iRock Rocks!
Written: Jul 08 '02 (Updated Dec 20 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to Operate, Expandable, Inexpensive, Beautiful
Cons: None really, but would be nice if WMA capable.
The Bottom Line: As good as you can get for under a hundred dollars. Rush out in a buying frenzy and grab one now!
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| ben9's Full Review: FID Irock 520 (64 MB) MP3 Player |
As of December 2002, this MP3 player is now available for $79.00. You can find them at any COMP USA, Radio Shack or online. There is also a 128MB version available for $129! The rest of my original review stands as written, last July.
I've bought and used many different mp3 players from various manufacturers, going back to the first (original) Rio (before you could buy them in stores), and the vaunted Pontis Player, out of Germany.
All things considered, this is about as good as I've seen. Here is why:
The iRock is just about as small as you can get, while still being expandable. It has 64MB onboard, allowing you to pack in about 15-17 songs in the "CD Quality" mp3 rate of 128K.
Go down to "Near CD Quality" or what some would call "FM Quality" of 64k and you get nearly three full albums. Songs recorded in the lower 64K mode are quite passable for listening in the car. Add a 64MB card and you have a lot of music, either way. I found a 128MB card on sale at Costco for $54 so I really feel like I have it made here.
This unit is Easy to Use - You turn the iRock 520 on by pushing in a small silver button on it's side. Use that same button as a lever, to scroll through your songs -up for "forward" and down for "back". The volume controls are just beneath that. Nice. Simple.
The iRock 520 has a smooth, pearl finish with pearl-blue accents on the sides. Your girlfriend, sisters, spouses and kids will love this for it's looks alone - and I'll confess that I do as well.
The Software - past and previous owners of all Rio units will recognize this right away, it is based on the popular "Rioport" software. It is a bit clunky, slow and seems to be resource hungry, even on a robust XP system. It takes just a little bit of getting-to-know, but it is a good system overall.
Owners of Media Jukebox version 8 and / or Cakewalk Pyro - you already have full support for this iRock player built into your system, so rejoice! I bought Media Jukebox online for about $24 and Cakewalk Pyro for $19 and both were worth the money. Both handle my iRock transfers and maintenance WELL!
Documentation and Intsall - the owner's manual really is a manual. It's well written and addresses the setup and use in a way that beginners will welcome and appreciate.
Install is routine for all systems that I've tried. Mac users, there is a brand new driver but if you are using OS9, you do need to do a little "tweaking" - this entails copying a couple of files into the extensions folder and you'll get good guidance from the iRock site on this.
Windows XP users - during the install process, you may get an error or warning message, saying the driver has not been successfully "tested, verified", etc. It will ask you if you wish to continue or abort - You wish to Continue! Everything will be fine. Install and operation will be routine.
Power requirements - what power requirements??? One little AAA battery gives you hours and hours of musical pleasure here! I keep a spare in my briefcase, and one in my glovebox. Neither gets used often, believe me. Another of the advantages of using musical players with no moving parts.
Summary: If you need or want an mp3 player but can't spend more than a hundred dollars, this is a great choice. At this price point, many (most?) mp3 players will not give you the capability to expand with memory, and many or most will not give you a generous 64MB onboard at this price point. This is a near-perfect combination of quality, convenience, economy, user-friendliness and fun - all that, and it even looks great!
I've spent twice as much - and half as much ... yet never walked away from the sales counter more pleased than when I bought this little mp3 gem!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ben9
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Location: Bellevue, Washington
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
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