Customer Reviews

Dell DJ 20GB Gen 2 Digital Jukebox MP3 Player

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this mp3 player about 3 years ago when the 2nd gen came out. I couldn't believe I could get a 20GB player for under $200 brand new. I've been using it constantly at work ever since. I even purchased the FM receiver for it through Dell when they still carried accessories for it.

The only issue I have with it now is that the battery life is severly short. I took the unit apart and took the old battery out. I'm just waiting for the replacement battery in the mail. For those of you who run into the same issue, the battery I purchased is a higher capacity Li-Ion polymer battery with a model number of CS-DJ20SL. You can google the model number and come up with a few sources to buy it from.

I felt the need to keep my DJ alive because I already loaded up my entire CD library on it. I didn't want to turn to the dark side either and get myself a shiny, low-capacity player for over $150 when I simply had to spend roughly $20 to replace the battery in my DJ.

I have had my Dell DJ for four years now and it still works. I loved it so much while I was using it because it was dependable and sturdy. Basically, it was everything you would want from an mp3 player if you don't mind the bulky design. However, it does come with a few cons that you NEED to know.

1) Battery life will slowly start to fail on you, especially if you drop it. It's not a huge deal unless you skip through your songs a lot. For some reason after skipping a few songs it will die, but that is only a recent thing that has happened and since it's four years old I guess some problems are to be expected.

2) The software might not work on your computer. It worked just fine up until it had an update and then it no longer worked. Fortunately, this is not a deal breaker because you can sync using Windows Media Player.

3) This product DOES NOT work on Windows Vista. This was rather disappointing for me because I was given a Vista laptop upon graduation and I could no longer use my mp3 player. The device will not be recognized at all. This was the driving force behind me getting a new mp3 player.

Those are the only cons I can think of. If you use Vista and don't want to change, then don't get this product. Other than that, I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I love it and probably would still use it, if it worked on Vista.

I would recommend this to anyone that doesn't want to spend a lot of money on an MP3 player. My Dell DJ has froze on me to date (had it for at least 4 years) about 3 times. There is a restart button (just like on PDA phones) that fixes the problem in a few seconds. It reboots and your back to listening to one of your 5,000 songs. The MP3 player is bulky compared to an IPOD but it is not as wide as a standard PDA phone but probably as thick. I have a sports carrying case and it works great for my workouts (running, cycling, and on the elliptical machines). I haven't had it skip and I have even dropped it a few times. Both sides of my head phones work and even when I play it in the car it works on both speakers. I know that some of the Dell DJs had this problem but I can assure you that not all of them were defective. Overall this is a great product for me (and possibly you too) and it is really cheap for the amount of storage it has (8GB Apple IPOD will run you around $200).

I found a new 20gb DJ last year at a local computer store, discontinued, for 59. At the time I needed a lot of storage to take tons of cds on a trip, and the next cheapest big capacity mp3 player offered 8gb for 80. I researched online and found two issues with the DJ, both of which I thought I could deal with. I was right, they were not a big problem, and I'm happy to have bought this. Here's what I did. [To all DJ owners: please read this whole review, there are a few tips that will keep your player alive and well!]

The first thing is, as with any player, to have all your mp3 files backed up ahead of time. This unit, like all, can fail and go dead (though it hasn't yet on me). So have the files stored somewhere on your hd or on a few data dvds just in case. You will have to, in fact, in order to update the firmware on this unit. This unit can, contrary to reports here and elsewhere, run on Vista (and, I'm guessing, Windows 7). But it must be updated on an XP machine first. Instructions, from a very helpful Dell forum poster:

*****************************

To upgrade the firmware, you need to know the following...

1.) It will erase EVERYTHING on your DJ. I'd recommend using DJ Explorer on the XP machine (step 2) to back up all of your music.

2.) It needs to be done on an XP machine.

3.) When completed, you should be able to see the DJ inside of Windows Media Player 11.

4.) Some have reported attempting this firmware upgrade killed their player...

Proceed to the following web site and choose your version of a DJ (yes, it says Windows XP, that is okay)

[Ammy won't let us post links in reviews, so I've posted it in the comment section of this review; see below.]

In the screen that opens up, look for System Firmware, and select Dell Firmware.

When you select Dell firmware, a screen will open up with all kinds of information, including installation instructions. Follow those steps.

Remember, the firmware upgrade MUST be completed on an XP machine, but once it is done, the player will be seen in a Vista machine through Windows Media Player.

If you backed up your music to a flash drive, you can use WMP to reinstall it.....

Good luck.

*****************

And it works!

I prefer drag and drop to WMP, btw, and I'd avoid using Rhapsody as some recommend. Their software is buggy and full of spyware and is a nightmare. Avoid it and their Real Player at all costs is my opinion.

The other, ultra-vital tip I found after hours searching for all info about this device is the following: there is a reset button on the bottom; only a tiny needle or safety pin fits in. This is a SOFT reset, not a hard one. It will not erase your files! (And if it did, no probs; you've got them backed up already, right?) What it will do is keep your player healthy! Yes, it is in fact a needed maintenance program, though Dell itself never mentions this.

I have had some freezes over the past 8 months with this puppy, and every time it seemed dead I simply poked the reset, sometimes a few times, and it came on and reset the library, and after a few minutes was good as new! I highly recommend doing this once a month, whether you think you need it or not. Since doing this I have had no freezes or issues. Look at it like brushing the DJ's teeth or something. But do it and be glad you've found the secret to keeping this baby happy.

That said, I really like this unit. Yes, it's big and bulky compared to flash players, but that's because it is a real hard drive. And that offers the advantage of clearly better sound. I have put the same 192kbs files on my various mp3 players (Muvo, Sony, DJ, Creative, ipod, Phillips) and compared, and the DJ has the fullest, richest tone, with more bottom and smoother highs than any other, ipod included.

It's also solid as a brick in a good way, and I like the smudge-proof brushed metal. It's got a big, easy to read screen as well. It's a very solid unit in general, with good thick buttons, and I like its hefty feel in my hand.

It's not a good unit for taking on a run; the hd will skip. But it's perfect for home, office or walking or the beach, etc. It is sensitive to extreme cold and heat; mine will give a message that it's too cold at about 40f. No probs; sit on it! In a minute it's ready. Wow, was that difficult!

And it holds 20 gb. That's many hundreds of cds at 192kbs...and people say this thing is too big. Gosh, it's almost the size of a small hand, and only holds five thousand songs. Are we spoiled now or what? (Though yes, the new Sony 16gb Walkman is so much smaller and lighter; I would certainly recommend that over this, as it's the best mp3 player value out there now, but this review is for those who want a more solid, hd player at 60% of the price.)

The battery does not last long, maybe 8-10 hours at best, but when it finally goes you can keep this plugged in at home or office or on vacation and use it with your boombox, etc. For its present price, that's quite fair I think. And my battery is still fine after well over a hundred recharges.

I like the easy scroll features and like the scroll bar design here; easy to use and fast to get to any file. Unique and very good. Two other major plusses are the hold button on top of the unit, and especially the ability to delete from the unit itself, with no computer needed. The new Sony does not have that, and it's one of my most needed features on an mp3 player with thousands of tunes.

In summation, if I'd paid the original 200 smackers, I'd be meh on this. But for the 59 I did pay, which it goes for new here and across the web now, I think it's still very good value, and well worth having as a main or back-up player that sounds extremely good. I think that with some care and plenty of soft resets, this unit may just outlast 'em all.

I love my Dell! I've had it for a couple of years and it has only freezed on me once. And that was an easy fix. I've yet to max out the 20 gig memory and when I first received it, it was easy plug and play. I didn't have to read the manual to figure out how to work it. Too bad Dell doesn't make these anymore. I would totally recommend this player, even used!

This handheld has a ton of space. 20 Gigs. That will hold somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 songs depending on the format you use. This player is a bit outdated with it's larger size and monochrome screen. But it delivers good quality music with long battery life.

This MP3 player does everything its supposed to do, which is play MP3's. It does not have a color screen, but this is a plus because it actually conserves battery. Supposedly this thing plays for 20hrs on a new battery and never had a problem with the playing time. The only hangup of this MP3 player is it does not support operating systems past WinXP, which is quite unfortunate. I have an older computer so this doesn't bother me. The drivers that come with this player do not allow removing music from it, so I recommend having your library on your HD as well. There is a third party driver which allows the user to use the player to store files and remove MP3s from the device. I gave the player less stars because of newer OS compatibility issues, but if you have an XP computer go for it. Another workaround solution is to use a linux boot disc that has a driver for it, but that's a lot of work.

I bought this unit refurbished at a discountelectronics store in Austin TX for $29. I drive a lot, and bought it to stay in my car, so I appreciate the large capacity and the easy to read screen as well. I loaded 1500 songs and it is only half full. The controls are easy to use on the go as well. I plug it into my stereo's Aux input and it sounds great. On the downside, it is sensitive to cold, due to the hard drive, but only in the winter after being in the car all night. When that happens (under 40 degrees?) I simply place it on my leg for a couple of minutes and it will then warm up sufficiently. Its only happened a few times. I don't much like the bulky charger cord or the need to load drivers and firmware, but for $29, I can deal with it! Not fair to compare with a much newer and MUCH more expensive iPod Touch.

Everyone Read This if for your CAR!!!!

Ever get up early in the morning, cold outside, hop in your car and turn on radio or CD and drive away? Most cars can do that no problem. What about getting back in your car after a hot summer day at the pool? Radio and CD player still work? Probably!

This player cannot be left in your car like your radio, even if not in sun. If weather is below 50 or above 75 degrees, your Dell DJ will NOT WORK! It will cut off as soon as you try to turn it on. And you may ride your whole trip without any music from this piece of crap DELL mp3 player.

It often has problems and has to rebuild library and will not allow you to use it. It often needs to be reset. Battery life is so low that it needs to stay on the charger.

Imagin spending 45min in a store and coming out on a hot summer day and your car stereo works but your mp3 player wont until temperate is between 50 and 75 degrees. Thats a dell

NOTE: Ive had it tell me "operating temperature too high" and cut off at 71 degrees before.

It's also big...like carrying around a refrigerator