InnoGear MiniJam 32MB Plus MP3 Player Springboard Module (Graphite) (Now with an extra 32MB)

by InnoGear

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2 x 1 x 3.5 inches ; 2.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004TL6U
• Item model number: MJ32G
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,201 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 22, 2002

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Instantly transform your Handspring Visor into an MP3 player with the MiniJam Springboard module from InnoGear. Just drag-and-drop MP3 files from your desktop to the MiniJam using the included transfer program, then listen to CD-quality sound on your Visor--and you can even read e-books and view images.

The MiniJam is compatible with the Springboard external expansion slot from Handspring, which provides for fast, easy, plug-and-play installation of the MiniJam to the Visor. No software drivers or special adapters are needed.

Using the included 64 MB MultiMediaCard, you can store about 30 minutes of MP3 audio. The MiniJam comes with two MMC slots, allowing you to store up to 128 MB (using two 64 MB MMCs). It is compatible with both PC (Windows 98 or 2000) and Mac (Mac OS 9.0 or later) systems that support a USB connection. Transfer files from your desktop to your Visor with the easy-to-use MJLoader application.

The MiniJam comes preloaded with several multimedia applications. The MiniJukeBox MP3 player enables you to control all functions--such as play/pause, fast-forward/reverse, volume, playlist, and equalization--by tapping the Visor's screen. You can also access these functions via buttons on the top of the MiniJam module. Additionally, the MusicMatch Jukebox desktop application is included along with an upgrade code to MusicMatch Plus (a $19.95 value).

You can use the included Peanut Reader to store and read e-books, newspapers, and magazines, which can be downloaded from Peanutpress.com (most books use only a few hundred kilobytes). You can also transfer photos and images to view on your Visor using AlbumToGo from Club Photo. Images can be viewed individually or in a slide show format, and you can easily add notes and descriptions to images and beam files to other Palm OS handhelds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Battery-hogger, slow to store and buggy, September 30, 2001

By 

Doug Bastien (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: InnoGear MiniJam 32MB Plus MP3 Player Springboard Module (Graphite) (Now with an extra 32MB) (Office Product)

I tried this thing out for two weeks.
4 weak points:

1. It takes soo long to transfer music to it.
30 minutes per 1 hour of music. This is a drain on the batteries and your time.

2.It's buggy. It Hard-Reset (losing everything on my handspring) my Handspring twice, the thing soft-resets my Handspring soo often, either by taking it out of the springboard slot before it's good and ready, or it just freezes. The User-interface could be much better.

3.It sucks batteries like you won't believe.
It suggests you get special "NiMH" batteries that are $$$ for two, plus you have to get a recharger, so that it can play longer. Using normal Alkaline batteries, you need to stop listening every bit of time so the batteries don't kill too fast. Otherwise it'll die without warning.

4. Serious design compromises. Not being able to put the cover back on the handspring sucks. Also, it really adds to the size and weight of the Handspring.

There is one minor element: Compact Flash cards are still very expensive, although the price will down with time.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Use for a Redundant Handheld: MiniJam at the gym, February 14, 2002

By 

Lori Marie Lehmann (Menlo Park, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: InnoGear MiniJam 32MB Plus MP3 Player Springboard Module (Graphite) (Now with an extra 32MB) (Office Product)

I just got a MiniJam and attached it to my old handheld (Prism) for workouts at the gym. When I got the new Treo, my Prism threatened to become excess. Repurposing it for entertainment seemed to be the thing to do.

Intuitive Operation / Reasonable Setup
This is only the second Springboard module that I have used (Eyemodule was the first). I was pleased to find that MiniJam works intuitively. I am typically put off by set up procedures involving disks and devices, but it was painless. I would have been less daunted by set up if the instructions were printed as a simple 1, 2, 3 on the outside of the box instead of the junky graphics. The unit is a lot less junky than the pictures on the packaging seems to indicate. Once it was set up, it couldn't be easier to use. It is intuitive, taking advantage of the familiar icons of traditional products like a cassette tape player and (browser-style)juke box.

Function in the Gym Environment
OK, I wouldn't say that the earphones would never fall out; running on the treadmill would require a different listening apparatus. For my workouts, though, the MiniJam worked great. I am substituting it for a Walkman tape player, so the key benefits were being able to switch to songs that I felt like hearing without winding and longer battery life -- no more droning tape. The drawbacks were losing the earphones once during weightlifting and initially getting the Prism situated on me so that I didn't inadvertently bump the buttons.

Key Observation
When I got my first handheld, I didn't feel compelled to use module expansion. However, it's amazing how when I have two of them the primary one does all the calendaring and traditional functions and -- with the Springboard platform -- the second one gets used more as I imagine Handspring had intended: sort of a Swiss Army Knife of electronic products. I would have still kept the Prism for playing games (any Wordlet enthusiasts?), but it has a lot more life left in it than that.

I recommend the MiniJam. It's just what you'd expect your Springboard MP3 player to be.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Real disappointment, April 26, 2001

By 

Jim "Jim" (IA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: InnoGear MiniJam 32MB Plus MP3 Player Springboard Module (Graphite) (Now with an extra 32MB) (Office Product)

To sum it up: it's not a bad little player, just disappointing in almost every way! Get yourself a stand alone module with more memory.

I'm returning my InnoGear module. What a disappointment. I listened to music for about 10 minutes and wiped out almost a third of my battery. The file transfer can only access the 2 MB section of the module, not the removable (and expensive!) media. Data transfer is slow and I'd recommend no less that 128 MB storage for reasonable listening. I had planned to keep this module in all the time but when it is in you can't put on the protective cover. The photos in the photo album are awful on my b/w screen-- not worth the time it takes to load them.

It simply doesn't live up to the hype.