Mp3 Player Zone

The Archos 605 WiFi (30GB) (see CNET Review) isn’t for everyone. (I can’t see someone jogging or working out while lugging this around…) That said, for those who want a big screen and lots of storage, the Archos 605 WiFi (30GB) may be a good bet. It’s not too large, but the is big enough to make video look decent.

Archos 605 WiFi (30GB) Quick Stats:

• Height: 0.6 in
• Weight 6.7 oz
• Height 3.2 in
• Width 4.8 in
• Display: TFT 4.3 in - Color TouchScreen
• Supported Images: BMP , PNG , JPEG
• Supported Audio: MP3,   PCM,   WAV,   WMA,   ADPCM,   Protected WMA (DRM)
  
• Supported Video:   WMV,   MPEG-4,   Protected WMV (DRM)   (It’s a shame it doesn’t do AVI files, but that may be because of their larger size?)
• PC Connections: Hi-Speed USB , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g

There are a lot of small touches that make the Archos 605 WiFi (30GB) that much better - from the built in kick-stand (so you can sit the player on a table or somewhere else and watch it) to the built in speakers, it’s the little extras sometimes that take a product over the top.

That said, there are paid extras that can make your Archos 605 WiFi even better. From adding Internet radio for $20 to buying the Opera web browser for $30 and being able to utilize the WiFi that’s built into the unit - it’s nice sometimes to NOT have to buy everything all together. Buying a base Archos 605 WiFi and being able to expand it with features you really want is a good thing in my book.

So have you seen or used the Archos 605 WiFi (30GB)? If so, we’d love to hear your opinion. Leave a comment below letting the world know what you think of this portable video player (PVP). If nothing else, leave a comment to let us know how you think we’re doing here at the MP3 Player Zone.  Thanks!

The Cowon O2 (see PC MAG Review) is a little different than other MP3 players. That’s not necessarily an entirely bad thing, though. The first thing you’re going to notice is that the Cowon O2 is large - quite large.  You’d think with all the extra room there would be even more features than its close competitors (like the iPod Touch), but it doesn’t.

Well, the large size does offer one thing - lots of screen real estate, making it easy to interact with the music stored on the device.

Unlike previous Cowon MP3 players - like the Q5W and A3 - the Cowon O2 goes with a large flash drive and flash memory cards instead of a proper (and heavy) hard drive. This is a smart move, though, because you still get all the storage, but you also get the added benefits of being able to add memory cards to increase storage if you need to increase it. (Which makes me wonder - does anyone actually have a 16GB or more music collection? If so, I want to hear from you!)

Cowon O2 Quick Stats:

• Audio Formats: AAC, Apple Lossless, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WMA
• Photo Formats: BMP, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, RAW
• Video Formats: AVI, ASF
• Screen: 4.3″ - 480 x 272 pixels resolution
• 2.89 x 4.7 x 0.7 inches
• 7.23 oz
• Storage: 16 GB Flash

Cowon O2 Interface:

Cowon O2 In a Nutshell

Ok, here’s the deal. If you hate those tiny MP3 players with a very small screen and are willing to plop down a few extra bucks for an MP3 player that will last you - the Cowon O2 is a great choice.

If you’ve ever owned or even just used the Cowon O2 MP3 player, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and let us know whether you liked it, hated it or had no opinion on it. By sharing opinions on MP3 players, we can all have an easier time trying to decide which one is best.

Ah, nostalgia. Does anyone remember when the Sony Walkman first hit the scene? Everyone was like, “What!? A portable music player?! Get out!” It was true, though, and “walkman” almost became a generic term for portable music player.

The latest generation Sony Walkman - the NWZ-S738F (see CNET Review or PC MAG Review)  comes in 4GB and 8GB versions. (Couldn’t they have come up with a better name? Sounds like a rejected Star Wars robot name almost.) The thing that makes this MP3 Player special, though, is its good noise cancellation that’s built into the player. It’s not the very top of the line, but it’s better than a lot of other players out there.

From there, though, you get a pretty standard MP3 player. Some around the Internet have said that the user interface is a bit funky. On the other hand, the smart playlist function has been called useful. SensMe Channels are Sony’s way of helping you sort through 8GBs of music more easily.

The MP3 player does have a certain style about it too. It’s not too large and not too small. Almost perfectly sized you could say. The screen is large and bright, allowing you to see your music as you scroll through it or it plays.

Sony Walkman NWZ-S738F Quick Stats

• Storage: 4GB or 8 GB Integrated
• Dimensions: 1.7 in x 0.3 in x 3.5 in
• 1.6 oz
  
• Supported Audio Formats:  AAC,   MP3,   WAV,   WMA,   Protected WMA (DRM)
  
• Screen: 240 x 320 pixel TFT
  
• Digital Radio FM Tuner

Here’s the deal with the new Sony Walkman. If you’re looking for features - like digital voice recording - this isn’t the MP3 player for you. If, on the other hand, you’re a music lover who can tell the difference between good sounding and ok sounding music, this MP3 player will have you rocking and rolling.

Do you have a Sony Walkman (old school) story you’d like to share? Or have you tried the latest Sony Walkman NWZ-S738F? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and share with the community.

The Creative Zen Micro 5GB MP3 Player Limited Edition (see CNET Review) is a smart, geeky semi-cute MP3 player that packs a punch with features for such a small player. It’s true sometimes that good things come in small packages.

Creative Zen Micro Quick Stats:

• Hi-Speed USB
• Built-in 5 GB Hard disk drive
• 2 ” x 0.7 ” x 3.3″
• 3.8 oz
  
• Available Colors: Green, White , Silver , Dark Blue , Light Blue , Red , Purple , Citrus Orange , Black , Pink
• Supported Audio Types:  MP3,   WAV,   WMA,   ADPCM,   Protected WMA (DRM)
  
• Extras: Resume play , One track repeat , All tracks repeat , Random play / shuffle,  Notes,   Calendar,   Touch sensor operation,   FM radio recording capability
  
• 160 x 104 backlit LCD

For such a small MP3 player, the Creative Zen Micro 5GB Limited Edition has a lot of extra features you usually only find on the larger, newer MP3 players. From digital voice recording to FM stereo pickup to FM Stereo recording - if you’re looking for a good all around MP3 player, this is a good choice that won’t take a huge bite out of your wallet and won’t take up a lot of space.

All that said, the reviews around the Internet show that the setup and synchronization between this MP3 player and your computer can be a little time consuming and surely isn’t plug-n-play when you first get it. With a little effort (reading the manual), though, you’re sure to be up and running in no time.

A little difficulty with the initial setup isn’t something that should stop you from purchasing this MP3 player (unless, of course, you’re totally bad with computers and don’t think you can get through it) because it has so many great features in a compact size.

As always, if you have the Creative Zen Micro 5GB MP3 Player Limited Edition, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment with your opinion below!

The iRiver Mplayer (1GB) (see CNET Review) is a cute MP3 player that is made more for older Mickey Mouse fans than young children. That said, fans of Mickey Mouse and Disney will fall in love with the familiar design of this tiny player.

On the other hand, if cute isn’t your thing, the form over function design of the Mplayer (Mouse Player) will leave you wanting more - a lot more. To be so cute, certain features of many larger MP3 players had to be removed. (Is it too cute!?)

The MP3 player has no LCD screen and, also because of it’s diminutive nature, isn’t very durable. The 1GB of storage on the small device isn’t a lot when compared to some of the new (larger) MP3 players out there, but it’s nothing to shake a stick at either.

And have we mentioned yet how cute it is?

Measuring a scant 1.7 in x 1.6 in x 1.2 in, the iRiver Mplayer can store a lot of music for being so small.

Not to mention, it’s cute.

Cute iRiver Mplayer Stats

• Supported audio formats:  ASF,   MP3,   WMA,   MPEG 1 Audio,   MPEG 2 Audio,   MPEG 2.5 Audio
• Weight:  0.6 oz
• Dimensions: 1.7 ” x 1.6 ” x 1.2 “
• Hi-Speed USB

If you’re looking for a primary MP3 player to store and easily retrieve all your music (and videos), the iRiver Mplayer isn’t for you. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a cute second (mini) MP3 player, the Mickey Mouse MP3 player from Disney might be right up your alley.

I wonder if anyone has modded one yet to add it to a keychain? Why doesn’t iRiver offer a keychain version?

If you have the answer to these questions or just want to say how cute of an MP3 player this is, please leave a comment below.

Man, that’s one cute MP3 player.