yaakovts's Full Review: Olympus m:robe MR-100 (5 GB) Digital Media Player
Size: When I was looking at this in a catalog, I thought it would be the same size, or maybe a little smaller than the regular iPod. When I got it, I saw how it just like sat in your palm, and the texture of it is very smooth. (This sounds weird, doesn't it. :( )
Software: I don't know why everybody is saying that the software isn't very good. This is my first MP3 player, but the software doesn't seem all that bad. Once you learn how to use it, you can make playlists and all that stuff. I come across little things that make it annoying, but since I can't really compare it to anything else, I wouldn't know if that's normal or not.
Volume: Everyone's been saying that it doesn't get loud enough. If you ever wear headphones and raise the volume more than halfway, in not so long, you're going to be saying that no one ELSE talks loud enough. I myself think that the lowest volume may be a little too much. Like when I'm going to sleep, I don't want it that my ears to feel strained with each sound. Don't get me wrong, it's not so loud, but complaining that it doesn't get you deaf isn't a tangible complaint.
The earbuds: I think that sound is okay, but the comfort isn't that great, but if you want to get comfort, then just spend $50 dollars on a good pair. The iPod earbuds are the same, if you care that much, then replace them.
User friendliness: Like I said before, I can't compare this to anything. I find that once you get to the main menu, browsing by artists, album, or composer is pretty simple. Also, the fact that you don't even have to push anything is pretty cool. The one problem I may have with using it, is that when push the on button, it takes 10 to 15 seconds to to start up. I just turn it on first, and then plug in my headphones and put them in my ear. By the time I'm done, it's ready to go. Going from one song to the other manually (meaning if you want to go to a different song) may take like 2 seconds, so just a tip: (I'm not sure if it says this in the instructions or not) If a song is playing in the backround, when you get the song you want highlighted, press "play" twice and wait. Or just to "break it down for you," you want to pause it, select the song you want, then touch play. Before doing anything, you want to wait a couple seconds, otherwise you can get yourself all confused.
Case: It doesn't come with one, but comparing the prices of Olympus's cases with other mp3 players', they're pretty well priced. I got the leather one, and the way it opens up is very convenient. While I still have it on my belt, I unsnap it, it kind of like "flips out" and I can do whatever I want with it while it's still on my belt. That feature is pretty good. The one problem with it is that I can't charge it while it's still on, so I have to take off the case. It's a pretty easy and fast "procedure" so it's not such a pain. I'm assuming, though, that with the silicon case you can still keep it on while charging. Go to https://emporium.olympus.com/innards/emp.asp?getpro=yes&p=46 (assuming that you're in America) to see the accessories.
You may wonder why it's so much cheaper than other mp3 players, and I can answer that for you. It's not like an iPod where there's no moving parts in it. This is a hardrive. The same thing that you have in your computer. It says to keep it away from very strong speakers because they have magnets in them. Dropping it or putting it in a place of vibration isn't a very good idea either. From what the manual says, doing that can cause it to lose memory or malfunction. It has a very good ant-skip, so running or jumping or anything like that it good, but by dropping it on a hard floor without a case, the shock can do something to it. I never had any of these experiences, but from what I understand, that's what would happen.
It's still very worth it, because these situations are very easy to avoid, and the price is very, very worth it.
Since it's not so well known, when people see it, they look at it for a while because it looks pretty cool. (I couldn't find anywhere else to put that in)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130 Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
Enjoy over 1,200 songs with over 5 GB of storage Convenient and easy-to-use touch panel lets you quickly play music, view music and device settings, b...More at Amazon Marketplace
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