Thinking about getting a G2, have a couple of questions

[snakester]

Well, my MP3 player crapped the bed a couple of months ago, and instead of immediately replacing it, I was thinking of getting myself a G2 around christmas time instead, and getting another MP3 player later down the line. However, I have a few questions first. A few of you guys seem to have one of these, so I figured this would be as good of a place as any to ask...

1. What's the battery life on these things like?
2. How many songs does it store per station? (I don't want a repeat-fest) I've already got a custom station setup that's working pretty well for me.
3. Are the obnoxious ads present on the device too (not really digging the idea of another subscription fee, but if XM and Sirius really do wind up having the same channels I can drop a sub or two there and make it not hurt as much)
4. How are the "DJ's" I keep reading about? All I've heard in the web player are slacker jingles.
5. How much room does it have for your own MP3's, and does it chew into your memory for the stations (like the Stiletto)?

That's about all, I think. I'm really loving Slacker, and the player seems like a no-brainer.

 

[DAB]

1. What's the battery life on these things like?
2. How many songs does it store per station? (I don't want a repeat-fest) I've already got a custom station setup that's working pretty well for me.
3. Are the obnoxious ads present on the device too (not really digging the idea of another subscription fee, but if XM and Sirius really do wind up having the same channels I can drop a sub or two there and make it not hurt as much)
4. How are the "DJ's" I keep reading about? All I've heard in the web player are slacker jingles.
5. How much room does it have for your own MP3's, and does it chew into your memory for the stations (like the Stiletto)?

I average about 10 hours of battery life, but I look at the display a good bit. I have gotten 12 hours when I've just allowed it to play without looking at the display. Also each time you ban or make a song a favorite the display comes on. Though you can keep it to 10 seconds via the display menu.

Initially it will download 100 songs for each station. However, the key to this if you want more songs per station and you have a 25 channel model, then only put about 15 stations on the device as this will allow additional space for it to add more songs on the stations you listen to the most. Apparently there is a 500 song limit on stations. In regards to customizing stations and repeats. They can have as many repeats and or not repeats in it is all in how you choose to customize it. I find even on the profesionally program channels that the repeats are not a problem. However, you take a channel like Today's Hits naturally there will be repeats if you listen to it every day.

I am a premium subscriber, but prior to that I would notice there would be like a 30 sec commerical about 1 time per hour, though I think I've heard other say it could be 2 times an hour. It isn't annoying at all in my opinion. The channel ID's are very rare.

In regards to DJ's they only have one station with a DJ and that is Today's Hits, of course we know they will expand these as times goes on. What I found on Today's Hits is that the DJ comes on about once an hour and she generally gives information about an artist and then plays a song by them. The DJ's break is about 30 seconds long. They don't step on the music at the end or beginning as with many on Sat Radio. I have not found the DJ break annoying at all.

On the 25 station model you get 1gb of personal space and on the 40 channel model you get 3gb of personal space. One side note, every time you save a song, though you can only do this if you have a premium subscription is copied to this space.

 

[snakester]

I am a premium subscriber, but prior to that I would notice there would be like a 30 sec commerical about 1 time per hour, though I think I've heard other say it could be 2 times an hour. It isn't annoying at all in my opinion. The channel ID's are very rare.

There must have been something weird going on when i was listening online last night, as I kept getting the SAME advertisement over and over again. Your timeframe is about right (2 an hour) but when it's the same product everytime, it gets kind of old.

I'm sold on one of these little guys though, all I gotta do now is save up the money!

 

[snakester]

Crap. I forgot to ask one question.

Is it Mac compatible? I have a windows machine but it being mac compatible would make life so much easier for me.

 

[DAB]

There must have been something weird going on when i was listening online last night, as I kept getting the SAME advertisement over and over again. Your timeframe is about right (2 an hour) but when it's the same product everytime, it gets kind of old.

I don't think they have very many ad sponsors just yet, so it maybe redundant for while before they get enough other advertisers to start mixing it up a bit.

I think you'll likely end up with a Premium Subscription once you get it and really get to check it out. I know I was not going to subscribe either, but with the ability to skip ads, save songs and plus turn the DJ feature on and off along with the jingles. I decided $7.50 a month was a no brainer.

Crap. I forgot to ask one question.

Is it Mac compatible? I have a windows machine but it being mac compatible would make life so much easier for me.

I do not think they have software for the Mac, but you can control everything via the Browser and Wifi for the G2 device itself. So there is really no need for the computer other than configuring the stations and adding them to the profile to be sent to the device. So it does work with Fire Fox for Mac I know as I've seen post attesting to that.

 

[snakester]

I don't think they have very many ad sponsors just yet, so it maybe redundant for while before they get enough other advertisers to start mixing it up a bit.

I think you'll likely end up with a Premium Subscription once you get it and really get to check it out. I know I was not going to subscribe either, but with the ability to skip ads, save songs and plus turn the DJ feature on and off along with the jingles. I decided $7.50 a month was a no brainer.

I probably will. I have some things I can get rid of to balance out the cost if necessary.

I do not think they have software for the Mac, but you can control everything via the Browser and Wifi for the G2 device itself. So there is really no need for the computer other than configuring the stations and adding them to the profile to be sent to the device. So it does work with Fire Fox for Mac I know as I've seen post attesting to that.

The online player works fine with Safari, and if that's all I need to put stations on it, it's not a big deal. I don't NEED the desktop software. I just figured you'd need to sync it with your computer everytime and I hate loading my laptop up with software I don't really use (the online player is sufficient for me). I didn't realize it had WiFi, I thought it was a USB syncing affair. Do you need the software for initial setup though, or can it all be done through the player? (When I buy it, I'm gonna pick it up at best buy if that matters)

 

[MadisonRadio1]

If the G2 has a 500 song limit per channel, I guess I better add some more channels. 3 is not going to cut it. I have the basic subcription. So far in the five days I've had it, I can't recall even hearing a commercial. I've listened at least 3 hours each time. Maybe cause I'm a newbie. I like the idea of choosing a favorite artist channel which then selects other artists that favor my artist. I guess I cannot create my own station with the basic subscription.
Very very cool stuff

 

[DAB]

The online player works fine with Safari, and if that's all I need to put stations on it, it's not a big deal. I don't NEED the desktop software. I just figured you'd need to sync it with your computer everytime and I hate loading my laptop up with software I don't really use (the online player is sufficient for me). I didn't realize it had WiFi, I thought it was a USB syncing affair. Do you need the software for initial setup though, or can it all be done through the player? (When I buy it, I'm gonna pick it up at best buy if that matters)

No, you don't need anything, but the browser to set it up. So, the only software you would need is if you wanted to sync the stations via USB and I don't think they have a Mac version. But if you have wifi, you won't need to worry about that.

I purchased mine from Best Buy!

 

[DAB]

If the G2 has a 500 song limit per channel, I guess I better add some more channels. 3 is not going to cut it. I have the basic subcription. So far in the five days I've had it, I can't recall even hearing a commercial. I've listened at least 3 hours each time. Maybe cause I'm a newbie. I like the idea of choosing a favorite artist channel which then selects other artists that favor my artist. I guess I cannot create my own station with the basic subscription.
Very very cool stuff

Yes I think having 10 to 15 channel on the 25 channel version will give one plenty of music. Right now I am still playing around with stations, but once I get a batch I like, I probably will have it down to about 10 or 12.

Prior to getting the premium sub, I don't recall hearing many ads at all.

You should be able to create custom stations even if you don't have the premium service.

 

[MikeV]

If the G2 has a 500 song limit per channel, I guess I better add some more channels.

Yes I think having 10 to 15 channel on the 25 channel version will give one plenty of music. Right now I am still playing around with stations, but once I get a batch I like, I probably will have it down to about 10 or 12.

It's a max of 500 songs per channel... but when you consider that at 100 songs per channel (the starting amount; increased per-channel as you listen to those channels more than the others) you have 4-5 hours of music per channel (depending on song length; averaged around 3 minutes per song), 500 songs per channel is 20-25 hours of music. If you're really going to be listening that long between syncs, then yeah you might want to add more stations. But then, I never even thought about only having 3 stations on my portable. I started with 10 right out of the gate.

 

[MadisonRadio1]

I have 9 stations now. I got the 25 station player. So if I got this straight, you start with 100 songs per channel regardless of how many stations I put on the player. If I listen to station A much more than station B, when I refresh I will get more songs on station A. Let's say I'm now getting 150 songs on station A, that's 50 new songs and I wonder how much turnover of songs I will get off the original 100 songs.

Thanks

 

[DAB]

I have 9 stations now. I got the 25 station player. So if I got this straight, you start with 100 songs per channel regardless of how many stations I put on the player. If I listen to station A much more than station B, when I refresh I will get more songs on station A. Let's say I'm now getting 150 songs on station A, that's 50 new songs and I wonder how much turnover of songs I will get off the original 100 songs.

Thanks

That is correct! I think the turn over on songs depends on your settings. If you have it set for and if it is a customized channel you can also have it add some discovery tunes as well. You can get as much variety as you want using the fine tuning. It works fairly well. Now on hits based channels of course they will repeat much more often and if you listen to that channel every day you will hear repeats.