgrin:

[eyeontheprize]

3. Will those tapes fit through broadband?

lol

[Debbi801]

25. There are plenty of inexpensive MP3 players out there...

We've got a Creativ and an RCA, both of which were under 100.

Check out Target and also check out Overstock.com

If you get one with a smaller capacity, see if it can take a flash card, sd card, etc. to expend the number of songs.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. You can get a discount at apple.com

They are less expensive there than in the stores.

[Deep13]

4. Guess the answer is "no" then.

How old is he? A $300 gadget is a bit steep for a teenager.

[eyeontheprize]

9. It might just be no,

which is why I'm asking for advice.

He's 13, and he has had some minor (in the scheme of things, a bigger deal if they're happening to you) but uncomfortable health problems lately, so I'm more inclined to try to cheer him up.

[MissMillie]

5. I bought my son a 2.5G Rio

it was $129, and there was a $40 rebate, so the final cost was $89.


It holds up to 625 songs.

[Wcross]

7. I second MissMillie's suggestion.

There are many brands of MP3 players out there so unless he wants one as a fashion statement shop around.

Check here for prices;

http://www.pricewatch.com/

The i-rivers, Rio's ect work just as well as an i-pod does.


BTW- If he requires an i-pod then tell him he needs to go out and get a job!

[ncrainbowgrrl]

10. I just bought myself a new video ipod.

I felt SO rich being able to lay out the money. (Disclaimer- we do ok, not a lot of spending money to play with.)

It made me feel weird when the other people in the apple store were buying them in multiples- one for each kid, one for a friend, etc... This one family was buying a Kate Spade carrying case for each of their new ipods (4 of them!)

I guess for some, it is going to be a great christmas. :shrug:

[eyeontheprize]

12. I'll check it out.

Does it do everything the ipod does?

[MissMillie]

15. I don't know

I think instead of comparing it to an ipod, it may be better to ask simply if it has the features your kid wants.

I think you can create playlists... which was the one big criteria my son had.

[alarimer]

14. I have an Iriver

which did cost the same as an Ipod but they make cheaper ones. Plus with some of the other models, you can download music from a subscription service without having to buy each track. Now this cost $15 a month but it is something I don't think Itunes does (I may be wrong about this). It is the only reason I bought the one I have. While I have some problems with it, I am sure they will work the kinks out in time.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

6. you could go with an ipod shuffle- they're $99.

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/

[distantearlywarning]

20. I couldn't afford a big IPOD, so I bought a shuffle instead.

I love it! I have no regrets, and it works great for my needs. Of course, I'm not a teenage boy who must follow the dictates of fashion, so I don't know whether that would work for your son or not.

[Fleshdancer]

8. cheaper mp3 players are available

do you have a price range in mind? Target.com offers mp3 players starting at around $60.

[eyeontheprize]

11. It seems that a screen is an important .

$200 is a stretch the less than $150 would be perfect.

[Puglover]

13. I have the 60gb photo Ipod...

and I would rather wait for awhile then have any other brand of player....maybe he might want to do the same rather than substitute something else.

Check out Ebay...I've seem some good prices there.

[MissMillie]

16. the rio has a screen

it's not big, but it does have one.

[Fleshdancer]

17. when I want to give a much needed gift I can't afford....

I ask other family members if they would be willing to help pitch in and make it a group gift. Otherwise, the ipods are just too ridiculously expensive right now.

Here's a decent mp3 player for $129.99



iAUDIO U2 512MB MP3 player
• Wide graphic LCD with an indigo-blue backlight that displays lyrics
• FM stereo radio and voice recorder
• Includes Cresyn earphones and fashion carrying case and necklace
• Supports MP3, WMA, ASF and WAV formats, plus is Mac and Linux OS compatible

[newportdadde]

18. How about a 20 buck walkman lol

Is your son going to have money to purchase the songs with or is he planning on aquiring them through other methods?

[sniffa]

19. watch 'everyone hates chris' tonight

parents can't afford the waLkman he wants for xmas.

just do what they do. ;)

[JPZenger]

21. Dangers of Ipods

There are some teenagers who keep their Ipod headphones on all the time. I almost ran over one who was walking down the middle of an icy street and didn't have any idea there was a car behind him.

If you live in an area with a threat of crime, there are other hazards. Many people get robbed for their Ipods. The people wearing Ipods make easy victims because they are paying less attention to their surroundings. For example, in subways, it is easy to sneak up behind a person listening to an Ipod. Ipod thefts are the main reason for an increase in crime in the New York subway system, after years of decline.

Also, if you don't have a high speed connection, it will be frustrating to download songs over the net. It can take 20 minutes for one song on a dail up connection.

[architect359]

22. My .02 cents

I know he wants an iPod but one thing to consider is that these things are more of a fad to kids / teenagers. The amount of cash that goes into an iPod is more of an investment that they may not have learnt to appreciate, know what I'm saying? Next year, it may be a new line of iPod with the latest features that'll be way cooler; or it might be something else altogether. If its tight affording one or sounds like not possible, than I guess you'll have to somehow explain the situation to your son - but by all means offer / give him a decent alternative. As others have mentioned, there are options out there that perform close to or the same as the iPod that are more affordable <-- just minus the coolness factor and o some degree, common sense interface. Even if one had the ability to afford them, with the way kids go through stuff, especially these days, I would be reluctant to put down 300 - 400 bucks for what to them is essentially a toy, you know? Anyway, I'm not in your position, so I guess its easy to say this. Well, it helps for what its worth.

[qnr]

23. I have an HP IPAQ RX3115. I've seen them for under $95 in brick & mortar

stores, much less online. It's a media version of a PDA.

A blurb from the site.

• Ensure that your system runs smoothly with Microsoft® Windows® Mobile 2003 (Second Edition) for Pocket PC-Professional Edition
• Organize, edit, share, and wirelessly print photos and video with HP Image Zone and HP Instant Share and HP Mobile Printing
• Enjoy music and video in MP3, MotionJPEG, MPEG1, WMA or WMV formats, transferred from your PC
• Store music, photos, and video on memory cards (sold separately)
• Listen privately in stereo via headphones
• Stream content over your Wi-Fi home network and view on your iPAQ while moving around the house
• Present content on your PC, TV, and stereo by teaming your iPAQ and Wi-Fi home network
• Challenge yourself to Pocket PC games, including Solitaire and Jawbreaker

It also doubles as a remote control for all of your TVs, DVD players, etc.


As a plus, I can run emulators of other machines (Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, game consoles like nintendo, and others), and I'm getting ready to put a Linux distro on it.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/product_detail.do?storeName=storefronts&landing=handhelds&category=handhelds&subcat1=digital_entertainment&catLevel=2&product_code=FA362A%23ABA

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. If you really can't afford it, your son needs to know that

That's real life.

As the Rolling Stones sang, "You can't always get what you want."

As a college professor, I too often encountered students whose parents moved heaven and earth to ensure that their offspring never felt disappointment. They were not happy--instead, they seemed to expect their professors and other college officials to accommodate their every desire.

[CornField]

26. I use my Palm as an MP3 player

All it needed was an expansion card (to hold the MP3 files -- of course, this wouldn't have been necessary if I hadn't already filled up the Palm with other software and databases). :)