All good suggestions.
I'm looking for some pre-purchase guidelines, so I can figure out whether I
can store a reasonable library on one of these devices.

Besides, the gadget may not exist.
I really would like one with a built-in FM modulator to avoid a tangle of
cords on the car seat.

"Lionel" wrote in message
...
Robert Morein wrote:

I have a 1992 Subaru, which does not accomodate a standard depth radio.
I
want to make the transition from tapes to something better.
It occurred to me that considering the relative mediocrity of the
speakers
and amplification, and the great cost of replacing it all, that mp3 and
an
FM modulator would be a good choice. CD changers scratch CDs and
probably
provide no audible difference, except with the finest car systems.

What bitrate is, to your ears, indistinguishable from CD, and how many
hours
per gigabyte does one obtain?


You should test by yourself is this specific "environment".
The best way for me is to burn a CD with a compressed track you
perfectly know.
Each copy of the track could have different codec and/or different
bitrate.
If you have free time you can go from :

--- 64 kbps - VBR - forced stereo
to
--- http://flac.sourceforge.net/ or one of his cousin.

It's a bunch of possible combinations.

I stop here because I know that Arnold doesn't like some guys answer to
*his* questions. ;-)


The design that I desire would be a walkman size box that can sit on the
car
seat, perhaps with a remote that can be attached to the steering wheel.
However, any form factor which is not in-dash could be used.

Are there any players which incorporate the following features?

a built-in FM modulator?

multilevel menus that can be edited on a PC

replaceable/upgradeable memory, ie., swappable drives?

purchasable as an OEM product, so I can install my own 80 gig drive?