Whats the cheapest way

[Suetheramble]

I like walking and would like to buy one of those gadgets that will allow me to listen to books being read out.
What the cheapest option available?

Thank you

[LeMarchand]

Buy the cheapest mp3 player you can find (a quick search found 1 and 2GB players in the £12 -£17 price range), and then use Project Gutenberg to source free audio books (or scour the web for the occasional free offers that publishers do). If you have a modern phone (or can get a free upgrade to a suitable one), you may not even need the mp3 player.

Of course, if you want a better choice of listening material (and for it to be legal) you will have to pay to download what you want (or buy CDs and rip them to mp3). I'd also recommend buying a better than "the cheapest I can possibly find" player if possible as the build quality and battery life is likely to be poor.

[Vagrant]

If you don't need portability, you can listen on your PC.
Libraries have lots of audio books - cassettes and CD.

[Billy_Sugger]

I'd go with LeMarchand's idea myself

[Suetheramble]

Thanks I will wrap a towel cold towel around my head and try to understand this boy stuff!!

[snags]

I'd buy a used iPod off ebay and look at sites such as this for audio book downloads:

http://www.audible.co...de=GRLS0246SH071309UK

[rojash]

I wouldn't buy an iPod - totally inappropriate fro audio books. As LeMarchand says, a cheap mp3 player is good for the job.
You can find some good (and some not so good) free books at http://librivox.org/

[snags]

Sorry, I meant 'generic MP3' player... I can't help it if Apple have wheedled their way in to my brain ;-p