Apple iPod 10 GB White M8709LL/A (1st Generation) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm sure that I have over 1000 CDs and several hundred records.This collection isn't very convenient to use, manage or keep track of.I like to take music with me most places and my PC and Mac drives are stuffed with MP3s.I'm also pretty much into gadgets so mp3 players punch all my buttons.
I've owned the original Rio.Kind of cute but what good is it that it only holds about an hour's worth of music.Constantly reloading the player is a pain.
I've tried various portable CD players and my CDs take a beating from getting carried around, left in the car.I've tried copying the CDs to take copies, but it's too much work and hard to keep track of them.
I've tried a few minidisc players.Great concept, bad execution.The haven't been durable.The atrac conversion makes no sense - why cant' you just copy over mp3s?
I have the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox.Lousy software, poor batteries (they die and have to be thrown away because they lose rechargeability).Slow USB connection.Unit is too big and heavy.
Enter the iPod.Finally, small, simple elegant.Easy to use software.It helps that I've got PCs and a Mac.itunes does the best job of ripping of any software I've tried.The iPod itself follows a simple organizational scheme.I can't fit my whole collection on it, but the firewire is so fast the entire ipod can be loaded and reloaded in a short period of time.The iPod is the one to beat. To those who complained about sound quality - you didn't listen very well.The included headphones are justso so, better headphones make a difference.Also, the included equalization is pretty rudimentary but it can be used to make adjustments.I think the sound quality is better than the Nomad or my minidisc players.

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Product Description:
Packing 2,000 songs and a 10-hour battery into a stunning 6.5-ounce package, the Apple iPod is the smallest hard drive-based MP3 player available, about the size of a deck of cards. Just plug it into your Mac and all your iTunes songs and playlists are automatically downloaded into iPod at blazing FireWire speed.
The 10 GB hard drive stores up to 2,000 MP3 song files (at 160 Kbps encoding rate) and also doubles as disk storage for applications and other files. A high-output (60-mW) amplifier provides CD-quality sound with a wide dynamic range, from deep, pulse-pounding bass to sharp, crystal-clear highs.
In addition to its 10 GB hard drive, iPod has a 32 MB memory cache. The cache is made up of solid-state memory, meaning that it has no moving parts, so it's not affected by movement of the device. Skip protection on the iPod works by continually preloading up to 20 minutes of music into the cache.
The iPod has a large, high-quality liquid crystal display (LCD) for viewing up to six lines of text. And the LCD features a white-light-emitting diode (LED) backlight for clear visibility in low-light situations--indoors or outdoors. Pocket-size and just 6.5 ounces, it weighs appreciably less than the stack of CDs it can store music from.
Featuring Apple's award-winning iTunes 2 software, the iPod can synchronize with newly added music files and playlists. Simply plug the iPod back into your Mac and the changes are automatically updated in seconds. And with iTunes 2, you can rip MP3s, create playlists, and burn custom CDs all from one simple interface.
Its rechargeable lithium battery is charged using the FireWire cable when connected to your Mac. You can also recharge the iPod using the included FireWire cable and AC adapter when you're on the go.
The iPod supports MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 Variable Bit Rate (VBR), WAV, and AIFF files, and is firmware upgradable. To use the iPod with your Mac you'll need a FireWire port and you must be running either Mac OS 9.2.1 (or later) or Mac OS X v10.1 (or later). The iPod is not compatible with Windows operating systems.
It comes with earbud-style headphones, a FireWire cable, power adapter, and CD-ROM with iTunes 2. It's backed by a 90-day limited warranty.

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Archos AV 700 100 GB Mobile Digital Video Recorder Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had the chance to play with the AV 700 100GB unit for about three weeks now. Here is my overview.

The good:

- The biggest display on a PMP of its kind out there. It's almost as large as the unit!
- Can record in real time from DVD, VCR, Camcorder, Cable/Sat and other video devices with RCA (composite) or S-Video outputs. Much faster than DVD rippers I've tried.
- Allows for limited editing (cropping) of recorded movies. Lets say you want to cut out commercials or the end credits of the DVD you just recorded- you can do this very easily.
- Allows for selection of both video resolution (from 500 - 2500 kbits/s), format (4:3, 5:3, 16:9, 2.35:1) and audio frequency (32 or 44KHz) for recording.
- Can time record (through a very nice scheduler) - you can use it almost like a TiVo!
- Can organize movies by name and under various directories (or categories.)
- Has an audio recorder to allow music (or whatever audio) from an external device with selectable frequency (24 -48 KHz). This is higher than your standard CD quality.
- Has a photo viewer.
- Can be setup as a USB disk drive or a Windows Mobile Media device (it claims to work only under WinXP with service pack 1 or higher - I've been unable to get this to work as of yet.)
- USB 2.0 protocol. It's so fast I can actually play recorded movies from the device on my laptop in real time!
- 100 GB Drive! Can't get much better than this.
- Comes with a remote control, docking station (well, kind of) and all the cables for connection to your PC, camera, TV, DVD, VCR, etc. The remote is universal and allows you to select your device (i.e. cable box, TV, etc.)
- Very easy to upgrade the firmware. I recommend doing this if you have an older version.
- Removable battery.
- And many other nice features.

The not so good:

- Display resolution and quality could have been a lot better.
- Battery doesn't last nearly as long as it is claimed on the spec. sheet.
- The recorded movies are not "near" DVD quality when played on a TV. This is a bit misleading.
- The unit runs hot - extremely hot when plugged into the power supply.
- The stand is a nice thought but not very stable or functional.
- The most un-intuitive user interface I've ever used! The firmware upgrade made this a bit more tolerable.
- Built-in speakers are very poor in quality. But it sounds good with high quality headphones.
- Can't play protected movies (Macrovision) on TV. Only on the device. I guess I can understand adhering to the copyright laws.
- Will only play AVI formatted videos encoded in XviD or DivX MPEG-4 codec. But it comes with a PC based MPEG-1 translator which uses VitualDub as its conversion engine. I've tried this and it worked well.
- Won't work with the AAC (Apple) audio format. My iPod is not getting retired any time soon but, if you use Windows Media format (wma), WAV or MP3 for your music, then you're good to go.
- Archos' VERY unfriendly customer service.

The nice to haves:

- Even with a 100GB drive, it could still use a SD or CompactFlash socket (for PC-less transfer of data, if nothing else.) But I was able to connect a USB thumb drive with the aid of an included adapter and transferred files back and forth.
- A "display only mode" for connecting a PS2 or XBOX on the road with full screen view. Maybe on a future release of the firmware?
- You can play games on the AV700? What games?

I had to replace the unit I originally bought. It suffered from very annoying vertical scrolling lines that I could not get rid of with the built-in "LCD Stability" function or otherwise. This is when I had the displeasure of dealing with the Archos' unfriendly (and I must say rude) technical service rep. Without asking me any questions specific to my problem, she proceeded to tell me that the unit must have been dropped. To add insult to injury, she told me it would cost me $150 for an out-of-warranty repair and that was the end of it! But she suggested I go back to the store that I purchased the unit and see if they would replace it. I'm happy to say the store did replace my unit graciously and my second unit does not have the same problem. Also, I think there maybe an electrical ground problem with the unit but, I have to investigate this a bit further.

Overall, the AV700 is a nice concept and a great device but, it is in its infancy. I've been able to record DVDs with relative ease where it was a major task before. Now I can stop spending hours ripping DVDs to play on my iPaq! Next, I'm converting all my old home videos from VHS and then transferring them on to DVDs. In my opinion, the AV 700 is much more than just a replacement for a personal DVD or music player. I think Archos should continue to improve on the features and the overall quality of this product which promises to be one of the great personal media devices out there.

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Product Description:
Its a portable theatre!The AV 700 series Mobile DVR combines the mobility and wide screen of a portable DVD player, with the video recording and scheduling features of a digital video recorder.Directly record from your TV, DVD player or cable box and experience it on the amazing 7" wide-screen color LCD.Enjoy continuous video, music, photos and games on a flight from LAX to Tokyo, going on a camping trip, relaxing in a hotel room or virtually anywhere else. Built-in support for Microsofts PlaysForSure lets you download the latest movies and hottest music in a snap from your favorite online digital video and music stores - RECORD and watch up to 400 hours of VIDEO directly from a TV, DVD , cable/satellite receiver- Store and watch up to 250 full-length movies on the large 7" 16:9 wide-screen LCD or output to TV- Easily schedule and record your favorite TV shows with the ARCHOS TV Scheduler!- Supports MPEG-2, MPEG-4 ASP, WMV9, DivX, XviD formats- Record, download and listen up to 55,000 SONGS- Supports MP3, WMA (including protected files) and WAV audio formats- Record audio from any standard audio source or via built-in microphone- Transfer, store and view up to 1,000,000 PHOTOS- Transfer photos directly from your digital camera or PC using the USB host port- Make slideshows and share photos on the large 7" LCD screen or display out to a TV- Large 40GB hard-drive capacity- Transfer and store MEDIA and DATA files via high-speed USB 2.0 interface- PC and

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Sony MZ-S1 S2 Sports Net MD MiniDisc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm starting to wonder whether Sony is even on the right track in trying to remain relevant in the mp3-centric digital music world.
I think something like NetMD would have been utterly fantastic three years ago, when USB-enabled computers were starting to gain mainstream adoption, and before hard disk and cd-r burner prices hadn't dropped low enough for more people to rip and burn their music collection. Then, I think, the ability to transfer up to five hours of music onto a single, (relatively) inexpensive minidisc would have held greater appeal.
Regardless of timing, the NetMD technology is still pretty neat. You are able to transfer digital content, either imported mp3/wma or audio CD's, directly to minidisc using one of three compression settings.
SP, the full-bore setting, allows up to 80 minutes on one disc, and is the best sounding of the three. It is "lossy" compression, like mp3, but to my damaged ears, they sound at least as good as CD's. LP2 doubles the storage time, but the increased compression makes the resulting recordings sound like... well, ALMOST as good as a 160kbps cbr mp3. Almost.
LP4 quadruples storage time, but as you might guess, the sound quality is pretty dodgy, comparable to a poorly ripped 128kbps (or lower) cbr mp3. LP4 is pretty much a lost cause as far as most rock goes, but it is surprisingly passable for hip-hop and spoken word (and probably for most electronica, but I have yet to test this).
As far as transferring existing mp3/wma content goes, I wouldn't recommend it (I know, it pretty much nulls the hype of NetMD, doesn't it?). I've tried converting a batch of 160kbps cbr mp3's to SP and LP2, using the included OpenMG Jukebox.At SP, the sound quality is comparable to the original, but the transfer to MD takes almost as long as the length of the content. Transfer in LP2 is faster, if you disregard the processor-hog conversion to ATRAC LP2 mode, but the sound quality takes a nosedive.
From what I've read, OMG Jukebox is notoriously unstable. Or so I've read. I've been able to successfully install it on two separate Windows 2000 Pro machines, and I'm feeling so lucky, I'm going to buy a lottery ticket once I'm done with this review.
That said, once you fast forward to 2002, where more people than not have gigabytes of existing mp3's on her or his hard disk, you have to wonder whether it's more convenient to rely on a solid state mp3 player to take small sections of this content without any further format-shifting, or dump them en masse to CD-R/W's for use with 3" or 5" disc-based mp3 players. If NetMD handled mp3's and wma's natively (or even managed Sony's proprietary ATRAC without the inflexible audio management software), I think this product would have much more relevance today.However, due to intellectual property concerns, I think Sony hamstrung itself with its convoluted content management system.
In the meanwhile, I've been using the Net MD Simple Burner program to transfer audio CD content directly to MD (mostly in LP2 mode, with some LP4, but for some weird reason, SP is NOT available as a transfer mode with Simple Burner!). I have started amassing a usable variety of discs packed with songs for the gym or for walks in the park, and from there on, it's straightforward MD goodness. Compact form factor, high skip resistance, durable media, high battery life. Basically all the things that most CD-R/W mp3 players aren't.And in a nice change of pace from the bumblebee black-and-yellow motif, the new S2 Sports design definitely adds some to the "cool factor".
I'm inclined to think that Sony munged the Minidisc yet again, this time with questionable software, but the good news is that I am still able to make use of NetMD. Drop me a line if you have any questions or war stories to share.

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Product Description:
If you crave tunes while you workout, then check out this S2 Sports Net MDM-^Y by Sony. This handheld minidisc Walkman<< records CDs or MP3s from your PC at up to 32x speed. It features a durable, water-resistant design, the G-ProtectionM-^Y anti-shock system, and rich Digital Mega Bass<< enhanced sound. You can get up to 54 hours of playback with 1 "AA" battery and the MDLPM-^Y feature provides 4 times as much music on 1 disc than a standard MD, giving you over 5 hours of music.

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Sony NWS23 Network Walkman 256 MB Digital Music Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This product will not let you drag and drop mp3 files into the mp3 player like every other mp3 player on the planet. It makes you convert your mp3 using their software to do it. Most of my mp3 library will not transfer over. I bought a Scandisk and every file went in with no problem and plays great. Sony if you were trying to make a product that sucks, well you succeeded.

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Product Description:
The perfect work-out player, the Sony NW-S23 is water resistant, provides up to 70 hours of playback on one AAA battery, features a skip-proof design, and comes with an armband strap for added convenience. The unit is small, weighing in at 2 ounces and measuring less than four inches long, and its high-impact plastic housing is designed to take a beating. If you want a digital music player that's tough and tiny, get the NW-S23 S2 Sports Network Walkman. It won't get in the way of your work-out.

New S2 Sports Network Walkman Digital Music Player represents the latest generation of Sony Sports Walkman players created to be durable, stylish, and ready for go-anywhere outdoor fun.
256MB built-in memory provides up to 170 songs on the device.
Compatible with the Connect Music Store: The Connect Music Store provides an easy method for downloading personal music. Connect Music Store offers access to an extensive online music library including many independent titles as well as featured artist and celebrity mixes.
Water Resistant Design includes high-impact plastic housing designed for outdoor activity, with waterproof seals that help keep out water, moisture, and dirt.
Armband Style Carry Case (Supplied) provides comfort and functionality for your Sports Network Walkman Player and helps you to hold unit more securely during activity.
h.ear Clip-On Style Headphones (Supplied) give you a whole new look in headphone design, with individual left and right behind-the-ear headphones that provide maximum comfort for your listening experience.
1 AAA Battery provides up to 70 Hours Continuous Playback
Backlit LCD Display with 4 Modes is capable of displaying the track number, bit rate, elapsed time, song title, artist name, spectrum analyzer, play mode and bass/AVLS/battery life indicator, depending on the mode chosen.
Skip-Proof Design with No Moving Parts for uninterrupted playback even while carrying the Network Walkman player during active uses.
Music Management Software (Supplied) lets you import, manage and easily transfer your digital music collections with the supplied music management software.
Plays Back in ATRAC3 Audio Format, Supports Multiple Internet Audio Formats (MP3, WMA, WAV): The Network Walkman player plays back ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus files and supports the most popular Internet Audio formats.
Transfer Personal Downloaded Music and Recordings between your CDs and your PC, creating your own music mixes for on-the-go enjoyment.
Connects to USB Port for High-Speed Data Transfer After music mixes have been created in the jukebox, they are easily transferred at high speed to the device.
Group/Folder Function allows for easy navigation between multiple file folders transferred from playlist.

What's in the Box
Sony NW-S23, headphones, USB cable, armband, CD-ROM with SonicStage software.

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Cowon D2+ 16 GB MP3 Player (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)Actually, this is my third Cowon D2 and my second D2+. I just love the sound, the simplicity of style, long battery life and the wide variety of music formats it will play and equalizer options. All my other players have been Black, so the silver color of the player was a bit departure for me. But, I didn't buy it for the color. It was the cheapest player of its type and capacity. Speaking of capacity, one of the other great features is that you can expand the capacity of the D2+ through its SD card slot. But, I digress from the real reason I bought the Cowon D2 in the first place: the sound quality. I love the breadth of sounds that come from the Cowon D2. The major difference between the Cowon D2 and D2+ is the interface. The D2+ software improves the look of the player. Otherwise, there's not much difference between the two versions. Both players still have the wonderfully vibrant 24-bit QVGA touch LCD screen, which is great for viewing photos or video. Transferring music to the Cowon D2+ was effortless, using Windows Media Player 11 to create or transfer playlists. I also used Cowon's jetAudio Media Center software to easily convert and transfer video,photos and FLAC and Lossless music, although I must admit that I did not notice much of a difference between those music file types and my MP3 files on this device. Overall, this is a wonderfully versitle media player. It has an FM radio, plays Audible books. Also, I've not only used it to play music and videos, and view photos, but to make recordings at meetings. The microphone is incredibly responsive and has a range of at least 10 feet. The only drawback for me is that for some reason my D2+ once lost all its media. I turned it on one day and there was no music or anything. It was completely blank. I'm not sure whether it was something I did or a quirk in the software. At any rate, I'd already backed up the original media, which I suggest any owner do, and simply re-loaded my media. Great player, quirky software, wonderful sound.

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Product Description:
Video and audio player with FM tuner, voice recorder, and text and photo viewer 2.5-inch, 24-bit QVGA (320 x 240) touchscreen LCD with 16 million colors Up to 52 hours of music playback (10 hours of video) on one charge SD/SDHC/MMC/MMC-plus card memory expansion DRM-protected content and BBE+ support What's in the Box Cowon D2+ (Silver), stylus, earphones, USB cable, Quick Guide, installation CD.

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iHome iH31S - Boombox for iPod and iPod Shuffle With Remote. MP3 Player and FM Radio - SILVER Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This seems like a nice product, except for the fact that it is an older model that has been discontinued by iHome and is not compatible with my 5th generation iPod nano. This would have been helpful information when making a decision on which boombox I wanted to go with my new nano.

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Product Description:
The humble boom box has come a long way! Now, you can listen to music from your iPod or other digital music player in your car, at the park, or in your office, with the stylish, modern iHome Boom Box. Whether you're running on AC power (which also charges your iPod, even iPod shuffle models!), car adapter, or C-cell batteries, you'll enjoy a full, rich sound experience from the 4" stereo speakers. The included dock adapters and patch cable ensure that your dockable iPod or Shuffle will be ready to play out loud in no time! This boom box also brings your clear, crisp FM radio reception, and features 6 memory presets to store your favorite stations. The included full-function remote puts you in control, even when you're not standing next to the unit. This portable beauty brings forth every nuance of your music, at home or on the road.

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Sony NWZB105FWHI 2GB Walkman MP3 Player (White) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the NWZ-B105 from Sony directly right after it was released. I bought it because I've had good experiences with Sony audio products in the past, and because it allowed for drag-and-drop or WMP11 play of your MP3 or WMA files. It's also one of the few OLED display players that lets you browse by folder, supports playlists, has voice recording, and excellent sound quality. I don't need JPG or movie playing, just something to use while exercising.

When I received it, I plugged it directly into my laptop, transfered about 1GB of music using WMP11 (the player is a 2GB model), and then listened for a while - sounded great, very close on par to Cowon/iAudio music players. Was very happy, until I decided to check out the Sony's other functions. First I tried voice recording, and got the message that the memory was full...well, no, it wasn't - I only transfered a GB...so I decided the reformat the player from the player's menu (the instructions warn you to NOT reformat the player using Windows) and apparently that pushed the player over the edge. It froze up - pressing the Power button after that only resulted in "Creating Database" and "Boot Error" messages flashing on the screen. I plugged it into my computer and it wouldn't even recognize it as a drive. Doing a pin Reset of the unit did absolutely nothing.

So I called Sony tech support, who told me to send it in for repair. No way was I going to go for weeks without a player, so I said no, I'll just return it, and they told me to call the customer returns number. I asked if I needed a confirmation number or something of that sort to indicate that I've already run the unit past tech support, and the rep said, "No, just call the number." So I called the Returns number and after being on permahold, and the rep answered and asked me, "Do you have an Event number?" I said, "No, the tech support guy said I didn't need one." The Returns rep said, "You need an event number to get an RMA." Sigh.So I had to call tech support AGAIN, get an event number, then call Returns again, to finally get the RMA number. Plus I have to pay for return shipping, even though the unit is clearly defective.

Definitely not the product quality or service experience I expected when buying from a higher-end company like Sony. I know the player was just newly released, but for it to malfunction like that is just a pain and I'm way hesitant to make another investment in Sony players again because of the hassle.

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Product Description:
The NWZ-B105FWHI Walkman MP3 player may be a featherweight, but it's packed with clever features that make it easy to manage and enjoy your music. An integrated USB plug lets you quickly fill the player's 2GB storage capacity with up to 950 MP3 or WMA music files, including music from Windows Media PlaysForSure subscription services. A built-in FM tuner lets you listen to your favorite radio stations, and the on-board microphone allows the player to double as a handy voice recorder. And as you expect from Sony, audio quality is superbly crisp, clear, and dynamic. Also available in black.2GB Built-in Memory
Store up to 950 songs on your Walkman MP3 Player and never be without your music again.
USB Direct Connect
Connect your Walkman player directly to your PC and easily transfer your music and charge your device without the need for additional cables.
MP3 and WMA Audio Codec Support
Supports playback of MP3 and WMA Audio files downloaded from multiple sources giving you options for downloading music the way you want.
Compatible with Secure Windows Media Audio
Compatible with Windows Media PlaysForSure music services, ensuring playback of digital music you purchase from a wide variety of sources.
3-Line Color LCD Display
Shows track, artist and album information.
FM Tuner with Record Function and 30 Station Presets
Record your favorite radio broadcasts using the built-in FM tuner with record function. Preset and listen to your favorite radio stations while on the go.
Voice Recording Function
The on-board microphone with voice recorder function lets you record personal notes and memos.
Up to 12 Hours of Battery Life
Gives you all-day enjoyment from your favorite music.
What's in the Box
NWZ-B105FWHI Walkman MP3 player, MDR-E804LP Headphones, MP3 Conversion Tool.

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