MP3 Reviews

These admittedly dinky-looking headphones give surprisingly good sound. Bass is full and the rest of the frequency spectrum is nothing to sneeze at. Since statistically speaking you are like most people, you'll be plugging these into either an MP3 player full of badly-ripped, low-bitrate compressed audio tracks or else a crummy portable CD player with an extremely noisy potentiometer for a volume control. Buying better than these perfectly respectable headphones would be a waste of money.

The Sportapros fold up too, which makes them great for a coat pocket. Also, the headband can fold in such a way that the headphones look like "street-style" headphones that are oh-so-popular these days. This makes them clamp on your head a bit more, but it can't possibly be any less comfortable than any other headphones in such a configuration. I think it looks stupid that way, but hey, if that's your cup of tea so be it.

As for noise isolation, these don't offer much. If you really don't want to hear the subway along with your gangsta rap, you should be looking at a pair of noise-cancelling phones or better yet in-ear headphones such as those made by Etymotics. (The latter are a few times the price of the Sportapros on the bottom end, mind you.)

It even comes with a fake leather bag that I keep laundry money in. (Keeping a set of headphones this inexpensive in such a bag is just screaming "I have OCD!") Bottom line, this is the best pair of portable headphones you can buy for the price. They don't sound worse than the low-end Sennheisers in this price range, for example, and they are quite a bit smaller.

OK people, yes these are not the best looking headphones, but come on, get over it! Buy your headphones for the S-O-U-N-D. Let's get past the whole fashion statement thing-it's about music. Koss Sportapro's deliver in SPADES. These suckers have great bass response-very clear, crisp, and pounding in the low range. The mid's and high's sound really good as well. YOU CAN'T BEAT THESE HEADPHONES FOR THE PRICE. If you want better sound you have to go to at least [the more expensive] models, I know, I've owned many different headphones (including the predecessor of the Sportapro, the 'Portapro'). So yeah, you can pay thru the nose and get some Sony's (over-rated) or Sennheiser's, but hey; it's your money. For the most bang for the buck, get these.

I listen to everything from extreme metal to jazz and classical on these and it all sounds great. The extended cord length and mute button are also nice extras. Also, if you really don't want to talk to someone, just put on some outlandish music loudly-the design allows a good deal of sound to emmanate from the speakers. These phones 'breathe' if you know what I mean. Yet they deliver high quality sound into your ears. They sound great at all volumes. They are light, and the adjustable (over the head or behind the head) headband is really nice. Who says Koss doesn't care about fashion!? All of you who worry about your hair can simply flip the headband back and avoid disturbing your follicles.

Highly recommended.

Recently I was looking for a good pair of headphones for under $. After doing extensive research, I came to the conclusion that the Koss Sporta Pro headphones could not be beaten in that price range, I would even spend $ for them they are so good. The bass is the best I have ever heard from headphones, and the mid and high notes are also clear and well defined. Some people say that these headphones are uncomfortable. I personnally can only feel them for about 5 mins before my head gets used to them and they become very comfortable. The headphones have gold plated connection plug, as well as an adapter to plug them into your older stereo, which is also gold plated. The headphones even come with a carry case. In conclusion, the Sporta Pro's are the best value for headphones under $, and have a lifetime warranty to boot.

I had been a Palm user for 5+ years - when I joined my new company, I received my laptop and it had NO GRP serial port to connect my Palm synchronizer. So I thought "why should I get a USB sync adapter when I can get a brandy new Pocket PC?" PLUS, I had wanted an MS-based sync application to go with my MS Money. I like to enter my transactions (including cash purchases) immediately so I don't have to carry around receipts for the weekend until I enter it into MS Money. I had it on my Palm previously, but a while ago my battery had ran out, and when I tried to reinstall it, it crashed and burned everytime. So I checked out reviews on all of the available ones and liked what I read for the HP iPAQ 2215, including on this site.
So my thoughts????
WELL, I like the continuous sync...update on either the iPAQ or my laptop while connected and ZOOM - instantly updated on the other, nice feature.
I like the SD drive because I can copy my digital pictures from my camera to the IPAQ for better viewing when I'm with family and on the road.
I LOVE the fact that you can sync more than just the Outlook INBOX folder.
Sync of word, excel, and access files without requiring extra software... NICE
I was able to beam over my contacts from the iPAQ to my phone, using the IR port so I don't need a special cable to connect my cell to my PC (which doesn't have an IR Port) - BUT I couldn't beam over pictures (I have a Nokia 7210 that can accept pictures from other phones)

Bluetooth??? eh. My cell and laptop aren't bluetooth enabled so not much use there. I have a wireless connection available at work, which I use for my computer, but it's not bluetooth enabled. I was thinking about buying a wireless compactflash card for my iPAQ, but then I realized that i'm hardly away from my computer at work anyway so why get it? The only other place I could really use it is at trendy coffee shops and I don't need to connect there. If i REALLY need to be connected, I'll bring my laptop.
BEWARE that the OS is PPC 2003 and some applications will not work!
A lot of the freeware for PPC available is "poo poo" (There were a lot of great freeware apps for Palm that are only available for a price with PPC). For instance, I tried to use "Shopaholic", a PPC based shopping list (I had something similar on my Palm, which was great) and it doesn't work on the OS PPC 2003.
But the BIGGEST disappointment I have is that the MS Money for Pocket PC DOES NOT WORK FOR PPC 2003. MS only has versions for PPC 2002 and lower. So I had to make an excel file to capture that info, then type into MS Money 2003 later. It's not realy a critique of the iPAQ itself, but its OS. I'll just have to be patient (1 month, 6 months, 1 year???) until MS creates it.

So the verdict? Well, I really like the things that I CAN do, but am a bit frustrated with all of the features I don't really need, and VERY frustrated with the limited ability to use PPC 2003 with other apps.

As a Sophomore student in college i had my share of PDA's and after trouble times dealing with my Toshiba and way out-dated Palm Pilot, i finally made the upgrade to the Ipaq 2215. First of all, the rubber grips is a nice addition from the accident waiting to happen Ipaq 39**, it also gives a nice, classy look to the interface. Second, the size is a welcome since in the earlier models they were big & bulky without mentioning the additional CF sleeve added.The memory is nothing speculator (64MB Ram & 32MB ROM), so if you plan on adding 3rd party software, be prepared to cough up extra cash for a SD or CF card.The bluetooth is a nice welcome, but in a campus where wi-fi is connected all over, does little unless i have to use my friend Ecrisson cell phone to connect for web browsing.Ladies & Gentlemen, who doesn's love how Hp once again step over their competition with the SD & CF slot already designed into the 2215.This is nothing new, but the newer models coming out on the Toshiba e405 and other HP ipaqs doesn't include both slots, another reason to shell out the cash for it. The 2215 model is very sleek and rounded perfect for a nice look to those non-pda users who often peek to see what you are doing. I love the 3.5 screen, which project the clearest and brightest screen around in the market. This a very nice PDA except sometimes the screen will freeze and crash you can lose everything, unless you save your files on a SD or CF memory card. Besides that, this is the perfect PDA to buy, until a upgrade is put out in the market.
Oh yeah, do yourself a favor and spend the $70-75 dollars 2-3yr warrant, because believe you are going to need it, if you use your PDA for everyday use like i do.

I have had an iPAQ 2215 for just under a year. I did a lot of work, asked a lot of questions before buying. It was in my price range, plus I added a SD card because my camera also uses a SD card. The case the comes with it is nice but replace it with a sturdier one to protect screen and features that fit your lifestyle (mine is a clipon to belt or waist. The only thing that I am thinking of adding is a foldable/protable keyboard for long documents. It's great

I need to start off by saying, that i really wish i could give this product but a 4 1/2, but...amazon wont let me! But on with the review!

~ok, this player is simple amazing...i knew what to expect from the machine (considering the hours and hours of research that i did) and this beautiful player fulfilled that and SO much more. I chose this over the sony D-ne1, and i'm happy i did!

Design

~the design is simple, but modern. There's no screen at all on the player itself, it's even void of controls! it's all been placed on their remote. The player itself isn't actually a circle, it's actually an oval, but the extra space on the top is so small that i doubt it's noticable at all that it's not a circle. The player is very light, and seems very fragile, but what can you expect considering how much it ways? the remote has the same kind of feel to it. But overall it's a great looking machine.

Remote

~ this and the somewhat fragile design is why i had to give the player 4 1/2 stars. The remote itself is just as well designed as the player, but it can be sooo confusing at times... it takes a lot of getting used too, but once you have gotten used to it, it's actually quite simple. But that means, if you're thinking about sharing it with friends or whatever, they may need some tutorials in the use of it. The jog sticks also act as buttons to go through the menus and such, and these are your main navigation tools. The stop and play buttons only act as what their names describe. Also a BIG problem with the remote is that larger headphones, where the jack is larger even though it's still a 1/8th size don't completely fit in! this can be truly annoying when your trying to use some of the nicer headphones out with with this player. i own a pair of AKG K240S, and with them i'm using a 1/8th adapter from radioshack, i can't even fit it in all the way to get the full effect of the headphones! and yes, it is the right stereo phone plug size...

*Overall!

~beautiful player+great remote once you get used to it
~thing and small! a great combination
~problems with headphone plug-ins
~fragile design

Like a few others who've written reviews here, I upgraded to an iMP-550 after my I broke my Rio Volt SP250 (which, it turns out, was actually a branded iRiver too.) Here's what I found from two weeks of use.

CONS
1. My only real complaint about the iMP-550 is that it's really loud -- louder than any other CD player I've ever had -- which can annoy others in a quiet setting. When it's reading the disk, it grinds away and it seems as if it would never end. There is a software band-aid for this (a `polite' mode to lessen CD reads), but it doesn't help. Why didn't iRiver fix the problem at the source instead? I could live without the gee-whiz thinness if iRiver needs room for a quieter motor. And did I mention it's loud?
2. The earbuds are [...] (but that's a given with any portable, so don't blame iRiver). Check out [website's] "Cheap Headphones" buying guide for replacements. I like the Sennheiser PX-100 (open) or PX-200 (sealed).

PROS
1. ogg support! ogg files sound better to my ears than mp3 or wma files of the same size. This was the main reason I chose the iMP-550 over other models.
2. Excellent sound quality. Better than other cd portables I've tried.
3. Extremely configurable.
4. It handled all the CDRs I've fed it, even ones burned at fast speeds.
5. One reviewer reported that the iMP-550 doesn't handle VBR. Maybe he's got an older version, but mine (firmware 1.50b) handles VBR fine.
6. The controls on the remote, though small, are well thought-out and give a lot of physical feedback. It only takes a few sessions before you can navigate without looking.
7. Comes with all the extras you could needs -- car plugs, a cassette adapter, an external battery source for AA batteries, a nice carrying case, and so on.
8. The manual is easy to skim & read.

COMPARISON TO THE VENERABLE RIO VOLT SP250:
1. The interface is an upgrade of the old SP250's software, so the learning curve is easy.
2. The iMP-550 picks up weak radio signals better than the SP250.
3. iRiver has more frequent firmware upgrades than Rio.
4. The NiMH batteries seem hold a longer charge.
5. I don't miss having the controls on the player (instead of on the remote) as much as I thought I would. When I want both the player and controls close at hand, I stuff the remote's cord into the player's carrying case, then flip the case over and clamp the remote's holding clamp onto the carrying case's rubber belt strap.

CONCLUSION I'm glad my SP250 broke, because this is a much better player. The sound quality, the better FM tuner, and especially the ogg support, make this player the one to beat. If only the motor wasn't so loud, it would be perfect. I give it 4.5 stars and round up to 5 for Amazon.

There is not a single feature lacking in this product. Rest assured it will not go out of date, as firmware updates are downloadable from the manufacturer's website.

The sound from this unit (including the included Sennheiser earbuds) is absolutely flawless. Crisp, clear sound even on the lowest bitrate MP3s. No hiss, no crackle, no ambient noise.

Supports every major CD-R protocol, from standard ISO to packet written to Romeo discs with filenames over 128 characters.

Newly designed carrying case keeps unit snug and secure, prevents scratching (all features are controlled via remote) and a belt clip is provided, unlike previous models (i.e. the 350)

The manual is detailed and printed on glossy paper, the packaging is superb, the website well designed, and most importantly, the unit is extremely easy to use... a quick glance through the manual and you can be up and running within no time at all... the only major delay is to let the batteries fully charge/discharge for the first time. (You can use the AC adapter to try it out while you wait however!)

Rush out and buy this item... do not even consider any other brands, none come close to the quality of this item.

I bought the MZ-S1, S2 at the end of last year in order to enter the new digital arena for MP3, WMA, and other digital formats. My primary reason for purchasing the product was for durability and disc space.

On an overall basis, the unit is ideal for a workout. The main unit itself is arranged a bit awkwardly but it's effective with one hand. The sound quality is pretty amazing and the headphones that came with the unit is not as bad as some of the other brands. In addition, with the size of MD discs nowadays, My tapes can provide at least two hours worth of music (depending on format and size)...

I've used to product for about 7 months now and am actually moving on to a new digital product. One of the biggest reasons is overall durability. While the unit was ok in the beginning in terms of durability, I have been in several sessions where the unit simply "stops" and doesn't play any music. This ONLY occurs when I'm running at a faster pace but highly annoying. Most of the time the unit runs fine but for a Sony product, the stoppage in in play was incredibly disappointing... The other reason I am switching units is that the unit is far from small. Being an MD player, even at 3 pounds it's big. It's good for solid weight-workouts but for aerobics and cardio exercises, it can weigh you down quite a bit. This unit is also the type that fits on your hip, it's not an arm unit. The original awkward design was made so you can run with the unit in your hand. But honestly, not many people run with their music units in their hands. Good for overall use, but not perfect...

I've owned several MD players/recorders and I'm very pleased with this Sony MZ-S1. It's very durable, and the battery life is outstanding...I've only been forced to replace the battery once. The other times I simply replaced it because I was about to go on a trip or something and figured it probably would need it soon. But honestly it'll go through 20+ discs before you'd ever even need to think about changing the battery.
And I said it's durable--it's like a little tank. Very thick plastic, very durable joints. As I mentioned in the title, I'm not afraid to toss it in my backpack to take to class, etc. And I use it 50% of the time at the gym...it's great for the more sweaty work outs (I hold it and sweat drips to my hand but it doesn't matter because it's water-proofed).
And it's really cheap! GET IT!

*I didn't purchase this item to use in conjunction with my PC. I found it to be poor software and wouldn't recommend it if that was your SOLE reason for wanting this item.*

I have had recorders that used different mediam incluing Dat DCC flash media and hard drive based .and this one not only is heads above the rest in ease of use but it is built like a tank and very long play times I have used one double a for almost 60 hours .buy one while you can the japanese people are a techno society and the have adopted it as a format for years and now I am convinced

I work out a lot and this player works quite well; however I would recommend using your own headphones. I found it holds about 57-61 WMA files and 20-24 mp3s. Either way you get a decent amount of music and the instillation onto your computer should be easy, at least it was for me

Product typeDigital player
PC interface(s) supportedUSB
Flash memory installed64 MB Integrated
Digital storageNone
Software includedMoodLogic,Apple iTunes,RealOne Player
Carrying Case
Case typeSoft case
StrapBelt clip
Digital Player / Recorder
Digital formats supportedMP3,WMA
Playback modesA-B repeat,Intro scan,Repeat all,Random play,Repeat shuffle,One track repeat
Supported bit rates64 - 192Kbps
ID3 tags supportYes
Built-in Display
Built-in displayLCD
Backlight colorBlue
Audio Features
Sound output modeStereo
TimerPlayback,Stopwatch
Built-in clockTimer,Digital clock
Additional featuresBass control,Digital volume control,Battery level indication
CD System
CD systemNone
Equalizer
Equalizer typeDigital graphic
Factory preset qty6
Factory presetsPop,Jazz,Rock,Normal,Trance,Classic
Radio
Tuner typeNone
Remote Control
Remote controlNone
Headphones
Headphones typeBinaural
Sound output modeStereo
Connectivity technologyWired

Connectivity
Cable(s) includedUSB cable - External
Connector type1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm,1 x US
Slot(s) provided1 x SD Memory Card
Battery / Power
Battery1 x Alkaline AA type Standard battery
Mfr estimated battery life35 hour
Power supply includedNone
System Requirements
Interface devicesUSB port
Min operating systemMicrosoft Windows 98,Microsoft Windows XP,Microsoft Windows 2000,Apple MacOS 9.0.4 or later,Apple MacOS X 10.1 or later,Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition,Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

This Mp3 player is the best Mp3 player on the market, for it's price range. It's no Ipod, but it get's you to the gym and back without a sweat.

Some of the info in this review was obtained at www.ZDNetReviews.com

Did some research on MP3 players to use while working out. Biggest complaints surrounded use of software to download MP3's or WMA's(Windows Media)to the player. Also wanted to be able to Rip songs off my current CD's to download to the Player. The software was very easy to install (I use Win 2000) and my pc had no problem picking up the new USB connection. After I installed the Software I connected the player and was ready to go. I used Windows 2000 to copy my CD's down to the hard drive in the WMA format. Then using RIO manager I could pick and choose which songs I wanted to hear. The software allows you to sort very large libraries of songs by Genre, Album, Song List and Playlist. The download time for a full CD's worth of sound is about five minutes. The display shows Album, Artist and song title and other info like volume and battery meter. You can shuffle songs and you can apply several setting using an onscreen menu list (i.e. equalizer, powersaver, etc). Also the battery life has been excellent, 3 hours of use and still showing 3/4 full. Headphones are OK (ear plugs only) Very nice padded belt clip stays where you put it.

I bought this little guy and was really excited. I installed all the software on my Windows 2000. When i tried to put my songs on the player, it said i had no memory!?! I even put in 64 MB extra! Its very annoying. I wouldnt reccomend this product.

I like my little MP3. I've been wanting one and asked for this one for Christmas because it's cheap. Yeah, the 32MB of memory is not alot. At near CD-quality--96kb--I was able to fit nine songs on my first try. But three of those songs are over eight minutes long. (I also got Led Zeppelin Early and Later Years for Christmas!) Recently loads to the device give me about 12 normal songs. Not much, but enough. It was very handy while traveling and has stood up to several workout so far. I think I'll buy the extra memory.

The software that it came with could use some improvement. I had to go online and get the program from the company that makes it? Why? The program on the included CD didn't work. All in all it took me about two hours to get music loaded and running. Not terrible, but certainly not plug-n-play.

Bottom line? If I had the bucks, I'd buy a player that comes with more memory. But this is still an emerging technology and a good, inexpensive way to get in on the fun.

I just recently bought the 64mb version of this mp3 player ...and it wuz more than worth that. Its so small that i can have it anywhere and have it not bother me. My favorite part is that the bass is incredible!(im even using the included headphones!) The display tells me everything i need (i dont need the time on it bcuz thats wut a watch is 4). The icluded music match has always been my favorite music management software and it works easily and quickly. with 64 mb i can fit up 2 30 songs in the .wma format and the battery drain is very low. the buttons are easy to press and all the included accesories are really cool like the carry case and neck strap. the usb download is very fast and it took me less than 2 min 2 fill up the internal memory! I have yet to find a problem with this player and i dont think i ever will!

Bottom line: Great product for the money and the workout person.

If you workout, like being outside, or anywhere that you would like to have your own personal music playing without looking like some kid from the 80's with a giant walkman strapped to themselves, then this is the product for you.
First off I want to be straight forward with the downsides to this product. The battery will not last long, unless you use Nihm batteries or if you do not run your Yepp at full volume. The programing that comes with the Yepp leaves some to be desired in music organization, but not much worse (or better) then say Windows media player or Real One. The last downfall is the limited controls.
After all those listed short commings of the Mini-Yepp why on earth would I give it 4 stars. Simple because I would give it 5 stars except for those three down falls each easily over come.
First of all think about what you are wanting to buy. This is not a multi-gig player for thosse long trips. This is a COMPACT SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT short term player. YOu can extend battery life by using Nihm batteries and not trying to blast the volume all the time.
The programing is simple but just takes time to set up play lists and search for files. The easiest way is to organize the files on your hard drive and add them via the program by searching your hard drive, rather than your data base (unless you have a very good preset up data base, like name, artist, and all that jazz).
The last problem being the limited controls only matters when you have time to play with them. For the most part this product is aimed at the on the go person who doesnt have time to program in different sound levels and playlists all the time.
The great things about this player is it's fast uploading, decent memory (64), size, adn weight. I personally use this for when ever I am working out, doing Kata (Karate dance), biking or hiking outdoors, and many more.
So if you want a great product to serve your 1hr to 2hr workout or what ever this is a great subtle MP3 player. I would suggest this product over most of the other small players, unless you are looking for the super hitech, long travel MP3 player.

I travel a great deal and was looking for a tiny MP3 to take on trips and workout with. I have the 64MB model and have roughly 2 albums worth of music on it. I'm new to MP3 technology and found the software very easy and intuitive. After roughly an hour I had started copying my CD's to MP3. It does come with an armband and pouch and the only downside is that this little sucker is a battery eater (to be expected because of the size) and the earphones fall out of my ears easily. I'll likely have to get a new set if I run or ski with it. Love the price. I'm very satisfied.

The best MP3 player i have ever seen. Sound is great at 128kb and it is considered one of the smallest MP3 player in the world!!! My friend bought Sony instead of Samsung and now he keeps saying that he should have bought Samsung because Sony MP3 player can only be downloaded with their own file format. that means whether you have MP3,WAV, or WMA, you have to encode into sony unique files and it takes really long time to do it. Every each file should be encoded into sony preferred file. Samsung's yepp software it's so easy as 1,2,3. You just have to click one button to transfer songs into portable samsung yepp player. I heard a lot from web site about this little samsung's yepp player that its sounds quality isn't good as they expected, but that's not true. Excellent sound quality at 128kb, good at 96kb, and bad at 56kb. It also has equalizer, repeat, forward and backward, time, date, etc. Fast downloading by USB connection. I love this. If five stars is the best rating, i would give 6 stars.....

Ok, For all thoes people who put bad reviews about the music Quality, it is fine. This thing is a HARD DRIVE, the quality is EXACTLY THE SAME as the quality on your computer, unless you changed some options in the software to increase Transfer speed/Storage memory on the unit. If you have low quality music on your computer, you will have low quality on the mp3 player. Also, it may be the headphones. I found nothing wrong with this unit, it is cheap, and not all show like the Ipod's are. I upgraded my Archos Jukebox by puting in a new 120 gb hard drive, that you can get for $80. P.S. By opening you'r unit, you will void you'r warrenty. Do not do that unless you know what you are doing. Also, find instructions on a web site. I or Amazon can not be held responsible for what ever happens to you and/or your hard drive and Archos Jukebox.

I think this device is great and this is why.
GOOD THINGS:
1. You don't have to be a computer genius to work the jukebox. I took it out of the box and was listening to music on it in less than a half hour.
2. It comes with alot of useful equipment.
3. If anybody is in a band or into recording live concerts the jukebox 10 is a great thing to have. You can hook a better mic up to the jukebox and record an entire concert in mp3 format. Than just put the recorded music back on your computer, split up the songs, and you have a live concert CD of your band! It's great!
4. Can rip records easily without special software.
5. Easy to navigate and organize.
6. I can store my memory eating movies on it too, along with any other kind of file.

BAD THINGS:
1. I dislike MusicMatch, but its not that bad.
2. It takes a little more time than a CD player to load songs.
3. No hold or safety button to prevent accidental button pushings.
That's about it! I think the jukebox 10 is really great and you get what you pay for.

After getting so fed up with the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox awkward shape and the stupidly short battery life I returned it and bought this silver and blue baby.

The manual is full of spelling mistakes and errors, but its not THAT bad once you sit down and read it. Being able just to drag and drop files using Windows Explorer is a breath of fresh air compared to the Nomad's buggy Playcenter program. The Archos is full of neat features such as on-the-fly MP3 encoding (analogue or digital). It won't randomly shuffle files in different folders but I overcome that by making a new playlist daily to fit my mood. (naming it Today's Playlist). The MusicMatch program [stinks] but I use Winamp to make my playlists and its much easier than MusicMatch.

Archos seemed to have listened to people complaining about the early 6000's bad interface and bugs. Operation using the cursor keypad and the 3 F buttons is a breeze and the UP and DOWN cursor controls volume during playback.

So Far So Good its been reliable, soundquality is great and overall im happy. Ill keep you updated.

Watch This Space..........

After looking at various MP3 players, I decided on the Rio S50. I liked how it was expandable, upgradeable (firmware), and had a FM radio built in. After much anticipation, I received it yesterday. So far, I'm a bit disappointed.

After opening the package, the first thing I noticed was that there was a large speck of something behind the clear plastic but on top of the LCD. There's no way I can get to it without taking the player apart. It's quite visible and it's going to stare at me for the life of the product. So immediately, I wondered about the quality of the player.

After recharging the included NiMH AA battery, I immediately upgraded the firmware to the latest (1.6). I had read in previous reviews about the bad FM reception and how the firmware upgrade made it better. The FM reception is still terrible! So much for listening to the radio when/if I get tired of listening to the MP3s I loaded on it.

I loaded as many MP3 files onto it as I could last night. The software to transfer files to the player worked fine (Rio Music Manager). The player didn't have any problems playing the files I loaded on to it. It seemed a little lacking in the bass, but I don't know if that's an attribute of the player or the earphones that came with it. The 5-band equalizer (with presets) helped a bit. I also noticed that the buttons sometimes don't work and you have to push them more than once to work. The volume buttons, on the other hand, make the volume go up or down quite drastically instead of 1 increment at a time.

Overall, I think it's an ok MP3/WMA player with some nice features. However, it's an awful FM receiver and the firmware hasn't made it much better. I expected more from this player, especially considering the price, and I'm a bit disappointed.

PROs:
small, compact, very lightweight
expandable, upgradeable
built in 5-band EQ with presets
easy to use software (Rio Music Manager)

CONs:
horrendous FM reception
questionable quality or QA
slow or overactive buttons
pricey

The performance of this unit for playing mp3s is AOK. The radio is not good enough, and I frequently find myself carrying a radio in another pocket when I carry the S50. I would love to have the same thing with 256 MB built in--and dispense with the radio if they can't do better than this.

Not too expensive, but with a lot of features. Its small and compact. Comes with a case that has a belt clip. It comes with 128MB of memory which is enough for about 35 songs and can be upgraded up to 256MB. It downloads the songs very fast (about 5 seconds per song) and the software is easy to use. The headphones that come with it are pretty good, but can break easily. I recommend upgrading them to Koss "The Plug" Portable Stereophones. Also if you use normal headphones, then the volume might not be very high. The batter life is great. It comes with a charger and and one rechargable battery. It takes a couple of hours to charge fully and is good to go for a while. You can also use a standard AA battery. The radio is okay, you can set 6 presets, but the recption is not the greatest... but better than nothing. Also if you're traveling to Europe the radio should work there as well. The player has 6 equalizers: Normal, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Pop, and Trance or you can customize your own. You can also set up to 9 bookmarks. The player also supports both MP3 and WMA. It also has a clock and it also tells the day of the week. You can also choose from it counting down of how much of the song is left, or how much of the song is played. It also has a stop watch. The software can let you edit the ID3 tags (the information that contains, the name of song and artist and ablum) so it can show up on the mp3 player. Overall this a very good MP3 player, if you want the volume at its highest then buy good quality earphones, not headphones. Also if you have a lot of songs to store, then I would go with the Ipod or the Archos, because even after upgrading it to its fullest memory, it will only hold about 70 songs. But for me thats enough. This will make an awesome gift for teenagers.

This would be a really great product if it didnt continually need to be re-set. Its annoying because it resets for seemingly no reason at all, and I lose all my information, and then have to re-synch with Outlook, which defeats the whole point of having the unit. Im trying to find an answer from Tohiba, or to find out if I have the biggest lemon in the world

This is a great PDA if you know your tech stuff and don't mind soft resetting the unit often.

1. WiFi works great even with WAP encryption tunred on. However, setting up wireless ActiveSync was painful even for someone who is familiar with networking. The configuration just isn't intuitive at all and is scattered in many different places.

2. The extra large screen is a big plus. 3.8 inch vs 3.5.

3. Media player works fine. I am able to stream live TV program to this unit without skipping frames. This is a pleasant surprise.

4. I was able to get ActiveSync to work with Outlook after several tries. I havn't tried synching with Exchange Server. Again, if you are none technical, you will most likely run into problems.

5. The built-in speaker sucks. Most other PDAs have better speakers.

6. Soft Reset will be your daily activity. I don't believe Toshiba is at fault. It is a built-in Microsoft "FEATURE".

7. There is no COM port built-in. If you want to use serial GPS, you will need to get the software driver that turns USB into simulated COM port. Even then, it is painful to use and requires lots of resets.

8. 32MB build-in extra FLASH storage means you probably don't need memory card soon.

9. No Bluetooth

10. The manual is pretty much useless except for telling you how to soft reset the unit.

11. Be careful with hard reset. You DO lose everything that's not in the flash memory.

Upgraded from a Jornada 548, and very glad I did.

Pros: Processor is very fast; moving between programs and views is a breeze; screen redraws almost instantaneous; screen is bright and text clear; 3.8" screen vs. the usual 3.5" is nice; WiFi is a nice feature; has tons of memory--96MB RAM, CF and SD. Also nice to have a switch to turn the battery off completely.

Cons: comparatively minor for what you get w/ the 755, particularly at the Amazon price. The record button is located on the upper left side of the unit about where I put my hand to remove it from the docking station, inadvertently engaging the record function, so I disabled it. Not quite as easy to insert and remove from docking station as some units, such as the HP Jornada, but again minor stuff; WiFi switch a bit difficult to switch on/off. Manual doesn't have an index.

Great out-of-the-box experience. Purposely did not read the directions; took only a couple of minutes to set up the PDA (select proper time zone, align screen) and then I flipped the WiFi switch and 20 seconds later I was connected to my wireless home network. Wireless syncing is a bit more difficult to negotiate though--still working on that. And while some find the Toshiba design uninspiring, it has nice clean lines I would term as simple sophistication.

While some improvements come with the new MS OS, you'll still want to download the now standard plug-ins for the Today screen. Pleasant surprise: handwriting recognition appears improved from the 2002 version. Have tested it numerous times and it has worked near flwlessly--I might actually use this feature now. All in all, a great unit--if I had it to do again, I'd make this purchase again.