Creative Labs NOMAD 6 GB MP3 Player Silver
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $349.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

One of our biggest frustrations with MP3 players has been their limitedstorage capacity. You'll typically get 64 MB via internal memory or memorycards, which provides just a little over an hour of near CD-quality MP3 audio.So when we heard that Creative was releasing a 6 GB player that can hold over100 hours of music, it sounded perfect. Soon we'd be rifling through a massivecatalog of tunes on our little player, from Elvis Costello to LL Cool J to MilesDavis, whenever the whim struck.

The Nomad Jukebox is essentially a portable hard drive with software that willplay MP3 audio. Since hard drives include spinning and moving parts, this playeris not ideal for active MP3 users from joggers to snowboarders.

We cracked open the box, inserted the rechargeable batteries (two sets of fourAAs are included), plugged in the AC adapter, and waited the recommended 12hours for them to charge initially. This is a very important step. This was oursecond set of batteries--we didn't bother to heed Creative's initial chargingdirections when we first got the product, and our first set of batteries soonlost the capacity to be recharged.

After installing the included software (we tested the Jukebox on a Macintosh G4using SoundJam MP; for PCs, Creative includes PlayCenter 2) and connecting theUSB cable, we quickly deleted 2 GB of starter MP3 and audiobook files andstarted loading our own music. We started with about 500 songs, but noticedafter the load had finished that not all the songs made it onto the Jukebox.Also, the SoundJam software didn't like us doing any other work on our Mac G4,stalling out the load whenever we switched to another program.

We found it was best to load in smaller numbers and to keep SoundJam up as theactive application (unfortunately, not the most efficient use of computer time).The transfer rate is about 6 minutes per 100 MB, which translates to around 25songs. (So far, we've loaded 861 songs and we still have over 2.3 GB left ofstorage.)

Once music has been transferred to the Jukebox, you need to create an activeplaying list by navigating one of three lists--artists, albums, and genres--thenadding songs to the queue. (This points out the need for creating thorough ID3tags, an electronic label that can include song title, track number, year, andmore. ID3 tags can be created via the PlayCenter and SoundJam software manuallyor be imported from the online CDDB database. For more information abouttagging, see the Amazon.comMaking MP3s Guide.) Playlists canbe saved in the Jukebox, though it can be a bit tedious (there's no keyboard),and you can't add songs to an existing playlist.

The Jukebox also sports some nice additions. It has a line-in recordingcapability (using an external microphone) that records WAV files that can beadjusted for optimal (or low-end) sound quality, and it can play audiobooks.

The biggest downside to the Nomad Jukebox is its portability. As noted, it doesrun on rechargeable batteries, but they'll last far less than the advertised twohours. Also, this isn't the device to take jogging; its internal hard drive,though somewhat shock and motion resistant, just won't take that kind ofactivity. It's really made for stationary play using its included AC adapter.

It also has a few playback glitches, the biggest being that you can't fast- forward or rewind within a song. Also, there's no bookmark feature for audiobooklistening--a necessity for long files.

Ultimately, the Creative Nomad Jukebox isn't perfect and isn't suited foreveryone's MP3 needs. But it has become a staple of our gadget life--it travelswith us daily to the office and hooks in nicely into stereo systems, both athome and at friends' houses. Someday, we'll all wonder what we did without anMP3 jukebox. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• 6 GB of storage is massive--over 1,000 songs
• Several methods for selecting playlist songs (artist, album, and genre)
• Line-out for connecting to stereo systems, and line-in for recording

Cons:

• Battery power is sucked up quickly
• Prone to skipping/stalling when used in heavy activity

... Read more

Features

• MP3 Audio
• ADPCM
• Plays MP3 files; upgradable to support other formats (such as WMA) and is SDMI compliant
• USB interface for fast digital transfer; compatible with Windows and Mac
• Weighs only 14 ounces and measures the size of a portable CD player
• Comes with headphones, rechargeable batteries, AC adapter, and carrying pouch; "In the Media: ""Creative Lab's Nomad Jukebox is a monster product for the serious digital music freak."" --Pen Computing"
• Portable digital audio player with 6 GB of built-in storage (over 100 hours of CD-quality music)

Reviews (113)

2 years later and still going strong
While my Nomad Jukebox's structural integrity depends heavily upon duct tape, it still works like a charm.I've managed to break it a few times, and it was always pretty easy to repair just by ripping off the fuzzy things on the bottom and unscrewing those delightful miniscrews to reveal the magical guts of the player.Sometimes it gets fussy if I start and stop and start and stop like 3 different songs, but that's what the reset button is for.My only complaint is that USB 1.1 just seems so slow these days, I wish there was a magic wand that would all of a sudden give it some firewire capability.

First Generation Jukebox, functional but has quirks
I bought this jukebox about a year ago before the version 2 came out.And boy did I get buyer's remorse when a few months later Creative introduced the Jukebox 2 with lithium batteries.I could not get more than 1-1/2 hrs with the enclosed batteries, and the Jukebox would reboot sometimes when going over a bump in the car.However I do enjoy the 6 GB of storage (now they have Jukeboxes with 40Gigs!), and since my CD collection isn't so large, I get to have it all with me.I bought a car adaptor, [it was out of stock in the Creative online store for months, and I did not get it until 6 months later].In the meantime, I could only use it for getting to sleep hooked to the AC adaptor.

One more thing, to the person who said that his jukebox would not even turn on with and without the batteries.You need to stick a pin or paper clip into the reset hole in the back while turning it on or off [if it is hung in the off position].I read how you bought all those accessories and feel for you.

Serious QC Problems
Do not buy Creative lab products.After contacting customer service multiple times about a warranty item, I talked to one of their techs, who said that they estimate 10% product failure on their products.My options were to pay to have it fixed, with another 10% chance that the repair could fail, or get the broken part back.They do not stand up behind their products.Don't throw your money away. ... Read more

Asin: B00004XO1V
Subjects:  1. 6 (MB) megabytes    2. Portable Audio    3. MP3 MP 3 Player    4. Jukebox    5. MP3 Player (MP 3)   

Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 40 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $119.99 -- our price: $67.44
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

If you're looking for a large, high-performance hard drive, look no further. The Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 40 delivers both capacity and performance in droves. The unit is built with Maxtor's proprietary DualWave controller, which combines a Texas Instruments DSP (Digital Signal Processor) to control drive functions and a specially designed 50-MIPs RISC processor for host commands. This allows the DiamondMax 40 to offer the fastest spindle speeds available and pack enough data per square inch to make it both the fastest and largest drive in its class.

There are two technologies that make the DiamondMax Plus the screamer that it is: spindle speed and areal density. (For more information on these technologies, see our FAQ.) The DiamondMax Plus 40 boasts a spindle speed of 7,200 RPM, which is currently the fastest spindle speed for ATA-based hard drives (drives that utilize an IDE interface). The DiamondMax Plus 40 also has an areal density of 7.245 gigabits per square inch. With the ability to pack 7.245 Gb of data into a single square inch of hard drive media, the DiamondMax 40 can store 10.2 GB per platter; and since it has four platters, the DiamondMax 40 can hold over 40 GB of data. Why is this important? Because the spindle speed is a constant, the only way to get more data passing under the drive's read heads is to pack the data closer together; that way, the read heads can read more data on each rotation.

In our benchmark tests, we found the DiamondMax 40 delivered an average sequential-read speed of around 24.4 MB per second and a write speed of 17.3 MB per second. While the read speed is close to that of Seagate's Barracuda ATA II (another drive in its class), the write speed is faster by 1 MB per second. The DiamondMax Plus 40 also has an excellent read burst speed, which is a measurement for the amount of data the drive can pump from the 2 MB of onboard memory buffer (cache) across the UltraDMA 66 bus. Since this bus has a bandwidth limitation of 66 MB per second, the read burst speed won't be higher. We measured it at 58.8 MB per second, a full 10 MB per second faster than Seagate's Barracuda ATA II. CPU use was negligible at a relatively standard 3.3 percent. Only the random access time left us desiring more, as its 14.3-millisecond score was 1 millisecond slower than the Barracuda ATA II and upwards of 3 milliseconds slower than Quantum's last generation Fireball Plus hard drive. Fortunately, it didn't affect the DiamondMax Plus's other scores, such as the real-world copy test, which times the copying of a directory containing 644 MB of data (a typical CD's worth of data) to another directory on the same drive. The DiamondMax Plus 40 came in at 1 minute and 34 seconds, which was 30 seconds faster than Seagate and minutes faster than others, including last-generation drives from Quantum, IBM, and Fujitsu.

We found the performance of the Maxtor DiamondMax 40 to be first rate and the heat and noise to be minimal. This is an excellent combination for a 40 GB behemoth that delivers state-of-the-art hard-drive technology, unparalleled performance, and ultimate bragging rights. --Sean Cleveland

Pros:

• High areal density--largest drive in its class
• High data throughput
• Built on the latest drive technologies
• Runs quiet and cool

Cons:

• Slower random-access speeds

... Read more

Features

• 2 MB cache buffer
• 40.1 GB of storage
• UltraDMA 66 interface
• Disk spins at 7,200 RPMs
• 9-millisecond seek time

Reviews (55)

Suckered....
HI

I responded to the Amzon ad which display Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 40 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive.The reason I responded to the ad is because the interface was Ultra ATA/66.

When I received the product the interface was Ultra ATA 133.This is very very diappointing.Now I must purchase a Ultra ATA/133 PCI card to make the drive work.

I was duped, bambused, suckered, an object of false advertizement, sucker punched, tricked.An my money is gone.

I can not order again.This hurts too much.

Don't let a bad review frighten you
I know for any product, especially computer products, there are going to be bad reviews.Personally, I don't see how getting one bad apple qualifies a person to advise STAYING FAR AWAY FROM A COMPANY.What I CAN say is that I purchased the Maxtor hard drive after being told it was better than Western Digital.I installed it on computer with no problems as a storage drive.Over a year or two later, after using it as storage, I replaced my old drive and now use it as my main drive.I had NO install problems, no support problems (and I asked my share of questions), the documentation is good, and the software works great.After a year or two and after installing once then reformatting for use as a boot drive, it runs like a charm.

STAY AWAY FROM Maxtor Diamond Max Plus 40 GB
Stay away from this hard drive.Lasted less than 10 months.Western Digital apparently is better.I have read many negative reviews about this after I purchased it. ... Read more

Asin: B00004R7OI
Subjects:  1. 40 GB    2. 40GB    3. ST, 0154000, U, 0154000U, ST0154000    4. Hard Drives (Drive)    5. Internal   

Garmin StreetPilot ColorMap Vehicle GPS Receiver (12 Channel, Map Compatible)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $890.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Garmin's StreetPilot GPS ColorMap features a large, bright color displaybut lacks a surprising number of features that are included with some of theless expensive global positioning systems that we've tested. Designed for use ina vehicle, this GPS comes with a dash mount, cigarette lighter adapter, and aserial cable for interfacing with a PC.

At 1.3 pounds and almost 7 inches wide, the GPS ColorMap isn't tiny. The reasonfor the unit's bulk is the relatively large 16-color backlit display, 1.8 incheshigh by 3.3 inches wide, that dominates the front of the device. The colorscreen serves up clear images that are much easier to interpret than thoseproduced by a grayscale display. It's much like looking at a standard roadatlas, with red interstates, gray secondary roads, and light blue riverscrisscrossing a bright yellow background. A night mode switches the yellowbackground to black, and there are several levels of brightness that make theunit legible regardless of the lighting we tested it in. Also, in our tests, the12-channel GPS receiver took a surprisingly long time to acquire satellitesignals, but once they were locked in the unit accurately tracked our movementsand never broke its lock when we passed through tunnels or heavily forestedareas.

The map database included with the device contains most of the major highwaysand all of the interstates for the entire United States as well as the moreimportant city streets in large metropolitan areas. This limits the device outof the box for use primarily for cross-country travel. However, the map databasecan be expanded via a cartridge slot in the battery compartment that acceptsseparately available 8 MB or 16 MB cartridges. Garmin sells cartridges preloadedwith detailed map information, or you can buy a blank cartridge and a MapSourceMetroGuide CD-ROM to download data from your PC to the GPS. The built-indatabase comes with information on interstate exits and labels major bodies ofwater, but MetroGuide upgrades add many more features like street-level maps forentire cities, restaurant data, and the ability to pinpoint a specific address.

Although the StreetPilot GPS ColorMap is easy to use and highly accurate, it hasseveral shortcomings that detract from its overall value. An automatic routingfeature that lets users enter a departure point and destination to getdirections would have been nice. As it is, users are forced to enter routesmanually or download them from computer software that is compatible with thisdevice. The GPS ColorMap comes with a PC interface cable but no software todownload. Most GPS devices in this price range offer pages and pages of dataderived from complex internal calculations, but this product offers only themoving-map page and a Dashboard page that serves as a basic trip computer. Forthis price, we expected more. Also of note is the unit's underwhelming 2.5-hourbattery life, which forced us to enter complex routes while the device was beingpowered by the cigarette lighter adapter. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• One of the only color GPS devices on the market that's designed for vehicles
• Easily detached from the base mount so you don't have to leave it in the car
• Accurate tracking

Cons:

• Needs routing software to realize its full potential
• Few data pages
• Poor battery life

... Read more

Features

• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software for downloading maps and waypoint data
• Portable comprehensive mapping system
• High-resolution, 16-color display
• High-performance 12-parallel-channel GPS receiver
• Displays interstate exit information with food, lodging, and service stations

Reviews (43)

Great GPSR for driving anywhere!
I've had my SPIII for about two years now, during which the pricing has come down some and the package offerings have increased, so this review may not match the exact contents Amazon offers here. My unit came with a 32MB memory cartidge, the serial port connection cord, the USB programmer cord, the 12V power cord for the cigarette lighter, the "sticky" dash mount, and a MapSource CD with codes to unlock one region (the US and Canada consisted of 5-6 regions, IIRC). I have since bought the beanbag dash mount and a 128MB card and purchased the "unlock all regions" option for City Navigator--probably already included items for a new purchase in today's package. Additionally, I downloaded the "British" voice package from Garmin's website to replace the default "American" voice--the British lady's voice seems less harsh and less like a drill sergeant when giving directions!

I love this unit because it makes navigation so easy--isn't that the idea behind a GPSR? With the CityNav map information loaded into the memory card (and with 128MB it fits all of PA, DE, MD, and D.C. and good chunks of WV, OH, NY, and NJ) I am able to get turn-by-turn directions to nearly any street address. If you ask it to route you to a given destination, the unit actually tells you when a turn is coming up, e.g. "In point two miles exit right," or "In 500 feet turn left." If you are driving without a destination selected, the unit will display the cross streets by name as you approach. You can zoom the map in for street detail or zoom out to see more of the countryside. If you have a destination selected, the unit will zoom in automatically as you approach and zoom in even more for a detailed overview of approaching intersections as you near a turn.

If you are in an area for which you do not have the MapSource detail loaded, the unit still has an internal base map that contains cities, highways, interstates, and major bodies of water, so it can still route you from city to city using the major roads. This makes driving long distances cross-country feasible and you can load up the memory card with the areas you expect to spend most of your time in if you don't have enough memory for the entire route.

However, in those areas for which you do have the map detail loaded you can get turn-by-turn directions to an address or even select various destinations (restaurants, attractions, banks, shopping centers, etc.) listed by name and/or distance. The unit also displays address and phone information for those destinations, which is useful to call ahead and make reservations or check for vacancy if you're the spontaneous weekend tourist like I am.

The 16-color display is beautiful--major routes are in red, arterials in thick black, minor streets in thin black, rivers and lakes in blue, parks and golf courses in green, and the background will change at sunset or sunrise to yellow (daylight) or black (night) as appropriate (the black streets will also switch to white at night).

Please note that the map detail, which includes streets and popular destinations, is a feature of the map software, not the unit itself. Garmin seems to issue updated map software on an annual basis, but you must pay for those updates. I'm still using CityNav 4.1, although Garmin's website states that 6.0 is coming out this summer. The new 6.0 software will probably contain more business listings and reflect more recent road construction, but I'm doing fine with 4.1 and don't see a need yet to pay for the upgrade. One reviewer complained about the lack of Starbucks locations with his map, and I expect Garmin will be adding more and more types of businesses like that as time goes by.

Enough babbling--in summary, here are some pros of this unit:
o Cheaper than most in-dash GPS systems
o Portable, so you can share the unit with your "fleet" or take it along in a rental car (and you'd best hide it or take it with you when parking so it doesn't get stolen)
o Voice navigation, so you can anticipate an upcoming turn without having to take your eyes off the road
o Color display--so much better than a gray scale map!
o Accurate and helpful when driving somewhere unfamiliar
o Automatic route recalculation if you miss a turn or have to detour
o Address and phone info for listed businesses/sites so you can call ahead

And the cons I've experienced:
o Voice navigation could be somewhat improved for confusing intersections--do I take a right or sharp right at this five-way?
o Eats batteries--but this unit is too bulky to walk around with, so there is no reason it should ever be used without being plugged into your cigarette lighter.
o Awkward interface--entering street names or address numbers is awkward with the rocker button
o Loses signal in built-up areas with tall buildings--usually when you are downtown and *really* need directions the most, unfortunately! However, this is a problem with all GPS receivers and due more to the nature of the GPS system than the unit itself.

All in all, I love my SPIII. It has all the features I really need. There are units out there that are newer, have more features, and may be easier to use, but they're also more expensive. As long as Garmin keeps releasing updated map software compatible with the SPIII, this unit should serve my needs for many more years.

StreetPilot III Review
Pro's:Overall good unit.Great color, well built, very detailed.

Con's:I live in a new development and my home street is not on the map.Software updates to the unit must be done with a serial port (included in box).The problem is that my new laptop does not have a connector for the included cable.Had to spend an additional $13 on a USB to 9 pin serial cable and Garmin said its only a 80% success rate that it will transfer the neccessary data.The Mapsource CD's which contain detailed information on cities can only be used one time.In order to use the CD's initially, you have to go to the Garmin website and get an "unlock" code.Therefore, if you purchase a newer computer, you have already used your unlock code and would have to purchase an addition code and these can range from $80-$100.
Since installing the Mapsource data, my comp has crashed 3 times.I do not think it likes Win XP.

Expensive, but a VERY worthwile investment!
Please allow me to preface this review with the fact that I have absolutely no sense of direction.For those with excellent sense of direction, this may seem like an extravagant purchase until they come down in cost.
I had to travel to California recently (I only lived there my whole life before 1999), but since I had never driven in California before, I was quite nervous about doing so.The rental car had a GPS very similar to the Street Pilot, and using that gave me a great sense of confidence in driving around.
Shortly after my return I realized how badly we needed a GPS in our car.The Street Pilot was the best option for us because it has all the features of a factory-installed auto GPS, but the added convenience of being portable- now when I head out of town I can take the Street Pilot rather than having to rent a car with a GPS.Not to mention the Street Pilot is about 1/2 to 1/3 of the cost of a factory-installed system.
Some of the other reviewers have complained about how long it takes the Street Pilot to recalculate a route once the vehicle has gone off-route.I have intentionally gone off-route several times just to see how it performs, and I have been very pleased.It does take a few seconds, but from my experience it did not take so long that I got any further off-course than I already was.
A feature that I found to be very helpful in the Street Pilot which was not in the rental car's GPS is a search by company name.If you're looking for a department store, but you can't remember its address, just search by the name, and the Street Pilot will navigate you to the closest one. If you're looking for that great Chinese restaurant a couple of miles away, but you can't remember the name, you can search for Chinese restaurants in your area and find the correct one based on its address.Want to order ahead, or put your name on the seating list?Once the Street Pilot finds the restaurant you're looking for, it displays their phone number on the monitor as well.
About the only two complaints I have about the Street Pilot are very trivial.On the rental car I used, the GPS would automatically lower the volume on the stereo when the GPS needed to announce an instruction.Being an external unit, the Street Pilot does not have this luxury.Since I tend to listen to music, well, at ear-splitting volume while driving, it does take a little getting used to lowering the volume when using the Street Pilot around town, but again, this is a very minor complaint given all of the positive features the Street Pilot has.
My other complaint is that occasionally it does give directions which are not the most direct route.I used this on a trial basis in areas I was familiar with just to see how it performs, and I did find myself thinking on occasion "why is it telling me to go this way, when that way is much more direct?"Especially since I live within a half an hour of Garmin's world headquarters, it would seem to me that they would at least know the most direct routes around here!But even at this, the Street Pilot DOES get you to the correct destination every time, even if it sometimes takes an indirect route.
I noticed that the package includes both a beanbag mount and a permanent dashboard mount for the Street Pilot.Since Street Pilots have a way of being swiped, my suggestion would be to always use the beanbag mount, since a permanent mount could cause thieves to break into the car to find the GPS that is no longer in the car.I drive a new Jetta, and I did not want to get sticky stuff all over my dashboard, so I chose to try out the beanbag.It does not slip, even when making sharp turns.I suppose if I were in a collision this would not be the case, but in normal driving, the beanbag is great.
Of course, as others have advised, do not leave your Street Pilot in the car unattended for any reason.But given the fact that you're going to be spending around $1G for this puppy you probably already knew that.
And one other safety feature that I think is great, but others might be annoyed by it: once you are driving, you cannot change the destination; it goes into a secure mode.To change the address, you need to stop the car.This may be a nuisance to some, but given how badly people drive while talking on cell phones, it's probably best that Garmin tries to curb people from pressing all sorts of buttons on their GPS while zipping down the road at 75 MPH. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J40X
Subjects:  1. street pilot    2. GPS (Global Positioning System)    3. Units    4. map (mapping)    5. navigation   

Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 Color Pocket PC (Slate Blue)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Cassiopeia EM-500, Casio's follow-up to its E-100 series of personaldigital assistants, closely mirrors the E-115 but offers a few changes. Thebiggest change is the move to using MultiMediaCard (MMC) memory over the morestandard CompactFlash memory slot. The postage stamp-size MMC cards offer neededmemory expandability (as the EM-500 comes with only 16 MB of internal memory,compared to the 32 MB of the E-115), especially if you plan to use the EM-500 asa portable MP3 player--one of its many multimedia capabilities.

While MMC over CompactFlash limits the ability of the EM-500 to use many PocketPC peripherals, we were willing to overlook that once we got a peek at the EM-500'sgorgeous TFT screen. This very bright, very colorful (65,536 colors, to beexact) display shines beautifully when you're playing games or watching mobilevideo player clips, which run along at a respectable 15 to 20 frames per secondwith the EM-500's 150 MHz MIPS processor.

The thick EM-500 (about twice the thickness of the Palm Vx) offers standardCasio programmable buttons to bring up the menu, calendar, and contacts, as wellas a navigational D-pad, which is great for gaming. In addition to functioningas a stereo MP3 player (when using the included headphones), the EM-500 alsoworks as a voice recorder, allowing you to dictate reminders for yourself orvoice messages to send with e-mail. Casio promises six hours of battery life,but we often were able to get seven or more as long as we left the backlight onmedium brightness.

With its IrDA port, the EM-500 can communicate with wireless devices, and itsUSB connection provides speedy data transfer--even installing programs largerthan a megabyte took only a few seconds.

Despite the limited memory and the lack of CompactFlash support, the powerfulprocessor, excellent display, and long battery life make the EM-500 acompetitive entry into the Pocket PC market. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• TFT color screen
• USB connection
• Good battery life
• Expandable using MultiMediaCard memory

Cons:

• Only 16 MB of internal memory
• No CompactFlash support

... Read more

Features

• Color screen with 240 x 320 display in 65,536 colors
• Includes Microsoft Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Money, and Pocket Internet Explorer
• 16 MB of internal RAM, expands up to additional 64 MB with optional MultiMediaCards
• Play MP3 audio files with built-in speaker
• What's in the box: Cassiopeia EM-500, Stylus, USB Cradle, AC Adapter, Lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack, CR2032 lithium battery, Connector cable, Pocket PC User's Guide, Hardware Guide

Reviews (34)

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

Poor craftsmanship!
Sure the em-500 is great, while it works!I bought two units off ebay and they were like new when I received them.One worked fine for only about six months, then the internal memory died and left me with a 200 dollar paperweight.The second lasted another six months.Then it too, developed a case of the internal flu.It won't even work right long enough for me too get the information stored in it off!If it were just one unit I might think I were just unlucky, but two going bad tells me these aren't built to withstand even normal use! A paper and pencil would have been so much cheaper!

Too Cool
I purchased it 2 years ago. I used it just a little. Now I sell real estate, and I think it just great. I am learning how many wonderful features it has. The screen is a little hard to read in the sun, but what are sun-glasses for??? I wish that they had not stop making it. Most of my friends use the palm, and they are always saying how hard it is to use, this em-500 is a breeze. ... Read more

Asin: B00004VWM5
Subjects:  1. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA, Electronic Organizer)    2. Pocket PC (PCs)    3. Casio    4. Handheld (Hand Held)    5. Portable Audio    6. MP3 MP 3 Player   

InnoGear MiniJam 32MB Plus MP3 Player Springboard Module (ICE) (Now with an extra 32MB)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $199.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Instantly transform your Handspring Visor into an MP3 player with the MiniJam Springboard module from InnoGear. Just drag-and-drop MP3 files from your desktop to the MiniJam using the included transfer program, then listen to CD-quality sound on your Visor--and you can even read e-books and view images.

The MiniJam is compatible with the Springboard external expansion slot from Handspring, which provides for fast, easy, plug-and-play installation of the MiniJam to the Visor. No software drivers or special adapters are needed.

Using the included 64 MB MultiMediaCard, you can store about 30 minutes of MP3 audio. The MiniJam comes with two MMC slots, allowing you to store up to 128 MB (using two 64 MB MMCs). It is compatible with both PC (Windows 98 or 2000) and Mac (Mac OS 9.0 or later) systems that support a USB connection. Transfer files from your desktop to your Visor with the easy-to-use MJLoader application.

The MiniJam comes preloaded with several multimedia applications. The MiniJukeBox MP3 player enables you to control all functions--such as play/pause, fast-forward/reverse, volume, playlist, and equalization--by tapping the Visor's screen. You can also access these functions via buttons on the top of the MiniJam module. Additionally, the MusicMatch Jukebox desktop application is included along with an upgrade code to MusicMatch Plus (a $19.95 value).

You can use the included Peanut Reader to store and read e-books, newspapers, and magazines, which can be downloaded from Peanutpress.com (most books use only a few hundred kilobytes). You can also transfer photos and images to view on your Visor using AlbumToGo from Club Photo. Images can be viewed individually or in a slide show format, and you can easily add notes and descriptions to images and beam files to other Palm OS handhelds. ... Read more

Features

• Fast and easy installation
• Transforms the Handspring Visor into an MP3 player
• 64 MB memory stores about 60 minutes
• Upgradable to 128 MB using MultiMediaCards
• Includes Megabyte Flash memory expansion, mass storage of Palm OS applications and database files, and programmable flashing LED silent alarm

Reviews (5)

Best MP3 player for the Visor Handheld
I have been using this MiniJam for my Visor Platinum for the past month, and it's the only Spring Board Module I own.Although it's rather bulky, the sound that it offers is great!I do have two 64MB MMC cards installed into the MiniJam, to offer me with 128MB of MP3 audio.Depending on your point of view, 128MB can be big, or it can be small, depending on what bit-rate you "convert" your mp3's to.128kbs being CD quality or 96kbs being near CD quality, it all affects the amount of songs that can be stored on your two MMC cards.

Always carry spare batteries with you, or opt to purchase Innogear's MiniJam Power Pak.The earphones that came with the unit totally sucked, as one of the ear buds did not work straight out of the box.Buy a "real" set of earphones/headphones.

I had no problems with software issues.Plays great all the time!I would highly recommend this unit to anyone with a Handspring Visor, although I could not give it 5 stars, as Innogear gave me an insight.....they will come out with their new version of the MiniJam, which will be smaller.

Sounds great BUT...
The sound is great on the MiniJam 64MB MP3 player but the user guide directions are vague.The guide illustrates step by step what to do but never discusses what to do in the event that their directions don't work.So naturally one would think to call technical support which is what I did after reading the guide and was still unable to download music to the player.Not only was I on the phone with a technical support woman for thirty minutes who didn't want to deal with the problem and kept directing me to the web page but then she mocked me in a silly voice to her coworkers as she poorly covered the phone.She claimed that I "didn't have time to read the guide" (I had told her that I was calling because I had read the guide and the instructions did not produce the result that it said it would) and mockingly bemoaned "it's not downloading" in a whiny voice.My question is, why the heck is there a technical support department if they don't want to support their products or help their customers?It was clear to me also that she was not familiar with the product enough to help me out adequately anyway. I really want to return it after that experience and after reading the other reviews about the glitches I am beginning to suspect that it truly is the MP3 player and not me, thus further encouraging me to return this item.I am going to give it one more chance but now I feel as if I can't call technical support for any useful advice.

it's the best out there, but ...
My MiniJam has crashed my Visor Handspring Platinum several times (any time I select "Playlist", for example), and when I asked Customer Support, was told that "a software release is scheduled for today, but as of my last check it hasn't been posted."

Also, it doesn't work when your PDA has gone into sleep mode, requiring you to stop in your tracks, turn it back on, futz with the stylus, and then operate the MiniJam controls if you want to adjust the volume, skip a track, etc. The MiniJam is really nice to work out or just walk around with, but it sure needs a helluva upgrade. ... Read more

Asin: B00004TZHO
Subjects:  1. Portable Audio    2. MP3 MP 3 Player    3. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA, Electronic Organizer)    4. Handspring Visor (Hand spring handspringvisor)    5. Springboard Modules (Spring board expansion cards, SB, SD)    6. MP3 Players    7. Handheld (Hand Held)