I listen to books-on-CDs all the time. What would be the best gadget to replace CDs on a Walkman (that eats AA batteries) ?

You can rip the audio off of CDs and put them on an MP3 player if your cd-drive can do that.

Um, can you translate that to Apple? I take the Audio CDs from the library and wouldn’t want to mess with them. I know that people listen to thousands of tunes on their iPods. Can I do something similar in order to listen to books (and not to read them)?

Yes, you can upload audio books from CDs to an ipod. Once you have an ipod and have it set up with iTunes, it’s a very simple matter to insert the CD from the library into your computer, and have iTunes automatically copy the book to your “music library” (hard drive). After that, when you plug your ipod in, the books will get copied to your ipod and you can listen from there.

Alternatively, you could try getting rechargable AA batteries, which would be a much lower investment in terms of both money (buying an ipod) and time (learning how to use it).

edit: just noticed that those batteries don’t come with a charger, so you’d need to buy that separately. Still a relatively small investment overall.

@hannahsugs: Is there a way to eliminate the trips to the library and simply upload books from the computer? I have heard mixed reviews about rechargeable AA batteries.

Thank you, though.

Some libraries offer digital loaning of books/audiobooks via online. I would call them up and ask them. If they do then what you will need to do will depend upon their file type.

@gailcalled: You might be interested in Audible.com. I don’t personally have any experience with them, but I know lots of people enjoy downloading books using their website. They do charge a monthly fee (which is why I haven’t used them yet). Once you have an iPod or whatever, then you can listen to your downloaded audio books on that device.

There are also some free services. Your local library might even have an online service that you can access. For instance, if you have a library card in the city where my parents live, you can enter your name and library card number to get access to free, downloadable audio books.

Good luck!

Thanks, everyone.

@gailcalled: The best device is your mobile phone because you already have it with you and don’t have to carry anything extra (except the headphones). You can use your computer to “rip” your existing book collection or download more at thepiratebay.org (You may need to purchase a micro-sd expansion card for your phone depending on the number of books you wish to store).

Since you are an Apple enthusiast (as am I) you might want to give serious consideration to getting an iPhone.

You can sync it with iTunes on your computer and there are numerous apps available for free which enable you to download books and listen to them on your iPhone.

This makes everything so much easier than just a generic MP 3 player.

Anything you can do on a Kindle can be done just as easily on your iPhone. There is a Kindle app available and I believe it’s free.

In addition to that, you also have a built in GPS system while stand alone units cost up to several hundred dollars alone.

That’s what convinced me to get the iPhone. With the ATT subsidy for a 2 year contract, it will only cost you $200 for the phone instead of 500–600.

It’s also tremendously intuitive to use. I couldn’t believe how easy it was even for the GPS mapping. Pretty amazing.

You’d be amazed at how many times that has come in handy and gotten me places much quicker or gotten me home when lost.

The other advantage of listening to books on the iPhone is it’s always with you and no need to carry an extra device, just a set of headphones.

Why not stop by an Apple store and investigate it more fully.

I’ve had mine for a little over a year and am totally delighted.

For close to the price of a Kindle, you can get the iPhone. A book reader, phone, and Gps unit all in one device at a fraction of the price.

My guess is you’d be delighted with it. Plus, you’ll always have as many pics of Milo always with you as you want.

Plus, the iPhone also has a camera built in so you can take more pics in all those candid moments when he does something adorable and you don’t have time to go get a camera. Just reach in your pocket for your iPhone.

Seriously, get down to an Apple store and check it out :)

Sometimes libraries will have free audiobook downloads—or for a markedly reduced fee.

Gail, I just remembered one other advantage to the iPhone.

To me it’s important. It’s the only phone in which the caller ID numbers display large enough to discern WITHOUT reading glasses. That point is lost on all the younguns out there who have yet to reach the age where they need reading glasses but for me it was crucial.

That was one of my biggest frustrations with my previous cellphones and I searched long and hard and could find no other models which didn’t display in microscopic numbers :)

So, if you’d like to be able to screen out annoying telemarketers and use caller ID the way it was designed…

I am beginning to wonder whether I should leave well-enough alone. My system of library plus Walkman works very well. With any new gadget;

1) I’d have to learn how to use it
2) I’d have to remember to charge it
3) I’d have to remember not to run it over with my car
4) I’d have to remember that I can use only Verizon (boo hiss) here due to cell tower or lack therein. ($25/month for 50 minutes. Only an emergency device since there are pockets of no-signals everywhere.)

The library does have some gimmicks and a lecture coming up, but, naturally it is for PC’s. What a world.

@gailcalled Buy lithium AA batteries. They last longer.

The Amazon customer reviews of the Energizer rechargeable AA’s said that they were a joke.

I use a lot of Lithium AA’s (I ALWAYS buy them over Alkaline) but I also own the following charger http://tinyurl.com/ylm8an3 and I use 2800 mAh AA NiMH batteries in it.

@gailcalled: maybe the Energizer ones are no good, but I know several friends who have found good brands of rechargables that are reliable and good. It might be worth looking into, I agree that switching to a new device can be more trouble than it’s worth.

on the other hand, in the past year I’ve set up my mother and my boyfreind’s mother with new ipods, and my boyfriend’s grandmother enjoys her iphone. If you have a tech-savvy friend or relative who can walk you through the initial set-up with an iPod, you’ll probably find that you’ll get used to it very quickly

Also, if you get an iPod Touch, there is a toll free number with really excellent service to walk you through any questions you have.

There is no limit to how often you can call and it’s good for at least a year and I got an extra year when I bought the extended warranty for my iPhone.

I’m really surprised that cell reception is so poor in your area.

But I do know that ATT is constantly expanding their network so things may be different now from the first time you checked into it.

If you wanted to give it a try, they do give you a trial period of 30 days in which you can return the phone and cancel the contract if service really is not satisfactory.

BTW. $25 for only 50 mins. is highway robbery.

That sounds like a cell plan from the Paleolithic era. I’m assuming you signed up for this a really long time ago. That’s the same type of plan that the elderly folks for whom I was a live-in caregiver had when they had initially signed up for Verizons minimum plan around 10+ years ago.

Practically all cell plans. Owadays have $30–40 minimums and you get 400–500 minutes. Yes, those numbers are correct.

You are being robbed. Verizon has a $40 minimum plan which has (if I remember correctly) either 350 ptimetime minutes and totally free nights and weekends. I took over their cell plan for about a year so those numbers are pretty close to what it probably still is now.

You really need to have a talk with Verizon. You are definitely getting robbed.

When I signed with ATT I got 450 primetime minutes with free nights and weekends PLUS rollover mins. of any unused ones each month. All that for just $40.

I just set up my mother with audiobooks on her iPhone—you can just as easily use an iPod.

Why would this be better than a CD player?

1. It’s smaller, lighter, and uses much less space and battery.
2. iPods have an ‘audiobook’ feature where it will pick up from where you left off—no more fast forwarding and flipping though CD’s.
3. Many libraries have downloadable audiobooks that are compatible with your iPod.

I’d also recommend using audible.com, though. It’d probably be just as expensive as your batteries and would be a whole heckuva lot easier to use.

Why don’t some of you helpful young people live near me? It would make life so much easier.

But thank you, again, for all of the tips.

I will take on Verizon asap (thanks for the head’s up @Buttonstc),
and as soon as I pay my latest plumbing, auto mechanic’s
and carpenter’s bill, I will start saving for a new gadget.

@gailcalled You can get a shuffle for $59. Are you using a mac?

Yes. What else, nu?

Can I get an smart young kid as well if I throw in an extra $10?

@andrew The problem with a shuffle is that it, well shuffles—it’s not a feature that’s useful listening to audio books.

@Rarebear Oh, right. Of course. Well, a used iPod would be totally sufficient and very inexpensive.

Gail

The smart young people whom you seek are available for free and can be found in abundance at any Apple store

You can phone the store and schedule an appt. with one as often as needed.

Also on a higher rung of the ladder, you can schedule an appt. with a Mac Genius, free of charge, of course.

The quality of Apple service is legendary and well deserved.

How close are you to the Apple store in your neck of the woods? I do realize that you’re in quite a rural area, but if you check, you may be pleasantly surprised.

A refurbished iPod Nano is the sweet spot here. You can get them for $99 and one would work well for what you need.

1) I’d have to learn how to use it Easy, it is simple and I will mace a screencast if needed to show you how.
2) I’d have to remember to charge it Easy, plug it into your Mac when the battery gets low
3) I’d have to remember not to run it over with my car Have you ran over Milo yet?
4) I’d have to remember that I can use only Verizon (boo hiss) here due to cell tower or lack therein. The nano is separate from your cell phone. No monthly fees.

And you can watch movies on it if you a traveling.

Oh, dear. You are all being so helpful that I may just succumb.

@Buttonstc: Nearest Apple store is far, far away in Albany. Doable however, if and when I am motivated. But a long drive in city traffic after the thruway.

@johnpowell;Thanks as always for the sane advice. What’s the difference between the iPod shuffle and the iPod Nano? If I need a screencast for you in future, I will ask. (You meant “make,” right?)

I have had several near misses with Milo but he is mobile (I guess phones are also.)

Happily, our library is giving a demo this Wed. I just registered.

Title: How to Download audiobooks @ your library

Whichever one you get, I’m sure you’ll be thrilled if it’s an Apple product.

@gailcalled Scratch my suggestion for the Shuffle. You don’t want that.

Before I actually order the used iPod Nano, are we all in agreement? My class on how to download audio files was postponed to this Wed. I want to be prepared?

Thanks to @johnpowell for the clear instructions and the encouragement.

@gailcalled Yes. Disregard my shuffle idea—it was a bad one.

If an audio on discs has 10 CDs and runs approximately 75 minutes x 10= 750/60 = 12.5 hrs., how does that translate into storage on an iPod Nano?

Can I download more than one book?
After I have listened to it, can I erase it?
Can I get earphones other than the earbuds, which I hate?

@gailcalled: First, it depends what size nano you get. Mine is a 16GB, which translates to at least 700 hours of music (or audiobook) storage. You can absolutely download more than one book! You can even get a smaller model and still have enough storage for several books.

As far as battery life, there should be plenty of that too (a full day of listening, at least, before recharging.)

You can erase books after you listen to them, but you could also keep them stored on your computer hard drive, but remove them from the ipod’s memory.

The headphone jack for the ipod is compatible with all normal headphones. If you have a pair that you like using with your CDs, you can just plug those into the ipod and use them!

Oh, dear. Battery life. I forgot about that. Do you charge the thing like a phone or is there another method?

I do sound naive, I know. My 6 year old nephew could probably teach me in ten minutes. It is pre-first-day-of-school anxiety.

@hannahsugs; 700 hours is way over-the-top for me. And after I’ve listened to a book once or twice, I wouldn’t need it stored anywhere. The software our library system is offering is cheap. Plus, I’ve just noticed that you download the material to the computer and then transfer to a portable device.

You can charge it like a phone (plugging it into a wall) or with your computer (plugging it into a USB port). You will need to plug it into your computer to put the audiobooks on it, but when it needs power you can charge it either way.

I know, 700 hours is a lot! Certainly feel free to buy the smallest available storage you can get, but regardless you’ll probably have more than you need.

Thank you. Check out Venus between the Hyades and the Pleiades tomorrow night.

The nano is $100, right?

Why not consider the possibility of the iPhone 3G which is now going for the same price ?

The iPhone is also an iPod but you get to also use all of those cool apps plus a camera all for the same price as the nano which can only do audio.
Just something to consider.

Are you aware that the iPod Touch is basically the same as the iphon but can’t make calls and no camera. But people are still buying the Touch because of all the added stuff that can be done with it. Except that they’re paying a WHOLE LOT more than the $100 for the current going out of style iPhone. Crazy.

@Buttonstc Because @gailcalled has stated she’s locked into Verizon due to coverage in her area.

Edit: Ah, I see you’re not talking about using it as a phone.
Edit: But she’d have to activate it to use it. I think a Nano is a simpler device for her.

Plus, I have a perfectly good cheap mobile phone, which I use just for emergencies
Plus, I have a perfectly good Canon PS A 590 IS that works just fine for me.

Thank you for the TLC. Perhaps I will get my 6 yr old grand-nephew to solve the problem and teach me the ropes. (He’s got the Finkel genes.)

Refurbished iPod nano 8GB Orange (previous generation)
Holds up to 2,000 songs
Up to 24 hours of music playback I think this is the key issue for me.
Up to 4 hours of video playback
Apple Earphones (ugh)
USB cable
Dock adapter

@andrew

She could activate it and then cancel due to poor coverage in her area since ATT gives you that 30 day trial period.

My primary reason for the suggestion is that it’s an opportunity to score what is essentially the same thing as an iPod Touch at a real bargain price. Even of it’s never used as a phone, it’s a fantastic bargain for just a $100.

If I didn’t already have an iPhone that’s certainly what I would do.

Is a Touch really that much more difficult than a Nano if you are limiting the comparison to ONLY how it functions as a book reader? That is her main concern, right?

I just think that eventually she would find many of the gazillians of free apps really useful for any number of things you wouldn’t normally think of.

I’m continually amazed by the stuff they come out with. And the apps are pretty self explanatory to use and downloading them is the easiest thing in the world to do.

Those were just a few of my thoughts but maybe she just needs to get her feet wet with the Nano first. It just seems like such a shame to pass up the opportunity to score an iPod Touch (essentially) for the exact same price.

I can’t imagine that the 3Gs will be available much longer since the 4Gs are just around the corner. I’m assuming they’re just trying to use up the stock they have left (hence the low price) and are not continuing to manufacture any more of this model.

I’m even considering getting an extra one if they ever cut the price further since I have a second line on my account.

I just love a good bargain :D

Stop confusing me, everyone. I thought we had reached consensus.

And for the moment, I cannot image wasting time on an of the gazillions of free apps. That may change.

I am still mastering my digital camera. Not only am I a slow learner, I have a number of outside interests that do not require electrons blinking on and off.

@gailcalled It’ll be great. Don’t worry. The 24 hours of listening is per charge—so unless you go on serious audiobook benders, I don’t think it’ll be a real problem. In fact, I bet that’s a lot more than those AA batteries give you.

OK. I seem to spend more time brooding about a purchase than actually buying something.

@Gail

That’s the cool thing about the iPhone camera. There’s nothing to master.

If you want to take a shot of some adorable thing (or annoying thing) Milo is doing, just reach onto your pocket, push two things on the screen and you’ve got your shot before the moment passes you by.

And if you’re inclined to fiddle around to improve afterwards, “There’s an App for that.” as the saying goes. As a matter of fact, there’s numerous apps depending upon what you want to do.

There’s one I use all the time called “Crop for Free” which is self explanatory. It has lines on the screen which you move around with your finger until you get the look you want, push a button and Bingo.

It’s automatically saved to your photo list which is scrollable. And if you want to try it again on the same pic and try out different dimensions that’s ok too.

All of this is totally intuitive with no instruction book required.

Just thought you might find these little tidbits interesting.

You certainly don’t need thousands of apps. I just have a handful of favs which make my life either easier or more fun on a regular basis :)

@gailcalled: While everything that @Buttonstc says is true, I still think the best option for you is an ipod nano. I think you’ll spend less time messing with it and more time enjoying it, and this is based partly on helping my mom and MIL get started with their nanos.

good luck, and come back to fluther if you have questions on getting it set up!

Well, I went to the class last night. I was the only pupil so it was rather like having an English Don giving me a tutorial. However, she (the head librarian) was almost as fututzed as I was. I had to walk her through several steps; by the time we both got the point, I could have written my own novel. But we had fun.

And unfortunately the free software being offered has nothing but books I would never read. So for the moment, I am sticking to the Walkman…at least until my mother’s surgery is behind us.

The companies who record books on CDs will continue for a while, we are sure, because of so many people use them while doing long drives. No fuss, no muss. Just pop the CD into the car player.

I use an IPOD Nano. It holds hundreds of books (I get them from Audible.com) and it is rechargeable and pretty tough. I have dropped it on the ground, and in a hot tube and it still keeps working. Better yet, I got it for free with my hotel points.

@ALL; My iPod Nano arrived simultaneously with my mother fracturing her pelvis. I am not even sure how to charge it (iPod and not pelvis.)

Instructions: “Connect to USB port on computer (not keyboard) to set up and begin charging.”

That means I have to unplug something, right? I am supposed to let it charge for three hours while computer is running. I never sit here for three hours, and screen goes dark if I don’t use it for a while. Is computer still on with a black screen? Will iPod stop charging automatically?

Do I have to bring up iTunes before I start charging the nano?

Tomorrow; Content.

(Ooh, I have to pay. It’s bait and switch, I see.)

You don’t have to pay to set up your ipod. It’s probably asking for credit card information to have it on file if you ever buy anything from the itunes store (which you don’t need to do if you don’t want to).

To charge it, you need to plug it into a USB port on your computer. You may or may not need to unplug something that’s already plugged in, depending on if you have any free USB ports. Most computers have at least 4 ports, you may have a keyboard, mouse, or a printer plugged into one or more USB ports.

If you don’t shut down your computer when you walk away, and it doesn’t automatically shut down or go on standby, the ipod will keep charging even if the screen is off. The ipod will stop charging automatically if the computer goes to sleep or when it is fully charged.

You don’t have to bring up itunes before you start charging it, but it may open up automatically.

Hope that helps, and I hope your mother is doing ok.

Thank you. I’ll have to check to see how long before computer automatically goes into “sleep” mode (Mac).

My mother ‘s fracture will heal when it heals, like any fracture, I guess. Everyone is mumbling and guessing about 6 weeks. She still cannot put any weight on the bum leg. It is disheartening. Thanks for asking..