What is the difference between an ipod and MP3?

In technical terms, there really is no difference. They both perform the same service: they play music.

If you have a computer with a cd drive, and windows media player on the computer, you can simply "rip" (copy) the music from the cds onto your computer was mp3, wma or wav files. From the computer, you copy them onto the mp3/ipod. (For ipod, you need to use itunes software, which is free.).

Other than that, you can purchase music from sites like itunes, rhapsody and emusic, generally 99 cents a track.

I dislike ipod, but they have some affordable options like the ipod shuffle--which can be had for under $50. Plus, because of the popularity of ipod, almost all the mp3 player accessories out there are for ipod.

Barbie makes an affordable mp3 player as well. My boyfriend's daughter loves hers. Check out toys r us, they have several options that are under $40.00.

I forgot one very important detail. Ipods are basically tiny computers. Drop one, and it's dead. Most mp3 players are flash based. You can drop them, and they'll still work.

Get an mp3. They have a wider variety of extras that ipod doesn't offer. Some offer radio, ability to record, even video. More extras in an mp3 for less money.

The biggest difference between an Ipod and any other MP3 player is that once tunes are on the device, Apple makes transferring files off the Ipod difficult. If you don't care to exercise this function it doesn't really matter. Some MP3 players do not support the AAC format, which Apple does. I personally prefer a non-Apple device, as I want something smaller than an Ipod and don't feel I need to carry every song in my library at once.

An iPod is just Apple's mp3 player. They both play the same kinds of music, mainly mp3s.

The easiest way to get songs for an iPod is to use iTunes and purchase them from the iTunes store. You can also upload your CDs to your computer and transfer them to the iPod or mp3 player that way. Instruction manuals will tell you the basic process of how to transfer songs to the devices.

iPods are generally more expensive than other brands of mp3 players because they are made by Apple, but they're generally easier to use than other mp3 players, at least in my opinion.

(I WILL CONTRADICT MYSELF IN THIS, JUST SO YOU KNOW!)

Well, there isn't a "difference" between MP3 players and iPods, because iPods are actually MP3 players themselves. But iPods are by far the most popular and best selling personal music devices. The thing is, iPods have a special program that they can only be used on, iTunes. iTunes is a free download from mac.com, and is a great multimedia center. When connected, an iPod and iTunes work together like clockwork, with literally no problems. My best bet would to get an iPod, there very reliable and easy to work with. The one downfall is there price, but there becom,ing cheaper and cheaper. If you're looking in the <$100 range, MP3 players, if chosen carefully, are great. Companies like Sansa and Sony sell good-but-inexpensive players, and work in a "drive format". This way of music transfer is from your media files directly to the player itself, without a program (BUT, programs like Windows Media Center DO work with these), meaning you can open up "My Computer", open up your MP3's drive, and click-and-drag files to it directly. Once again, if you're looking for a more reliable, convienent, and user friendly device, choose an iPod. If you're under price constraints, pick an MP3 player.

Usually mp3 are much more cheaper than ipods but technically the difference is warranties, free space, and complications...mp3's can get their music from mostly any source..ipod's can only get their music from itune....mp3's rarely have movie spectums so ipod beats them with that one.