In the era 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 one aspect of Chinese culture that leads to copycats of popular products. Some people believe that it is unethical to work off 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 entirely motivated by this goodwill, since profits are obviously very important, but this analogy helps explain why copies are so prevalent in China.

Anyway, to the products themselves. I’ll try to be brief about 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 Song UI: On an iPod, when you search for songs, it shows a beautiful screen with the album cover and a white background. On a generic player, it will most likely have a dark blue background with the title and artist of the song scrolling by. 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 hassle 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 movement database (although it’s not free).

Tracking a speed: This doesn’t mean much for most songs, but in general, fast-forwarding and rewinding move at a 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 feature.

Voice recorder: Some generic mp3s come with a voice recorder included, 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

Equal 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 cut back on quality.

In conclusion, I think generics are actually a better deal. They offer most of the same features, as well as a few additions, for some minor sacrifices. Plus, they’re half price. When you go shopping, check what quality of mp3 is being sold. Some helpful hints are;

– If they use real iPod nano stock photos, they are probably low quality.
– If they are advertised as an iPod nano and not generic, they are probably of low quality.

That 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 offer a free one year warranty myself and will add a video showing all the features of the Dopple, my player made in China, on my website http://www.inspirebolt.com I have tried to be as honest as possible during This article discusses the pros and cons of each, so ask yourself what you want in an mp3 player, and make an informed decision. Thank you very much for taking time to read my article, and good luck!