Features

• Includes earbuds, carry case with clip and armband, AAA battery, USB cable, and music management software
• 64 MB on-board memory; expandable up to 192 MB via MMC cards
• Supports MP3 or WMA files; upgradeable for future music formats; PC and Mac compatible
• Integrated FM tuner, clock, and stopwatch; water and impact resistant
• Up to 10 hours' playback on one AAA battery; accepts NiMH rechargeables

Reviews (89)

very good
this is a very good mp3 player.It only has 64mb but it plays track very good.It never skips but my advice is dont drop it because if u drop it on the wrong spor it can like open up but all u have to is push it back togetheryea just dont drop it

Works Great, added 1 gig Sandisk SD :)
This is a great cheap player, nice interface.

You can add the one gigabyte SD cards.(I bought a 1 gig Sandisk for cheap), you may need to update the firmware (you should anyway, it is very easy to do).

Only took off a star because the SQ while excellent was not up the the Rio Karma I own (I guess that is expected as that may be the best sounding DAP on the market). SQ overall is great but I want everything for nothing and dont hand out 5 stars :)

A fantastic little thing
I love this mp3 player! I've had it for about 1 1/2 years. It has been through a lot, and it's still working fine. If you bought one, you probably wouldn't abuse it as much as I did. Mine has been through drops, some water, and just some general wear and tear, but all it has to show for it is a few scratches!
One of the reasons I chose Rio was because of the large screen, with which I could see much of the info about the song, like the artist and album. Many others have only one line of info, and you must wait for it to scroll or something like that. Also, the rubber outside is a plus. It feels very nice, and has a nice grip. It could definetely have more memory, but since it has a memory card slot, it isnt really a problem for me. Some of the new Rio players, and many other mp3 players, have a stick control, where one stick controls all of the play/pause etc. This Rio has a larger control pad, which I find to be much easier to use. The FM tuner...is a piece of junk. I could only get 5 or so stations that were remotely clear. Also, the stopwatch is very hard to use. You have to go through the menu and select your stopwatch mode in order to start/stop your stopwatch. Then, if you want to go back to your player mode, you must go through the menu again. But overall, this mp3 player is definetly worth the money.

Great Except for MMC Compatibilities
I had this mp3 player for almost about a year now and so far it has been really worth my money. Talking about the cost it is cheap and the performance is great save for i have to constantly buy new batteries, i guess the power consumption of this player is not that efficient.

I also bought myself a new 256Mb MMC and its quite frustrating to know that the player can only detect 128Mb while searching for additional info, the official support site said that it can support upto 1Gb. I upgraded to the latest firmware and yet it can only detect upto 128.

Aside from my MMC frustration, this device works perfectly well i dropped it several times and yet its still functioning properly except for the FM tuner. Im located here in the Philippines and the only radio stations who have good reception can be heard properly.

I considered buying a new mp3 player but i just settled for a new MMC since after a year this player still works fine for me. I can appreciate help for my MMC problems and i hope the support releases better versions of the firmware to support MMCs.

piece of junk
i bot this player about a year ago
and guess what its already making buzzing sounds
i e-mailed their customer service , and they tell me
to get new headphones. I GOT NEW HEADPHONES
IT STILL BUZZING.
the radio feature never worked right. ... Read more

Features

• Includes earbuds, carry case with clip, AA battery, USB cable, and music management software
• 64 MB on-board memory; expandable up to 192 MB via MMC cards
• Supports MP3 or WMA files; upgradeable for future music formats; PC and Mac compatible
• USB connection for fast file transfers
• Up to 30 hours' playback on one AA battery; accepts NiMH rechargeables

Reviews (63)

Takes a licking, and keeps on ticking!
I've had many mp3 players in my lifetime and guess what the most important feature is?RELIABILITY!!!This is the ONLY mp3 player that has not let me down!I wish something would go wrong with it so I could justify buying a new one, but I'm scared the new one will screw up!

I've had the Rio 500, an MPIO, an Ipod, a Creative Muvo TX, a Rio One, a Pogo DMP100, and a Casio PDA with mp3 playback.I had to return 2 Rio 500's (when they first came out for $300 with 64mb!), the Creative Muvo never did work worth a damn (although I really liked it!) and had to send it back, The Pogo worked well (until I lent it to a friend and the volume button quit working) but the menu sucked big time, the Casio bit the dust in less than a year, the MPIO wasn't bad (I probably should have kept that, I forget why I sold it on ebay), and I was REALLY UNIMPRESSED with the Ipod especially that there was no hold button!

Anyway, this thing is dependable, and it has this soft case and since it's so light it has fallen to the floor countless times with no effect whatsoever!It always works reliably, and the battery LASTS FOR MONTHS!! Well, maybe not months, but a hell of a long time on ONE AA battery! (I think maybe 40 hours is the official statistic).I just can't convince myself to buy a new mp3 player when this one is so good!

Well, I do have some wishes. For one, I like USB 2.0 alot better than 1.1. It's much faster, and Rio is slow to put USB 2.0 on their mp3 players.It DOES have a bookmark function, which is indispensible if you listen to sermons or books and such, which is mostly what I do.The sound is great, and you can upgrade with SD or MM cards.The included headphones are even quite good comparitively.However, I would like to be able to transfer from the player to the computer, and I would like drag and drop instead of using their proprietary software, although it's nowhere near as assinine as the old Rio Manager was!So, if they would add USB 2.0 and drag and drop software this would be the ultimate mp3 player IMO.

I am starting to think that the mp3 player manufacturers LIKE to make cheap and flimsy products that will break, so you will buy new ones every year!If all mp3 players were this good they'd go bankrupt! LOL!

Don't buy this player
I've had this player for a couple of years and I find it to have:1) a clumsy and non-intuitive interface, 2) a poorly designed software program for transferring and organizing music, and 3) an inability to use playlists--one of the most useful things about electronic music.

Perfect Workout Partner
I thought I would add a review to update the information on the S10 to it's current use.The player has been out for some time now and I believe can only be had refubrished or used at this point, but it's still one of the best Flash players available.

Here are 5 Pros and Cons.I listed each in order of importance.

Pros:

1.Battery Life!What more can you say about a player that uses one AA battery and still gives you some 30 hours of play time.

2.Memory.Sure it only comes with 64 megs internal but I just grabbed a 1 gig SD card for 60 bucks.Follow that by uploading 300+ songs and you can see where you won't be changing your playlist any time soon.Also I didn't see any slow down with the larger card.Some other players can experience a start up delay in proportion to the card size.

3.Price.Used you can find these for $55 or so.You'll need to budgest at least another $30 for a 512 meg card.But coming in at under a hundred dollars for 150+ songs is an excellent price point.

4.Durability.I was a little scared when I first felt the S10.Certainly it does feel rigid but the body is molded plastic unlike my metal bodied Rio 500.However it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.By passing on the metal body the S10 is much lighter than the competition.The lighter weight combined with a rigid body means that random drops won't damage the unit.I keep mine in the supplied padded carrier but have dropped it both in and out with no damage.It's well made and reliable.

5.Sound Quality and Features.This is a good player.The sound is good and it has all of the features you need from an MP3 player.Also with the newest firmware (2.03) you can now upload playlist.Volume is also more than sufficient.

Cons:

1.Getting one.You'll have to buy one used now.

2.Software.The Music Manager software is simple but featureless.Also the device does not come up in XP as a storage device which excludes manually adding files from Windows Explorer or through Windows Media Player.But with the larger cards I don't find myself uploading songs often.You will need to format the device with each new card before using it for the first time.

3.USB 1.1.It doesn't have USB 2.0 Speed but again as I said before I don't find myself changing the playlist often.Filling the whole device with a 1 gig card took me about 25 minutes.

4.Non-Standard Connection cable.You'll have to keep the cable they provide as it's proprietary.Yet another thing to have tangled up behind your computer.

5.No radio support.This doesn't really bother me as I've yet to come across a player with decent radio reception.Also the total storage is such that you won't miss not having FM.

Thoughts:Really this is a good player.I can't recomned it enough for anyone looking to pick up something they can work out with but that won't break the bank.Also don't spend too much on the SD card.You don't need good speed for an MP3 player.Just pick out the cheapest card you can find.

Excellent Player for the money!
I bought the Rio S10 to take with me to the gym.I've dropped it and spilled water on it by mistake and it still runs like brand new.
The best thing you can do for this player is to update the firmware to 2.03 and the music manager software to 2.90.These updates increase the versatility of the player by adding increased support to WMA DRM files and by allowing you to transfer songs from the player to the computer (couldn't do that originally).Also, the player is expandable memory-wise and the battery life is excellent.

Half the price of an IPOD and half as good...
Actually it's less than half the price initially, but after you replace the poor quality headphones and upgrade the memory to at least enough to hold 20 songs, you're half way to the cost of an IPOD and are still not even close in storage capacity much less the quality. This is an inexpensive player and it looks like it. The plastic case feels like the same quality you would find on a kids fast-food meal toy. Does it do the job? Yes, but I keep thinking it's going to break anytime. The software it comes with isn't very good either. You can't change the playlist order, for example, unless you reload everything, which is annoying. It also screws up sometimes and shifts the order of your songs after they are uploaded. The EQ it comes with is not really an EQ, but bass & treble and there is no "loudness" or "megabass" option to enhance the sound. I compared the sound quality using the same headphones and files and the IPOD sounds better, indicating a lower quality amplifier in the RIO. Not all MP3 players sound the same!

One big plus with this player is battery life, almost 30 hours from a single AA, but is that worth the price of poorer quality sound? Not to me. The soft case it comes with is nice and protects it well, but like a previous reviewer said, it's hard to get to the volume controls with it on.

Bottom line: If you just can't afford an IPOD (or a used IPOD) and don't mind having a fraction of the storage, this is a decent player if it lasts (and that's a big *if* when you see how cheap it is). However if you CAN afford more and are just looking at this one thinking you'll save some $ as it is "probably good enough" I think you will be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description

Now there's a digital music system that goes where you go. The Lyra player delivers everything you need to download and play MP3 and RealAudio G2 files - anywhere. You get CD-quality sound with no skipping because Lyra has no moving parts. Store over an hour of music on removable SkipFree memory cards. You can even create playlists from your CD collection with the included music management software. One of the most important features of the Lyra is the possibility to upgrade it for future alternative audio compression formats. ... Read more

Features

• Skip-free playback
• USB connection for fast transfer to and from PC and Mac
• Supports Type I and Type II CompactFlash
• Includes 64 MB CompactFlash card
• Plays MP3, Windows Media Audio, and RealAudio G2 audio formats

Reviews (30)

Great product for the price
I purchased mine ..., and was very happy with it from day one. After installing MusicMatch Plus (already had the basic version, but software included upgrades you to the Plus version for free), I bagan to download MP3's from the internet. My first problem was a strange hissing or ringing noise on some songs, but I soon discovered this was only on those ripped from CD's using Easy CD Creator. When I used MusicMatch to rip, the noise was gone. The sound is excellent - comparable to CD at 128 bitrate. My husband was satisfied with the 64 bitrate, allowing more music on the 64MB card. Downloading even 128MB of music to a CF card took only minutes on my computer (WindowsME), not 45 minutes for half of that as one person said (computer problem!) And the included CF card reader is also useful if you have a digital camera utilizing this media type. The only problem I had was when someone accidentally sat on my player, and the forward button got stuck down.... So I decided to fix it myself, and removed the little piece of brass that activated the forward button, stuck in the down position. It still works, I just can't use the forward button, so I can't use the radio or skip forward a song.

Better than expected!
This MP3 player came with more features and peripherals than expected.It is easy to use and the MusicMatch Jukebox software has been great for copying files to memory cards.Any reviews that mention trouble with the software are end-user problems.It is light weight, does not use rechargeable batteries too quickly and I would recommend it to anyone.

Real One Upgrade No Longer Supports The Lyra
I basically think that the Lyra is one of the best MP3 players I've owned.I purchased it when it first came out then switched to the Rio (huge disappointment). What I liked about the Lyra is how you could add music to the flash card by clicking and dragging the songs from RealJukebox!!I cannot tell you how disappointed I am now that the upgrade for RealJukebox, which is called RealOne, does not support the Lyra.So far I have been unsuccessful in using MusicMatch to manage the music on the Lyra.

One of the best
.... It is relatively small and it has a wonderful backlit display. It also has great hacking abilities because all of its information is on the compact flash card (no memory is built in) you can customize the startup screen (to whatever you can imagine or draw)

The fm radio is great it has good reception and 15 station presets. Now ask for the software it came with, it was good too, but the headphones werent all that. It can compress songs on your computer from whatever the bitrate to 128,96,64,and 32. Unfortunately it cannot go over 128, which doesnt matter because a 320k song would take up alot of space plus the audio quality isnt much different.

When it came to trasfering songs to the card it was fast, assuming all of the songs were at 128, if they werent then it would have to compress them (which longer) but who cares, you dont have to trasfer songs that often.I fit about 30 songs on the card at 96k and the quality is great! dont think so ? then the lyra has a built in graphic equalizer so you can adjust each music channel so it sounds like it playing at 320k. So it poses no problem.

Although it takes 2 batteries it is relatively light and it can fit in you jean 5th pocket (the small one on the right). The remote is good and you can adjust the songs by touch alone, it also has a plethora of play options, repeat, repeat 1, shuffle, shuffle repeat, and like 3 others it has a program option too.

This is a great mp3 player it it better than the rios because to expand them you must buy thier "backpacks" and a 32mb backpack goes for like 50something whereas a 64mb compact flash goes for the same price.

The headphones are a tad thin but who gives great headphones away anyways, I would like it better if they were a little thicker on the padding for my ears but I'll buy a new pair anyways.

This is a great player, it converts the mp3 files to mpx but it has extrodinary abilities to expand considering all of the system data is stored on the card so it is also easy to upgrade. ...

p.s.- many of you are worried on how loud it plays, turn the graphic equalizer to "custom" and it will pound your ears away!

Great for travel
My wife and I purchase the Lyra 2 for 2 reasons.The first is that it takes AA batteries.And the second is that it is one of the few players that accepts CompactFlash memory.These two features makes it great for international travel.Our digital cameras and other equipment use AA batteries and CF memory as well so the memory and batteries are interchangable.We also purchased a Brunton solar battery charger for [money] (weighs 7 oz.).So we don't have to purchase batteries or lug around heavy rechargers/ adapters needed in foreign countries.So far, we've purchased 4 additional CF cards (the Lyra comes with one).A local consumer electronics store (Fry's) has 64MB memory for only [money].So, additional memory is really not a problem.We also found a small case on the SanDisk site that holds the four CompactFlash cards (plus one in the Lyra).Total package: we carry 8 hours of music: one card for each genre (Rock, Jazz, etc.), unlimited power (the sun) and interchangable components.We copy the songs at 96Kbps which is a good compromise between quality and size.And we only copy the songs that we like so it's more like 20+ CDs.The unit has some downsides.However, it works for us. ... Read more

Product Description

Your world never stops moving. So why should your music? Introducing the Compaq iPAQ Personal Audio Player PA-2 - the next generation in portable audio that's small, lightweight and better than ever. Load up the included 64 MB Multi Media Card with MP3 or WMA digital audio files. Then enjoy up to 2 hours of music with your comfortable athletic, foldable headphones. With Windows Media Player and MusicMatch Jukebox software, management of your digital audio couldn't be easier. With an extended battery life of up to 14 hours, you can go anywhere - and do anything - without missing a beat. ... Read more

Features

• Expandable via MMC memory cards
• Supports both MP3 and WMA files; firmware upgradeable
• Compatible with Windows 98, 2000, and Me
• Small, lightweight digital audio player about the size of a pager
• 64 MB memory card holds one hour of MP3 and two hours of WMA audio

Reviews (17)

I miss it...
This MP3 player served me well for two years until (because of my clumsiness) I broke it. It worked beautifully, able to play both MP3 and WMA files with ease. Loading files onto the player was a breeze, as was initial setup of the software. The headphones that it comes with are comfortable and have a good amount of volume capability. A great MP3 player, I'm now trying to find a replacement but am finding it difficult to find another that measures up. I miss you, my iPAQ.

Works OK - with a few gripes...
Got this one after a very bad experience with a Rio 600 with the rechargeable power pack which died.Once you get the software going and the cards formatted (the directions didn't specify HOW you format the cards), it works OK.The NOT OK part was: not loud enough (I can't hear soft songs while I'm riding my lawn tractor), the MusicMatch software will not recognize the unit (after numerous emails from Compaq and software patches I can still only load WMA's with Windows Media Player), the earphones are passable, and the transfer is a little slow.It seems to be too easy to inadvertently hit the play/pause button.The belt clip is plastic and not altogether sturdy, as well.

Great SMALL player!
I have had the PA-1 for about a year now and have only had one problem.The LCD went out on me about 1 month into ownership.It was handled superbly by Compaq though.I sent it in and it came back within 4 days, and has worked seamlessly ever since.

I use it everyday when training.While running the unit shows its strengths best.It is so small and weights next to nothing that you don't even notice it clipped onto your running shorts.I have run for 3-1/2 hours continuously with it and didn't even notice it.And the battery life is good enough with the 2AAA batteries for over 9 hours of continuous use.I do notice that cheap batteries do not last as long.I switched to high quality NiMh rechargables and get over 10 hours per charge!

There is one thing that you need to do to get more play out of the memory cards.I use 2x64MMC cards and only download from Windows Media Player in XP using the .wma format.I can get over 4 hours of music at 64bits on the 128megs of card this way; it is the same quality (or better) as using 128bit mp3's.

So just scrap the included software and use the Windows Media Player in Windows XP and you will get 2 hours of music per 64MB MMC card.When the 128MB cards come down in price you will be able to get over 8hours of music on this little device --- that is awesome considering the hard drive portables cost 3 times this amount and they are not solid state devices (you CANNOT run with them, or even walk briskly wihtout skipping problems).

I highly recommend this little device for those who want an exercise companion for music.This excels in that catagory!

May be a dead product, but I like it!
I think this product may have gone the way of the dodo, which is shame because it does really work, albeit with some quirks.

I purchased this specifically to have something that would not be susceptible to the usual problems that occur during a run: skipping, and being forced to hold something large in your hand.Consequently, I took a chance on the PA-2.I read the Amazon.com reviews, and figured that, with my limited technical knowledge, I could work through the quirks.I received the product, which includes a set of headphones (which are only so-so), the device, a CD with software, a connection cord, and some starter AAA batteries.I was up and running very quickly.

On the plus side, this device really does a great job of making the download of music (I do it through MusicMatch Jukebox) simple, and had intuitive controls for pumping up the bass and treble, as needed (controls allow for +/- 5 for each setting).Sound quality is strong (dependent, of course, on the quality of MP3 or WMA files that you store in it).I have jogged with it several time, and have never had a problem.The fact that the play button is large, and on the front, does mean that occasionally the music will pause because I accidently hit it.Other than that, it has been great.

One notable problem occurs with MP3 files.I have nothing but WMA (Windows Media Files) in my collection, and they play like a charm, at all sizes, lengths, and quality bitrates.MP3 files are not so fortunate.I put a couple on it, and had files stop halfway through and go to the next track.Converting the files to WMA and redownloading took care of the problem immediately.Don't know what kind of glitch it is, but since I don't have many MP3 files, it doesn't really impact me.

The four stars is because it would have been nice to have more/better software.Plus, I would imagine technical assistance to be a real pain, since the HP-Compaq merger seems to have left the Compaq support site in some disarray.However, someone who generally doesn't rely on tech support, with a library of primarily WMAs, will find this product to be a godsend.

Extremely Unreliable
I bought this product about 11 months ago.However, I've only been able to use it for about 6 months because it keeps malfunctioning.I had to ship it in twice for repairs at my own expense.This last time, they even forgot to ship back the memory card.Now I have to wait again...

When it works, the product is great.However, it's so unreliable that it's not worth it.My recommendation is to buy another brand unless Compaq can get their act together. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

SONICblue's Rio line of MP3 players has always been top-notch--and the latest iteration, the Rio 600, proves no exception. The nifty-looking Rio 600 also offers detachable faceplates, allowing users to customize its appearance (although they are a bit pricey).

But it's not the aesthetics of the Rio that we liked so much (although the über-trendy, over-the-ear headphones make another nice touch). What really makes the Rio unique is just how simple it is to use. From installation to manipulation of the player interface or the Rio Audio Manager software, it's as easy as MP1-2-3. Intuitive on all counts, the Rio rarely forced us to consult the manual--whether we were in the middle of setup, switching songs on the road, or transferring MP3s.

In addition to the nearly ubiquitous MP3 format, the Rio 600 also handles the new Windows Media Audio (WMA) format, and SONICblue says it will be software upgradable for upcoming formats.

This version of the Rio 600 ships with 64 MB flash memory, which can handle over two hours of WMA-formatted material and about an hour of MP3 playback. One knock on the 600 is the fact that it is only expandable using Rio's proprietary memory backpacks (which literally snap on the back of the player). This system, unfortunately, takes away the ability to use cheap flash memory cards (such as SmartMedia and MultiMediaCard) to expand the possibilities of the player.

The USB-only interface proves to be another double-edged sword. On the one side, you need to be running Windows 98 or later to hook up the Rio to your PC. (For the Mac, you'll need a USB port and Mac OS 8.51 or later.) On the other, the transfer rate is like a hare compared to older tortoise players using parallel ports. It took only around 10 seconds to move a 4-minute MP3 song from our PC to the Rio.

The Rio 600 is not a perfect player--64 MB just doesn't seem big enough anymore and it lacks a belt clip--but the other players on the market aren't earning perfect marks either. But it is nicely light and highly portable--perfect for working out or taking on trips. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Well priced
• Easy interface
• Changeable faceplate

• Only 64 MB memory and not expandable with flash memory cards
• No belt clip

Features

• Large, easy-to-read LCD screen
• Uses ultrafast USB port to connect to your PC or Mac
• Comes with stylish carrying case
• Can accept additional Memory Backpacks to expand memory up to 340 MB
• 64 MB of built-in flash memory

Reviews (85)

A decent product to a low price

I bought this MP£ player in May 2002 and I've been pleased with it during all this time. I knew the capacity (64MB) was somewhat limited but I got what I paid for so to say. The sound quality was good and I primary used the player when I was out running, and I can't complain too much about its performance.

My major complain about this product is the battery indicator - sometimes when I went out running it indicated that I had 100% left but then the music stopped 10 minutes later due to being out of battery. Kind of ignoring when the Rocky soundtrack stops and you have 5 miles more to go! Who can run without the Rocky trumpets pushing you forward?

Today you get MP3 players with much more capacity for the same prize as I bought this one back in 2002, but considering the price of this player today you get a decent product to a low price.

My Rio 600
The Rio is a pretty good MP3 player.For the most part it has great sound quality.Unfortunatally, it doesn't hold very many songs.In the instructions it said I could buy memory cards.I can't find them any where, not even on line.If you push one wrong button all of your songs are deleted.This is why the "lock" feature is awesome.You can choose some of your own settings, which is cool.It's easy to opperate, but downloading can be challenging.

If you like shoddy craftsmanship, then purchase this player
I bought my Rio 600 online at Tigerdirect (I've had great experiences with them) and I have regretted it since the end of the first 3 months of ownership.

I bought the 32MB version with the extra 32MB backpack upgrade... it worked for about three months, and then it simply stopped working.It would not turn on, or display anything on the screen.After several e-mails to rio's customer support, I finally convinced them that my player really was broken, and that it was not a firmware problem.They finally sent me a replacement, which lasted about three months and is now broken again, exact same problem.I will not buy an mp3 player or anything else from Rio or its affiliates.I got this as a deal for about $70; at least that's all I paid.You get what you pay for, so save up for an iPod.

it's pretty good
for the reviewer who wrote "This is an excellent player! (if your one of the lucky 10% who actually gets one that works). Even if your one of the lucky 10%, I'll give you three months before it dies on you..That's what mine did." - I wouldn't trust this grammatically incorrect review. I've had my mp3 player for over a year and it works perfectly fine. And if I, along with all the others who have reviewed the product, got it to work for much longer than 3 months, obviously it was the user's use of the product that caused its downfall.

The only complaint I have about the product is that the battery indicator is inaccurate. It will be at 60% and then a second later, will just be dead. So be sure to have an extra battery with you when you get under 75%.

I am not sure about the validity of the mp3 draining the battery even when it's off, but I find my battery lasts pretty long even if it's been off for awhile

Looks are deceiving...
Performance was very poor, battery life indicator was useless and not very good quality all around. My power on/off button broke and no one stepped up to fix or replace...I would go another direction. ... Read more

Product Description

Listen to the best digital tunes whenever and wherever you want. The best part is that you can listen to the music that defines your personality. The k@zoo! player is a portable MP3 digital player with skipless audio playback from its 64 MB Internal Flash Memory (expandable to 128 MB with a multi-media card - in this package it's not included). To keep your tunes organized, the player comes with the music management software program, MusicMatch Jukebox. ... Read more

Features

• USB connection for fast downloads
• Compatible with Windows 98SE, Me, and 2000
• Includes stereo headphones, USB connection cable, batteries, software, carry bag, wrist strap, and neck strap
• 64 MB flash memory for skip-free playback of MP3 files
• Additional memory slot for optional MMC cards; expandable to 128 MB

Reviews (67)

A great player, but bad software
The player itself is very nice.It's buttons are solid, the form is easy to hold and move in your hand, and the controls are well placed and responsive.It comes with a nice pack of things, such as a neck strap, wrist strap, a set of decent batteries, and a CD with the drivers and MusicMatch software on it.

That's the only bad thing.MusicMatch isn't the best program, but you have to use it.There are NO other programs that can talk to your K@zoo.Trust me, I looked all over.Nothing.You're stuck with MusicMatch.MusicMatch isn't really that bad, it's just that I really would have liked to use something else at my own option.

Thumbs up never the less.It plays my mp3 and wma files for bargain basement price.

Works...sometimes
Used sporadically for 2 years.Sometimes it won't turn on, sometimes it will.It makes no sense.Downloading music to it is a time consuming, frustrating chore.I would not recommend this to anybody.

This MP3 Player and its software is JUNK...
Here's why:

- It won't connect through a USB Hub, it must have its OWN USB port.Well that's a problem if you have a limited number.

- It only works with this stupid MusicMatch software that seems to have been written without simplicity or intuitiveness in mind.

- It has a hard time identifying itself to Windows XP, which in turn has a hard time installing it even with the latest drivers in place.In addition, upon installing the drivers, it wants to restart the computer...those days are long gone, I think they went away with Windows 98.Well written drivers and software don't need to restart any more.

- Once the system finally does find the player, and the MusicMatch software recognizes it, it only uploads one song to the player before it gives an error "Device Not Found".WELL YOU FOUND IT FOR THE FIRST FILE!

- STEER CLEAR of this product!Get an MP3 player that the computer can see as a file system (like another hard drive), and you can drag and drop files directly to it without being handcuffed to some goofy proprietary software.

Nice MP3 Player, works O.K....
Nice little Mp3 player.(...) The RCA LYRA (128mb) is a much better buy, though.

OVERALL:
Nice player
Small form factor
Good MP3 capacity (64mb)
Good sound
BE GENTLE WITH THE LOCK SWITCH!

Great Little Player
I've had this player for 2 yrs; I've worked out and ran with it and it's a great little player.Very reliable and has been dropped a few time without any problems.The plastic casing that ties into the armband didn't last very long, but a new neoprene case was all that's necessary.Great for the memory and price and I've added a MMC card rather than shelf it for a newer, higher MB model. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

If it's not oxymoronic to say this, the Samsung Techno D is aprofessional kind of MP3 player. It comes with more than adequate internal RAM(64 MB), a SmartMedia slot for additional flash memory, an FM-radio-bearingremote control, and voice recording via a built-in microphone. It's close tobeing all-things audio for the digital age.

The Techno D ships with RealNetworks' RealJukebox software for ripping MP3 filesfrom CDs and building playlists. We were disappointed to find that this includedversion limits ripping to 96 kbps (128 kbps provides near-CD quality audio),though an upgrade is available at additional cost. At this time, there's nomodule that allows RealJukebox to directly transfer and manage the Techno D'sstorage, so Samsung includes a simple program to handle the internal memory andinitialize and manage any SmartMedia memory cards.

The Techno D has a regular audio jack, volume control, equalization and 3-Dsound simulations, and a three-line LCD that shows the current song, artist, andalbum being played. We fooled around with the 3-D sound settings for a bit offun, but they provide too much distortion for professional recordings. However,the equalization worked well to balance sounds depending on the music style(such as rock and jazz).

While the Techno D works just fine on its own, you can also access audio andplayback features using the "remote control" unit that connects using a specialplug. The remote control contains an audio jack and also has a built-in FMreceiver that can be tuned, and you can store station presets. It has a smallLCD screen to show track number, FM station, and battery life. The radio relieson the included earphones as its antenna, so reception can be more dependent onlocation and body orientation than with most radios.

We tested the Techno D's software by transferring a number of tracks fromdifferent albums at different compression rates, and the USB interface madeswift work of moving the files around. We tried a low rate of ripping viaRealJukebox to squeeze about three hours of music into the built-in 64 MB ofRAM, and the player had no problems handling that many titles.

The sound quality was always good, even though batteries can burn up fast: a fewhours of time empties the AAA alkalines, so stock up on rechargeables and acharger. Audio recording with the built-in microphone also was a breeze. Eachtime the record button is pressed, the Yepp begins a new sequentially numberedaudio file. The quality of recording was surprisingly good, and we picked updistant voices well. These files can be erased directly off the unit (as can MP3files) or managed via the standalone program.

Note that the manual doesn't mention the music industry SDMI format, but it doesnote in passing that the unit supports SecuMAX. This format is proprietary toSamsung, and it appears at the moment to merely limit MP3 copying from Yepp toYepp.

The Samsung Techno D is a solid performer that works well with a minimum of fusswhile providing sophisticated controls for the user who needs the wide array offeatures found in this player. --Glenn Fleishman

Pros:

• Complex set of choices handled easily through LCD interface and specificbuttons
• USB-based transfer works seamlessly and quickly with Windows
• Built-in memory for one to three hours of music (depending on quality) withexpansion slot for more

Cons:

• Included RealJukebox software limited to ripping music at 96 Kbps
• Burns through batteries--but what MP3 player doesn't?
• SecuMAX copyright protection software is not explained well

Reviews (8)

Great player.
Buy this one!After months of procrastination, I ended up with this player for one reason.It was on sale at a local electronics store.After months of use, I am appreciating the features, ease of use and reliability of this player.Sound quality is excellent, the included software is complete; with out hiccups, it can hold over thirty tracks on the 64 Megs of flash memory.What else do you want or need?The USB data transfer is fast and clean, and you have sound modes that actually work without the need for complicated (and time consuming) equalizer settings.

Good with a few flaws
This mp3 player has it all.....for a low price. But it has a few flaws.
1)The max. volume is too low. (This is helped with buying a better pair of headphones.)
2)The door for the expansion card opens all the time. If I clip the player to my shorts to workout, the door opens five or six times. 3)There is no auto-turn off after all the mp3 files play. So If I fall asleep while using it.....I wake up to find the batteries dead. 4)The buttons are in strange places.
5)The batteries die all the time, so buy a recharger.
Nothing else wrong with it yet. But overall I love to use it all the time. It can hold 20 songs and with the 32mb expansion card I get another 10. For the money it is the best buy I have seen.

Great little toy with a few drawbacks
All in all this is a great player. The worst thing about it is the headphones. I guess I have small ears because they don't even fit inside. My husband said he wore them for one hour and they hurt his ears so bad he threw them out. We had to run out and purchase a better headset. Also...the FM tuner is a separate entity that attaches by a cord to the player. Don't be fooled by the size because now you have to have 2 things clipped to your belt. That was a big disappointment. It never said that anywhere!

GREAT!
I wasn't sure of which mp3 player to get because this is my first time buying one, but then my friend told me about it. She said that she had a Sumsung Yepp, so I got it, and I have no regrets! I don't really like buying cd's so I just download the music online, and I'm on the go. I take my Samsung YEpp with me EVERYWHERE. It's so light, I can hardly tell I have it around^^

AWARD FOR ERGONOMIC DESIGN AND PERFECT PERFORMANCE
Maybe most of us music freaks are more interested in the sound quality: With the Techno Yepp [ASIN B000059RAB] you will get it (as well as with the MINI Yepp [ASIN B00005B4BS] which I owned before I purchased another product from Samsung). MP3 is MP3, i.e., the sound quality should be 'original' and it is. There are 4 equalizer modes NORMAL - CLASSIC - JAZZ - ROCK and each of them can be "topped" with the Surround 3D sound effect by just pressing the 3D button.

I personally like Voice Recording/Playing very much. The built-in microphone catches more than I expected (I used it even in a courtroom and got a "digital transcript". Legal? I don't know.) Since I was able to apply for a free 32 MB SmartMedia memory card (limited offer June 1 - July 31, 2001) I will have enough space for Voice Recording, some of the recorded files will be used to send later as E-mail attachment.

Downloading files TO and FROM the Techno Yepp is fast and easy using the Yepp Explorer Software or Realjukebox, both to install from the CD-ROM disk. Yepp Explorer is just how a software should be: Load it - use it - period .... but make sure Techno Yepp is connected bcause Explorer will look for!

The Remote control with FM radio receiver that has 5 presets is a nice "add on" but should be called "FM radio receiver" and not more. It's true, you can control Techno Yepp with all the buttons on this hexagonal shaped FM radio and you may even show-off with the backlight LCD, but all these, FM radio tuner and backlight are powered from the two AAA batteries located in the Techno Yepp. I would rather like to have a lower price or more built-in memory instead of this FM radio which will eat up the AAA batteries faster. But for a hiker or bicyclist the remote control unit may be very useful (also as an "extension cord" for the quite short earphone cable).

Most of all I like the ergonomic design of the Techno Yepp. I can hold it in my left hand and operate all the functions easily. Feels good - looks good - sounds good. I would buy it again. ... Read more

Product Description

Introducing the HipZip Digital Audio Player. This portable device gives you skip-free, CD-quality sound in a cool, compact design. The HipZip Digital Audio Player offers you solid protection from accidents or spills. And the full metal housing on each PocketZip disk offers an equally durable media. One 40MB PocketZip disk carries over 80 minutes of your favorite music that you can play on your HipZip digital audio player. Move your music from one PocketZip disk to another without any reformatting, and then carry it in your HipZip digital audio player wherever you go. Whether you're in your office or at the football game. PocketZip disks are uniquely serialized, so your player can tell one disk from another. You use your serial number to lock content onto your disk. Also, the Windows Media Player 7 comes with Windows Rights Manager, so your content cannot be opened on an unauthorized disk. ... Read more

Features

• PC and Mac compatible
• Fast USB connectivity
• Store digital audio files on 40 MB PocketZip disks; 2 disks included for 80 MB of storage
• Plays MP3 and Microsoft Windows Media Audio (WMA) formats
• Built-in lithium-ion battery produces 12 hours of continuous play

Reviews (164)

Got what I expected
It does exactly what I expected.I have had no problems with the device as of yet. I take it hiking and biking and it does the job.

However, now that I have it, it would be nice if the disks were double if not triple the storage space.It's kind of a drag to change the disk in such short intervals.But again, I knew how much data they would hold before I bought it.This also means I carry about 6 disks with me at a time to make sure I have plenty of music.

It's a trade off.I didn't really want one of the bigger jukeboxes and still don't see the need.I don't want to manage that much music when I'm trying to enjoy what I'm doing.With the hipzip it's like playing a mixed CD everytime you stick one in so music management is cake.

Best equipment, OK for runners.
Pros:

Simple.
Small.
Stable.
A well known manufacturer.
Rechargable. (budget friendly).
Reusable storage.

Cons:
40 minutes playing time.
Beefy. (for running: dances in the shirt's pocket)

Do Not Buy This!!!!
It is only cool if you only need for flights or short car trips and so on. I use mine for the gym, if it works it's great but the problem in for one it DOES NOT play for 12 hours!!! If it only has a half charge it will die very shortly. Also it only gets a full charge if you completly run out the batteries, so if you have a half charge it will not fully charge. I have contacted the company and they said to run out the batteries and then charge it up. You are better off getting one with replaceable battery such as AA,AAA and so on, so you always know how much play time you have..I am in the market for one with replaceable battery

I have no luck
this thing seems not bad according to other reviews. But I have no luck, mine is a defective one. It just refuses to charge when it is plugged in AC.

Reliable, it 'aint
Seemed like a great product at first, with additional ability to store files and connect to the PC, as well as being a decent MP3 player.I quickly found out the unit was slow in response when turning on and off and going thru the menu options.Also, since it is a mechanical drive, the unit hung up if shook or jostled and only way to reset is to put a small pin into the reset hole.
The most disturbing thing, however, is that the product is unreliable and likely to fail within a year.Since Iomega no longer support the units - DO NOT BUY!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Samsung's tiny, wearable Mini-Yepp is the world's smallest full-featured digital player, weighing in at a mere 1.13 ounces without battery. It comes with 64 MB of built-in flash memory and features an LCD display that shows music info and current date and time.

The Mini-Yepp has superb sound with a four-preset graphic equalizer and a powerful bass boost system that can enhance any musical style. The Mini-Yepp also features an advanced USB port for high-speed transfer of your favorite music. USB connections are three to five times faster than those using the parallel port, and they allow compatibility with both the Apple Macintosh and PCs running Windows 98, 2000, or Me.

The popular Rio-Port digital music software is bundled with the Mini-Yepp, offering a powerful yet easy-to-use system to organize your entire music collection and quickly transfer custom track combinations. The software is also CDDB-enabled, automatically retrieving artist and track information for millions of CDs (when connected to the Internet).

It comes bundled with full-length audio tracks from top recording artists, including Samantha Mumba, Monster Magnet, Blues Traveler, Queens of the Stone Age, and Black Eyed Peas.

The Samsung Mini-Yepp runs on one AAA battery. It is backed by a one-year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Tiny digital audio player--only 1.13 ounces
• 64 MB built-in memory; plays MP3 audio files
• Create your own customized music lists
• 4-mode equalizer with classic, jazz, rock, and normal presets
• USB connectivity--compatible with both Macintosh and PCs running Windows 98, 2000, and Me

Reviews (51)

Do Not Buy!
Battery life is terrible. You may get an hour of use if you're lucky.

Good but not great!
Sound is very good but I cannot compare with other players because this is my first mp3 player. I like the style and portability of this player. Everything is fine except clumsy battery cover or battery pull out mechanism. Anyway this is fine mp3 player.

a runner's review
after one year of use i can give you all you need to know about this product:

the good: awesome for runners, lightweight and enough space for about 45-60 minutes of music. has made it through many rain showers without a problem.... although i doubt it is actually water proof. It has also played like a trooper through over 100 degree weather, and below zero too! the arm band makes carrying it easy. sound quality is the best i have heard from an MP3 player

the bad: my biggest problem (which has me considering a different mp3 player) is the fact that normal over the ear headphones will not sound very loud. In order to get decent volume you must use the in-the-ear type of headphones which often fall out and are a hassel when running. Also you will waste countless batteries if you don't have a recharger (which is well worth the money).

conclusion: after one year i am still very happy with it, but the volume could be better. This should only be bought by people who need a lightweight tiny MP3 player,

Very nice toy, however battery sucker
I realy like the small size of this player. It's a great toy. I bought the player without the usb cable. Ouch! The cable cost me [$$$]. I can barely listen twice the 12 songs I downloaded and I have to change the battery. Don't buy this if you don't have a charger. I wish there was a 128Mb player.

Great Player with Caveat
Nice for exercise and portability.Average about 8 full length songs, an hour + music at 64kbs.Go ahead and add on an extra [$$$] for rechargeable batteries, or you can expect to spend a lot more over time.Problem - there is no on/off switch so the battery drains rapidly unless it is physically removed.Needless to say I lost the battery cover.But I am satisfied with rechargeable batteries that last for about an hour and half.Great for exercise, but not a long flight without a bag of batteries and a real solid select a set compilation.I would buy another if I lost my current one, can't beat the price. ... Read more

Product Description

Creative NOMAD allows you to customize your own digital music and audio content and take it anywhere you want. Mix your favorite selections by recording from your personal CD collection or downloading MP3 files from the Internet, and transfer them directly to your player. You can even add Environmental Effects to your recordings with a Sound Blaster card. Creative NOMAD is also a digital voice recorder. You can use it as a Dictaphone to take notes, record a message to a friend or colleague, and upload it directly to your PC. With 64MB RAM (32 onboard / 32 removable media upgrade card), Creative NOMAD provides one hour of CD-quality audio (or more with adjustable bit-rate encoding) or 4 hours of voice recording. Removable flash card support enables you to upgrade your player in one-step, so you can take your favorite content with you without carrying around multiple CDs or MiniDiscs. That means your NOMAD will function as a complete digital storage device to store and transfer data files between home, work, or school. The CD installation disc and MP3 contents discs are included. ... Read more

Features

• LCD song title readout
• Record your favorite songs from your personal CD collection or the Internet
• Nonmechanical operation for skip-free, continuous playback
• Combined 64 MB RAM (32 MB onboard, 32 MB on removable media)
• Includes FM tuner and voice-recording capabilities

Reviews (42)

Limitations
I recently got a Creative Nomad MP3 player, and after installing the Nomad Manager Software, I getan error message ?Docking Station not conected?.
The parallel cable is properly connected.
I actually have Windows 2000 and the software that comes with the mp3 player, says that it is for Windows 95 98.
I have looked in Creative?s Web page and there are no driversfor windows 2000, I also change the Bios settings as the setup instructions manual refers. With no results .

Great Deal
I have spent about 2 weeks researching all MP3 players on the market, and I have come to the conclusion that this one is the best for the price at this time. It is made by an extremely reliable company, and comes with a flury of features.

Total included memory: 64 MB Approximate playback time: 60 minutes Onboard memory: 32 MB Included memory cards: 1 32 MB SmartMedia Compatible memory type: SmartMedia Number of expansion slots: 1 MP3 playback: Yes WMA playback: Yes LCD Display FM tuner Voice recording Battery status display Random play Repeat: One track, all tracks Forward/reverse: Yes Hold: Yes Preset EQ curves: Normal, classic, jazz, and rock Bass boost: Yes AC adapter: Yes Car adapter: No Carrying case: Included Batteries: 2 AAA (rechargeable NiMH, included) Headphones: Yes Bundled software: Creative Nomad Manager, MusicMatch Interface: Parallel (supporting ECP mode) Battery life: 9 hours Weight: 2.26 ounces

At this price who can pass it up!

Hot and Cold...
I received this mp3 player with high regard. I had read all the reviews and this player really looked like the best all other available models for the price. It comes with rechargeable batteries and a charger as well as 64total MB of storage. These are both great features. However, the data istransferred from the computer to the mp3 player via a serial or printerport. I could never get the Nomad configured to work properly with my brandnew system. After calling Tech Support (Long Distance) they still could notfix my problem. Luckily, I had a laptop which happened to work perfectlywith the Nomad. Using this I was able to transfer songs and actually usethe mp3 player, for which the sound quality was great and the features wereexceptional. Yet, I noticed another 'problem.' The songs I had placed onthe SmartMedia section of memory were not properly being erased. EverytimeI tried to format it, it would still have the reminants of two older songsleft on the card, in plain terms my SmartMedia card was corrupt. I had tosend my Nomad back but I do miss my portable Mp3 ability. The player islightweight, easily stored and sounds awesome. Sadly, the portable mp3market is limited right now and I believe I'll wait a while before I investin this technology again.

great value, poor reliability
On the surface, this looks like a great player at a great price---and it is.However, soon after I bought mine the flash card started causing me problems.Within a few days the flash card failed to work anymore, thusleaving me with only 32MB to work with.When I called Creative Labs theydidn't seem to care at all about my difficulties, and actually tried toblame Amazon for the problem.To the contrary Amazon helped me greatly and I ended up exchanging the Nomad for a Rio player, which I'm very happywith.Also, if you plan on using your player while exercising/working out, be forewarned that this product DOES NOT have a belt clip, thus makingit almost impossible to use while exercising.Of course, Creative labsdoes offer a leather carrying case/belt clip for $30---a rip off if you askme.Overall, I would stay away from this product.If you do choose to buyit, remember to add $30, the cost of a belt clip, to the total price.Theplayer is no good without it.I mainly give this product such a poorrating becuase of the terrible customer service I recieved from CreativeLabs.However, I thank Amazon for helping to remedy the situation.

Extremely Satisfied for the money
I was very apprehensive about buying a MP3 player for a long time and finally bit the bullet 3 weeks ago and bought this one.I am so disappointed I did not buy one earlier.This little machine is great.Ithas a decent FM receiver and a voice recorder that can be very useful whenyou need to remember something and can't write it down(I have used this afew times already).But, the reason you buy this is for the MP3 files itplays.The sound is terrific and the machine gives you a choice of 4different equalizer settings.I have found that for my musical tastes, theClassical setting work best, but then again, you may find differently.Iwas suprised by the durability of this little unit. I am not saying tothrow it all over the place, but I am not easy on anything and this machineis doing just fine.For the amount of money I paid for this($150), it is avery solid machine to own.Especially when I check out some of my friendsmore expensive MP3 players, I feel I got a real bargain in the deal. Idefinitely endorse this product.It's positives definitely outweigh thosenegatives(no backlight, no AM band, etc..) ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

If you've been waiting for the cost of digital music technology to come down and the amount of memory to come up, now is the time to take a look at the Creative Labs Nomad II MG. This player features 64 MB of built-in memory plus a SmartMedia slot for an additional 128 MB. That means you'll get hours of playing time, plus lots of features and an FM radio tuner to boot.

With digital music players, memory is the key to a long-lasting and hassle-free relationship. The players store music on flash memory chips, so you won't have to worry about skipping or your music degrading over time. Flash memory means you can also record over and over again with no loss of sound quality. But building memory into these chips costs money, and up until recently you were lucky to get an hour of music in an affordable player.

The Nomad II MG's built-in 64 MB memory means you won't have to invest in additional memory immediately. If you do decide you need more playing time, you can choose from SmartMedia cards in a range of sizes and prices. The tiny cards easily slide into the back of the player and require no configuration or extra power to use (check out our selection of SmartMedia cards).

With the rapid pace of technological developments, Creative Labs has also made the Nomad II MG upgradeable using software that can be downloaded from their Web site. Creative Labs also complies with Digital Rights Management, which means that, to prevent copyright violations, you can't upload certain files from your player to another device.

Linking your Nomad II MG up to your computer is easy using the included docking station. The USB interface means you'll spend only seconds downloading files, using either MP3 or Windows Media Audio (WMA) formats. Turning your CDs into digital audio files is simple with the included Creative Digital Audio Center software.

If you do get tired of your playlist, the Nomad II MG allows you to switch at the touch of a button to FM radio. The player's 32 station presets save time fiddling with the tuner and you can even record from the radio with the player's built-in microphone. The microphone can also be used to record memos or conversations at one of two speeds. A 64 MB SmartMedia card will hold up to four hours of voice recording.

You can view track information on the LCD display, which is backlit for easy viewing in dim light. The Nomad II MG runs for up to 10 hours on two AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries, and comes with a case.

For an affordable and versatile introduction into the world of digital music, you can't beat the Nomad II MG. ... Read more

Features

• Comes with folding headphones, a USB docking station, rechargeable batteries, and an AC adapter
• Compatible with PCs and Macs
• 64 MB of internal memory with 1 SmarkMedia card slot
• Record from your personal CDs or download from the Internet; can also record voice
• FM tuner with 20 programmable stations

Reviews (31)

Blaster Disaster
Once upon a time, a boy bought a Nomad II MG player and he was rightly happy.He had just obtained a piece of technology that would hopefully give him countless hours of crystal clear music and many excellent features.

Then one day things started to go wrong...

After purchasing the docking station to accompany this cool MP3 player (which took several weeks to order in as the boy lived in the Middle East where it wasn't in stock) he quickly took it home to try it out.It didn't work.So he took it back to the shop where, thus was the staff's confidence in the product, they proceeded to plug it into every power outlet available (into which their own devices were plugged and working perfectly) to ensure that it wasn't the fault of the socket - alas to no avail.

Finally they conceded there was a problem so the docking station COMPLETE WITH THE PLAYER had to be sent to Singapore for a 3 month warranty draining vacation during which the boy had no use of the player.
It came back apparently working fine.
A while later the unfortunate boy noticed some annoying background noise during operation and so the player had to be handed in for repair again.This time they managed to fix it without sending it to Singapore and for that the boy was grateful.

HOWEVER

Not long after THAT the docking station again stopped functioning correctly and the boy was informed that it would again have to be sent to Singapore this time at his own expense!

---

I have written to Creative America, Asia and Europe and the management here in Dubai.NOTHING positive or helpful has been done.During the player's globetrotting I had no use of it and whilst it was working I NEVER used it in any strenuous situation.It was never mistreated and yet it still broke.How can this be called, "Music on the Go"? I propose a change to the more honest, "Fuzzy noise on the Go" as anything else is basically false advertising.

Yes the warranty has expired but only because it spent three months of its warranty period in Singapore.I have not been shown any kind of empathy and I recommend that people rethink before purchasing.Companies like IRiver offer SUPERB MP3 players (Several of my friends have purchased them).
I do not expect to pay the kind of money I paid and be told that I'll have to dish out more money in order to get it fixed.If Creative had their way, my MP3 player would soon rack up more air miles than I have.
On principle I'd rather throw it away and buy a new device from another company even if it cost more than the proposed repairs.

Though this is only one person's tale of woe, my point is this:

With a big company like Creative, some products will inevitably have problems.Some customers such as myself may even be unfortunate enough to experience several problems.I can deal with that.What I can't deal with is the complete lack of customer care and the non-existent technical support I have been offered.Creative America and Europe wrote back immediately saying I was not under their jurisdiction.Creative Asia have not written back 3 weeks down the line.

They like to waste your time at Creative.

HIT THE BACK BUTTON AND BUY SOMETHING ELSE!

Item listed was not available (substitute was suggested)
I was looking forward to the blue product and paid for expedited shipping, but was informed by the seller that only silver was available until the middle of next week.I would be cautious about this seller because inventory needs to be more accurate.

this pice woudl never grow old
Its slim, kewl, high tech, i have it for more than 6 months, no probs with it. Just new players coming out and the technology keeps out pushing old stuff away .. !!

A Rocky Start, But An Awesome Player
I received my Nomad as a christmas gift, though it didn't work right out of the box. After calling Creative a few times, I finally got through(If you have to call them make sure to call about 15 mins before they close because you have to answer a bunch of questions). They told me that the rechargeable batteries that came with the player might have been totally dead. So I tried putting some normal alkaline batteries in, it finally worked!! By the way, if you have to do this be careful not to leave the alkaline batteries in too long or else the dock will start to charge them. But, I still can't get the rechargeables to work(Creative said by putting them in the player and taking in and out of the dock they will get charged enough to be recognized by the dock and computer), so you can buy a charger for them or just buy some rechargeable batteries. Besides the batteries not working(that's why I took off a star, actually A 1/2) this is a great player. It displays the song title, lights up, has an equalizer, and just looks cool and is smaller than I thought. But, make sure you read the instructions to figure out all the cool features.

Cheap components make a cheap finished product
I've had this player out of the box for about three hours and the battery contacts already broke off.I had a really hard time getting it to work in general, the docking station appeared dead because of the loose battery connection in the player (the station is not USB powered, it requires the batteries in the player to work).The documentation on the Nomad site leaves much to be desired, as does the troubleshooting in the back of the paper manual.I got it to work by putting regular AAA batteries in as they're a fraction of a mm bigger than the rechargables included with the product.I transfered one file to the player and it was really fast, about 5 seconds for a 7MB file.The play back sounded great too.But unfortunately I wasn't satified with having it work using my TV remote batteries, I wanted it to work using the rechargables it came with.I decided to bend the prong out a bit to improve the connection, but everytime I stuck the battery in it just went back to it's original position no matter how careful I was.After the fourth time the prong just snapped off.Not wanting to wait until the product is back in stock for a replacement and definitely not wanting Creative to replace it with a refurbished one (it's 3 hours old, if I wanted a refurbished one that's what I would have purchased to begin with), I decided to put my electrical engineering training to use and took it apart to see if anything could be rigged short of soldering the contact prong back on.I can't believe how cheaply this thing is made, it's components belong in a $10 toy, not a $200 gadget.No dice with the repair either, but it was really easy to take apart which was a bonus.If you take one apart be sure to remove the flash card if you have one in, otherwise it will be difficult to put back together.

The outside is really sweet looking, and it works great if you can get it to work, but over all it's just cheaply made and doesn't have what it takes.I'm sad that i've wasted my time and money.Too bad I'm not quite girly enough to be pleased with just the pretty casing. ... Read more

Features

• Album directory management function (Album 1,2,3,4 and Voice Album)
• Includes MP3 player, Armband, Belt-clip, Earphone, Battery, Installation CD (JetAudio, JetShell & JetVoiceMail), Manual, USB Cable, and Necklace
• Ultra-compact, fashionable and elegant design with the weight of 1.4 oz and the dimensions of 3.3 X 1.4 X 0.6 inches
• Voice recording capability and FM radio listening/recording function
• Fully compatible with World-renouned MP3 software, JetAudio

Reviews (5)

Fantastic Product, A++!!! (but consider more memory)
The Cowon iAudio portable digital audio player is a fantastic device! Here is a summary of the various components.

PHYSICAL UNIT: This is a very small (3 in. tall, 1 in. wide) and light (less than 2 oz. including the battery) unit. It has a LCD screen on the front which displays quite a bit of information, such as the name of the current song (which scrolls across the screen), the time remaining, battery life, memory usage, etc. This information is presented in a compact yet clear manner. The LCD had a back light feature that can be programmed to stay on for a set amount of time. The unit is highly customizable with an interface that is quickly learned. Battery life is about 9 hours on a singe AAA battery. Although this does not sound like much, remember, it is for a single battery.

MP3 PLAYER: The 64 Mb model will hold about 20 MP3s (assuming an average size of 3 Mb). The sound quality is very good. The unit has four folders (albums) to organize your music. Songs can be played sequentially or at random, and you can choose from several pre-set equalizer settings, such as rock, classical, etc. I don't have a lot of experience with MP3 players, but I am more than satisfied with this one.

VOICE RECORDING: I originally found this looking for a digital voice recorder. It does a GREAT job! For the 128 Mb model with no MP3s loaded, you get about 4 hours of clear recording time! The microphone picks up well and there is a level indicator so you know how strong the input signal is. There is a quick key combination that puts you directly into voice recorder mode, so if you are in the car and want to record a thought, you can do it without even taking your eyes off the road. There is one drawback for using this as a voice recorder -- there is no speaker, so you would either need the headphones or plug into an external speaker to hear playback.

ANNOYANCES: I have only a few minor complaints about the iAudio. (1) The small plastic protective cover over the USB plug is hard to get off if you don't have long enough fingernails. (2) You can't connect the USB cable to the player while it is in its carrying case. (3) The ear phones are comfortable and sound nice, but they fit loosely in the ear, easily falling out if you are exercising. (4) The software does rip MP3s from CDs, but it is not the most user friendly interface I have used.

While this may seem like a lot of annoyances, they are all relatively small, and don't diminish from the experience. Overall, this is a great product! I have used the MP3 Player and Voice Recorder extensively, and am completely pleased with my purchase. Note, though, I bought the 128 Mb version, and would suggest that or the 256 Mb version.

This is the one!
This is an incredible product and company!Absolutely the best portable MP3 player in its class.It is very small (smaller than a credit card) but has plenty of storage (choose 64, 128 or 256MB version when you buy).Also has a great FM radio, voice recorder, good sound quality and an excellent display & controls.The product is well made and comes with a case, belt clip, decent ear buds, cables & software.It's easy to drop the player into a shirt or pants pocket.

The software is VERY easy to use -- just drag and drop MP3s or files from your CD (it will automatically convert them to MP3).Click a button and it will look up your CD song titles from an Internet database.If you're interested, it also has a utility program that will convert any animated GIF or image file into a logo you can download to the player.Your custom animated logo displays on the LCD when you turn the unit on.Very nice.

When you download an MP3 file to the player, you can choose any Windows font and size for the song title display.I like the hand script fonts -- they make the display look friendly.The LCD has a blue backlight and you can adjust how long the backlight stays on after a button press.

The MP3 player includes a full equalizer.Separate +/- control of bass, treble, loudness & dynamic bass.You can save your settings under a "User" selection, or choose from several preset equalizations (rock, classical, etc.). There are also lots of other options to allow you to customize how the player works (if you want to).

Read the instructions to understand what the buttons do.Other than that, everything else about the player and the software is simple.The player has a lot of nice options to play with, but it's easy to use right out of the box if you're not a techie.

Jet Audio customer service is unbelievably good.I placed my order at the busiest time (one week before Christmas) and they still shipped the same day.The players were ordered through Amazon from the "New & used" option -- that means Jet-Audio fills the order directly.When you place the order, there's no option to choose a shipping method and Amazon says it could take up to 21 days (yikes!).I placed the order & emailed Jet-Audio to see if they could ship faster.They replied immediately and said the product would ship that day -- I received it two days later (in California). I purchased three players and had a problem with one.I sent them an email and they handled the problem that same day.You just can't ask for better customer service.

Great product, great company, great price ---

Great promotion from JetAudio to upgrade memory...
JetAudio.com is starting a great promotion to upgrade your MP3 player if you wished you had larger memory size.Check out the link... you basically send in your old one, pay them $x and they upgrade the memory capacity to either 128 or 256.Better than having to buy a new one....

System Crashes
If it didn't randomly crash I would be very happy with the iaudio system. MP3 and FM radio is great, voice recording is good. But I have had it 2 months and it won't stop crashing on me (stops playing doesn't respond).

Also the firmware update doesn't work for my XP machine.

Now, THIS is an Mp3 player... and Radio... and Recorder...
If small is a good virtue of any electronic item, then this thing is awesome! Weighing just a few ounces with the tiny AAA battery installed, you can throw it in your shirt pocket and hardly notice it's there
While the small size makes the screen a little tough to read, the LCD is exceptionally clear. The menu system layout makes accessing the Equalizer simple and all menu options are highly intuative - from the timing of the LCD backlight to navigating between folders, it's too easy.
The voice recorder I use for langauge study. I find it's clear and seemingly amplifies the incoming signal to ensure a good volume level. Only downside is there is no external mic jack. I guess they couldn't fit it in.
The FM radio I have no clue about. I didn't buy it for that, and why listen to radio when you have Mp3's anyways?
Here's a breakdown of my wise observations:
- Battery lasts for about 10 hours.
- The supplied headphone are fine. Or maybe I'm just cheap... and don't want to buy better ones.
- Included case is useless. Pretty, but useless.
- Desktop (sync) software is simple and straighforward.
- Voice files can be played an ANY pc with a proprietary .exe files that attaches to the audio clip.
OVERALL, I would definately recommend this to anyone who doesn't need massive storage and prefers a small and sleek player.

(I bought this thing in Hong Kong under the brand name NEC. It's actually designed by a Korean firm (iRiver) and marketed in different nations by differnt partners) ... Read more

Product Description

Small and lightweight, this is digital audio that moves with you and never skips a beat. At about the size of a pager, it's the perfect companion for your workout or bumpy commute. More than just talk, or music. It's what's inside that counts. 64MB of memory provides enough space for up to two hours of digital-quality music, plus you have room to upgrade. The iPAQ supports the most popular audio formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC, so your play list is only limited by your imagination. Shuffle and repeat functions mix things up, while an equalizer with rock, jazz and classical presets help customize your music selection. The iPAQ offers everything you need to take your music to the street, the park, the gym or anywhere. ... Read more

Features

• Shuffle/repeat functions, backlit LCD screen
• Fast USB connection
• Small, lightweight digital audio player--size of a pager
• Supports MP3, WMA, and AAC--upgradable to new formats
• Bundled software makes it easy to organize and play music

Reviews (90)

They tried...
Honestly guys, I'm a big pc, compaq, bill gates guy. I really like them. But I must admit that this attempt at mp3 players crashed and burned. This is an older model. DO NOT GET IT. Mine came with ZERO internal harddrive. Get one that COMES with something. Like a rio chiba like I now have. I might pay 40 bucks for this. I received this as a gift and kinda liked it. I could only get 20 songs on it with my 64 megs of space. I would only recommend this, more like give it another star, if you had a couple of 128 or 256 meg mmc's lying around that you're dying to sell. (...)

Excellent Product But Easy To Lose
This mp3 player is the best I have seen in terms of the different formats it can play. It is small and lightweight and easy to use. It is also a durable product unlike the roxio mp3 player.

Compaq PA-1 iPaq Personal Audio Player [MP3 AUDIO]
Great MP3 player when it works.The sound quality is awesome and this is one small and very portable MP3 player.I have had it for about 7 months and have had quite a few problems with it.It is always a pain to put new music on it.

The day after I purchased this PA1 I had to install a new driver and reformat the memory card on the mp3 player.The only way to format the media card is to download RioPort audio manager, which would be no problem but it is something that you have to buy after you use up your trial membership.Now I use Window's media player to download songs to it.The only problem is that media player often tells me that the card is not formatted, or tells me there is no media device present.I have removed and reinstalled the driver numerous times and I still get the same problems.Also Windows media player often freezes in the middle of putting songs on to the mp3 player, which means that I have to restart it and the task of putting music back on it.

A great deal if you don't mind dealing w/the occasional headache.

Best player for runners!
Player works great!If you run, walk, or bike a lot, this player is for you.Depending on the sound quality you want, you can load up hours of songs and hit the road.Just make sure to get yourself a comfortable pair of earphones.Another bonus of this model over others is the capability of handling multiple file formats.

Great player for the price
I purchased this player based on a lot of research and it was a great choice.It is extremely small and light weight.Its simple to use, just unpack and plug in, start up Windows Media player and your off.The download time is a little slow but that is barely noticable.It sounds great, lose the earphones it comes with and pick a good sony or Aiwa pair.I use wma format and I can get about 20 songs or sixty minutes of music on one 64 meg card.(use wma format, it compresses much more than mp3 and sounds just as crisp)Battery life is great.With normal batteries I got about 14 hours of playback....Basically its great for someone who needs a player to workout with or use to and from work.Belt clip is fine for the gym and running.It comes off and the player is hardly noticable in your pocket. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The Samsung Techno D is a professional kind of MP3 player. It comes with more than adequate internal RAM (64 MB), a SmartMedia slot for additional flash memory, an FM-radio-bearing remote control, and voice recording via a built-in microphone. It's close to being all-things audio for the digital age. The Techno D ships with RealNetworks' RealJukebox software for ripping MP3 files from CDs and building playlists. We were disappointed to find that this included version limits ripping to 96 kbps (128 kbps provides near-CD-quality audio), though an upgrade is available at additional cost. At this time, there's no module that allows RealJukebox to directly transfer and manage the Techno D's storage, so Samsung includes a simple program to handle the internal memory and initialize and manage any SmartMedia memory cards.

The Techno D has a regular audio jack, volume control, equalization and 3-D sound simulations, and a three-line LCD that shows the current song, artist, and album being played. We fooled around with the 3-D sound settings for a bit of fun, but they provide too much distortion for professional recordings. However, the equalization worked well to balance sounds, though this varied by type of music.

While the Techno D works just fine on its own, you can also access audio and playback features using the remote control unit that connects via a special plug. The remote control contains an audio jack and also has a built-in FM receiver that can be tuned, and you can store station presets. It has a small LCD screen to show track number, FM station, and battery life. The radio relies on the included earphones as its antenna, so reception will often depend more on location and body orientation than with most radios.

We tested the Techno D's software by transferring tracks from various albums at different compression rates, and the USB interface made swift work of moving the files around. We tried a low rate of ripping via RealJukebox to squeeze about three hours of music into the built-in 64 MB of RAM, and the player easily handled that many titles.

The sound quality was always good, even though batteries can burn up fast: a few hours of time empties the AAA alkalines, so stock up on rechargeables and a charger. Audio recording with the built-in microphone was also a breeze. Each time the record button is pressed, the Yepp begins a new sequentially numbered audio file. The quality of recording was surprisingly good, and we picked up distant voices well. These files can be erased directly off the unit (as can MP3 files) or managed via the standalone program.

Note that the manual doesn't mention the music industry SDMI format, but it does say in passing that the unit supports SecuMAX. This format is proprietary to Samsung, and it appears at the moment to merely limit MP3 copying from Yepp to Yepp.

The Samsung Techno D is a solid performer that works well with a minimum of fuss, while providing sophisticated controls for the user who wants the player's wide array of features. --Glenn Fleishman

Pros:

• Complex set of choices handled easily through LCD interface and specific buttons
• USB-based transfer works seamlessly and quickly with Windows
• Built-in memory for one to three hours of music (depending on quality) with expansion slot for more

• Included RealJukebox software limited to ripping music at 96 Kbps
• Burns through batteries--but what MP3 player doesn't?
• SecuMAX copyright protection software is not explained well

Features

• Expandable with optional SmartMedia memory cards
• Compatible with Windows 98, 2000, and Me; also Mac OS 8.6 and above
• 64 MB of included memory--over an hour of MP3 playback
• Remote control with FM radio receiver that has 5 presets
• Built-in microphone for voice recording

Reviews (7)

Great Player
This is a great player that is so easy to use. The only thing I don't like about it is it uses up batteries fast ,but this player's battery use is a lot less than other players out on the market. I found that if you use the remote the batteries used up really fast. The software is easy to install and really easy to use. I have seen lots of mp3 players and this is one of the easiest to use. A feature that I like about it is the voice recorder. Once you record something you can put it onto you computer and send it in an e-mail or what not. I like my player and use it often. I would recomand this player to everyone.

Great item - no trouble at all!
I read all the reviews on the Samsung Yepp before purchasing it and the most frequesntly mentioned downside was that it eats batteries.Truthfully I haven't found that to be the case at all!I use my Yepp everyday and I haven't had to change them too much at all!I even use the radio/remote and that doesn't seem to drain the batteries either.I can also use this will my many types of MP3 files I have with no trouble. The sound is great!The earbuds feel weird at first, but I got used to them quickly.I found that if I substituted a conventional headset for the earbuds it lost volume. I am so happy to have my Yepp!

you cant go wrong with samsung
i have had this product since christmas 2001 and have had no problems with it what so ever the mp3 player gives out rich sound. plays music with no problem too there are many different choices of how you want the music to sound such as rock or classical. i like the way it is very portable.

Great MP3 Player for teens.
I purchased this MP3 player for my 14 year old son for Christmas
after researching quite a few.He loves it!He hasn't had any problems with it at all and is very happy with it.I would definately recommend it.

Yepp/Almost Perfect
Having just received this little gem for Christmas, it is everything it was advertised to be. Although, at better quality rates (above 128), it cannot hold as much as the ad says, with a 64 MB card added, I am getting about 30 songs on average. I find the buttons are well placed and the sound is remarkable. One word of advice, which I feel is not an option. GET NEW HEAPHONES. The set the Yepp comes with is horrible. As are most phones provided. I got the KOSS Porta-Pro phones and the comfort factor shot through the roof as well as the sound. I show friends the difference and they are all astounded. Hook this Yepp up to a good quality set of h-phones and enjoy the sound! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take D-Link's DMP120 digital audio player on the go to listen to MP3audio or make voice recordings. With 64 MB of internal flash memory, you canenjoy over half an hour of skip-free, near CD quality music (there are no movingparts) or several hours of voice audio. It includes an expansion slot thatenables you to add up to 64 MB of memory using SmartMedia cards for a total of128 MB.

Connect the DMP120 to a PC with the included USB cable and transfersongs or voice recordings at speeds up to 12 Mbps. You can specify playlists andwhat songs to transfer using the included D-Link MP3 Manager, MusicMatch, andXing Auto Catalyst software. The D-Link DMP120 includes earphones, two AAAbatteries, a USB cable, and a belt clip. ... Read more

Features

• USB connection
• Skip-free playback; windows compatible
• 64 MB flash memory
• Plays MP3 audio files
• Expandable with SmartMedia memory cards--up to 64 MB

Reviews (4)

DMP-120 MP3 Player Review
While the DMP-120 has an attractive pricetag, the unit itself
leaves a lot to be desired. The generous 64MB flash capacity
yields a lot of room for your favorite MP3 songs, but it suffers
from memory initialization problems resulting in loss of data.
Roughly 10 percent of the power-downs that were tested on two
separate units resulted in the unit locking up, requiring the
user to remove the batteries to "hard" reset the unit. While
this is not only inconvenient, data is lost or corrupted during
the hard reset most of the time, requiring the user to reformat
the flash and reload the memory.In addition to initialization
problems the unit exhibits what is most likely memory formatting
problems in the form of data loss or corruption. The symptoms of
this problem are that the first few hundred KB or so of every
song are either not present or cannot be interpreted by the
processor; in other words the first 1/2 second or so of every song
is not there and the song starts in what would appear to be
mid-stream. While this is not a major problem, it is perpetually
annoying and would be considered "unacceptable" by serious audio
enthusiast.In the defense of the poor engineering of the unit,
the customer service at D-Link was very helpful in replacing the
original unit (that was suspected to be faulty), but the supposedly
"tested" replacement unit exhibited the same faults.

D-Link products lack quality
Bugs with this unit.Not recommended for recording lectures.It loops your recording over and over, even though loop is not on.High static noise during mp3 playback.Not worth the hassle.

Great little MP3 player for running!
This player has been out for a while now ...and it has worked great. The sound quality is great and the features that come with this player is good. There are a few important features that comes with this player: lock for buttons (so you won't accidently push the buttons), external slot for SmartMedia card, rudimentary but effective equalizer, selective modes for different types of play options (single track repeat, all tracks repeat, etc..) and a sturdy belt clip which works when I run!

The only thing that I miss the most is a FM tuner. Also an optional arm band would be great for running. But for the price I got it at, I am not complaining. This little player is not flashy like the newer ones out there but it is truly worth getting if you want it for functionality and reliability.

Nice 64MB MP3 Player at a nice price....
I found the unit and software very easy to setup start using immediately. Everhing worked fine right out of the box and I've been using my player daily during my daily motorcycle commute. The only complaint I have with the unit is the lack of an external power jack. Since I've been playing the unit for over 10 hours so far on the original AAA batteries and it's still going, I'm not too concerned about battery life. There is some distortion when using MP3's recorded via Real Jukebox so I'll try using the bundled software to record my MP3's to see if it's any better. ... Read more

Product Description

It looks and works like a cassette, but it's actually a revolutionary digital audio player. Bridging the digital and analog worlds, the patented DUO E-Cassette Player allows you to download and listen to digital audiobooks, MP3 music, and more, right off the Internet. ... Read more

Features

• Includes DC car power adapter/battery charger
• Plays content from Audible.com--including audiobooks, newspapers, magazines, and radio shows
• Upgradable firmware supports WMA, digital rights management, and new audio codecs
• 64 MB built-in memory--expandable to 128 MB using MultiMediaCards (MMCs)
• Use in virtually all audio cassette players; doubles as a stand-alone digital audio player

Reviews (15)

a disappointment
The Duo-Aria was a disappointment for several reasons, only one of which was the fact that I was never able to make it play an audio book.
The cassette controls are tiny by necessity, but they are also ill-designed.For instance, the off /on / hold slide switch is difficult to manipulate and even more difficult to place into the center "on"position without having it slide all the way to one end or the other.The manual is poorly organized and because of its tiny font and blurry printing, difficult to read.Installation for use with audio books under Windows XP requires three pieces of software - the DUO manager, a Windows Media plug-in, and the Audible Manager.I spent a most of a day working through install - uninstall - search for drivers that actually work - process before realizing that the software supplied with the Duo Aria won't run under XP - you have to download a newer version from their web site.
I was eventually able to transfer and play MP3 files directly from the cassette, but even after considerable effort and more wasted time, unable to transfer an audible book to the cassette or make the Audible Manager software function properly.I'm reasonably sure that this is possible, but given the awkwardness of the device, I'm unwilling to invest the additional time.

WARNING - Buyer Beware! - Part 2
I have to agree with the person from Edgewater, MD United States. I had exactly the same situation with my DUO-64. I purchased the DUO-64 on June 2001 and on October 2002 the internal memory got corrupted somehow (few months after its one year warranty period). I contacted DIGISETTE and they said that the product couldn't be repaired, i.e. if you ever have a major problem with it... throw it away in the garbage. The product is just a great idea. It's fragile (battery cap and its contact, on/off button, head alignment button), sometimes it does not line up with the magnetic head of the tape player, making the sound too low and bad to hear, and once and a while the software won't recognize the player or the expansion memory (if you dare to have one installed).
As I was not satisfied with their response, I tried everything I could to overcome the internal memory problem. After lots of attempts I managed to successfully low format it, and the player went back to operation. But for the price and problems that I had, I wouldn't recomend it at all.

WARNING - Buyer Beware!
Digisette will not back the product!!I purchased the DUO-ARIA 14 months ago and it stopped working.It has a one year warranty - after that your out of luck.I called and asked how I could get it serviced and they told me they will not service any DUO product.Basically, you're on your own - I didn't want anyone else to make the same mistake I did.

This is a nice little toy!
I have read all of the reviews and they were sort of mixed!So I still bought this thing...and yes its fragile and yes it sometimes freezes in the middle of a book.But I still say that I would recommend this little thing...it works pretty nice and even though it is a little flawed its still very very convenient and I take it with me everywhere!

Great little gadget!
I use this audio player for books from Audible.com.I love it!It works great through my car's sound system.A "bookmark" is set everytime the player is shut off so that you will not have to find where the book left off.I do not recommend fast forwarding or rewinding when listening to a book.It is easy to lose your place in a book.The electric battery charger broke shortly after I got the audio player.Digisette sent me a new one, free of charge, quickly!This is a wonderful way to listen to books! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Power up your music with the Intel Personal Audio Player 3000, a compact, lightweight digital audio player you can take anywhere. It comes with 64 MB of built-in flash memory, providing you two hours of clear, skip-free music. Create your own mixes and design your own faceplates with the easy-to-use included software.

The PAP 3000 supports both MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) out of the box, and is firmware-upgradable to support changing digital audio standards. It's expandable using MultiMediaCards (MMCs), enabling you to increase the memory up to 172 MB (with a 128 MB MMC card).

Featuring an LCD display, the 3000 also has such functions as bass and treble adjustment, repeat, shuffle, and control lock. Jump from track to track, or move forward or backward within a song.

The Personal Audio Player 3000 comes with software for your PC to help you create, organize, and enjoy your own digital audio library. The Intel Audio Manager 2.0 quickly and easily transfers audio files from your PC to the player. You'll also get a copy of MusicMatch Jukebox 6.1 with an upgrade key, enabling you to rip digital audio from your own CDs.

Customize the look of your player with the Intel Faceplate Designer. Just add a picture or design to the easy-to-use template and print it out, then remove the player's faceplate and insert your new look.

Carry your tunes with you with the handy removable belt clip. The Personal Audio Player 3000 also includes a USB cable and one alkaline AA battery, which lasts up to 10 hours. ... Read more

Features

• Design your own faceplates with the Intel Faceplate Designer software
• PC compatible only
• Lightweight and compact player supports both MP3 and WMA files
• 64 MB of built-in memory--over two hours of digital audio
• Expandable with MultiMediaCards (MMCs)

Reviews (107)

Excellent Product
got this 3 years ago.very happy with the 10 hours of use on 1 AA.i have dropped it a couple of times, cover comes off which helps lessen the impact and i put the cover back on and all is well.software is musicmatch which works well and it supports all the formats i am aware of WMA, MP3,MP3Pro and WAV.small and light enough i take it when i travel and run.my only quip is the memory size, but it offers expansion with the MMC which is cheap enough these days.overall, excellent product.

Miles ahead with PAP3000
I am an endurance athlete, and my Intel Audio player has joined me for hundreds of miles on trails, roads, trainers, and gyms.I am very pleased with the performance, durability, ruggedness, and easy of use.When compared to many other MP3 players, this was by far the most robust.I clip it to my waistband and onward I go.The life expectancy of most of my running radios are less than a year, so I was nervous about the investment.A typical failuer is the headphone jack, or getting wet, or dropped too many times.For well over a year, training for 4 marathons and an Ironman, it has stood all the punhishment I can deliver it.

Pros
Robust Design
Simple Operation
Great Sound
Battery Life

Cons
Buttons, can be tough, but robust

Overall, if you want an MP3 player capable of keeping up with an active lifestyle.This is a great choice.

Rugged little player
I have had this player for a year or two, and it is one of the best players out there (or used to be out there) for the price. I have dropped mine more than once, on hardwood floors, even asphalt, and it still plays like brand new. Another good feature of this player is that it supports WMA's (unlike iPod) which is essential if you subscribe to music services like Napster 2.0, Liquid Audio, MusicMatch etc. It also includes something that many big memory players (and all hard-drive players) don't include which is expandable memory w/ MMC chips. But the fact that they have discontinued almost all support and you cant buy replacement parts ANYMORE is a down side. But I have not needed to use their online help almost ever. Another thing that makes this player unique is the abbility to change the appearance, and the program included to make your own face plates. All in all, a very good player.

Awesome player for the money!
I have been using my PAP3K virtually every day at the gym for the last 18 months and it has always worked reliably.The belt clip sucks, but I just took a lanyard from a trade show badge and clipped it to that.I can walk/jog/run, bike, row, use the nautilus equipment, and a whole variety of other equipment without fear of the thing getting damaged.Heck, it's even water resitant enough to take out to the local water park during the summer and float around the tube pool.I added an extra 64Meg when I bought mine and used it this past summer for a 15K walk-a-thon.Using WMAs at 96KBit, I loaded enough music to see me through the walk without any repeats.

It is really ashamed that Intel decided to get out of the end-consumer products.If this is an example of what they could do the first time out, I'd really love to see what they could have done given time to improve upon it.

One year follow-up review
In less than one year I have now had two of these break!!!!!!!Intel is sending my third one to me this week.First one broke inexplicably after maybe 5 months of moderate use.Second one broke after no more than ten uses.It's important to note that I DO NOT use the player during excercise so the players have obviously been faulty.Intel was super nice the first time this happened.The second time, I spoke with the same person, and he said they can't keep sending me a new player everytime I break one.How's that for customer service!The player is great when it works and I love it.However, I would stay away from this product based on my experience. ... Read more

Product Description

Panasonic's vision of the digital future is driven by the needs and aspirations of its business customers and millions of consumers around the world who use its products every day. The company shares their dream to live a fuller life by providing ways of working smarter and enjoying the rewards of technological advances. ... Read more

Features

• Controls -Play/Stop; Skip/Search; Volume Up/Down; Play Mode and Hold/Mode/Normal Switch
• Records and Plays MP3, AAC & WMA files that you can download from the Internet
• About 30 hours of play with 1 AAA alkaline battery (not included)
• Includes replaceable 64MB SD Memory Card
• Recording Time (64MB) -About 64 Minutes (128kbps); About 86 Minutes (96kbps); About 129 Minutes (64kbps)

Reviews (7)

not alot of storage!
This item is not worth over $100.there is only 64 mbs on it that fits like 10 songs on thereI advise you not to buy

Very Good player; absolutely appalling software
The sound quality is excellent, the player works beautifully and it's easy to use. BUT getting your music onto the memory card is painful. You can ONLY do it with RealOne's software - you can't drag and drop an mp3 file to the card. The RealOne software is buggy, slow and takes over your PC. It took a good deal of time to reset my PC back to how it should work with the music file associations as I like it and adverts removed.

Using RealOne is a pain. It frequently fails to transfer the music, giving unhelpful error messages so you have to keep clicking the "transfer" button until eventually it succeeds in transferring the music over. And when you get a new memory card, formatting it takes forever because RealOne keeps failing. You have to click "format" over and over until eventually it works.

At first, I thought it was a problem with my PC but if you check out the online forums, you'll find the problems I mention are common.

Like it - but don't like the RealOne software
I really like this unit - but find it incredible that I have to use RealOne software (read "AdWare")to transfer my tunes.
Sound is great, unit is small, love the "hold" button feature.

Just lose RealOne and it would be so much better.

Pretty Good Product!!
I received this as a Christmas gift and had doubts about its claims. I did have problems with the installation of RealOne. It seemed to have seriously slowed down my system initially but 8 hrs later I had it working like a charm. It automatically converts your CD WAV files into AAC format but I especially like the WMA format at 128kbps. Sound quality is great! It looks great and above all is easy to use. The only downside is the neon transcolored looking neck strap. I'm a bit embarrassed to wear this thing to the gym. So I'll have to buy an aftermarket arm strapped case. It comes with 64MB SD media. The larger sized disks are pricing so I'll wait until the price drops. Overall, it is definitely a good value I recommend it.

Im a transformed man...
Well, I must say that it took me a while before I decided to switch over to the mp3 player. I have about 6 gig's worth of music on my computer and it was about time to because I have about 500 burnt CD's that I lose track of...Anyways, this mp3 thing is quite revolutionary, and by the rapid decline of prices, it will become the new music media for the next generation. First I have to say that they state the size of this thing, but that does not do it justice. It is so small and light. I have showed it to most of my(cd listening) friends, and I nor they could believe how small it was. It has been a month now and I could not be more pleased. It is nothing short of revolutionary. And I do not work for Panasonic. But one of the main reasons I bought it was because of their past performance with me. I own a few panasonic devices. I even have a home stereo from them that survived an apt. fire(except for the cd player-ironic?), and it still sounds wonderful. Panasonic seems to have competitve prices and keeps putting out quality products. This player also comes with a separate SDMMC Card drive ( for all those that dont understand all the new terminology-compactflash-smartmedia-etc., picture a very small floppy disc-postage stamp size-that holds 30 times more data than an old floppy-wow!!) and
a 64 meg SDMMC card.The sound is great, but buy some good quality sony headphones and sound becomes exceptional. When I run or ride my bike I am basically in another dimension while I blast my music (cheesy line but true), and the AAA battery has lasted more than 3 weeks at loud levels. There are only two drawbacks to this miracle of a music player. The Software-Real One attempts to monopolize your system upon installation, feel free to ask me questions on how to avoid this-and it only comes with a neck strap. This player would be more than perfect with a beltclip or an arm strap, and a radio tuner. But hopefully that will be in next year's model! And one more thing, I dont know why there is almost no advertising for MP3 players at local electronics stores with over 100 on the market. Perhaps because of the whole controversy of copyright infringement and ease of file trading with MP3's. ... ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Dubbed a Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) device by Creative Labs, the Nomad II is one of those gadgets that's so fun to play with you'll find yourself forgetting it's useful, too.

When portable MP3 players first hit the market a year or so ago, they were relatively simple devices good for one thing: playing MP3 files. Now it seems, as companies have learned consumers want more than just that, today's devices can no longer be described as just MP3 players.

This version ships with a 64 MB removable SmartMedia card, but we had mixed feelings about Creative's decision to rely solely on removable media. While it has its advantages, in the form of being able to swap out the kind of music you're listening to, we would have preferred 64 MB of onboard memory, with a SmartMedia expansion slot so we could increase the capacity even more if needed.

The Nomad II ships with software called the Creative Digital Audio Center, which is basically a full version of MusicMatch Jukebox Deluxe 5.0 with a Creative Labs skin on it. We liked this addition simply for the fact that MusicMatch Jukebox is simple software to use for creating MP3s from CDs and other audio files. Likewise, while we found the Nomad II Manager software easy to navigate and use, we were left with the feeling that some options were sacrificed in the name of ease-of-use. For instance, the ability to change the order of songs in memory would have been welcome.

From an audio perspective, the Nomad II couldn't have performed any better. The equalizer had good settings, and the ability to program user-defined settings was awesome. Furthermore, a wired remote control and bass-enhanced, behind-the-head style headphones completed the package.

As additional memory is still relatively expensive, and most of us don't have extra cards lying around the house, there will come a time when you'll tire of the songs on the device. And without the presence of your PC--and no additional SmartMedia cards--you're at a loss. This is when the Nomad II's FM tuner came in handy. During morning commutes, it was easy to toggle between The Howard Stern Show and NPR, as the player holds up to 32 FM station presets.

The Nomad II's third--and most overlooked--feature is that of a digital voice recorder. As voice recordings aren't the memory hogs that music files are, the Nomad II can record up to four hours' worth. This feature is perfect for dictating messages to yourself or for the fledging journalist recording interviews. The Nomad II Manager software even allows users to upload voice files from the Nomad II to your PC.

MP3 players are great for music lovers on the go. Because they have no moving parts, they're well known for skip-free music. To test the Nomad II, we loaded it up with some hip-hop and headed down to the local BMX spot in San Francisco. With the player clipped on to a belt, we put it through its paces over a multitude of jumps and with more than enough crashes. We did our best to make it skip, but it performed perfectly (though beware--the Nomad II isn't scratchproof). Only after the battery started to get low (the Nomad II offers anywhere from eight to 10 hours of playback time) did performance degrade. But this was easily remedied by dropping in a new AA battery.

MP3 music--like everything else technology related--is in a constant state of flux. To that end, the Nomad II ships with reprogrammable firmware that should enable it to support future digital-audio formats and software extensions as they emerge. So, hopefully, you'll be enjoying your Nomad II for years to come. --William O'Neal

Pros:

• Awesome sound
• Lightweight
• Excellent behind-the-head style headphones
• Useful wired remote control
• USB interface makes connecting to your computer simple and downloading fast
• Intuitive software
• Supports numerous digital-audio formats

Cons:

• No onboard memory
• Simple software could be more robust
• Navigating the LCD menu can be a pain

Features

• Upgradable to support multiple digital-audio formats and future software extensions
• USB connection offers faster transfer rates and ease of connectivity
• 64 MB SmartMedia card allows hours of CD-quality audio or voice recordings
• Built-in FM tuner stores up to 32 preset stations
• Large icon-based LCD screen with backlight for easy viewing in any environment

Reviews (35)

Poor Quality
This item was dead out of the box for me.Look elsewhere.Normally, Creative Labs has great quality.Not this time.

Not worth it
This MP3 player did not live up to my expectations.It constantly jammed; meaning that I had to take the battery out to change a radio station or even move on to the next song.Also, setting radio pre-sets was complicated.Mine actually died only 9 months after purchase.Not exactly the longest living MP3 player.

BADBADBAD
I bought this mp3 player and really didn't like it.I don't waqnt anyone else to be tricked into buying it.

Stay away from this Company products, no customer support.
Stay away from this Company products, no support no real solution to customer when you need it. After 6 months of playing their NOMAD II device suddenly stopped working. Problem? The products Software simply will not transfer any song file to its device (Can't talk to the device PERIOD). After nine months of sending support enquiries back and forth trying all of their excruciatingly time-consuming steps, support concluded the NOMAD II device itself is bad (DUH!)and asked for repair charges so they can repair it. I sent the item for repair with their fees, and a month later it came back exactly as it was before. It appears their RMA/Repair department made no changes what so ever to fix the problem. Their note says "This device may have been repaired". I spent another crazy weekend trying to Unload an reload all of their Softwares and Firmare following all their web support instructions and manuals to reset the device and reload all in vain. (How can a device work if the USB connection or firmware has a communication problem in itself?).
Being a EE pro myself, my conclusion- there is apparently a bug/flaw in Creative Play Center Software which may require fix in either in the PlayCenter or in their device firmware for NOMAD II but eitherway the suport won't relay that to engineering nor they will fix it nor they will replace the product. The NOMAD II is in trash now.
A complete waste of time for the past nine months trying to figure out a hardware/USB connection problem with their Creative Software and Firmare. The device can format which means it can delete all songs that means USB connection is working but the Playcenter software (Any version from v1.x to the recent one v.3.52.x, simply can't communicate with the device any longer.

Do yourself a favor and save your time and money.

Terrible Customer support when things go bad...
I bought this less than 2 years ago off of Amazon.Everything worked well for the first few months but then in january (4 months after i bought it....one month after warranty)...the sound started to break up and I could only hear out of one ear of the headphone.I decided to call to find out what to do. First off, there is NO toll free number to call so you have to pay for the call which I had to wait 45 mins to finally get someone:-/Next, I found out that since it was after the warranty I had to pay for both ways of shipping as well as an excess fee for them to "fix it". Deciding I needed it fixed, I sent it back...and was told that I "may" have to pay an extra 77 dollars to replace the unit. At this point, I was pretty angry. So finally I get it back...4 weeks after the whole process began. They never did fix the problem...and now it's always crackly when listening to music. I would not recommend this to anyone...terrible product, terrible customer support! I will not go Creative Labs next time! ... Read more