I was once an iPod owner, and then got an x50v for its all-around coolness. I can use it in school, watch movies, whatever. I used tcpmp to play music, but found the experience lacking.
I was hoping to have a program something like iTunes, and I would be willing to pay for it. A player with mp3 playback, as well as a few other formats (are any apple formats on a player out there), preferably ogg. I, while being a techinical person, would rather not have to screw around with trying to get the music on the Axim, with tcpmp, I had to get the CD's on the computer and then try to put them on the Axim in order (which was no easy task, since tcpmp loved to randomize them).
To sum it up, I want a program that will be hassle-free, while supporting a large number of formats, to handle my music. I am willing to pay a bit for it.
Thanks in advance.
EDIT: I actually have an x51v, if that helps.
Also, battery life is a concern.
TCPMP does okay as far as audio quality is concerned, you might want to try playing with the equalizer.
It has a feature called "Microdrive mode" that will buffer your audio from a microdrive then shut down the microdrive. You can also power-off your screen to save power.
Somebody wrote a roundup of the pay-programs for playing music/audio. I can't remember the name of the program, but there is one considered the clear winner because of sound quality. Ya gotta search for it, I'm too sleepy.
The sound quality wasn't an issue on the x51v/tcpmp, but the hassle of putting the music on the player and having it play was. I am really looking for an experience similar to the iPod/iTunes (of course, some ease of use will have to be sacrificed).
I'd suggest PocketMusic or PocketPlayer - I use PocketPlayer myself, and it's pretty simple in interface, has good sound quality, and supports plugins.
enCORe-you're saying you can't get by without that annoying file transfer?
PMP was fine, but I hated the entire process of putting the CD's onto the Axim and finding them to be randomized when they got there (I like to listen to a CD in the order it should be played).
But for those that do use TCPMP, what software do you use to put the stuff on to the Axim?
Haesslich- What sort of plugins do you use with PocketPlayer?
And I'm guessing apple keeps a tight hold on their .aac and other formats, meaning there isn't a WM5 player for them?
enCORe-you're saying you can't get by without that annoying file transfer?
PMP was fine, but I hated the entire process of putting the CD's onto the Axim and finding them to be randomized when they got there (I like to listen to a CD in the order it should be played).
But for those that do use TCPMP, what software do you use to put the stuff on to the Axim?
Haesslich- What sort of plugins do you use with PocketPlayer?
And I'm guessing apple keeps a tight hold on their .aac and other formats, meaning there isn't a WM5 player for them?
I believe TCPMP will play AAC if you have the right plug in.
AAC is part of the MPEG-4 standard. It's not a proprietary Apple standard. Fairplay IS a proprietary standard that is added onto AAC files downloaded from iTunes.
You can play AAC on WM5 but not AAC with Fairplay.
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I was just checking out Yahoo Music Unlimited, and I may have been converted. I was looking at the Axim the way I used to look at the iPod, but I could be getting more out of it. Unlimited downloads for $5 a month is not bad at all.
theWretched - mostly the stuff that comes with it, with the only exception being the Windows Media Plugin handler, which I found necessary to use AVCRP, for some reason. It has some DSP plugins, however, which are useful if you want to modify what you hear more, and the equalizer's excellent, IMO.
It'll also do protected WMA files, IIRc, if that's important to you, along with FLAC with the right plugin... which I don't use ATM. I believe only TCPMP does AAC at the moment, however.