MP3 Reviews

I bought this player because it's one of the few on the market with a SD expansion slot. The headphone jack stopped working about 2 months later. The product was under warranty so I tried to get it repaired, no one answers the phone and their customer service inbox is full. I did a google search for more numbers to call put in "mpio customer service" you will find plenty of sites explaining that mpio does not respond to people and therefore doesn't uphold it's warranty. I kept the thing around in hopes of trying to repair it myself, but about 3 days after the warranty expired the player wouldn't even turn on. I bought a TDK mojo MP3, it's the same thing, apparently the companies buy prefabe systems at trade shows and make cases for them. Anyway I would recommend it becuase the way its case is made I have yet to have problems, but it's the exact same thing in a diffrent shape.

I've been using this mp3 player for about 4 months now, and I haven't had any problems. Reading the manual (Korean to English translation) was a little hard at times, but it's not that hard to figure things out.

I usually wear it while working out, and it performs flawlessly. However, if you plan to wear it while running, you may want to get some different head phones. The stock ear buds are nice and comfortable, but they will not stay in place for long if you move your head too much (like looking left and right.)

It doesn't come with an arm band, but I prefer to use the leather case and belt clip. Clipping it onto your shorts keeps it out of the rain and out of your way.

The FM tuner and voice recorder come in handy. The voice recorder is best used just to record normal speech. The sound quality isn't very good if you try to record a live band.

The case does seem to depress the volume up button, but it isn't enough to actually change the volume, at least with my mp3 player.

Oh yeah, it looks shiny and awesome!

I found this player for $... US on Amazon.com and at that price there really was no comparison for all the functionality. I tried the iRiver 390T first ($...), but returned it because it couldn't pickup most stations on the FM receiver. So far the MPIO can pick up about 90% of the stations my car can get.

The included headphones are fine for the average consumer, although they were a bit too big for my ears. Some reviewers have complained about weak bass, but most audiophiles won't be using them anyway. The player sounds great with my Sony MDR-V600 headphones, but also sounds nice with my Sony $20 in the ear sport model.

The unit does pick up smudges/fingerprints easily, but it's so cool looking and small you won't care. It's easily the smallest player on the market today. Pretty solid construction except for the USB cover which seems a little thin.

The software gets the job done. You won't be using it as a replacement for Windows Media Player however. The plugin for Windows Media Player works well for copying music, but I couldn't use it to create new folders. If they fix that I won't use the MPIO software at all (except for firmware upgrades.) Be sure and update the software and firmware to the latest when you get the unit. The CD was an interation behind.

Voice recorded works well. Great for taking quick notes for those of us advancing in our years quicker than we would like.

Updates to other reviews:
- The much maligned case has been fixed! It's actually quite nice. No need to cut wholes or anything. It has a belt clip, and comes with a wrist strap and also a neck strap (with detachable clip.)

- Also, the USB cable is easily replaced, just get the 4-pin mini-USB not the slightly more common 5-pin. Still easy to find.

Overall I'm very pleased with this model. Add a 256MB SD card (only $... at COSTCO) and you've got a lot of CD's in a really small player. Enjoy!

I bought this player because it's one of the few on the market with a SD expansion slot. The headphone jack stopped working about 2 months later. The product was under warranty so I tried to get it repaired, no one answers the phone and their customer service inbox is full. I did a google search for more numbers to call put in "mpio customer service" you will find plenty of sites explaining that mpio does not respond to people and therefore doesn't uphold it's warranty. I kept the thing around in hopes of trying to repair it myself, but about 3 days after the warranty expired the player wouldn't even turn on. I bought a TDK mojo MP3, it's the same thing, apparently the companies buy prefabe systems at trade shows and make cases for them. Anyway I would recommend it becuase the way its case is made I have yet to have problems, but it's the exact same thing in a diffrent shape.

I've been using this mp3 player for about 4 months now, and I haven't had any problems. Reading the manual (Korean to English translation) was a little hard at times, but it's not that hard to figure things out.

I usually wear it while working out, and it performs flawlessly. However, if you plan to wear it while running, you may want to get some different head phones. The stock ear buds are nice and comfortable, but they will not stay in place for long if you move your head too much (like looking left and right.)

It doesn't come with an arm band, but I prefer to use the leather case and belt clip. Clipping it onto your shorts keeps it out of the rain and out of your way.

The FM tuner and voice recorder come in handy. The voice recorder is best used just to record normal speech. The sound quality isn't very good if you try to record a live band.

The case does seem to depress the volume up button, but it isn't enough to actually change the volume, at least with my mp3 player.

Oh yeah, it looks shiny and awesome!

I found this player for $... US on Amazon.com and at that price there really was no comparison for all the functionality. I tried the iRiver 390T first ($...), but returned it because it couldn't pickup most stations on the FM receiver. So far the MPIO can pick up about 90% of the stations my car can get.

The included headphones are fine for the average consumer, although they were a bit too big for my ears. Some reviewers have complained about weak bass, but most audiophiles won't be using them anyway. The player sounds great with my Sony MDR-V600 headphones, but also sounds nice with my Sony $20 in the ear sport model.

The unit does pick up smudges/fingerprints easily, but it's so cool looking and small you won't care. It's easily the smallest player on the market today. Pretty solid construction except for the USB cover which seems a little thin.

The software gets the job done. You won't be using it as a replacement for Windows Media Player however. The plugin for Windows Media Player works well for copying music, but I couldn't use it to create new folders. If they fix that I won't use the MPIO software at all (except for firmware upgrades.) Be sure and update the software and firmware to the latest when you get the unit. The CD was an interation behind.

Voice recorded works well. Great for taking quick notes for those of us advancing in our years quicker than we would like.

Updates to other reviews:
- The much maligned case has been fixed! It's actually quite nice. No need to cut wholes or anything. It has a belt clip, and comes with a wrist strap and also a neck strap (with detachable clip.)

- Also, the USB cable is easily replaced, just get the 4-pin mini-USB not the slightly more common 5-pin. Still easy to find.

Overall I'm very pleased with this model. Add a 256MB SD card (only $... at COSTCO) and you've got a lot of CD's in a really small player. Enjoy!

I bought this player because it's one of the few on the market with a SD expansion slot. The headphone jack stopped working about 2 months later. The product was under warranty so I tried to get it repaired, no one answers the phone and their customer service inbox is full. I did a google search for more numbers to call put in "mpio customer service" you will find plenty of sites explaining that mpio does not respond to people and therefore doesn't uphold it's warranty. I kept the thing around in hopes of trying to repair it myself, but about 3 days after the warranty expired the player wouldn't even turn on. I bought a TDK mojo MP3, it's the same thing, apparently the companies buy prefabe systems at trade shows and make cases for them. Anyway I would recommend it becuase the way its case is made I have yet to have problems, but it's the exact same thing in a diffrent shape.

I've been using this mp3 player for about 4 months now, and I haven't had any problems. Reading the manual (Korean to English translation) was a little hard at times, but it's not that hard to figure things out.

I usually wear it while working out, and it performs flawlessly. However, if you plan to wear it while running, you may want to get some different head phones. The stock ear buds are nice and comfortable, but they will not stay in place for long if you move your head too much (like looking left and right.)

It doesn't come with an arm band, but I prefer to use the leather case and belt clip. Clipping it onto your shorts keeps it out of the rain and out of your way.

The FM tuner and voice recorder come in handy. The voice recorder is best used just to record normal speech. The sound quality isn't very good if you try to record a live band.

The case does seem to depress the volume up button, but it isn't enough to actually change the volume, at least with my mp3 player.

Oh yeah, it looks shiny and awesome!

I found this player for $... US on Amazon.com and at that price there really was no comparison for all the functionality. I tried the iRiver 390T first ($...), but returned it because it couldn't pickup most stations on the FM receiver. So far the MPIO can pick up about 90% of the stations my car can get.

The included headphones are fine for the average consumer, although they were a bit too big for my ears. Some reviewers have complained about weak bass, but most audiophiles won't be using them anyway. The player sounds great with my Sony MDR-V600 headphones, but also sounds nice with my Sony $20 in the ear sport model.

The unit does pick up smudges/fingerprints easily, but it's so cool looking and small you won't care. It's easily the smallest player on the market today. Pretty solid construction except for the USB cover which seems a little thin.

The software gets the job done. You won't be using it as a replacement for Windows Media Player however. The plugin for Windows Media Player works well for copying music, but I couldn't use it to create new folders. If they fix that I won't use the MPIO software at all (except for firmware upgrades.) Be sure and update the software and firmware to the latest when you get the unit. The CD was an interation behind.

Voice recorded works well. Great for taking quick notes for those of us advancing in our years quicker than we would like.

Updates to other reviews:
- The much maligned case has been fixed! It's actually quite nice. No need to cut wholes or anything. It has a belt clip, and comes with a wrist strap and also a neck strap (with detachable clip.)

- Also, the USB cable is easily replaced, just get the 4-pin mini-USB not the slightly more common 5-pin. Still easy to find.

Overall I'm very pleased with this model. Add a 256MB SD card (only $... at COSTCO) and you've got a lot of CD's in a really small player. Enjoy!

I have had mine for a year now and it kicks azz! I don't think they break so easy, since mine was wedged between a metal stopper and an iron crate being pushed by a forklift! It dented the batteries in the case, I can't charge the batteries in the player anymore and the lid is a tad bit crooked, but it still plays perfect and the display works fine too. That convinced me that is was rock solid. Just hope you don't have any problems with it, because Riovolt has the worst customer service ever rated, they are horrible to talk to. just so you know.

I've had this player about 3 days and am still learning the in's and out's but I'm impressed. I can't compare it to other MP3 players, never had any. I absolutely love the technology of being able to carry around a CD with 150 songs on it. That fact alone is awesome. It costs 3 times more than a Walkman but it's 3 times more fun having all that music on 1 CD. It doesn't skip and the batteries have not run down after quite a few hours of play. There's a lot of options as far as playing the music, you can shuffle or program playlists, etc. I'm still figuring out all the options, it's fairly complicated but if you can program your digital watch and/or VCR you can figure out most of the functions without help. The headphones are OK, I'll probably shop around for a better pair. I dig the leather carrying case, it fits perfectly. I have a little trouble accidentally hitting a button and inadverdantly changing modes or something while trying to hook or unhook the unit on my belt. The FM reciever is good, picks up stations as well or better than my car stereo. I'm still learning about it but so far I LOVE IT!

Everything I buy, I research thoroughly. EVERYTHING! So when I got interested in MP3/CD players, I spent many hours on the internet reading their complaints and praises in the reviews. It's hard to know what to believe. One person says a product stinks, while another thinks it's great. I finally chose a RioVolt SP100 because I could use it with my iMac
computer. But the store I went to also had the new RioVolt SP250. It cost a little more, but has been well worth it. It has tons of fantastic features (...). This player DOES NOT skip! 45 second shock protection for CDs and 8 minutes when running MP3s.Lots of information on a 4 line, backlit and contrast LCD display. Totally programable for CDs and MP3s. An FM radio circuit that works great. 5 presets and 1 adjustable equalizers. Easy to understand and use file directory. Clip-on remote with headphone plug-in. Sleep and stop timers. Bass and treble boosts. Bass and treble corner frequency adjusts. 10 second song intros. Hold switch. 10 file jump feature. AC adapter. Aux line out jack. Sampling, compression, and codec displayed. Stereo channels graphic display. One YEAR warranty. Easily upgradable off the internet. Zippered, windowed, clip-on carry case and shoulder/belt strap. Two rechargable AA batteries. Many other controls and adjustments using the 26+ setup menu settings options. The sound is great as long as you have a decent pair of headphones. It comes with earbuds which are fair,AND an earbud headset which is poor. Actually that's the only negative thing I can find so far (...).

I have one of these, and I'm very fond of it. It does a good job, and is very durable (I've had mine for years and haven't been incredibly kind to it, but it's still good as new.) The design is plain but classy, and it's easy to use. It takes almost no time to familiarize yourself with the buttons so you can fool with it without looking. There aren't any buttons or switches that are easy to hit accidentally, and in general, it can take being tossed around a little in a bag so long as it's reasonable. Don't crush it and don't spill anything on it, but it's not like it's the Mona Lisa.

As many have mentioned, it holds about 30 minutes of music, unless you can find a memory card (I'm not sure if they are even made anymore, but I have seen them for sale) which will give you a whopping hour. If you're just going to use this for walking the dog around the block, or standing in line, or a quick run in the morning, this isn't such a big deal.

The USB-type cord is primitive and weird, so you'll probably be using the parallel port adapter, which isn't really a problem, but can be an inconvenience if you have a lot of things that use your parallel ports.

I'm pretty sure the company no longer supports this device or its software, since they have gone on to bigger and better things since its debut. Caveat emptor.

Also, it is not compatible with anything after Windows 98, but you can get around that easily by downloading the free program "Dreaming of Brazil" which works with XP, NT, and 2000. (Google search for "Diamond Rio mp3 player" or "Dreaming of Brazil.")

A few pointers from my humble experience with the Rio PMP300:
If the headphones it comes with break, you can replace them with any headphones that fit the headphone jack. You should also take the battery out of the Rio when you aren't using it-- it sucks energy when it's idle. If you happen to need a little bit of misc. storage space, you can use the Dreaming of Brazil program to transfer any items that will fit, which can be handy.

I imagine this is not the best mp3 player you can buy, but if you can get it cheap, it's still a pretty good one. The main problem I have is the tiny amount of storage space and compatibility issues. Shop around for an iPod or a newer Rio or something if you're very concerned with absolute top quality.

The Rio PMP300 is a great portable system if you have access to your own computer. Some advantages are that it's very small, very light, it doesn't skip, It only takes 1 battery which runs for at least 10 hrs, and the music can be free on the internet. You can also take tracks right off your favorite CDs. The 1 problem that I have with it is that it only holds 32 MB which is about 7 or 8 CD quality songs. It could hold more if you don't mind radio quality. If you want to get more memory on this thing it's not cheap. You can double your memory from 32MB to 64MB for about $100. I am going to wait for the price to go down before I buy more memory for mine. The software that it comes with is pretty good too. I also like the overall design of the buttons and player. It has a Hold option, 5 different Equalizers, Replay and Random modes, and a cool A~B feature which is pointless fun to play with.

I recently bought my RIO and I couldn't be happier with it. I fit about 9 songs on the 32 available megs. For those that need more space, the RIO is expanadable. Simply purchase a seperate flash card (or buy one of the newer models).The sound is flawless. At 128kps you'll think you were listening to the actual CD. Even 96kps is fairly crisp. I was extremely impressed by how easy it is to upload/download files. It takes just a few minutes to load the RIO up with a whole new set of songs. You can also rearrange existing tracks. I'm been using this thing non-stop and I'm still on the original battery so Diamonds claim that it lasts 12 hours on a single AA battery seems to be holding true.The RIO is also extremely lightweight. Its under 3 ounces. Perfect for working out and running. Speaking of running, thats another nice thing, motion has no effect on the RIO. The only complaint I have is with the headphones. I ended up getting a new pair bacause the set that they included was painful within 15 minutes of use. Other than that the RIO ROCKS!!!

I have one of these, and I'm very fond of it. It does a good job, and is very durable (I've had mine for years and haven't been incredibly kind to it, but it's still good as new.) The design is plain but classy, and it's easy to use. It takes almost no time to familiarize yourself with the buttons so you can fool with it without looking. There aren't any buttons or switches that are easy to hit accidentally, and in general, it can take being tossed around a little in a bag so long as it's reasonable. Don't crush it and don't spill anything on it, but it's not like it's the Mona Lisa.

As many have mentioned, it holds about 30 minutes of music, unless you can find a memory card (I'm not sure if they are even made anymore, but I have seen them for sale) which will give you a whopping hour. If you're just going to use this for walking the dog around the block, or standing in line, or a quick run in the morning, this isn't such a big deal.

The USB-type cord is primitive and weird, so you'll probably be using the parallel port adapter, which isn't really a problem, but can be an inconvenience if you have a lot of things that use your parallel ports.

I'm pretty sure the company no longer supports this device or its software, since they have gone on to bigger and better things since its debut. Caveat emptor.

Also, it is not compatible with anything after Windows 98, but you can get around that easily by downloading the free program "Dreaming of Brazil" which works with XP, NT, and 2000. (Google search for "Diamond Rio mp3 player" or "Dreaming of Brazil.")

A few pointers from my humble experience with the Rio PMP300:
If the headphones it comes with break, you can replace them with any headphones that fit the headphone jack. You should also take the battery out of the Rio when you aren't using it-- it sucks energy when it's idle. If you happen to need a little bit of misc. storage space, you can use the Dreaming of Brazil program to transfer any items that will fit, which can be handy.

I imagine this is not the best mp3 player you can buy, but if you can get it cheap, it's still a pretty good one. The main problem I have is the tiny amount of storage space and compatibility issues. Shop around for an iPod or a newer Rio or something if you're very concerned with absolute top quality.

The Rio PMP300 is a great portable system if you have access to your own computer. Some advantages are that it's very small, very light, it doesn't skip, It only takes 1 battery which runs for at least 10 hrs, and the music can be free on the internet. You can also take tracks right off your favorite CDs. The 1 problem that I have with it is that it only holds 32 MB which is about 7 or 8 CD quality songs. It could hold more if you don't mind radio quality. If you want to get more memory on this thing it's not cheap. You can double your memory from 32MB to 64MB for about $100. I am going to wait for the price to go down before I buy more memory for mine. The software that it comes with is pretty good too. I also like the overall design of the buttons and player. It has a Hold option, 5 different Equalizers, Replay and Random modes, and a cool A~B feature which is pointless fun to play with.

I recently bought my RIO and I couldn't be happier with it. I fit about 9 songs on the 32 available megs. For those that need more space, the RIO is expanadable. Simply purchase a seperate flash card (or buy one of the newer models).The sound is flawless. At 128kps you'll think you were listening to the actual CD. Even 96kps is fairly crisp. I was extremely impressed by how easy it is to upload/download files. It takes just a few minutes to load the RIO up with a whole new set of songs. You can also rearrange existing tracks. I'm been using this thing non-stop and I'm still on the original battery so Diamonds claim that it lasts 12 hours on a single AA battery seems to be holding true.The RIO is also extremely lightweight. Its under 3 ounces. Perfect for working out and running. Speaking of running, thats another nice thing, motion has no effect on the RIO. The only complaint I have is with the headphones. I ended up getting a new pair bacause the set that they included was painful within 15 minutes of use. Other than that the RIO ROCKS!!!

The Good-

easy to use, firmware updates go smoothly, easy to upgrade memory and download songs to. I'm overall pleased with the product, was what I had expected. I added a 128 mg memory card and it now holds about 100 songs in wma format.

The Bad-

the radio is pointless, it probably would have been a better idea to just market product as a MP3 only player. as noted in many reviews, the radio simply does not work well. I use the player in the gym, occasionally the player will stop and the 'USB connecting' screen will appear on the display. I have no idea why this happens but it gets frustrating.

The Ugly-

the case, play dial and display screen easily become nicked and scratched. I've had the player for about 6 months and use it for all kinds of activities and have dropped it a few times on the pavement, player still plays but always another nick or scratch. the belt clip piece also nicks into the player b/c it does not cradle the player real tight. Just recently dropped the player and battery cover dislodged, called Rio, would cost $75 to repair.

This mp3 player is outstanding! It's appealing, has excellent user interface, a belt clip and armband are included, has a FM radio, many cool features, and is expandable to 256MB.

Design:
Red Rubberized case
Very Lightweight
Useful Beltclip and Armband
Unique shape fits in hand well

Features:
Upgradeable
Stopwatch
FM Radio with 8 presets
Can Bookmark a spot in a file (good for audiobooks)
Can Play MP3 or WMA

Performance:
Good Battery Life, despite only running on one AAA battery
Decent earphones
Outstanding Sound Quality
A little hazy FM radio
Good User Friendly Software

Overall, this was an awesome MP3 player. Good player for any who likes to exercise while listening to music. It's slightly expensive, but it's well worth the money. This player is definately the best flash memory player you can buy.

I've owned other MP3 players before, but this one is the easiest to use. The software is great -- just load it up and you're off and running, no instruction required, it's that simple. The display is outstanding (whatever you do, don't buy one without a backlit display; you'll be sorry!). The player itself is also intuitive; you don't have to be a mechanical genius to figure it out (yes,some of the other lower-cost players are that complex).

As others have pointed out, the case doens't fit exactly, but it's not THAT bad, and the circular control is a bit sensitive so you'll want to use the lock feature, but everything else about it is so very user friendly. I like the clip -- mine has held up through a lot of abuse, and it's just as strong as ever.

As for battery life, I'm getting at least 6- 7 hours. Maybe not as long as the manufacturers tell you it will get, but a lot longer than I got with my MTV player.

And, best of all, the sound quality is awesome. I've had mine for about a year now, and use it for running, the gym, roller blading and yardwork, and have had no real problems whatsoever.

I got this player about a year and a half ago, used it mainly for travelling at first, then around the apartment instead of stereo (nice especially when you want to listen privately or not wake up neighbors). BUT, after fairly light use during this time, it now doesn't work....most of the time I'll pop in an mp3 cd, and it will 'choke', and display will read "no disk" error message. Sadly, this appears to be a common problem with this model (search the net and rio forums). So, until it happens, it's a great player for the money...but be aware, it's NOT a long-lasting player...moderate usage will get you 12-18 months, I think, and heavy usage, mmmmaybe a year.....me, I'm replacing with a Sony ;)

If you do buy one, batteries in mp3 mode last about 10 hours in my experience, and only a few hours for normal cd's (2-4hrs). I used NiMH rechargables with no problem. ALso, there is a 'hack' on the web where you can update the firmware of this model with a version 2.10 which gives you more options....intended for the SP-100, I think.

I bought this back in late May of this year using the pick-up from Circuit City option here on Amazon (this works extremely well) because I wanted a relatively inexpensive MP3 CD player. Overall I am happy with it, but the build quality and not-so-good anti-skip are somewhat big drawbacks.

First of all, the firmware that comes on the unit stinks. It produces good sound quality but lacks a lot of features. As is common with owners of these units I followed instructions on how to install the version 2.04 firmware for the RioVolt IMP100. With this firmware this unit is quite nice. It has very little delay between tracks and allows for Winamp playlists among other things. The firmware, either original or upgraded, is quite easy to use once you get used to it and works well enough.

The display is only 2 lines with a rather stupid-looking dancing figure on the bottom half. But that 2-line space is used very effectively by the firmware.

As for sound quality, it is very good. It is a step above my SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 sound card in my computer for both MP3s and regular audio CDs. The equalizer isn't anything to brag about, but it is quite effective for getting the most out of small portable headphones. The earbuds that come with this thing are pretty decent, especially if you add some foam pads to them. But I highly recommend some Sony MDR-829LP earbuds instead, as these will provide far superior sound quality and good bass, especially if you double up on the foam pads with them and adjust the EQ a bit.

As for build quality, it stinks. Quite cheaply made and I doubt that I will be able to use this thing for more than a year or two without it falling apart. And the anti-skip function is not very effective if you have the CD player in a pocket in your jacket and are walking at anything but a snail's pace. Otherwise, the anti-skip works fine and should work flawlessly in a car or other place where it is sitting flat.

For the money this is quite a nice MP3 CD player especially in the sound quality department. But you get what you pay for in build quality, though. Maybe a little less.

Well I guess it's my turn for a review. I purchased this for... from Amazon.... I mainly wanted it for the mp3 feature.... I particularly did not like the head phones; they were average to say the least. The sp90 could use more bass. It has a preset bass level, but it's useless. I decided to upgrade the firmware to the sp100 2.10 version just for the heck of it. I really didn't experience problems w/ mine before doing it. I experimented a little and shook it to see how much it would skip and compared it after I upgraded the firmware. I put the upgrade disc in and it took maybe 10-15 seconds to upgrade. I immediately place a cd in and started shaking and doing the same thing I did w/ the player when the original firmware was installed. Believe it or not, it only skipped once compared to it skipping everytime from that height w/ the original firmware; I dropped it about 3.5 feet onto my bed. I'm happy w/ my purchase, especially for the price I paid.... Just burn the image on cd and insert the disc in the player. *Note, try this at your own risk, I won't be held liable; I'm just helping out. I'm told it already worked for a couple of people I sent it to. File size is 335kb. I hope this helps. Please vote on this so that other people can benefit.

This product has OTB (out of the box) failures galore. I am not a demanding person of sound quality but here is the skinny: Shoddy workmanship on control button, lousy support, no documentation that helps with troubleshooting or even has simple instructions to shut it off, support software package failed to install on my computer and generaly faulty at birth. The hard drive immediately failed and the unit sounds like a mini 747 at take off when the hard drive is accessed. AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS..IT IS GARBAGE.

ive had it for about a year and in the beggingin it ran great. now i cant even connect it to my pc. i have win 2k pro and win xp pro. as soon as i connect it, i get the bsod. ive never gotten the bsod b4 while runing xp or 2k. get a ipod, it costs more, but u get better quality and faster transfer speeds. in conclusion stay far away from archos products!!

I have been using the Archos Jukebox for about two weeks now. The sound is great and the headsets are acceptable. The only problems I have noticed are very occasional "static" when playing a song (resolved by pausing and pressing "play" again), and the also very occasional gap during playback. Other than that, it works great and it's really unbeatable at that price. The documentation is totally worthless, so here are some tips: 1) update to the latest firmware ASAP, before you move any MP3s to the box. 2) Just in case, have a backup of your music. 3) Get a second set of NiMH batteries (there are larger capacity ones) and a suitable recharger. Amazon has both. There is a little pocket in the carrying pouch that is perfect for the extra set. 4) Read the release notes for the latest firmware. It explains some great new features to edit playlists on the box and to queue songs. 5) Undocumented feature: press and hold the "on" button during playback, use the +/- keys to increase/decrease volume without going to the menu. Press &hold On and then the Stop key: disables keys so they don't get pressed accidentally. 6) Don't bother with the MusicMatch software. I use CD-DA extractor to rip and Winamp to build lists. It works fine. I have seen no reason to install yet another software package on my PC. My wishlist for the next firmware: get rid of the gap and the static, and do seamless track-to-track transitions with no gaps (right now there is 1/8 second pause between tracks)

I was in the market for a new cell phone, preferably with a new provider. After reading positive and negative reviews of this phone, I was finally swayed into purchasing this phone due to the hefty rebates offered at Amazon.

After about 6 hours out of the box (four of those hours charging), the phone's operating system locked up, and the screen is now blacked out (probably permanently). The phone only responds with a pleasant chime as it starts up, but sadly, nothing else.

I sincerely thought that some of the negative reviews for this product were from purchasers with gripes against the manufacturer or service provider. At worst, maybe these bad reviews were isolated incidents, and I could beat the odds. However, in the end, I must sadly concede and admit that this is a terrible product and should be avoided at all costs. Hopefully, Amazon will allow me to exchange this for a different model and manufacturer.

I bought the Sony Ericsson T610 in December 2003 because I was disatisfied with the customer service of my current carrier and wanted a bluetooth capable phone. The results have been mixed. On the plus side, T-Mobile did an excellent job transferring my existing cell number and their customer service has so far been good. The T610's bluetooth capability also works as promised, as does the very cool Jabra wireless headset that Amazon packaged with the phone.

Unfortunately, the phone has a very poorly designed interface that is difficult to use and often requires multiple steps to perform simple functions that my Sprint-Samsung A500 did easily. The T610's voice recognition and voice dialing functions are almost completely unusable (a feature I truly miss from Sprint), and there is also no plain vanilla ring tone appropriate for business use. From a service standpoint, T-Mobile's coverage in the South Florida area seems to have just as many holes as Sprint's -- they're just in different locations -- and dropped calls are still a problem.

In short, while number portability is a great convenience, all cellular providers have shortcomings, so don't expect a change in phones or carriers to be a quick fix for the problems you may be experiencing with your current service.

I got this phone over Nokia 3650 after reading all reviews (some negative, most positive). I just love this phone!! Its sleek, compact and packed with features.
Pros:
----
1) Great looks, small size.
2) Powerful battery, needs charging once in 3-4 days.
3) Bluetooth and Infrared work like a charm.
4) WAP support is neat to have.
5) Tons of downloads from the web - themes, ringtones, games etc.
6) Great reception - no problems with T-Mobile service. Never drops a call.
7) Organizer is a good feature.
8) Screen resolution of 64K makes a lot of difference - it shows!!
Cons:
----
1) Camera resolution is not good.
2) Need to keep wiping the screen, since its black when sleeping and shows anything deposited on it immediately.

Overall comments:
----------------
I would recommend this phone over any Nokia phone any day! Its a piece of art. SonyEricsson has done a great job of not only designing this phone, but also packing it with so many cool features. Go for it!!!!!!!!!