A niche product, but it fits the niche well
Written: Jan 08 '04 (Updated Jan 08 '04)
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Pros: For snowboarders, runners, cyclists, people on the go and in the know.
Cons: If you love your iPod, there's no reason to switch.
The Bottom Line: Not for everyone, but for some people, currently the best combination of features currently available in an MP3 player. Its durability, battery life, portability and sound quality are unexcelled.
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| mortalcoil's Full Review: Creative Labs Nomad MuVo2 X-Trainer (512 MB) MP3 P... |
The iPod, as we all know, is the de facto standard for mp3 players. Why buy anything else? The Creative Muvo2 X-Trainer is in many ways the anti-iPod. If the iPod suits you perfectly, read no further. There are some people, however, for whom the iPod is not ideal; some of them will appreciate the X-Trainer. Pros and cons:
Capacity: 512 meg is tiny compared to the tens of gigabytes of song capacity on an iPod. That's still 100-150 songs, though, and transfers over USB2 typically take under 2 seconds per song.
Battery life: the iPod can't play 150 songs on one charge. The X-Trainer's battery will work for days.
Storage medium: A major reason for the X-Trainer's efficiency is that it uses flash memory for storage, not a hard drive like the iPod. This also makes it utterly skip-proof and more impact-resistant. No moving parts implies a longer lifespan as well.
Portability: The X-Trainer is smaller and lighter, about the size of a pack of unfiltered Camels.
Interface: The iPod's is much more elaborate. The X-Trainer's is perfectly functional and intuitive, though the lcd is definitely on the small side.
Miscellaneous X-Trainer plusses: USB2 interface using non-proprietary connector. Plug and play drag and drop functionality on W2K & XP (W98 requires driver installation). Excellent sound quality, especially if you replace the included headphones. Capable of recharging through the USB connection.
Miscellaneous X-Trainer minuses: No line-out. Susceptible to static. If you accidentally shock one of the inputs, the unit can temporarily freeze. 512 MB, as advertised, is a bit of a misnomer; a bit of this seems to be used for the operating system, leaving you with slightly less than 500 MB of usable storage. The stock headphones are not good.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 260
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
mortalcoil
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 9 members
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