I'm looking for & can you recommend a TM or MP3 player??

angie_nrs

angie_nrs

Cathlete
Hello everyone! I could not think of a better place to ask this question. I am looking for a treadmill and an MP3 player. I have been tempted by the itrain workouts and the cardio coaches but do not have an MP3 player. And...now that Cathe has announced her new plan for MP3 workouts I figured I'd better get ready for them and am ready to take the plunge.:)

I found these MP3 players today at one store but haven't really comparison shopped for them because I have no idea what I need:

ilo - $70 2GB (960 song capacity) 16+ hrs.
sansa - $80 1GB (500 song capacity)
siren - $100 4GB (1920 song capacity) 16+ hrs.

The ipods look pricy and some have said that it really isn't necessary to spend that much on an MP3. I have a laptop (not a mac) for music downloads. I don't think I need anything too fancy or expensive, but I don't want to buy something that won't hold up or fit my needs either. I'm not a big music listener, but I want to try the workouts on MP3 that everyone is raving about, (especially the cardio coaches). Which leads me to my next purchase:

I found a Proform 300 (I think that was the model) at Sears on sale for $350 - originally $500. It has the auto incline and also has the optional ski poles attached to the sides. Does anyone have this treadmill? What do you think of it? Any others you would recommend?

If anyone wants to add suggestions including where to purchase something different I would love to hear it. I'm not very educated regarding either of these purchases so any input you could provide would be very much appreciated.

Thanks all!! :) ;)

Angie
 
I bought my TM last November at Dick's. It's a Sole F63, I LOVE IT! I bought a TM with a stronger motor because I knew I'd be doing a lot of running, not just walking. It isn't the top of the line Sole, but it fit my needs.

I have an IPOD 4 MB Nano. Love it too! I don't have a Mac computer, just a Dell PC. I use iTunes to download. I got my IPOD at WalMart for $197 I believe. I use it exclusively for exercise, not a big music listener here either.
 
RE: I'm looking for & can you recommend a TM or MP3 pla...

Angie-
I recommend an iPod...I owned a Mini and then upgraded/downsized to a Nano. I love it! Why not consider the 1GB Shuffle? It's only $79 and will hold up to 240 songs. You should see how tiny it is. It sounds like it would meet your music needs and it'd be the ideal size & weight for running/working out. Apple is known for making things simple and user-friendly, and I think you will find that to be true of iTunes. You can check it out on apple's site: http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/

As for the TM, I have a Proform DL - it's an older model - I probably purchased it about 10 years ago. It's pretty basic but has the incline feature (I never used the poles) and does what I need it to do, which is give me a place to run when the weather is not conducive to an outdoor run. In other words, I'm not a fan of any dreadmill, but the one I have has been just fine for my needs.

~Cathy :)
 
RE: I'm looking for & can you recommend a TM or MP3 pla...

Hi,

I too, am looking at getting an Mp3 or IPod only mosting for I-Train, or Cardio Coach, but especially when Cathe starts producing these types of workouts.. I am so technologically behind on this stuff! The Ipod Shuffle looks good but I have some dumb questions:

You said you use your Ipod Nano with a Dell pc.. so there is no problem hooking up their "docking station" or whatever it is to a non apple pc?

If this is a shuffle type , how do you find the workout you want? I see there is no viewing screen..

if you have different workouts, like I-Trains at 40 minutes each and whatever Cathe puts out, how much can actually fit on and if you are full, what do you do for more to go on?

Dumb questions, but I am trying to learn about this before buying something that I find I don;t like or bought the wrong one!

Deb
 
RE: I'm looking for & can you recommend a TM or MP3 pla...

I have an Ipod and a Dell and have no trouble with iTunes. I just followed the instructions that came with the Ipod and it was easy. I really enjoy the Ipod and I downloaded music I want to listen to and your own CDs. I'm really happy with this.
Ellen
 
RE: I'm looking for & can you recommend a TM or MP3 pla...

Oh, oops! I wasn't thinking of iTrains and cardio coaches as I don't use them (but plan to when Cathe releases hers!) - I was just thinking of music. So, the best bet in terms of iPods would be the Nano. It's still small enough that it's not bulky to work out with and you have plenty of storage space.

All iPods come with a cord which plugs into a USB port on your computer for uploading/charging. It works on any PC.

With the shuffles, you will always get your music shuffled - no ability to choose songs.

I don't know how much space the iTrains usually take up, but you can always remove songs to make more space. I doubt you would need to. I own a lot of music and still have room for 400+ songs on my Nano.

~Cathy :)
 
RE: I'm looking for & can you recommend a TM or MP3 pla...

I highly recommend the Sansa products. You can get some amazing deals online (Buy.com is a great site, especially if you go through ebates.com as well. You just have to be a little patient for a sale to come through, it won't take too long).
DH and I both have Sansa's. I've had mine a few years and DH was so jealous I bought him his own Sansa e250 for his b-day this year. I paid a little over $100 (but I also bought the "action jacket" accessory armband), so it was really about $80. It holds about 500 songs and works like a dream. It has a full color screen for viewing photos or video.
Just to tell you how much I now love his newer, bigger, better version--I'm going to upgrade my own:7

We also just bought a TM this year. We settled on a Sole S77 since we wanted one with more HP that would last a very long time. Sole has some of the best warranties in the business and a very solid reputation. Between DH and I, we put quite a few miles on the TM and DH is much larger than I so needed the continuous extra horsepower in the engine. We bought it off a Sole authorized dealer on Ebay, you get your warranty and shipping right from Sole--brand new and fast. Here's a link:
http://search.ebay.com/sole-treadmill_W0QQfromZR40

Good luck!
Mattea
 
I have a nordic trac treadmill. 0-12 incline 1-12 mph.
I like the cushioning feature .It was like 1499 , on sale for 1100. I would buy it again.I looked at the sole. I almost bought one..


I have a refurbished zen. 6gb mp3 player. It was 89 bucks direct from creative.
I also have a 30GB creative, which i use at home(bulky). I set it on the treadmill..
 
RE: I'm looking for & can you recommend a TM or MP3 pla...

So I guess what everyone is saying is that the Ipod shuffle version cannot be used for working out to I-Train or Cathe' upcoming ones because you can't select what you want to hear?
 
I'm in the market for an MP3, too, so I'm glad to see all the advice on here! I'm trying to get it as an early birthday gift from my DH, especially since I went ahead and ordered the Cardio Coaches that are on sale!
 
I agree with the PP about the Sansa. I have it and it is great. Admittedly, I only use it when I am working out (I see some people with them constantly) and it fits my needs well. I am also debating getting the cardo coach workouts.

Anyway, the Sansa is great and significantly cheaper than the coparable iPod.

Lorie
 
I just recently purchased a Sansa sandisk mp3 player, 1GB, on Amazon for $39.99, free shipping. It came immediately, loaded music easily, and works wonderfully. Very small and convenient, and the price was right for me!!
 
I've been using the Creative products for years, and their quality and prices are always great. I've had my tiny little Creative MuVo for years and it's a good product for a good value. I think their newest model is called the "Zen".

The primary consideration in my opinion is where you intend to get your music from. I can download songs from Walmart.com for 88 cents per song, with no fees, but the selection is not as broad as that for the ipod. If you get a nano, you will have the entire itunes library available to you for - I think - 99 cents per song, which I believe also has no fees. If you mostly plan to get your music from your own CDs, then the Creative is fine, but if you want to download, I think the nano is the best bet for working out.

P.S. I agree that for working out, the shuffle won't cut it; you need the nano. If my little Muvo EVER stops working, I'll get the nano.
 
Re: MP3 players, you need to decide what you want in one. I wanted one to listen to while I swim laps, so was somewhat limited. Also, the amount of music you want to be able to hold will indicate how much of a capacity it has. If you want to be able to look at a screen and be able to choose your songs, your itrain, cardio coach (for which I also use mine) or the ones that Cathe will come out with, then a shuffle is not what you want. It will be much easier with a screen. I bought my DH a Sansa which has all kinds of stuff on it, much cheaper than an ipod and no problems. HTH
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I will keep these suggestions in mind as I go back to the drawing board.;-)

Angie
 
I am very happy with my Sansa MP3 player. I bought it on recommendation of a colleague who is also very happy with hers.
 
I'm going to caution everyone on batteries.

The Ipods have built in hardwired rechargeable batteries, have to be replaced by an Apple service person $100+. Creatives have a user replaceable battery (for the zen 30gb $67.

Rechargeable batteries eventually die. Give it some thought. I bought a cheaper, smaller capacity Iriver which runs on a single AA battery. (I even use a rechargeable AA bat, less than $10 for 4)
 
Good point, Dave! I had no idea. I use my own rechargeables for my litte Creative MuVo, and didn't realize that batteries could be an issue.
 
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