In the age of portable mp3 players, iPods have taken the world by storm. Every year a new generation is produced for millions of Apple fans around the world. As a result of the popularity of iPods, entrepreneurs in China have been making copies of these popular products since the dawn of MP3s. Are these iPod clones worth it or should the buyer beware?
First, it’s important to look at an aspect of Chinese culture that leads to copying of popular products. Some people believe that it is unethical to work from other people’s ideas. However, traditional Chinese belief dictates that when something is created, it is the responsibility of other people to improve it. Here’s an example I’ve read before: Let’s say someone paints the Mona Lisa. Chinese custom would dictate that it is the responsibility of others to see what flaws the old object had and how to fix those flaws while adding new value. Therefore, they would try to make a better Mona Lisa for people to enjoy. I’m not saying Chinese manufacturers are motivated entirely by this goodwill, as profits are obviously very important, but this analogy helps explain why copycats are so prevalent in China.
Anyway, to the products themselves. I’ll try to be brief on the pros and cons.
Cons
Lack of album management: Because they are plug and play, you have to drag music into memory manually. It is still possible to create albums by creating the folders manually and placing the music yourself.
Unattractive Songs UI: On an iPod, when you search for songs, it shows a beautiful screen with album art and a white background. On a generic player, you’ll most likely have a dark blue background with the title and artist of the song scrolling through it. Movies need to be converted: Most generic players have to play movies in AMV format. On small screens, the format doesn’t matter too much for quality, but it’s a pain to convert. Also, AMV converters are freely available online. However, iPods also require their own special format, and they offer this format only from their own online motion database (although it’s not free).
One Speed Tracking: This doesn’t mean much for most songs, but in general fast forward and rewind move at one speed (unlike iPods where it speeds up over time). This causes problems on long songs if you want to go straight.
advantage
FM Radio: Some generic mp3s come with an FM radio included, which is a $50 addition to an Apple iPod. Look for this function.
Voice recorder: Some generic mp3s come with a built-in voice recorder, which is another $50 accessory for an iPod. Look for this feature if you buy generic mp3 players.
No iTunes, and the bugs that come with it: Most generics offer a simple drag-and-drop service, so you don’t have to worry about losing your collection
Same or better audio and video quality: The audio and video quality for good generics is the same as for an iPod.
It’s less than half the price – expect to pay around $60 for a 2gb player, $75 for a 4gb player, and $90 for a generic 8gb player, if you want reliability and quality. You can also get cheaper generics for as low as $40 if you’re willing to take risks and lower the quality.
In conclusion, I think the generics are actually a better deal. They offer most of the same features, as well as a few additions, for a few minor sacrifices. Also, they are half price. When you go shopping, check what quality of mp3 is being sold. Some useful hints are;
– If they use actual iPod nano stock photos, they are probably low quality.
– If they are advertised as an iPod nano and not a generic one, they are probably of low quality.
That being said, there are plenty of unscrupulous buyers out there. Always use a secure payment method like PayPal and look for any proof you can find that these mp3s are the best value for money. It’s also important to look for a reliable warranty, which some companies now offer. I myself offer a free one year warranty and will add a video showing all the features of the Dopple, my Chinese made player, on my website http://www.inspirebolt.com I have tried to be as honest as possible for this article about the pros and cons of each, so i advise you to ask yourself what you want in an mp3 player, and make an informed decision. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my article, and good luck!