A reasonable alternative to the iPod with some significant advantages
Written: Aug 24 '05
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Pros: GREAT battery life, some good features Apple is missing, works with multiple computers
Cons: Barrel selector. Not as cool as iPod.
The Bottom Line: Not as slick as the Apple but it has some very good features (queue, great battery life, works with more than 1 computer at once) that Apple is lacking
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| atlsmith's Full Review: Dell DJ (15 GB) MP3 Player |
Like all the other guys out there Dell is chasing Apple. I bought this player instead of the iPod because at the time I bought it I paid $130 from Dell vs $240 for a 15gig gen 3 iPod. The numbers just made sense at the time. I’m very familiar with the Gen 3 iPod having helped my girlfriend get and set up a 40gig model. I’ve also played with the gen 4 model.
Having owned it for a while, I’m still happy with it.
Compared to the iPod:
The iPod is a very stylish device with a very high quality feel. The Dell is less stylish but has an equally sturdy, quality feel.
The iPod interface is basically the gold standard. The Dell is good with the same sort of click forward, click back menu system. The Dell also offers a return strait to home button. Really, the only drawback to the Dell interface vs the iPod is the rolling barrel vs the iPod’s touch wheel. Where the wheel lets you quickly scroll through lots of songs, the barrel forces you to repeatedly spin, move your thumb back to the to, spin, repeat. It also doesn’t accelerate like the iPod. You can search by first letter which helps but still not as good as the iPod. Same sort of thing if you want to move forward in a track. The iPod allows you to use the scroll wheel. The Dell is more conventional and requires you to hold a button down. However, it’s not too bad because it’s a two speed FF, slow at first so you can move just a bit, then fast so even very long tracks go by quickly. The screen is also a big harder to read due to the color of the back lighting (only a bit).
Although it’s less stylish I like having the real volume controls that work no mater where you are in the menu. Apple’s volume only works in some modes.
A big plus for the Dell is the “add to selected” feature. Like a real jukebox, the Dell lets you add song to an instantaneous play list. This is not a playlist that will be saved or anything like that, just a queue of songs. When ever you select a song/album/artist etc by pressing down on the rolling barrel (the same as pushing the center of the iPod wheel) a menu pops up that asks if you would like to play this track/album etc or add it to the queue. It remembers what you selected last and automatically highlights the same choice so you can just push down twice. When creating a quick list of songs this is far easier than creating a play list. If you like that list of songs you can then transfer it to a real stored playlist. The lack of queued playback is one of my biggest beefs with the iPod.
iTunes vs what ever:
For better or worse the Dell doesn’t require you to use fancy software to load music. You can use iTunes competitors like Media Player or Music Match or just the simple Dell DJ Explorer. I’ve just used the DJ Explorer as I’m not interested in synching my Dell with my computer. Also, unlike the Apple, DJ’s can be used with more than one computer at a time. So long as the computer has DJ Explorer (small download from Dell) you can add or get songs off your Dell at work and home. Nice touch because I know moving an iPod to a new computer can be a pain (did it with the gf’s iPod). Also, when connected to the computer (it can charge via the USB) you can still use the Dell as a stand alone player. Apple expects you to use iTunes when connected to the computer.
A few other niceties:
The Dell uses standard USB cables vs Apple’s more expensive proprietary cables. Because Dell uses a USB mini connector, my little flash based MP3 player, my camera and Dell can all use the same cable and it was easy to get a second cable for the office.
The Dell lets you erase songs without the computer. I add stuff I’m not sure about and can erase it if I’m not happy with it.
BATTERY!!!!
This is actually a big plus in my book. I can get an easy, honest 18 hours out of the Dell. That includes selecting new songs, changing what I’m listening to etc, not just hit play and never tough it till the battery dies. My gf’s gen 3 iPod gets an honest 6 or so. Basically that means I can grab the Dell as assume I have enough battery to last the day. The Apple is more likely to die during a 2 hour trip. My gf’s iPod now resides its charging cradle so she know it will have enough charge. Thanks to it’s long battery life I just assume the Dell is charged.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130
Recommended for: Beginners - Easy Enough for Tech Newbies
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Epinions.com ID:
atlsmith
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Reviews written: 2
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