MP3 player

BTW - A CD player is not feasible; too complex if you can't see the buttons. Of course, this may well be a problem with the MP3 player...

I haven't seen an MP3 player that I would consider to be "good" for someone with visual impairments. The girl as a Dell DJ MP3 player that works very well. It's larger than the iPods so the buttons are easier to work but the text in teh LCD screen is still tiny and poorly lit.

Something you might consider though - the Sony PSP (which is designed as a game machine) isn't much larger that the Creative/Dell MP3 players and can play MP3s. You won't be able to store as many on it as the MP3 only toys but the screen is in color, much larger and crystal clear.

The screen isn't important; it's just the listening.

even more so since most buttons are very small or more like touch pads on some

one option might be a mini disc player



the basic models are quite reasonable, the dics are about 2 inch squre and come sealed like the old stlye floppy discs (makes them very durable), software included with the player converts music from cd's or files and let's you record to the disc from the player, one disc holds about 4 cd's worth of music

MP3 player
that' a good ides. On the other hand, all I have to do is show Sig Other where to turn it on & off & the volume control. Other fancy stuff like shuffle or not shuffle, replay, etc. are unimportant, as is a screen.

Err... Isn't it somewhat important that they be able to find the music to play it? The way you select what you are going to play is through the screen. These things aren't like an old cassette Walkman where you just pop the tape in and find the Play button.

I had assumed that turning the player on would produce the music stored in it. If you don't care in what order things are arranged, can't you just listen?

You might want to take a trip to a local Apple Store, Best Buy, etc.. and take a look at these things in person. I haven't seen one yet that was as simple as just turning it on and pressing "Play".

Most want you to navigate at least one menu. Some require that you navigate 2 or 3 before you start hearing anything. If you want to organize things (create playlists, etc..) then there are a number of different screens you'd have to run through. That's why I mentioned the PSP. I don't know of any other handheld portable with a better screen for someone with vision issues.

Maybe the iPod shuffle? It has no screen anyway. Just play, forward, back and volume.

Ha! You might be right. I've never looked at the iPod Shuffle so I just did a quick peek on the web and it looks like it could be just what he's looking for. Great tiip!

MP3 player
Hi Craven! It's been a while since I've seen your name.

Yes, I had thought of the iPod Shuffle. That's probably what we'll get, unless satellite is available where we live. I've been told that the antenna must be in a south facing window; if true, then we can forget satellite. Does anyone know about this requirement?

The screen won't be missed, as S.O. couldn't see it anyway.

Selecting specific pieces of music is not a problem - after all, most radio programs play what they play, and only one around here gives advance listings - and it doesn't do that in the summer at all - so, like a screen, planning and choice are irrelevant.