Audio Reviews

For the Linux junkie, the 5600 is a "must-have". I mean how cool is it to run a website from your pocket! If you feel pretty comfortable with Linux/Unix, then you will love it. Add on a wireless CF card and you can surf wirelessly and connect to wireless hotspots.

The Personal Information Manager (PIM) definitely isn't as mature as PalmOS and it can show at times in terms of the features and usability of the grahical interface. There are also the standard issues that go along with installing software packages on linux. For the person who just wants a PDA that you can keep phone numbers in and play the latest version of foo-bar-tastic Mega-Brickout2004 on, go with a Palm or Windows based PDA.

If you are comfortable with linux, then this is your product. It is essentially a mini-desktop computer that can run Apache, OpenSSH, FTPd, etc and at the time I'm writing this it's the fastest PDA in terms of CPU speed. The internal ROM is a little small, so you may want to look into adding a SD card for additional storage. But to be honest, I love mine.

I've been using Palm PDAs for about five years now and wanted to upgrade to something new. I had seen the Zaurus 5500 and was going to purchase one before I heard that the 5600 was being released. The 5600 is fast, applications load quickly and the OS seems to be very stable. I haven't had anything crash yet. Setting up wireless networking with a CF card is trivial, plug the card in, run the network config application and type in your WEP key and you're on the net. Surfing with Opera is excellent, you can zoom in and out on web pages and I haven't found any pages that it won't display. I have yet to try the Hancom applications for reading and writing Word and Excel docs but everything else works very well. Now I just need to find an SSH client for it and I'll really be in business.

The SL-5600 comes with QTopia, an embedded version of Linux. It looks really good, and the software ROCKS! It can read and write Microsoft Word and Excel files, etc.

Synchronization leaves a bit to be desired. It doesn't work flawlessly, and only works with Windows.

HOWEVER, the Z's true strength is in Open Source softare. You can keep the included QTopia and install Linux apps. Or, you can replace QTopia with one of the OpenSource Linux distributions, and have a Linux workstation that gives you complete control. With the large amount of available RAM and two expansion slots (SD cards at least to 512 MB and CompactFlash cards), you have room to install anything you need. A huge amount of OpenSource Linux software is available for the Z, and most of it has been scaled down so that it takes a lot less space than it would on a full-sized machine. What this equates to, is that a 256 MB SD "hard drive" is equivalent to a 5-10 gigabyte hard drive on a full-sized computer.

OpenEmbedded (www.OpenEmbedded.org) and now Debian Pocket Workstation (http://www.pocketworkstation.org/) are two of the available Linux distributions. What's exciting about Debian Pocket Workstation is that you can run QTopia and a complete Debian distribution on the same machine. Switch back and forth as you need to. You can also build a complete cross-compilation tree on your own Linux computer, and compile and/or modify available open-source software for the Z.

If you want a simple, turn-key organizer, the Z probably isn't for you. But if you want a complete, powerful computer that fits in your pocket, the Z is the best machine you can get. Definitely worth its purchase price.

I've owned this product for about 2 years and it has been very reliable but there are a few things that could have been added to make it better. The only knock is the interface...parrallel is slow and there's not much you can do about that. I tried using a USB smartmedia writer/reader to download music onto and then tried it in the YP-E32 itself. The player does not recongnize the formate and will not display it nor play it. A friend lent me a 128mb smartmedia card to try and again the player would not read that either. It needs the 32mb cards. I'm still searching for a better interface set-up. Any ideas please post them.
If you want better quality sound you need a good jukebox program that will allow you to rip or write music at or near CD quality.
But remember, the higher the kbs the bigger the file therefore, the number of songs you will be able to download will be less.
Otherwise it's been a great little toy.

I bought the Yepp about a month ago, and it has been a great buy. The sound is pretty good, not perfect, but pretty good. 32mb goes fast, and you can only put about 8-9 songs on it depending on compression rate. It would be nice if Real Jukebox supported the Yepp, it doesn't at the moment, but they claim they are working on a pugin.

The power consumption is great, a few features that would be better is more memory, a backlit display and better navigation buttons. The EQs really don't make that big of a difference but it still sounds pretty good. The earphones are really bad, but I already had a pair of Sony earbuds and the Yepp sounds 100% better with them.

This product is awesome for the price, and I would recommend this to anyone who doesn't want to spend to much on a portable MP3 player.

When I got this excellent Samsung MP3 Player I couldn't believe how small it was! It's extremely light as well. I installed and had this thing up and running in mere minutes. The manual must have been re-written because I had no problem getting started! The player it's self is very cute and stylish unlike some of the more garish looking mp3 players out there. It has a big LCD screen, a cool equalizer, phone book, voice recording! and the most important thing..the sound is FANTASTIC! The volume can be cranked and the mp3's sound exactly the way they sounded when they were on computer. I haven't ripped my own mp3's but I plan to soon. This mp3 player just plain rules! The price is good and even though it's only 32 mb(you can upgrade to 64 mb) I have to give it 5 stars! You can buy a USB adaptor so the file transfer goes even faster also. Buy this player!

I recently bought this player and got exactly what I expected. The unit is very small and lightweight and is pretty easy to operate. The sound is great and it's just a good piece of technology. As just about everyone else has mentioned in their reviews, there are limitations that may be difficult for some people to deal with. This player is a battery eater. I have been getting about 3 hours total listening time before replacing the battery. This can get to be a bit much money-wise. Also the 32 MB memory is not quite enough. You can figure that you'll only get about 30 minutes (or less depending on the sound quality of the MP3 files) of music. Basically I would say it's great to take jogging etc. This is what I use it for and uploading different songs every day is very easy. For travel or other situations where listening to the same 6 or 7 songs over and over and replacing the battery every few hours will drive you crazy, I'd suggest one of the other units.

It's a really nice player so far it's great, it is really small. The bad thing is it should come with a belt clip or arm strap, it comes with a chain instead (like the one for a pager). If battery is an issue for you than this is not the player for you. the software is average. easy to rip songs off your CD and organize your collection of mp3s, very annoying message asking for upgrade the software though. Overall this is a good player with a reasonable price. If you are looking for a player for short trips only this is the one, but long trips i would still recommend an upgradable or a player with more memory. One additional note, i bought Energizer e2 Titanium Technology batteries for my mp3 player and it didn't work, my mp3 player only take certain brand of batteries.

dude, i got this as a gift, without the headphones though, and i found that the baby yepp program was sooo simple. sure, the 32MB space is a blow, but if you encode in mp3PRO using dBpowerAmp Music Converter ( http://www.dbpoweramp.com ), it makes this tiny thing an awesome mp3 player. you can get a 6MB file down to 2MB with OK quality, i mean, it aint perfect 192Kbps, but it sure sounds good for a 2MB file. trust me, this is a greatt buy!

Are you the frequent traveller who likes setting up a small stereo in your hotel room, and not relegate yourself to uncomfortable headphones???

With all the speakers out there, I would have to say that, with regards to the iPod, this pair of speakers is the best!

1. Portability

---- The speakers fold up real nicely and are VERY easy to pack in your carry-on..... I've often had trouble placing speakers in my bags, but these ones fold into a flat surface, which makes it very easy to stick into any little crevice

2. Loudness

---- Some small speakers never quite get loud enough --- while these speakers aren't like a THX sound auditorium, they do produce a pretty loud beat! You'll be putting the volume down more often then turning it up

3. Clarity

---- Like I said, this isn't the perfect clarity, but for the price, the speakers really get the job done....... Very clear and they sound great -- I highly recommend putting your iPod on VOCAL BOOSTER for great sound on this speaker set

4. iPod connection

---- Its so cool how the iPod connects to this thing.... Unless you have the 1/2nd generation iPod (which also works with this system), then the simply put your iPod into the dock and connect no other wires! it plays from there....... unless you use AA batteries, then you will have to plug the AC adapter into the speakers, which is fine, because then the iPod will charge as it sits in the dock

isn't that awesome! you can finally listen to your iPod continuously without having to worry that it'll run outta battery power

so overall, this is a device that you can't live without if you're an iPod lover

great sound, great portability, and great charging

BUY YOURS NOW!!!!

These are really great speakers for the size. Those expecting room blasting sound are looking at the wrong type of sound projection devices. Sure you'll have warped sound if you jack up the sound to max... why would anybody want to do that anyway? For your desk, your room, play or work space at reasonable sound level, these are darn incredible. Hey, I paid $149 for being an Early Adopter gadget freak! For what Amazon is charging, these are a super deal. No bigger than the size of a book, lighter than a book, you unfold it, plug it in (or use AA batteries), plop in your Rev 1 or Rev 2 iPod and you'll be amazed at the quality of sound and bass. Noting the convenience, wow and cool factor, all you iPod owners should have one!

I echo what everyone's said here. This little speaker set is great! <br /> <br /> The sound is amazing for something this size and can be turned up quite loud before distortion. <br /> <br /> The portability is second-to-none! Light, compact, and it runs on 4 AA batteries for a decent amount of time?? Fantastic! <br /> <br /> I use it ALL the time. Sure beats plugging it into my old Aiwa stereo and having it tied to one room! Now I can carry it from room to room, work, whatever! <br /> <br /> VERY happy. :)

My CD player broke, and i wanted to get a new one, so i chose this. But to my dismay, THIS IS NOT AN MP3 PLAYER. THIS HOLDS NO MP3's. I don't think it says that it does but maybe i'm just stupid but it seemed a bit misleading. The ESP-Extreme anti skip works very well, so i can even run with it. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT CD PLAYER. Battery runs out FAST when anti skip is on though. CHarger is nice but i don't think it charges itself as someone said. PRETTY GOOD.

I will note I have not tried WMA files, but MP3 works great! On most CD's, you can fit 200-250 tracks, and this player is an inexpensive and great value

PROS
~~It allows you to sort by Artist, Album, Track name, and Genre (Genre is pop, rock, rap, etc.) and you can file through the songs
~~Play options, (repeat, shuffle, etc.) are numerous and good
~~VERY EASY to use, if by an off-chance you are baffled, the included manual is great to console.
~~Rechargable batteries (Not-included) can be recharged while still inside the player
~~Great Surround Sound or DPS
~~Allows excellent choice of preferences, such as backlight-timed, Autoplay, etc.
~~AC Adapter included, kinda bulky, but it needs to be to function. Never-the-less, the included AC Adapter works perfect
~~

CONS
~~I'm not feeling too trusty of the fact you must force the CD down and force it back up, what happened to the great "PUSH" button that poppped it up?
~~Sometimes the CD doesn't play automatically and you have to press the play button 2 or 3 times
~~I'm not ranting, but there is this sticker on the Player that advertises the type of program it uses (I'm not mad at the program, it's actually very goo!) but when you peel off the sticker it leaves a horrible residue, but it can be cleaned off with a simple cleaning spray.

Now here is what you will need to fix on your own
~~I'm not to lie to you, these are possibly the worst headphones I have ever used. Buy some new ones, it'll be worth it

~~#1 THING /PAY CLOSE ATTENTION\~~I suggest you buy a stress ball, because this software... ARGH! It makes you want to use the disc as a frisbee! It is the buggiest thing ever, especially on below a Windows 98. Get something else, or a better version of Musicmatch, because you will go insane attempting to fix this

All in all it gets a 4 1/2, A great value for your hard earned-money and a great accesory for any music lover.

I've had this cd player for about 1 year now, and I love it, and belive me i'm not one for buying cheap products, I always look for the best, and this had everything I wanted and more, at an unbelivable price. So if your trying to decide between this player and another one, just make up your mind and pick this one, because like I said i've had it for 1 year now and i've had absolutley no problems with it at all, it has great sound and looks, and lots of features, so if you can't make up your mind, let me make it up for you.........BUY IT!!

The Screenblast Movie Studio is very easy to use and I had it doing video clips and transitions 10 minutes after opening the box. Installation was very smooth and the tutorial is quick and good enough to get you started. The manual that comes with the software is pretty good, but the HELP menu in the program itself is pretty much the way to go. Everything is drag-and-drop and making changes could not be any easier. I have used Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle 8, and a few other OEM bundled packages and Sony Screenblaster is so much easier to use and in most circumstances, has better looking transitions and effects.

You import video/pictures from any source and move it from the media pool to where you want it on the timeline. You can select transitions and view how each one works prior to incorporating it into your project. Doing that is drag-and-drop, just like everything else. Most of the production is just trial and error...select a transition or effect, drag it where you want it and hit play to see how it actually looks in the view screen. If you don't like it, click on it and delete and try something else. You will rarely need to use the help menu, everything is all laid out in from of you in a very organized and simple manner. I am totally in love with this product. The BAD side is the 3rd party DVD authoring from SonicFoundry. It crashes a lot and locks up everytime I select to burn a DVD straight from the camcorder. I have Nero 6 installed and it is not much better...most of the newer DVD authoring software is full of bugs. (I use Roxio and Nero and neither one works all that good either.)
Sony really has their act together on this product and I have already deleted the Pinnacle 8 program and will use this full time.
The Sony software is 5 stars. Because of the SonicFoundry DVD authoring software they choose to use, which has wasted a few of my blank DVDs, they loose a star for that. This is a great buy.

as an editing program movie studio can't be beat. i am constantly amazed at the feature set, and what is possible to do. it is very stable and never crashes. i rate the editing part of the package (the movie studio software itself) 5 stars. very good value for the money.

the dvd authoring is another story. despite the advertisements, authoring is not integrated and is handled by sonic mydvd v4.5, a very limited and disappointing program. that's why i marked the overall package 4 stars.

movie studio can almost handle 16:9 editing. all of the needed features for 16:9 are available during the editing process, the only hitch comes when encoding to mpeg-2 in order to create a dvd. this requires a workaround involving a free program called dvdpatcher to set the correct aspect ratio on the mpeg file before authoring. this only takes a second so it isn't a big deal.

i honestly think movie studio is the best "consumer" (under $100) editing program available.

I've used Adobe Premiere in the past, excellent but too expensive, I tried Ulead what a horrible experience, pinnacle reviews said crash after crash. Based on the reputation of Video Vegas I gave this product a try and it is really excellent.

I've used it so far to create 2 online projects for work documenting team meetings and posting the video online. It's easy to work with different pieces of the timeline and then output them in an appropriate format like Windows Media 9.
Excellent integration with external codecs - quicktime, wmv, mpeg1 and 2, and real video. The only drawbacks I've found so far are no control over the output only fixed templates. For example if you wanted to fine tune the audio bit rate, SB will not let you do that. Oh well I guess it is an entry level package. Secondly, the outputted MPEG is a little bit halo prone. It's supposed to be main concept encoder, but since you are not allowed to tune it at all, there's no way to fix it.

Lastly the NTSC mpeg2 video it creates is actually non-compliant for DVD production, since it only supports mpeg audio. In the US you really should output either PCM or AC3 Stereo. Neither of those are an option. I've filed a bug against Sony, but they have not responded. If sony would allow a little more control over the output I would definitely give this package 5 stars.

First the pros: excellent stability, very easy to use capture, good editing capability, easy to generate output.
Cons: lack of control over output.

Casio's Cassiopedia is a very nice unit. Is it the best value available? Well it could have been, but unfortunately they scrimped in a couple of key areas. I base this on what I feel is their closet competitor, the Compaq Ipaq. The first thing you'll need to do after purchasing the Casio is run down to the store and purchase a very expensive MMC card. You'll want to pick up at least a 32mb card (currently between $76.00 and $99.00). Now you'll have some breathing room to work in. The Compaq comes with this additional memory with the purchase price. The last feature that is a little disappointing is the TFT backlit feature. Because of the basic design, the Ipaq does a much better job in very bright conditions. But get your Cassiopedia in a little shade and with the 65,000 plus colors you'll blow the Compaq Ipaq away. In conclusion, I guess there's pluses and negatives with most very thing, and if you don't mind having to immediately spent another $100.00 to get the space you'll need the Cassiopedia is the better unit. I would argue that the Compaq Ipaq is probably the better value.

The Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 is undeniably the best PDA/PocketPC on the market today. It has a vast number of programs: telnet, finger, ping, internet explorer, e-mail, irc, aol instant messenger, word, excel, access, notepad, transcriber (no graffiti to learn, it recognizes anyone's natural handwriting and converts it to text just like this you're reading now), and so much more. If you are a programmer or web designer, you must have this PDA/PPC! It's also great for listening to MP3/WMA audio and playing video clips and movie previews, storing pictures, scanning the Pocket Bible, and so much more. MMC is the future of compact memory technology..., it will replace compactFlash within the next two years guaranteed! It will support modems, network cards, cameras, and of course memory with projected sizes above anything CF Cards can imagine. (according to the MMCA group). Do yourself a favor and get the CASIO EM-500! It is the next best thing to a laptop!

I've had mine for three years. I did buy it new, though. I have been eyeing the Dell Axim, but since there is nothing wrong with my Casio, I can't find any reason to switch.

This is a top-notch, easy-to-use product which, from all I've been able to gather, functions far better than other iPod-compatible FM transmitters that are on the market right now. As with anything going through the airwaves, it has been no surprise that I've picked up a little bit of static on occasion. Generally speaking, however, the iCarPlay has delivered very clear, full-sounding audio (noticeably clearer than an average radio station), and I love the fact that it plugs into the iPod's dock connector, keeping it charged while also getting the best audio signal for broadcast. And of course, you can't beat the fact that the Monster logo on the 12V adapter and the radio tuner glow red when plugged in.

Worried about finding an unused station in your area? Next time you're in your car, just check the FM stations that iCarPlay can use: 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, 88.7, 88.9, 89.1, 89.3, and 89.5. In my experience, even if one of the stations is receiving a weak signal, the iCarPlay shouldn't have any trouble blocking it out.

Someday, our cars will all be Bluetooth-enabled so we can pile in our innumerable gadgets and they'll all connect to one another, creating a brilliant and convenient array of functionality and convenience. In the meantime, the iCarPlay FM Transmitter appears to be a great option for most everyone with an iPod (with dock) and car with FM radio tuner.

I tried the iTrip, I tried 2 other Belkin products, none of those worked as well as this transmitter from Monster. Very easy to configure (hit the red button to get the frquecy you want) and it is powerful enough to block out the local stations on any frequency in my area, which are quite a few. It also charges up the iPod, which is great.
Sound quality, absolutely amazing!!! I have mp3s on my iPod and not like I am expecting CD quality or anything, but the bass and treble are fantastic. No static what so ever. 3 people at work got this transmitter after they heard the quality of mine. Keep in mind I have pretty nice stock head units in my cars. I would rcommend this!

This product works great. I have had it for about a week now and have no prblems with it at all. The only thing you may want to do is play around with the settings on your car radio as well as your Ipod for maximum sound quality.

This camera may look ultra cool, but believe me, it's not. Unless you don't care much for how your picture quality is, then this camera may be ok, but if you do or eventually will, you are better off getting a better quality camera.

There aren't many options for your pictures that you're taking meaning you can't change the lighting effect (inside, outside, cloudy, snow, night, etc), size, picture type (black & white, etc) or many of the other things that you can on other cameras. I found that when pictures were loaded onto the computer, they looked grainy and dull, and if you used the flash, that also seemed to ruin the effect of the picture. There is also no zoom which is one thing I forgot to check out when purchasing this camera. I was not happy with this camera at all after a couple months when I needed better quality photos.

The video recorder of the camera was also a disappointment to me. The recording was very choppy and colors again were poor. On the bright side, it recorded the sound well.

I had no problem with the MP3 player or audio recorder, they both worked fine and were the quality that one would expect.

I now own a Sony Cyber-Shot camera which I am VERY pleased with. Basically you really need to think about what type of pictures you will be taking with your camera and if you want them to be the best quality possible, or if it simply doesn't matter to you to decide if you will be happy with this camera.

I bought this gadget for it's many functions although I mostly used it to take video and pictures, sometimes record audio. I really did like it, but after a while I couldn't justify the cost versus the quality... The video quality was ok, about what you get with a medium resolution avi file, but nowhere close to divx quality. Picture resolution at 640x480 was decent, but you'd definitely want better if you want quality pictures. Sound recording was good, but I could only playback on the unit. With SD cards you don't have to worry about memory. My main gripe about this gadget though is the absence of a zoom. I was using it one time when a friend asked me if it had a zoom feature. I told him "this is the zoom" and ran up closer to the subject. If Panasonic added a zoom feature I would definitely recommend it, but overall it doesn't excel in any area. You're probably better off picking up a megapixel digital camera that also takes video.

Ok, it may not take pictures/movies like professional digital cameras can, but it's still a good camera if you looking for something to do for fun. It's small enough to carry in your pocket, you can operate it on the fly when you need to, so its pretty reliable there. You have to mess around with the software a bit, and experiment with the camera a bit too but once you get the gist of how it works, you wont regret buying it. However, this camera is NOT worth paying full price for($200-$400). I bought a used one at Circuit City for only $125, I've had it for about a year and it still works great!

this is my first pocket pc that i purchased it to replace my handspring visor. the metal case is very sleek, matched with the color screen, it definitely is a head turner. the rechargeable battery is a nice feature, although the life span is rather short. the serial sync cable included works fairly well but a usb cable would have been better. the infared sync works well with my laptop, but it's much slower than the serial cable. one thing that does annoy me is the fact that you can not store the stylus on the pda itself (like on the palm or visor) rather it stores in the protect sleeve instead. if you get this device you will soon find that the built-in memory is not enough, so i highly recommend getting an additional compact flash memory card. i have used it as an mp3 player but since i store the music on the expansion cf card, reading from the cf slot drains the battery pretty quick. i have also done some light editing of word and excel documents while on the go which works out great.
i also have a cf analog modem and cf wireless card to access the internet, it's not very fast but gets the job done when i need to chek my email. color depth is not all that great, you cannot view pictures or video very well but that might be expecting too much.

For almost three years I had exclusively used a Jornada 820 (Windows CE handheld with built-in modem and keyboard) as a portable device. And while I still love to take the 820 along on trips, there was one drawback: It was always just a little too big and heavy for my purse. This is why I recently bought a Jornada 525 Pocket PC.

The main reason for deciding on a 525 was its price, but I was also pleasantly surprised by its great functionality and design. The device fits well into my hand and exudes a sense of quality - no thin plastic body but substantial metal with rubber coating on the sides for a better grip. It looks pretty cool.

Of course there are a few compromises compared to higher-priced Pocket PCs: The 525 does not come with a cover, although one is available separately; the stylus cannot be stored in the device itself, although there is a slot for it in the included protective glove. Also, this Jornada has only a 256 color display, and no USB interface, however, a serial cable is included for synchronization. Another thing that's missing is a docking station, but again this can be purchased as an accessory. The 525 has only 16 MB memory, and not the fastest processor (SH3, 133 Mhz).

But all these things do not bother me too much. I synchronize via infrared anyway (which you CAN do with this device), and I have already purchased a cover - the silver-colored one looks quite good with it! Sure, the 16 MB memory is not great, but luckily the 525 has a Compact Flash Card slot. With prices for these cards plummeting, I put in a 128 MB CF card and I'm loaded for bear.

If you are like me - and I would dare say like most of the Pocket PC users - you will probably use such a device mainly for storing contacts and appointments, for playing Solitaire or read an eBook while waiting at the doctor's office, or for listening to MP3 files when the wait gets REALLY long. Also for storing other information like credit card numbers, passwords and PINs, and for keeping track of projects, orders, etc. With the optional camera module, one can even take pictures and view them.

All these things work on the Jornada 525, and work well. I would urge anyone who is in the market for a Pocket PC to really think about what he/she wants to do with it, and not blindly go for ads that make you want to spend hundreds of dollars more for a little more speed, contrast, and built-in memory. The fact is that all these devices have a very short shelf life, and what is top-of-the-line today, will very likely be gone by this time next year. Unless you are one of those rare power users who really live and breathe this technology, I believe the Jornada 525 will more than meet your needs.

The reason I didn't give 5 stars is that in my experience its battery life is not the best - I've learned to never stray too far from an electrical outlet. But again: This also depends on what kind of applications you are running, and how many at the same time... Nothing to gripe too much about.

I`m from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I bought my Jornada 525 on november 2001 and I`m realy happy with this unit.
It is really elegant for business and it has the basic programs that a business man need.
Unnluckily, it was discontinious.