If I wanted an MP3 player again, in 2023, and wanted to rip cds to it and put digitally purchased albums on it, as actual owned files (not inside an proprietary ecosystem where I pay to only listen to that track within that service) could I still do that? What would I need? I don’t own, and can’t afford, a “real computer”, but i recall having lots of compatibility issues at the time between my mp3 player and computer os anyway. I’ve got an ipad and a pixel. Is there any feasible, non-ridiculously-difficult way to do this? Do they still sell any mp3 players? Do any of the old ones work with modern tech? I miss hearing my music on a simple, quiet, offline device without ads or streaming services.
There are lots of MP3 players on aliexpress for under $20. You just need to get the audio files on a micro sd card.
You will need a PC if you want to rip CDs. You should be able to find an old, used laptop with a CD drive pretty cheaply, possibly even free.
You can just buy a usb cd drive. No need to get an old laptop. Spend 20 bucks and use your modern pc.
OP specified that they do not have a PC. They have a Pixel phone and an iPad. I’m not sure if there are any Android or iOS apps that support connecting to a CD drive to rip audio files.