I own a 30 gig video Ipod which holds every CD I own. So why would I want a cheap 1 GB flash drive MP3 player? Precisely because I own a 30 gig video Ipod.

I bought a cheap player mainly because there are times when I don't want to worry about protecting the Ipod. If I forget it at work and it gets lifted or if it gets wet or damaged, I'm not out much. I can store it in my car for long periods of time and not worry about theft.

That's why I selected a PQI Joytone U801 --- it only cost me a grand total of $29 --- about what I paid for the case that protects my Ipod.

What does $29 get you? Plenty, it turns out.

Form: The Joytone is roughly the size of cigarette lighter and is finished in shiny plastic. I went for the scratch-loving black version. It has a readout screen, a volume bar, a skip and go back bar, and equalizer button and a earpiece jack in the center. I really like the size of this unit. It fits perfectly in my pants or shirt pocket, doesn't get in the way of anything but on the other hand isn't so small it's hard to find. The unit comes with a very short USB cable and a set of earbuds --- that's it, no armband case or even written instructions.

Function: There is really no need for complicated instructions because the Joytone is so simple. In fact, the genius of this unit is that it is so simple. It's essentially a card reader which stores all of your music on a secure digital 1 GB memory card that pops in the side of the unit (A 1 GB card memory card alone is worth the 29 bucks). It will accept up to a 2 GB flash card. To load it up with music, plug it into your computer (most computers will immediatly recognize the Joytone without having to load any drivers) with the USB cable, open up Windows Media player, drag and drop the songs you want, or be like me and hit shuffle every time and let the computer do the choosing for you. I've found that the Joytone will usually accept a little over 200 MP3 files on the card. Not bad at all. The Joytone is powered by a single AAA battery. This was also a feature I wanted --- I didn't want to have to deal with an exclusive charger to keep my player running. I use rechargeable batteries in the Joytone and they'll go about 15 hours per charge. To start the Joytone you hold down the play button (which is also the stop button) for about 3 seconds until the blue monitor lights up and tells you "Welcome". It's a bit tricky to get the thing going. If you don't hold it long enough it will not start up. When it starts, the player is automatically on pause you you must push the play button again to get it going. This is also annoying. There are no playlists or menus on this player --- it's a straight line device meaning it will play songs 1 through 200 in order and you have to skip back and forth to hear a particular song. There is no shuffle function or playlist function. It will display a rolling scroll of the song, the artist, the album and the elapsed time. And it's very easy to read, even when screen is not backlit. The backlight will fire up every time any button is pushed. But one particularly annoying thing is there is no keylock on the Joytone. Occasionally it will pause while I'm listening to music while carrying the Joytone in my pocket because I've accidentally hit a button while walking. Also, it's jammed maybe three times since I've owned it. But to reset it, just pull out the battery, put it back in, and off you go again. Another downside to the Joytone is that when you shut it off and turn it back on, it will always start at the begining of the last song you heard. But at least it doesn't start at the begining of the song list. I've already scratched up finish of the Joytone, but I didn't by this player to pamper it.

Sound: The Joytone sounds marvelous, but it takes some mastering and adjustment to get it right. It has six EQ presets and you'll occassionally have to hit that button while listening to different types of music. I've never had to do this with my Ipod, but it's a quirk I can live with. The earbuds that come with the Joytone are really not worth keeping --- they sound flat and tinny. Go buy a better pair if Joytone is your first MP3 player or use the ones from your Ipod if you own one.

Overall: The Joytone was a lucky find. It does everything I want it to do. And it beats the Ipod shuffle in both price and functions. You can expand the memory with the Joytone by slipping a new card in it, you don't have to give up on the player when the internal battery goes bad, and it has a readout screen --- all things the Ipod Shuffle can't claim.



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 29
Recommended for: Beginners - Easy Enough for Tech Newbies