----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Fine" <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Well, there is a reason the iPod is far and away the best selling
digital
music player -- ease of
use and user-friendly interface. You'd be hard pressed to find a
better
interface, although someone
probably makes a specialized player of some sort for institutional
purposes.
I've seen specialized
CD players in museums -- the covers are locked and they are
ruggedized and
offer only play and stop
buttons, covered in rubber so slimy little fingers can't break
them. Someone
must make a similar MP3
player.
Another idea -- seek out an Apple refurb or recycling place in
Europe. You
might find a load of iPod
Mini or even an early Nano for very cheap. A Nano might be your
ideal choice
because it's got
solid-state memory, not a hard drive, and will thus last longer
under constant
jarring.
The problem with genuine Apple iPods is that they use a proprietary
sound-file
format. I don't kmow if they can convert other more common formats
(i.e.
CD, .wav, .mp3, usw.)...but I do know that material intended for
the iPod
can't be played by anything else (there may be Apple-built
exceptions...?)
One can also buy "MP3 players," which act much the same as iPods
but use
more accessible file format...
Steven C. Barr