Iomega HipZip - Back to the Store from Whence it Came
Written: Oct 11 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: small, expandable memory
Cons: never worked right, disks were hard to find, sound wasn't good
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| amykhar's Full Review: Iomega Hipzip 31311 40 MB MP3 Player |
Typically, I am an impulsive shopper. However, when I set out to buy an MP3 player, I actually tried to do a little research. I read a few Epinions on various models, and hit Best Buy’s computer department with an idea of models that I didn’t want. When I got to the store, I also asked the young salesman which model he would buy if money were no object.
Of the two he recommended, I had read bad things about one of them on Epinions. (This should have been my first warning.) Therefore, I chose his other recommendation – the Iomega HipDisk.
The HipDisk seemed like a great idea. It is made by the same people who make Zip drives. I owned a Zip drive a few years back, and absolutely loved it. Consequently, I felt safe with an Iomega product. What sets a HipZip MP3 player apart is the fact that it has removable storage media called Click Disks. Each Click Disk ( a tiny little thing) can hold up to 40 megabytes of data. Because it is a removable media, HipZip owners can have a virtually infinite amount of music stored and ready to play in the player.
In addition, from my own experiments, data besides MP3s can be stored on a Click Disk by downloading it to the player via the USB cable. Therefore, I could use the HipZip as a portable drive for carrying files between work and home.
Another feature that I liked about the HipZip was its size. Many of the MP3 players that I inspected were tiny little things. Although they seemed fun, I was certain I would lose one within a week. The HipZip is about the size of a deck of playing cards. It was small enough to be portable, and yet large enough that I couldn’t lose it in the couch cushions.
I really only had two main requirements when I picked out my MP3 player. I wanted clear sound with enough volume to drown out two bickering pre-teens. I also wanted a device that would store as much music as possible. I was unable to test the volume of the HipZip in the store because the batteries had drained on the floor model. (Second warning)
But, I liked the idea of unlimited storage so I let the salesman box up the little HipZip and went happily on my way. I was happy with my selection for approximately one hour. Then my troubles began.
The instant I arrived home, I unboxed my new toy, installed the software, and got ready to play. I plugged in the HipZip’s power adapter and USB cables, and prepared to download a few songs to try it out. At first, everything looked good. The computer recognized the HipZip, the HipZip recognized the computer, and all was well.
All was well for exactly five minutes. The second I attempted to load the first song onto the player, the computer quit seeing the HipZip. I soon found out why. The HipZip had lost power. I attempted to turn it on again with no success. After playing with it for a while, I gave up and called Iomega’s technical support line.
The good news was that it was a toll-free number. The bad news was that after going through several levels of automated menus, I realized there was no option for the HipZip. Therefore, I selected the closest product, the Click Drive, and hoped that department could help.
After waiting 20 minutes on hold, I reached a friendly human who had me try a few things I had already tried and a couple that I hadn’t thought of. However, the player was still just as dead as before. Apologetically, tech support told me that I should take it back to Best Buy and exchange it.
When I picked up my second HipZip, I was a little wiser. Only a little, but at least I was learning. This time, I had them turn on the player and show me that it worked before I left the store.
This time, when I got it home, I was actually able to download three songs to the player before it crashed. Once again, the computer couldn’t see the player. Things were slightly improved though – I could power up the player and listen to the three songs that I had managed to download.
I was less than impressed with the sound quality. Although the tone was fine, the volume just didn’t go high enough for my taste. It was loud enough for listening to at work, but I just couldn’t get any real volume out of it. In itself, this was not enough to make me return the HipZip to Best Buy and tell them “thanks, but no thanks.”
But, there was one more problem yet to come. While the first HipZip I brought home refused to turn on, this one didn’t want to turn off. Because the battery is built in to the device, the inability to reliably shut down was definitely a problem. It took several frustrating attempts to get the off button to respond.
Difficulties downloading to the device, volume too low for my taste, and non-responsive buttons eventually drove me to return the HipZip. Despite all its flaws, I really wanted to like this little player. A mini zip drive combined with an MP3 player could have been both fun and practical. Perhaps with time, Iomega can work the kinks out of the design, and I will try it again. For now, I am waiting on my MP3 player purchase.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 299
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Epinions.com ID:
amykhar
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Member: Amy
Location: USA
Reviews written: 320
Trusted by: 480 members
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