Nomad IIc 64mb -- affordable and practical
Written: Dec 09 '03
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Pros: NEVER skips, decent memory, backlit LCD, ID3 tags, voice recording, light weight
Cons: No track order programming USB1.0 slow song transfers, poor software compatibility
The Bottom Line: Great for working out, long rides or for voice recording. Very affordable and practical.
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| nxs4ever's Full Review: Creative Technology Nomad IIc (64 MB) MP3 Player |
The Nomad IIc is not the smallest nor is it the most memory bountiful mp3 player. It has its bugs, namely in the software area (PlayCenter 2 is strenuous to get functional on my old Win98SE computer). It's light but made of mainly plastic materials. This is a given since the player is less than $79 at most retailers and comes with enough memory to store 14-16 songs at 128kbps 44khz quality. The player also comes with a behind the head style headphone that boasts it has more bass response. Truth be told, my Sony MDR-E829V earbud-phones have the same bass response and treble. The Nomad IIc package also comes with a AA battery, USB cable, software (PlayCenter 2 and iTunes for MAC plus the drivers needed), and of course, an instruction manual. Why am I less than thrilled with this package I bought at Fry's for $50 on Black Friday? First, I used to own a Nomad IIc a long time ago---it had 32mb a removeable SmartMedia card and NO internal memory at all and it retailed for $129; it came with everything above plus a carrying pouch, a remote that is great for joggers/workouts and most importantly, an FM TUNER. This model does not come with an FM radio tuner. Granted the reception wasn't perfect without an antennae on my old Nomad, it was still fun to tune into talk radio stations when things got boring and all I had was my Nomad to keep me company. The pouch is also priceless. The second week using my new current Nomad, I dropped it on the ground and a little bit of the silver finish on the side of the player scraped off, leaving a white plastic scar.
_________Enough complaints. Why is this a good player? The player comes with 64MB of built-in memory and can take up to another SmartMedia card (max 128MB, about $36 or less), making the player's total memory potential 192mb. If you buy the 128MB built-in memory model, it can have up to 256MB total memory. That's a lot of songs! The battery life is 8-10 hours on one single AA battery. This player is perfect for jogging or working out because it has a nifty belt clip at the back and a "hold" function so the buttons won't be accidentally pressed while working out. The repeat/A-B select replay loop function is another practical feature. Navigation is easy and the volume buttons are conveniently on the side. Dropping my player proves the unit is sturdy and can take some abuse. Other features of the player includes a clock, voice recording (4 hours on 64MB memory), user-customizable DSP (with classical, pop, rock, and jazz presets), blacklit display, and ID3 tags for mp3 files. But most important of all, this player NEVER EVER skips.
One thing I want to gripe about but shouldn't is the software. My computer is an old 450mhz running on Win98SE so my situation may be unique. It is usually very stable but PlayCenter 2, the bundled software for transferring files onto the Nomad (also for ripping songs), does not recognize my Nomad. However, I found a solution around this: Notmad Explorer. The software is $30 but the free shareware works fine.
Transferring files take a while due to the old USB 1.0 transfers. However, at about 8mbps per second, the player can fill up its 64mb memory in less than 5 minutes.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
nxs4ever
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Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 12 members
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