Should I buy an MP3? Or other?

I run a 200 plus PC network and hence wind up fixing employees home computers as well.

The reason is because they have allowed their children to download, install and run many programs that open security portals allowing spyware and spam into the computer. Once it's in there, about the only way to sucessfully irradicate the demons is a complete rebuild.

I haven't found any real secure ways of protecting computers from this terrible trauma other than to limit the sites you go to and what gets downloaded.

A great example of a harmless (Yeah right) update is javascript. When it wants to update, as you run through the software installation you are whisked through a screen that will actually install a search toolbar. If you click past it without realizing what is happening, you will inadvertantly install a mini spyware program. NICE, HUH? So watch out when you install certain updates to certain programs that you be sure to read every new screen and respond accordingly.

AOL IM or any other AOL service is almost like installing legal virus's and trojans. That application has brought my outside sales guys' laptops to their virtual knees. We give them internet access tools that we know work with the way we setup our network and security and these guys think they know a better way. So they install AOL and then next thing you know, they have no internet service. So they ship their laptops to me and I have to remove all the AOL crap and all the excess spyware that goes along with it. If you are not careful you can hose the transport system so no network traffic can function. Next step, total rebuild.

I have no tolerance for AOL or any of it's sub programs. They will trash your computer faster then any other programs that you can download...at least in my IT career that has been my experience.

So all I can say is, watch what you download and keep a close eye on what the kids are doing. You've been there before.

As far as IPODS go, I don't own one yet either but have been thinking like you, Margaret. I'll be watching this thread to gather info.

Good question..... :wink:

bish,

Thank you for your response and that info. We were very suspicious of the MSN Instant Messaging stuff the daughter was using, too. Computers----we love 'em when they work right, and when things go awry we lose our minds and worship people like you who can fix them!

When it comes to IPODS and the like, I can't even "speak the language" to know what I'm talking about! :lol: But I'm sure there is someone at GN who can tell me what's what.

Margaret

Yeah, it probably wasn't the music programs that hurt your computer, but rather some malicious code that was attached to a "song" your daughter downloaded.

I've been using iTunes since it was first made available for Windows. It is very stable and easy to use. I use hardware and software firewalls (plus anti-virus software) and I still get attacked now and then, but have never had a problem with anything I've gotten off iTunes.

You can preview songs before you buy, and they are 99 cents each to download. Then you can burn them to CD or copy them to an iPod.
http://www.apple.com/itunes

MP3's are great and very convenient. There are many legal avenues you can take to get the songs you want. I'd suggest going to Google and doing a search on "legal music" or "legal MP3". Places like Napster, iTunes, etc. all have legal music downloads and reasonable prices.

To play them, Windows Media Player works or my personal favorite is WinAmp.

Jason

I don't have one, yet, and I won't until the whole "licencing" mess is sorted out. When you download to an iPod, you download in a proprietary format, that, as yet, has not been licenced to anyone else - so you can only play it on an iPod. Conversely, you can't apparently play any other format on it, either.
Some suppliers don't sell you the music, but rent it out to you, for as long as pay the subscription. Stop the subscription and the music stops - I can only imagine that you also need some sort of internet connection to continually check the subscription.

Well...itunes is great but make sure you are having a broadband connection on the go !

Having fought shy of this technology for quite a time, I now am thoroughly sold on it :D

I've tried various software players on the PC (including the excellent and very slick Winamp) but have come back to Windows Media Player as being the most stable and generally useful, esp. in its current v. 10.

To carry music about I use a little MpMan USB key player. It's barely bigger than a pack of chewing gum, weighs nothing, and the sound quality is beyond anything 8) It plays both MP3 files and .wma files, which are Windows Media Player's own format. I've amassed quite a collection (ALL legal!) of tracks, some ripped from bought CDs, some paid-for downloads from pukka sites like emusic.com, some free downloads from sites like The Bread Site and XNA, indie sites that distribute copyright material with the artists' permission and involvement.

The other priceless use for a media player on the PC is playing MIDI files - there are tons of MIDI backing tracks (some costing a little, most free) out there, and I use them all the time for practice. Beats a metronome :wink: and you get to improvise over all kinds of chord sequences and so on.

The main thing about keeping safe in this game, IMHO, is firstly to make sure you've a good firewall and a good antivirus program (with automatic updates) and a resident antispyware kit. I use Kerio Personal Firewall, Avast 4.0 AntiVirus, and Spybot S&D, but there are lots of choices. See Microsoft's security pages http://www.microsoft.com/security for advice/.

Other than that, don't download anything illegal - if they'll break the law giving you commercial music for free, they'll break it by giving you free extras :evil: you'd rather not have - as you and your daughter discovered. As Slej suggested, 9 times out of 10 that's where the nasties come in - as passengers on "free" commercial tracks. In any case, it's getting increasingly possible to get busted for illegal downloads - quite rightly, IMHO.

I know it's a fine distinction, but you'll get to know the look and feel of what's legitimately free because the artist wants to share his/her work, and what's "free" when it ought to be paid for (e.g. you can buy it on a CD in the shops) and is being distributed by a crook for some nefarious purpose, which is usually infecting your computer with something hideous - in the worst case scenario, a Trojan horse that will enable your personal (including financial) details to be stolen.

Keep these few rules, though, and there's a world of goodies available for very little outlay, and a good deal of fun to be had finding them.

Just for the record, I would only use the legal avenues....artists should be paid for their work, just like I need to be paid for the time I spend at my job.

PVTele wrote: To carry music about I use a little MpMan USB key player

So do you have to plug this into the front (or back) of a computer to listen to the music contained on it? Is this like a portable memory stick thing?

Crank-N-Jam wrote: MP3's are great and very convenient. ..... To play them, Windows Media Player works or my personal favorite is WinAmp.

So you have to be sitting at the computer to listen, right? With four family members all sharing one computer, this might not be practical for me (to "hog" the computer while practicing).

I KNEW you people would know all about this! Thanks for the info, which has now boggled my mind, being the techno-idiot that I am. :oops: Lots to read again and digest.

Margaret

Don't worry, Margaret - it looks ever so complicated from the outside - but it's quite simple once you get into it.

There are 3 things - your computer, with files on it that you've bought, downloaded, or "ripped" (copied) from CD's or whatever; the software you use to play and manipulate them (e.g. Windows Media Player, or Wimamp, or several others); and your pocket MP3 player.

Once you've got the music onto your computer's hard disk, by downloading from the Internet or ripping it from CD's, you can use the software either to play it on your computer's speakers, or to copy it onto your pocket MP3 player (which you attach temporarily by plugging it into a USB port, but only while you copy the music over).

You then unplug your little player, put it in your pocket, put your headphones on, and off you go, listening to your music. In other words, it works like a Walkman, only no tapes, and it can hold dozens (or hundreds on the more expensive devices) of tracks, all neatly accessible through a menu system.

The only tracks you can't handle like this are MIDI files, because they are "played" by a software synthesizer running on the computer from within Media Player or whatever - they're sets of musical instructions, rather than sound files, and so with those you would have to hog the computer. But with everything else you could go off into the garage or wherever with your little player, and your guitar, and practice to your heart's content.

Make sense? Don't hesitate to ask if you'd like anything clarified

Mike :D

I too am just getting into the iPod craz....yes you guessed it..I got a GREAT deal on eBay a NEW 4gb iPod Mini for $200 shipped. I have seen refurbished and used ones going for $265 before shipping. It came with a full Apple Warranty. I have been using mp3's for quite awhile now but never thought of getting an iPod because of the price. Then I tried one belonging to someone at work and I was hooked! The iPods sound SOOOO much better than other MP3 players IMHO.

As for the software...since you sound like you're still learning about computers I also suggest iTunes. It can be trusted. I would also suggest telling your child to tell you before installing anything or his internet privilages will be taken away or at least supervised. Think of the internet as a VERY big dark alley. Would you let your child go play in there alone?

Sorry, I don't mean to sound like I am telling you or anyone how to raise your child. However, being a teacher in an elementary school I know what the kids are into and how much they know about computers, sex, crime, etc. They're not as naive as we were when we were that age...and I thought I knew a lot when I was younger!! Just the other day a 6th grader was doing his warm-up exercises in my class and a condom fell out of his pocket! I guess I should be thankful he's AT LEAST using condoms!!

if you're just gonna use it for a few songs, consider the ones that hold less, like the ipod shuffle or nano. there's also a ton of good mp3 players that are 1GB and under. i have a Dell DJ and it holds all my CDs for portability. i never go anywhere without that or my PSP these days, cos i get bored very easily.

Mike, i hear ya on kids being less naive. i'm 23, and most of my students arent far behind me at age 17 or 18 (i have one young'un at 16!), but i know they are more world-wise than i was a few years ago. the internet is powerful in getting people to experience new things.

Whether you're on a Mac or PC, iTunes really is the easiest music manager around. I have used various programs over the years and hated them all, until iTunes came along.

There are many out there, such a Windows Media Player, Real Player, MusicMatch, Winamp, etc... etc... but I've found them too be, either to complicated to use or just really bad at file management.

The only drawback, is that it only works with a iPod. But there are many ways to overcome that if you have too. Yes I do have a iPod mini and I love it. I bought three other types of mp3 players for my kids and they were all headaches to get working (all pc based). Two of them work now, but one I had to return because it just didn't work at all.

So my kids use iTunes to manage their music on the PC and we basically drag and drop the files onto their mp3 players.

And yes, I finally relented to my daughter to let her install MSN messenger on our PC and it's never worked quite the same ever since.

I have been using MP3 players for about 2 years now. They are really nice and make you never want to go back to a cd player. I just wanted to add my opinion into the mix hear. I would suggest looking around rather than iPods. Yes, they're nice and all, but there are many other MP3 players out there just as good and have more features for the price. I would suggest looking toward Creative and iRiver for MP3 players. I also think you should look for a MP3 player with a removable battery. The batteries tend to die after awhile. It's a pain to get fixed and becomes costly after your warranty is gone.

For music services if you don't plan on getting iPod. Look around at music services that let's download an unlimited amount for a monthly fee. It's 100% legal, but when you stop the service you can't play the tracks anymore. You're just basically renting the tracks from the company to play on your computer. It's a lot cheaper for me since I usually download various music to learn or just interested in. You don't even have to download the track to listen to it. You can stream the tracks in the entirety.

Thanks for all the great information everyone.

Evo, you bring up some interesting possibilities. :)