MP3 Reviews

This is a breakthrough product, to be sure. The supplied memory, a 340 megabyte, IBM drive alone goes for well over the selling price of this unit. The box is sleek, easy to use, has a pretty good software pkg (though there are better rippers on the freeware mkt) and offers a speaker (and a mic for recording) that will allow you to hear the music sans headphones (not gonna displace that boombox). So what's wrong? This is a more limited product than you might think. With the supplied drive, it requires being tethered to either your home PC (plug into USB) or to your car (plug into lighter socket), as its power needs go beyond what a couple of alkalines can give. It comes, however, with a nifty cassette adapter, so you can play it through your car stereo and have all your music on the road. If you want to play it without the cords, you have to buy an add-on CompactFlash card (Type I or II), which will run for several hours on the two AAs, but of course now the price has gone up and the capacity has gone down. My advice: If your MP3 needs are mostly automobile-bound, this will work fine. If not, look at other MP3 players, including the Nomad products.

The beautiful thing about this MP3 player is that it uses CompactFlash memory, AND supports the new IBM 1GB Microdrive! I have a Kodak digital camera that uses CompactFlash, so the i2Go is 100% compatible with the memory I use with my camera. There are many CompactFlash readers available for a decent price which make adding/removing files to the memory the FASTEST of all the MP3 players. If you don't have a reader, the USB connection on the i2Go is fast enough (as fast as any other player). It may not be able to play WMA files, but I could't care less. Because this unit IS NOT DEPENDENT on proprietary software (if you use the CF reader), you can load/unload MP3's on almost any operating system, including Linux.All you have to do is drag-and-drop the MP3's to the CF reader drive letter. The i2Go can take up to a 340MB CF card, or a 1GB Microdrive which is the best in its class. The i2Go isn't the smallest player, but it's smaller than a tape player and it's built really well. To top it all off, the player was the best price I could find.

Its very compact,it offers an exquisite sound. i cant think of any thing to say... its just great!! its definetly something you'll drool over to own!!!

good but can be alot better. I was hoping for a hole in the side so my headphones could work while my mini disk player was in the case. otherwhise this is the perfect case

I have a Lyra MP3 Player from RCA and this case fits perfectly... There's even room for some spare CompactFlash Memory cards. Great Value!!!

I have a Sony NW-MS9 Network Walkman player (great little thing) and this case works perfectly with it. Since my MP3 player is so small, I can fit plenty of batteries inside with it. I like this case very much because when I take my MP3 player out with me, I know that it is safe and it won't get scuffed or scratched. Some of my friends have this case and they have larger MP3 players than mine and theirs' fit in this case just fine. If you are looking for a quality case, I suggest you buy this one. Hope this was of help to you!

I am quite pleased with both the quality and workmanship on this product.

All the openings allow for simple access to the various controls and sockets without any difficulty. In fact they matched up almost perfectly. I would have preferred to see the gap a little wider for the scrolling wheel, as bigger fingers may have a minor problems with negotiating it otherwise.

The belt clip seems quite seviceable and should perform its function well. My preference would have been for it to be slightly wider so as to provide some more stability.

Overall the product looks good and is well worth the money for the protection it affords.

To this day, I still use my Nomad Jukebox 3 on a daily basis. I don't think I'd be saying that if I hadn't purchased this last year. Not only does it make it easier for me to carry the, now massive, Jukebox 3 around, it's also kept it in perfect shape. When I originally received it, it was a very tight fit, over time it's loosened a bit and made it easier to remove if needed. I only mention this because occasionally the holes for the rear ports get slightly covered by the case. Not a big deal but still worth mentioning. If you still have the Nomad Jukebox 3 or are just now getting one, I seriously recommend picking this up as well.

I think this item is a good price a CD and MP3 player is very good if you want to listen to a CD instead of downloading the music or just download from the internet its still a good deal

Previous happy owner of a Clie NR60 but had to upgrade when I dropped it and broke the screen. The NX73 has everything I liked about my previous machine and in addition is Faster, has better screen resolution, and the Upgraded Palm OS. The Decuma handwriting recognition is great. The more I use it the more I like the ablity to take notes in my writing. The camara is lame and not a reason to buy this machine. The option for using CF cards is great plus in flexibility and cost. If you like to type your notes into your PDA, then this machine is not for you. The touch of the keyboard gives barely enough feedback. The Tungsten C has much better keyboard feel if you feel this is important. Bottom Line, if you like the big screen of the CLIE clamshell models (which to me makes a big difference), this is definitely the machine to buy.

I came from using TRGpro & Handera 330. Difficult to find a new PalmOS machine with the high usability of extinguished models.
I bought this unit recently, and love it. The screen is sharp (screen protector is a must before any use) and colourful. The dual card option (memory stick & CF) is scarse in PalmOS PDAs. I am a pediatrician an use both 1GB CF & 512MB MSPro cards. If you need to store a lot of data for reference or database needs, then NX-73V or NX-80V is for you. The difference: 5MB more (real) RAM and 1.3MP camera for NX80V. But NX73V is comparable in use and has a beautiful black case.
JackFlash is a must to take use of 15MB aditional FlashROM memory available inside the NX73V, so you take many files off RAM (to cards or FlashROM) to make space available.
Hope Palm & others will offer dual card capability in the future for PalmOS, but it would be unlikely.

I gotta say, I bought this thing thinking that I would probably just use it to store numbers and play MP3's. I've owned the old Palm Pilot Original, the Palm V, and now this Clie. I must say that the Clie simply blows everything else out of the water. It's like a mini computer! I can view pictures, PDF's, XLS, DOC with the bundled software. The screen resolution is really awesome.

I've found myself taking it wherever I'm going (which is the point of a PDA!!!). This never happened before with my older PDA's because they were simply calendars and phonebooks... I enjoy having the camera on me at random times. Taking a little picture of my favorite dish at a restaurant or capturing a great picture of my dog at the park. Those are times you always wished you had brought your digicam but never had it on you!

The DECUMA input sucks... you need to write really neatly and separate e a c h l e t t e r so that it knows what you're talking about. I much prefer Graffiti 2. Graffiti 2 is soooo much cooler than Graffiti 1 that I have been using previously. BUT best of all, this thing has a QWERTY keyboard. I cannot stress how much nicer it is to use the QWERTY. I haven't used the stylus much at all. Most of my inputs are now a process of using my fingertip and then using the keyboard. It REALLY is much faster.

I also enjoy the fact that the thing doesn't have to boot up to get to the digicam or the voice recorder. One click of either button and the unit automatically snaps to the application you are requesting. I am enjoying taking oral notes with the voice record feature when I'm on the go and don't have time to type.

Overall, I'd suggest that you also check out the NX80 due to the better camera. I think I'll buy an NX80 eventually, but right now, for the price, the 73V does exactly what I need without costing TOO much.

I've owned way too many PDAs, and have come to several conclusions:

1 Palm OS excells,
2. HP iPaqs are a disaster,and
3. SONY exceeded my expectations.

Unless you need Wi-Fi, it's not worth it.

This is by far the most feature filled unit that is on the market. It's size and features will address just about any need you may have.

Keyboard is comfortable, and bundled software is great to show off the features. You'll be hard pressed to get over the novelty of this wonderful machine. You won't be sorry.

I have had several PDAs, and this is by far the best. I got it mainly for the built-in keyboard and high-res screen, but it is the total package. I sold my Dell Axim which was quite good to get the UX40 and I don't miss it at all.

Pros:
- Super compact
- Loaded with features
- Bluetooth built-in
- Great screen
- Keyboard is very convenient
- Multimedia
- Fast
- Super cool and well made

Cons:
- Battery life not great, but OK
- Kind of pricey
- Camera good only for low res pics

- Landscape screen only (not a big deal to me)

Buy it - you know you want it.

Size, WiFi and Bluetooth, video playback, design. This unit is amazing. It arrived monday (one week early) and exceeded expectations. It is smaller than I expected. Set-up was simple...within minutes of taking it out of the box I was surfing the web via Bluetooth. The screen looks great, though a bit too small. Web browsing is very cool, but you dont want to spend alot of time online as the screen is very small. Email app works great. MP3 player is stereo which is awesome. You can listen to MP3's while browsing the web and transfering MP3s to a memory stick is a breeze. I transfered over 50 MP3s in a few minutes to a 256MB Pro stick. The design is great, looks very sexy as is very small. Smaller than most PDA's on the market. The onboard camera is descent, but should have been better. In movie mode it records 15fps not 30fps. The video player though, plays back awesome 30fps MP4 video....looks GREAT!!! This is one of the UX40's best features.

it looks color (blue), and you can view pic, and listen to MP3! very convenient!

Great investment. The MP3 is great and the screen resolution is amazing.

I have recently received one of these as a gift, and the little machine was unbelievable. It's easy to use and a great entry level machine that will also keep experts in electronics busy. The best feature has to be the software game bejeweled!!!

This thing is fast and works well however for my next reader I will be getting one that does both Compact Flash and Smartmedia. Most cameras nowadays are Compact Flash so that limits the usability of this device unless all you're going to be using it for is Smartmedia.

I like this adapter! It works as advertised and the pcmcia card is better to carry around than the cable. The reason for only 4 stars: I asked a question via their website (warranty activation). The automated response promises contact within 24 hours, but havent heard from them in for 3 days. I will try again.

I have had this reader for 8 months. I have not had any problems with it at all. Good buy for a smart media reader.

Note first that this is the only mp3 player I've ever owned (though I have used hard-drive-based players from Archos and Creative for recording sociological research interviews, and have played mp3 songs on them). Anyway, I was given this Classic player a year and a half ago by a homeless guy I knew when I lived in Cleveland. He found it somewhere, and it was missing the battery cover. But I've used it since then, and it has continued to work despite having no battery cover and being dropped a number of times on granite while on backpacking trips. I'm comfortable navigating with it. No LCD display, so you've got to remember the order of albums (in folders) on the mp3 disc, but that's not too much of an issue. The sound isn't perhaps the best, but it's your basic 1-bit digital to analog, with a little noise shaping. I'm enough of an audiophile to be buying a new player now, but I've been pleased with this one. And it's still going... I'm giving it to my brother.

I got this product about a year ago at the day after Thanksgiving day special. I have used it well and I belive it to be worthwhile. The main cons to the deivice I found was that after 9 months the random button (for all albums) for MP3 [quit].The player works well for MP3s on CD-Rs but not CD-RWs. That and the random button with occasional glitches on the forward button have me looking for a new player. The player works great for students who ride busses and are board easy. It was cost effective for a poor student and it work for me. I haven't used with anything but rechargable batteries and they work well. I haven't had the batteries [quit] on me while using them yet.

I used this thing for several months and I loved it, now I've got a until with backscreen light.
This thing plays everything, even CD-RW; an advice tho', when using a CD-RW don't burn the songs directy, use a software like Nero or Real Player. Also, try to reburn all your mp3's in the CD-RW from time to time or even format the CD. Otherwise the unit may not recognize all the new tracks; that also happens with more expensive units. I find it a very reliable CD/MP3 player; however, the sound is not perfect. There is a constant buzz that is even more annoying when a song is paused. But for [money amount], I do recommend it. I got it for almost two years now, and it still works.

I've been waiting for an affordable MP3 player with at least 128mb of RAM, and when I discovered the Lexar I jumped on it. I've been playing with it for several days now, and the experience has been entirely positive!

As a Mac user, I've seen a lot of players that needed Windows software or drivers. Not the Lexar - it needs no drivers or special software. You just plug in to a USB port, then drag music files in and out. Simple!

I wasn't too sure about the single "joystick" control, but have since come to the conclusion that it's an elegant way of handling things. With that single control, you can easily and intuitively move between different songs, play modes, EQ settings and more.

The sound quality is absolutely great, though the ear buds were useless for me (a side note: was I sick from school the day they taught people how to jam ear buds into your ears? I can't make them stay in!) which is the only reason I've given the product 4 stars instead of 5. I've substituted the very inexpensive & lightweight SONY MDR-WO8 headphones, and it's a great combination.

A side note: I've got tinnitus (a condition in which you have constant ringing/whistling in the ears), and frequently need to have "white noise" to mask the unpleasant sounds. I've put several sound effects tracks on this player - white noise, rainstorm, babbling brook - and can use the player anytime and anywhere I need. Dedicated in-the-ear systems for tinnitus sufferers run hundreds of dollars, so the Lexar is a bargain (plus, there's still room for plenty of my favorite music!). Highly recommended.

I've been happy with my Lexar Media Jumpdrive. As a USB flash drive that will store any files you drop on it, as well as play about 2 hours of audio in MP3 and WMA format.

Transfering music is as easy as plugging it in. It is automatically picked up by the operating system as a removable drive - no drivers, no CD, works on Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, you name it.

The case is durable and fits in my hand well, but could be a bit more substancial. Navigation is fairly intuitive with one joystick that controls all functions.

Sound quality is great... I can't complain about the earbud headphones that it comes with. The backlit screen is easy on the eyes and battery life is pretty decent off of 1 AAA battery (included).

Room for improvement: I'd love a belt clip... the lanyard doesn't do much for me when working out.

This is an excellent mp3 player and jump drive. With plenty of features to boot, a VERY easy to use interface and no setup or software installation ready to go, just hook it up and it's ready!

Pros:
-Ease of use, no installation of software
-Great volume varience
-One button control works quite well
-Even though it is USB 1.1, files trasfer very fast, at about 3 seconds for a 4 mb song.
-Good sound quality
-Back-lit display can be seen perfectly in the dark
-Scrolling text display, songs can be played in random order, displays battery life, and more!

Cons:
-Doesn't seem like the sturdiest thing in the world; I wouldn't drop it
-Slightly bulky, but it will still fit easily in your pocket

Conclusion: A great product! You perhaps could get more than 128mb for the price, but this unit seems to be on sale quite often. 128mb seems to be the threshold for a good mp3 player, as I have this baby filled with about 29 songs.

I would rank its 3 functions in this order: camera, MP3 player, video recorder. Details on each follow:

Camera: As a 2 Megapixel camera, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pictures. This won't replace a dedicated camera, but as a device you can always have with you, it does a good job. Its primrary limitations are the very short range of the flash (making group photos tougher than you would like) and the lack of zoom (it's a fixed-focal length lens set at a pretty wide angle).

MP3 Player: First the bad news - you have to use the supplied software to upload music to be played. The Jukebox software "locks" your music in an attempt to add some sort of digital rights management. Which means if you already have a large library of encoded music, you still have a slow import process to go through before you can put music on the device. Painful and unnecessary. However, the quality of the playback is good. I wish the cord on the headphones was longer. If you put a large SD card in this, you can have a 512mb MP3 player that is also a decent camera for not much more than a 256mb dedicated MP3 player.

Video recorder: This is pretty nominal. Resolution is fixed at 320x240 with a fixed (no zoom) wide angle lens. And you cannot move very quickly or the image immediately blurs. So it's OK as a quick use item and marginally better than the short video functions on most digital cameras. But don't buy this for its video ability.

Overall pros and cons....

Pros: Great form factor and design. Like the iPod, this is a device you just have to hold in your hands to enjoy fully. It is a pleasure and a delight (it is also smaller than the iPod!). It is really impossible to convey how petite, yet right-sized it is without seeing it in person. Camera is better than you expect and MP3 playback is decent.

Cons: At less then $200, this would be a deal. At current prices, it is slightly steep. Since they only throw in an 8 Mb SD card, count on getting a 128/256 Mb card yourself for photos/music (another $60-120). Or even 512 Mb if you want to do video capture. But be aware that the video mode is pretty nominal. The lack of any optical zoom hurts as well.

Overall, I would recommend to those lookng for a small, all-in-one device. Particularly if you already have invested in SD cards for other devices. Shop around and aim for as close to $250 as possible.

I got this camera about 6 weeks ago. I have heard that the best camera is the one you have with you when you need it. So that would make this a good camera. I take it with me everywhere because it is so small and fits in my pocket. It is no more inconvenient to carry than a cell phone.

A couple problems I have with it are that the lens rotates so you can take a pic of yourself....but the flash does not rotate with the lens. So if you are in a poorly lit area and want to take a pic of yourself, all the benefits of having a rotating lens are lost. This is only a minor problem to me, but I think it is poor design.

The second problem is that the SD card it comes with is small...very small. 8mb. Is that some kind of joke? Most digital cameras come with small memory cards, but they are promoting this thing as a multi function device: camera, camcorder, mp3 player. My Panasonic mp3 player came with a 64mb card, why does this come with only 8mb? It is supposed to be an mp3 player too. They might as well have not included any memory with this camera. I was lucky that I bought it while Panasonic was having a promotion and they sent me a free 128mb card. Which only took about 1 week to arrive, not 6-8 like they said.

I only use the camera function, so I cannot comment on the other functions, but overall I am happy with it. However I would not want this to be my only camera. When I go on a trip or someplace where I know I will be taking a lot of pics I will bring a different camera, as this camera is only 2mp and does not have an optical zoom. If you want a small camera you can carry with you at all times then this one is good. If small size is not the most important thing to you, then you should look at something else.

Picture quality is just OK for email or memo.
It is not good for print out.
But I always can carry and easily take a photo as memo.

Music player function is very good.