Digital-Audio Reviews

The B&W viewfinder is better than color for manual focus and contrast. Having both in the package is a plus and not a negative.

The Sony DCR TRV310 works _very_ well as a Windows XP camcorder. Windows XP Professional include Windows Movie Maker. This el-cheapo free-bee isn't adequate. In 2002, Microsoft released a free upgrade: Windows Movie Maker 2. Version 2 ROCKS. With a whole host of new camera effects, a zoo of fades, excellent title and credit control, and very controllable multiple audio tracks, it's possible to do quite a bit of movie editing, without paying a dime more for software. Version 2 even allows you to re-record your finished video back onto the camera!

I bought my Sony DCR TRV310 used (partly broken). Since the input/output connections don't work properly, I just plug my TRV310 into the FireWire port, and use Windows Movie Maker 2's capture mode to control the camcorder -- right on the computer screen!

I sent somebody some video I had shot, stored as a .WMV file on a CD-R. He sent me back a note thanking me for the DVD!!!

This model is aging, and its cost is going down. Since it does everything you'll want, including playing back 8-mm and Hi8 tapes directly into Windows XP in digital format, it's still an excellent buy -- and an even better value than ever!

Windows Movie Maker 2's minimum computer requirements are, CPU 1,500 Mhz (1.5 GHz), 512 K RAM, lots of disk space (20 GB+), and a FireWire port. Since Windows Movie Maker 2 uses Microsoft-specific storage formats, you may want to spend a few $$$ to purchase third-party video editing software, which will record to more formats, or give you DVD authoring capability.

Suggested equipment upgrades for the TRV310: External clip-on microphone for better forward gain & extended bass sound; 8-hr InfoLithium battery HIGHLY recommended.

I bought this camcorder for two reasons:

1) Exceptional imageand sound quality 2) Ability to digitally edit videos on my PC

Thevideo quality is superb, with excellent auto-exposure capabilities. The 20x optical zoom is great -- I leave the digital zoom switched off. Good fades are complimented by some neat SFX modes -- image trails, sepia effect, slow "shutter speed" and (limited) image keying. The standard battery doesn't last much longer than an hour, so you should factor in the cost of an extended battery into your budget.

If size is the most important thing, then you should look at DV format cameras. I found them to be too small -- the Sony camera size and weight make it easy to handle while not being a burden. Hi8 tapes are also much cheaper than DV tapes.

For editing, there are several fully digital capture cards available for PCs and all support this camera You can edit and review video on your PC (in real time on some cards) and render back to the camera for final recording on tape. All without any analog<->digital conversion and therefore without any loss in quality.

If quality is important, or you have any aspirations to editing your videos rather than just taping the kids, vacations and weddings, then this is the camera for you.

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. :)

After further review I would have to give the Nomad II C a low grade. My son and I each purchased one and initially they were very good products. Unfortunately, the software was not reliable, and the product support less than helpful. We upgraded our system using microsoft XP, which is not compatible with the NOMAD II C,,so in order to download new music, we have to rely on another computer system that uses windows 2000 or 98. The size, weight,and sound is good, but it does have its limitations due to the software issues.

I got this little thing nine months ago, and it just now occurs to me to write a review for it.
First, notice: Yes. I like it. I liked it nine months ago, and I still like it now. But there are some things I don't like about it.
What I like:
1.) It's small. It fits along with the rest of mess in my backpack. It's only about 2x3.5x0.75 inches, right?
2.) WMA support. On a pair of headphones, you lose some of the quality you would on a GOOD set of 2/4/5/6.1 speakers anyway, so dropping to 64Kbps with WMA really helps a lot, with only 64MB plus a card.
3.) It's not CD-based. I never much liked those big things.
4.) WMP8/9 support. I don't like those programs, but they get really useful when I want to put an MP3 on my player when I want it in as a WMA. (Which is about ALWAYS.)
What I don't:
1.) Short battery life. Ok, it's got probably a good 10 hours. But when you listen to a LOT of music, it blows out pretty fast. Also, you're already down to about 2 hours left when the meter shows 2/3 power.
2.) No playlist suppport. Admittedly, with such limited space as 192MB or less it doesn't matter as much as on a PC, but it'd still be VERY nice to be able to separate MP3/WMA files by artist or anime or DDR MIX.
3.) The battery/card cover. It falls off all too easily. (Even though the rest of the player is REALLY durable.) Plus, when it is off, the clips that hold the cover in place break off as if they were paper.
4.) No defragging. It's, honestly, to be expected, but I'd like to keep my lists properly intact such that I can add a song without getting it put right smack in the middle.

I bought this player at the end of august 03.
I had been looking for a mp3 player for a while
because I am tearing my hair out on my long train
rides to college. After reading about 100 reviews
on about 10 different websites. i decided to buy it.
the price is well worth it. another bonus is that
it fits the same smart media card as my digital camera.
ok, the ups are thats it fairly light, and small, and
you can listen for hours on 1 battery. the sound quality
is excellent and the volume doesen't distort the higher
you put it. it's got a few other cool extra, voice, time,
5 preset sound settings and a custom one. the downs are
you can't continue listening to the music when going
through the othere extras on the menu. the software
is mediocore, i get a few error messages sometimes, but
then you just try again and it's fine.
overall, i am really happy with product.
and recommend it to anyone who appreciates
value for their money...

I bought this product a year and a half ago and so far have had to cash in on the warranty 3 times to get a replacement player. This was not after hard use- more like taking it to the gym 3 or 4 times. This product is a lemon- no wonder Intel is getting out of the business!

I shopped around for an MP3 Playe rfor awhile, and this one seemed the best bet for the money- as far as the car hook-up and stereo hook-up, among other things. It's worked great for me so far, with the only feature I don't like at all is being able to manipulate the songs once they're on the player. You can't change the track order, or move songs from the player to a computer. The Intel program basically sucks, but MusicMatch is okay as long as you know how to use the software. And that stupid blinking light on the charger... Anyway- a handy product overall. The interface is easy to use, and it's nice and tiny, but very strong. I've enjoyed it a whole lot.

I was initially quite skeptical of getting a portable MP3 player, as I already had a portable MiniDisc player, but the Pocket Concert put my fears to rest. The two main reasons I think this player is great are the memory and the amplifier. First, the 128 megs of onboard memory holds a good 2 hours of music at a really nice bitrate. This proved to be perfect for me, as I use it mostly while walking or going to the gym, which is usually an hour and a half activity. 2 hours is the perfect amount of storage time. Second, whatever little amplifier they used in the Pocket Concert, it's *great*. The sound is totally clear, and you can really crank it up with a decent pair of headphones and it comes out loud and clear, the sound doesn't go flat at all. There's very little background noise as well, it comes through very clean. The unit is well constructed, quite small, and I also like the docking station that comes with the Accessory kit (i've got it hooked into my living room stereo so I use the USB cable for the computer). All in all, this is an excellent player, and in my opinion well worth the money. I never looked twice at any other player, and i'm completely satisfied with this one.

Granted, I didn't want to spend too much on one of these. I guess I kind of got what I paid for. There is a splotch on the screen that showed up just two months after receiving it. ViewSonic totally ignored me. The battery stinks. The screen freezes so I have to reset the dumb thing. I bought this back in July of 03. I hate it.

I don't know if I could be considered a power user. But this pocket pc more than meets all of my needs. I've got a pretty big collection of contacts and my schedule is updated daily. I've used the pocket versions of excel and word and the note maker. No errors, no conflicts with my desktop. Its pretty smooth. I haven't taken full advantage of the Avant Go SW but from what I've used its pretty cool. To sum it up the main advantages I've noticed from this machine are:

1. Good display. Colors are crisp and you can make it as bright as you want. Mind the bat life though.

2. Easy to use. Its windows. I haven't had to reference the book or help sw more than a couple of times. Its very implicit and comes naturally.

3. Good speed. Turns on fast and programs load quick.

4. Easy as cake to sync. I've had issues syncing palms to desktops bfr. This required very little thought.

The complaints I have so far:

1. The batery has to be watched. Using it for a few hours at a time is taxing.

2. Its all plastic. I assumed the front was metal. Not a big deal really. I should have read the description closer. If anyone is assuming the same thing I thought you'd like to know.

Really, this is a good little machine for the money. I'm not sure you get as much from the palm m515. Prices change so I don't know what the cost val comparison would be but if you use your palm/poc pc to keep track of names, dates, notes, etc.. then this thing more than meets your needs and its slick too. I get a lot of inquiries. ViewSonic didn't skimp on the design or the quality control. A great entry level choice if this will be your first 'handheld'/palm.

I switched from a Palm V. What a difference! No eyestrain anymore. The screen is bright, the colors help with reading calendars, contact information and e-mail. With an add-in 256 MB SD card there is plenty of storage for music and documents. It fits nicely into a shirt pocket, even with the semi-hard case, and is light enough not to notice. It has been running very stably and so far seems surprisingly sturdy. I suspect that the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h1910 is similar but the specs show a lot shorter battery life. The Toshiba e310/e335 is also similar but a bit larger and the screen did not look as bright. The Dell Axim X5 is heavier and larger but can accomodate a CF type II card in addition to an SD card. Regardless of your choice, I suggest getting one of several utilities that are available to keep track of memory and battery charge on the Today page.

The LCD cracked while in my pocket with no drop or hit!
Sent the unit to HP and after bouncing around their customer service, I was charged $190 for the repair. Browsing the internet (unsuccessfully trying to find a cheaper repair option) I found several similar complains. It seems like the IPAQ4155 has a serious quality problem that costs 50% of the value of a new unit to fix. I am selling my unit as soon as it comes back from repair and will never by an IPAQ anymore!

I have very few complaints with my iPAQ. I've had it for about a month now, and using it in conjunction w/ my Bluetooth enabled Sony Ericsson T610 has been pretty sweet.

Like others have said, the battery life is nothing great. A little more memory would be nice as well. But the battery life and memory isn't sub-par; it's current with the market right now.

Another thing is the FileStore. Prior to this, I had the 1945, which has the same dimensions (.01cm smaller?) and similar feature set (minus Wi-Fi). The FileStore (an area of memory that isn't erased when if you must hard reset) is only 3mb on the 4155, compared to 13mb on my 1945.

I love the fact that it fits in my scrub pocket, and obviously the wi-fi is great. I have gone into Starbucks and connected so effortlessly that my email was synced before I placed my order.

If you get this (which if you want to have the ability to use WiFi, Bluetooth all in a PPC you should get this one) I would suggest getting one or two SD cards. I currently have a 256mb card, and sometimes it even feels too small.

One last thing: missing the CF card slot doesn't seem that important when you have the SDIO ability. I'm hoping to see more peripherals built using this standard in the next year.

I had been always curious about the Pocket PC OS and its usefulness and practicality on the PDA environment. I am now a believer and definitely prefer it over the Palm OS due to its ease of use, compatibility and similarity to the Windows PC environment. This also results in a faster learning curve.

Integrated wireless:
This was the selling factor, and it did not dissapoint me. I got it to work at home and at the office, where I connect to different wireless access points. The iPAQ allows you to create individual profiles for every connection, so there is no need to manually configure every time you switch networks.

Bluetooth:
This technology is becoming more common around airports, offices, malls and other places, although probably you'll need to incur in a connection fee. I have not tested this feature yet although my iPAQ recently came across and recognized a Bluetooth network on one of the airports I travelled to.

Synchronization:
The iPAQ supports Outlook (preferably 2002) for Calendar, e-mail, notes, file and task synching. The Active Synch software is included and required on your host PC in order to start synchronizing with your PDA. A maximum o 2 PCs (partnerships) can be established for synching. Methods of synchronization include IR(Infrared), USB(using the included cradle), WLAN (yes, you can synch wireless) or serial.
Word and Excel documents are automatically converted into Pocket PC format when they are synchronized with the iPAQ. The original document needs to be copied into the Pocket PC folder (Pocket_PC My Documents) on your host PC before performing the synch.

Internet:
In order to connect to the Internet, you are required to be connected to a network, be it WLAN or Bluetooth. There are a few interesting web links included with your iPAQ and you can add your own favorites as well. Navigations is similar to Internet Explorer although you are required to scroll up/down and left/right continously on web sites that are not mobile-friendly.

E-mails:
E-mail accounts on the iPAQ are setup in an almost exact manner as Outlook on a normal PC. By default, and in order to conserve memory, e-mail attachments are not downloaded, there's also a default limit of e-mails you can carry at a time. E-mails can be downloaded while connected to the Internet or synched using the methods mentioned previously.

What about games? Two games are included: Guess what? Solitaire is one of them! The other one is Jawbreaker, a very simple but extremely entertaining game. There are many web sites with additional programs that can be downloaded for your iPAQ.

Programs and utilities included:
MSN Messenger, Windows Media Player, Pocket Excel and Word, Pocket MSN, Microsoft Reader, Calculator, Terminal Services Client among others.

Security:
Password security is optional; there are two security options, a simple 4-digit number and a more complex alphanumeric password option. Wireless connection security is obtained using 64 or 128 bit WEP encryption. Obviously your PDA is as secure as the network it is connecting to. Setting up 128 bit encryption on your iPAQ won't work if your wireless access point is unsecured.

Time settings: Up to two different time zones are available at the same time.

Display:
Very clear display, sharp, easy to read text, adjustable text size and fonts in some programs.

Battery:
The iPAQ possesses a respectable battery duration. It obviously varies according to your battery saving settings. Reducing the default screen brightness helps as well as turning off the wireless access or lowering the sound volume.

Settings:
You can monitor memory usage and power consumption, remove programs, adjust backlight settings, align the screen, sharpen the text, etc.

Other features:
Voice recording: There's a button on the upper left corner of the iPAQ to start recording short messages or reminders, very handy.
MP3 audio: MP3 files can be downloaded and played on your PDA using Windows Media Player. A headphone jack is also available for your private listening pleasure. Memory is limited though, is not like you can have a CD full of music on your iPAQ, don't confuse it with an MP3 player.
Letter Recognizer - A very cool option where the iPAQ attempts to recognize your handwriting and converts it into readable text.
Block recognizer - It's similar to the Palm's graffiti recognition
Transcriber - It recognizes words written in cursive
Notes can also be quickly handwritten as if using the iPAQ as a paper Notepad.
Images can also be viewed using your iPAQ, and as with the MP3 files, you should consider the memory limitations.

Memory:
Additional memory can be obtained with Secured Digital (SD) memory cards. These come on 128, 256 and 512MB sizes at reasonable prices.

The HP iPAQ 4155 is a complete, full-featured piece of equipment, well worth its price.

I purchased the RipFlash MP3 play to work out to and not for the digital voice recording features. This is my first MP3 player so I have no point of reference compared to other MP3 players. Given that, here are my experiences so far.

Pros:

- very good sound - especially with the equalizer
- fast transfer rate from my PC - 30 songs in less than 5 min
- very lightweight

Cons:

- no software for ripping CDs. I had to buy some but found a good one called MP3 Workshop...

- can only read MP3 format. Would have been nice if it could read WMA format. Then I could have used the Windows Media Player to rip the CDs.
- earplug earphone sounds good but had trouble keeping them in my ears.

Things you should know:

- If you do want to add a SmartMedia card, the songs on the card will be played separately from the ones in the built-in Flash memory. (this may be important if you want to play randomly)
- The display is small and somewhat hard to read, but did not bother me.
- I haven't tried to Rip CDs with the line-in but I think it is a useful feature.
- Would have been nice to have a belt clip for working out.

Overall, very good player. As I said, I like it very much, but it does have a few minor flaws. I can live with them for working out and would buy it again.

I bought this mostly to record lectures digitaly for pesonal use and public distribution. The sound quality is excellent, even recording at 32 kbs in a conference room, it sounds like a sound studio. At this recording rate an hour takes about 14M, or 50 hours worth on a 700M CD.The size is great, the fact that it records directly to mp3 format is very convenient, and it is easy to convert old tapes to mp3. It also runs fine on rechargeable batteries. I would give it five stars if it included two things, a bookmark feature (if you leave off in the middle of a one hour lecture you have to remember where you left off and then fast foreward to get back) and if it included some kind of mp3 editing software. But if you are in the business of distributing lectures this is an excellent product.

After having done a month search, i think it will be fair to add one more star to it!

Original I wanted to buy a good music player for my husband, in addition to it, I could record lecture three times a week. RipFlash's metal look makes it a winner. The review mentions about the wrist band, but mine did not come with one. I had Archos Jukebox Recorder 10 and RipFlash 128mb Digital Recorder.

Software Problems:

RipFlash's software is very basic. Installation was easy. I could drag songs directly from the MP3 manager software when it was first installed. But on the next day, this function was not working. Furthermore, when I disconnected the USB from the computer, the devise still has the 'pc usb' signal on. Meaning? i have no way to play it until and unless i take out the battaries and reinsert it. It happens very often.

Neither Archos Jukebox Recorder nor Ripflash software is a good file organizer. The Archos Jukebox has one more problem than the Ripflash. When i closed the MusicBox software and disconnected the protable device, an error message saying improper disconnection will cause pc hardware problems..... I guess no one would expect to see such a message after having done everything in great care. In fact, it crashed my computer more than twice. I had to reboot my computer. I gave up, and returned it

As the RipFlash player does not display title, i have to guess what is coming next. I bought a SM card for extra memory, the eject 'button' is difficult to use. It seems i have to push the card out myself.

Voice recording

I have to admit that the voice recording function is very easy to use and very sensitive, compare to my Archos Jukebox Recorder. Unlike the Archos Jukebox, the Ripflash allocates a new file for voice recording automatically. The Archos one asks for a new name everytime. Otherwise it will either replace your existing 'new song' file or refuse to record. I missed almost 10 minutes lecture because of setting up the Archos. And the battaries ran out within an hour. I was caught in the middle for recording exam tips! Definetly I will not recommend the Archos Jukebox Recorder for reporters or students alike. As a matter of fact, the RipFlash recorder is a very eligant and handy devise for recorders or students.

Final conclusion: there is no prefect mp3 player!
With almost 90 bucks more, why should i buy Archose Jukebox Recorder10 instead of Archose Jukebox 10 or other Jukebox? I am still considing whether to keep RipFlash because of the unreliable software.

A month later, i had returned the ripflash and the Archose. I did a lot of research, it seems no mp3 can fit in my need. Hey i have to trade off. Pal, if you are looking for something to convert your old plastic disks into good digital songs, the Ripflash series seem to be the solution. PoGo has some improved products. check out its website.

I purchased the RipFlash MP3 play to work out to and not for the digital voice recording features. This is my first MP3 player so I have no point of reference compared to other MP3 players. Given that, here are my experiences so far.

Pros:

- very good sound - especially with the equalizer
- fast transfer rate from my PC - 30 songs in less than 5 min
- very lightweight

Cons:

- no software for ripping CDs. I had to buy some but found a good one called MP3 Workshop...

- can only read MP3 format. Would have been nice if it could read WMA format. Then I could have used the Windows Media Player to rip the CDs.
- earplug earphone sounds good but had trouble keeping them in my ears.

Things you should know:

- If you do want to add a SmartMedia card, the songs on the card will be played separately from the ones in the built-in Flash memory. (this may be important if you want to play randomly)
- The display is small and somewhat hard to read, but did not bother me.
- I haven't tried to Rip CDs with the line-in but I think it is a useful feature.
- Would have been nice to have a belt clip for working out.

Overall, very good player. As I said, I like it very much, but it does have a few minor flaws. I can live with them for working out and would buy it again.

I bought this mostly to record lectures digitaly for pesonal use and public distribution. The sound quality is excellent, even recording at 32 kbs in a conference room, it sounds like a sound studio. At this recording rate an hour takes about 14M, or 50 hours worth on a 700M CD.The size is great, the fact that it records directly to mp3 format is very convenient, and it is easy to convert old tapes to mp3. It also runs fine on rechargeable batteries. I would give it five stars if it included two things, a bookmark feature (if you leave off in the middle of a one hour lecture you have to remember where you left off and then fast foreward to get back) and if it included some kind of mp3 editing software. But if you are in the business of distributing lectures this is an excellent product.

After having done a month search, i think it will be fair to add one more star to it!

Original I wanted to buy a good music player for my husband, in addition to it, I could record lecture three times a week. RipFlash's metal look makes it a winner. The review mentions about the wrist band, but mine did not come with one. I had Archos Jukebox Recorder 10 and RipFlash 128mb Digital Recorder.

Software Problems:

RipFlash's software is very basic. Installation was easy. I could drag songs directly from the MP3 manager software when it was first installed. But on the next day, this function was not working. Furthermore, when I disconnected the USB from the computer, the devise still has the 'pc usb' signal on. Meaning? i have no way to play it until and unless i take out the battaries and reinsert it. It happens very often.

Neither Archos Jukebox Recorder nor Ripflash software is a good file organizer. The Archos Jukebox has one more problem than the Ripflash. When i closed the MusicBox software and disconnected the protable device, an error message saying improper disconnection will cause pc hardware problems..... I guess no one would expect to see such a message after having done everything in great care. In fact, it crashed my computer more than twice. I had to reboot my computer. I gave up, and returned it

As the RipFlash player does not display title, i have to guess what is coming next. I bought a SM card for extra memory, the eject 'button' is difficult to use. It seems i have to push the card out myself.

Voice recording

I have to admit that the voice recording function is very easy to use and very sensitive, compare to my Archos Jukebox Recorder. Unlike the Archos Jukebox, the Ripflash allocates a new file for voice recording automatically. The Archos one asks for a new name everytime. Otherwise it will either replace your existing 'new song' file or refuse to record. I missed almost 10 minutes lecture because of setting up the Archos. And the battaries ran out within an hour. I was caught in the middle for recording exam tips! Definetly I will not recommend the Archos Jukebox Recorder for reporters or students alike. As a matter of fact, the RipFlash recorder is a very eligant and handy devise for recorders or students.

Final conclusion: there is no prefect mp3 player!
With almost 90 bucks more, why should i buy Archose Jukebox Recorder10 instead of Archose Jukebox 10 or other Jukebox? I am still considing whether to keep RipFlash because of the unreliable software.

A month later, i had returned the ripflash and the Archose. I did a lot of research, it seems no mp3 can fit in my need. Hey i have to trade off. Pal, if you are looking for something to convert your old plastic disks into good digital songs, the Ripflash series seem to be the solution. PoGo has some improved products. check out its website.

Mine died (hard drive) in less than 6 months but the warranty only lasted 90 days. Customer Service was utterly unsatisfactory. Their solution was to send it in for repair, price $190 and wait (likely) 4-6 weeks. When asked for some kind of assurance that the new drive would not fail...something like a 1 yr warranty that they currently offer on the newer designs, I got nothing more than "these things tend to fail early."
The controls are an ergonmic nightmare and the software is weak at best.
Keep shoppng, this one is a disappointment.

This is my first mp3 player purchase. I had toyed around with an iPod at an electronics store and was almost sold on it. It was just so cool. But after thinking things over I decided it wasn't worth the price. So I started looking into the Zen. I was close to buying it when the Zen NX was announced, so I held out for it. I am sure glad I did! I was able to buy it for less than $300, but even for that it's an incredible deal. 30GB, incredible sound (according to professional reviewers it has the best sound of any mp3 player, including the iPod), well-designed navigation, and cool EAX features. Unlike some people, I didn't have any problem at all with the software it comes with. However, I had ripped all my software beforehand with other programs, so my ID3 tags and everything were all set. I only used Creative's program to upload them to my Zen. My only complaint with the player is the scroll wheel is a little hard to click. While the screen is small, it's sharp and easy to read and navigate. In short, this is the best bang for the buck. It's a good, convenient size, feels solid, comes with plenty of space for mp3s, sounds awesome, and is relatively stylish as well! Highly recommended for buyers unwilling to waste extra money on style (iPod).

This is truly an excellent player and a great value for money. The player is very pleasant to look at and seems much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than the USB 2 version. The flip-type case coming with the player is very smart looking- it does have a flaw in that with the case fully closed, one cannot see the LCD screen. I feel that creative should have thought about this and made a slot for the LCD to peer through. The sound quality is EXCELLENT. However, you would need to get new headphones. The ones coming with the player dont do it justice. The player has the same EAX options as the USB 2. One of the biggest improvements is the software. The creative mediasource was a joy to use. The software was able to recognize the ID tags automatically and list each track by its respective title, artist, album, genre etc... This was a major flaw in the playcenter software. The transfer from the PC to zen was flawless. I was really happy with this pleasant improvement. The battery life is amazing too. I am getting around 12-13 hours with one charge. And of course the battery is user replaceable- a huge bonus. Eventually plan to get another battery for those long trips where u cannot charge. However 12 hours should more than suffice for a trip or your daily needs. All in all i think its a great buy and i am nothing short of very happy with the purchase...

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.