*After trying to open the package first for about 30 minutes, using all sorts of knives, scissors and cutting tools, i finally got to try to install it under windows 2000. Unfortunately, the OS will not install it correctly unless you download a program from compaq (called softpaq) that lets windows 2000 recognize the driver. this was very frustrating if you did not know about it, since the manual says that the player is compatible with win2000. The program is actually meant for the PA-1, not the pa-2 but thankfully, it still works, because compaq did not make a separate program for the pa-2. By the way, the instruction manual doesn't help at all with this problem.
*If you run windows98/me, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.
*The usb cable connection is nice, but it is extremely slow. It took about 30-45 seconds for one song to download.
*Playing the music once downloaded is very intuitive. There is a custom bass and treble control that is very nice, along with shuffle/repeat options. The backlit screen display is also nice.
*The memory card (multimedia card) is a 64mb, now pretty much a standard in most players, but this player gives TWO slots for the memory card, which makes everything more valuable. The cover for the memory card is pretty flimsy, however.
*The included headphones have been reviewed to be very good, but to me, they are just decent. It is not extremely comfortable, but the good part is that the head-strap thing can be detached so that you only have the earbuds.
*Lastly, the belt clip that comes is nice, but once you screw it on, it blocks the battery cover, so each time you want to change batteries, you will have to remove the belt clip too.
*Another good thing is that this mp3 player supports wma files also.
*This is a very light and portable mp3 player with great sound quality. It should be very fun to use once you can get it up and working.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 150