IPAQ PA-1: works great.
Written: Feb 13 '01
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Pros: Extremely small, Great capacity, Great Sound.
Cons: USB means no NT4, Fair battery life.
The Bottom Line: For the price I paid, (very) well worth it. I wouldn't have paid $200, as there are competitive choices available. In this technology, prices change alot!
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| lukestanley's Full Review: Compaq iPAQ PA-1 (64 MB) MP3 Player |
Capacity: I wanted an MP3 player with minimum 64MB, and potential to expand to 128MB; the PA-1 has it! The minor problem is to get to 128MB, you have to toss your original two 32MB MMC's for two 64MB MMC's; that said, a 64MB MMC has dropped to $115. (Technology is moving so fast, you don't want to get stuck with limited capacity!)
Upgradeable: The PA-1 is one of the few on the market which can upgrade the firmware. (Again, ability to stay on the technology curve just a little bit longer.)
Size: I wanted to use this for my running, and it's so small it's perfect. I thought I *needed* the belt-clip, but I really don't; it's small enough to fit in any pocket, really.
Sound: Believe it or not, I tried some other players, who sounded terrible (and I'm nowhere near an audiophile!); I can't understand this, since isn't MP3 equivalent to digital audio?
Cost: Well, I got in before Onvia went under, and picked up a unit for $149 in Jan'01, and qualified for the Compaq rebate of $50 to boot. Can't beat that either!
Negatives:
Material: feels like some plasticy material, and am forced to treat it with care because of that. Also, compartment doors look like they'll break easily.
Earbuds: was hoping they could be used for my running, but are worthless. I do like them, however, for non-active uses.
USB: I wanted this for download speed, but naiively didn't realize that NT4 had no support (nada, zippo); well, forced me to (finally) upgrade to W2K.
Battery: the two AAA just don't seem to last long. Since I tend to frequently download/rearrange my MP3's onto the PA-1, I suspect that the USB/download time is a *big* battery drain. I've finally made the leap to the NiMH rechargeables (cf: MAHA MH-204F charger is tops!), and with four NiMH AAA, I always have a fresh battery ready to go.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100
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Epinions.com ID:
lukestanley
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Member: Stanley Luke
Location: Acton, MA
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 0 members
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