mp3 players - mac compatability ? (NOT itunes compatability )

Question

mp3 players - mac compatability ? (NOT itunes compatability )

hi
i want to buy a cheap mp3 player ...
btw i dont use itunes music store so i dont need any compatability
with itunes buttons and all that.

i want to use it for my audio book collection.
I'm a bit confused about the mp3 player- mac compatability debate.

Seems like when alot of people say mp3 players are bot compatable with macs - what they mean is not compatable with itunes music store downloads.

Am i correct in thinking that all mp3 players can be mounted as external drives and i could drag n drop folders of mp3s - and that this is a universal rule of thumb ?

If this is so, does it not mean that all mp3 players are effectivly compatable with macs ? If it doesnt , then why ?

Thanks for helping me work this out

d

eMac 800MHz Power PC G4 Superdrive, Mac OS X (10.3.9), LACIE X3 - 160GB & 250GB external HD - 1 external burner - 750MB RAM

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 7:56 AM

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Answer 1

PT

Level 7

20,904 points

Aug 2, 2006 8:57 AM in response to didier tickell

Ya, I think you are right in that if a given MP3 player conforms to the standard Mass Storage Device driver, then it will mount on your desktop and you can drag and drop your MP3s right into the player. So yes, effectively, most general MP3 players should be Mac compatible as long as they do not require special software to get the tunes into the device.
Patrick

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Answer 2

Aug 4, 2006 3:24 AM in response to PT

just wondering why companies email me to tell me that they dont support macs........

so eg:

Dear Mr Tickell
Thank you for your recent enquiry.
Sony does not produce software that will enable Walkman products,
including the NWE300 or NWA1200, to operate with Mac operating systems.
I am sorry for any disappointment my reply may cause.
With regards
Peter Shorney
For and on behalf of
Sony United Kingdom Limited

see http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowProductCategory.action?site=odwenGB&category=PAWNetworkWalkman

3 things
1. - i'm assuming that when they say they dont support macs they are refering to the software alone & that the drag and drop method will be fine ??
2. - Can i do this drag and drop method on flash drives as well as hdds ?
3. - what's the deal formatting these devices under these conditions ?

thanks
d

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Answer 3

PT

Level 7

20,904 points

Aug 4, 2006 5:50 AM in response to didier tickell

I think, as you said, it is that they have not written any software to specifically work with the Mac. Also, even if they think it should work with a Mac, in the case of a Mass Storage Device, if they haven't specifically tested their products on the Mac, they are not going to claim any compatibility to avoid angry customers if it turns out to not work as smooth as they assumed.
I use a flash drive, 512MB Sandisk model, and previous used a 128MB Lexar version. In both cases I never really had any trouble using these in Mac and Windows systems and in fact have used the same flash drive in Win 2000, Win ME, Win XP, Mac OS X, and Mac 9.2.2 systems and it works on all of them. It shows up as a removable drive and you can drag and drop to or from the flash drive just like any other drive on the system.
Because I want the flash drive to work on both Windows and Mac systems, I don't format with a Mac format but always use DOS format (as it is called under Mac OS). If formatting on a Windows system, be sure to use Fat32 format rather than NTFS. Mac OS X.3 can read NTFS format, but not write to it. I think Tiger might be able to write to it now, but Fat32 is pretty universal and will work on all the above mentioned operating systems.
My guess is that Sony will work just fine on your Mac.
Patrick

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Answer 4

Aug 17, 2006 11:24 AM in response to PT

Well it seems not :
a recent email from Sony...........

Dear Mr Tickell
Sony Walkman products do not operate in this way. To transfer tracks to
the Walkman for playback it is necessary to use the designated software.
Dragging and dropping music files onto the Walkman will store the file
on the memory of the Walkman for storage, but it will not be recognised
as a playable file.
With regards
Peter Shorney
For and on behalf of
Sony United Kingdom Limited

which highlights my hesitation about buying any old mp3 player for use with macs.........
god, it's such a complicated hassle !!!!!!!

d

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