Juke Jam 40GB MP3 Player

by Digital Networks

Product Details

Product Manual [5.43mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000YKAB0
• Item model number: PDP602
• Average Customer Review: 2.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

The Juke Jam is a new digital combination of MP3, WMA, and FM radio player with direct MP3 encoding, eliminating the need for additional conversion software. It features an easy to use file navigation system with the ability to define your own music library and play list. Music Match Jukebox software provides easy album management. FM live record Highly sensitive external voice recording including line-in Five preset EQ (equalizer) selections Date, time and sleep timer functions Large backlit LCD display Easy to use file navigation User-defined music library and play list playback 16MB anti-shock buffer Rechargeable via AC adapter Passive line control Bundled Music Management Software (upload/download data, album management) and MusicMatch Simulated stereo sound effects Rapid download speed via USB 2.0 connectivity port Firmware upgradeable via USB port System Requirements - Windows 98SE/ME/2000/SP / Mac OS (ver. 9.04 or above

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick review, January 7, 2005

By 

Pvr - See all my reviews

This review is from: Juke Jam 40GB MP3 Player (Electronics)

This is not a bad mp3 at all and is definetly a bang for the buck. Compared to other mp3's, it is cheap with more features and sound quality is not compromised either. But beware because it's not for everybody. There are pros, cons, and some neutralities.

Pros:
1-It is cheap with a huge storage space. I've got the 40gb model and basically, I can store songs without ever deleting any of them. But that's just me, others may need more space than I do.
2-It is loaded with features that most other mp3's don't offer, like radio, recording radio and voices, etc. I haven't used all of the features and don't really plan to, so I just look at it as extra perks of the player.
3-Sound quality is not bad at all. Basically, if the mp3 file you download is good, then you will hear good sound quality from the player. Therefore, the sound quality is really as good as the file and can't be judged by the player.
4-The software is simple as can be. I had more trouble plugging in the USB cable(because the port is in the back of my computer) than I did installing and using the program. But my experiences are through Microsoft Windows and therefore I don't know how easy it is to use through Linux or other applications. But I'm sure it can't be that hard.
5-Even though the player has an overwhelming amount of choices on the main menu, it is still very easy to navigate through. Once you get used to navigating through them, it really shouldn't be a problem.

Cons:
1-The size of this player is bigger than most. It is bigger than the CreativeLabs Zen and much bigger than the Ipod. This could be a serious issue for some. But the player is basically handheld for an average adult hand. The height and width aren't even all that bad, but the depth of it is. It is very bulky.
2-The joystick is pretty sensitive and will mess with your playlist if you stick it in your back pocket.
3-All of the plugs are located on the side of the player and not on the top. That means the headphones plug in from the side and not from the top.
4-The main con for this player is its' durability. If you are seriously considering this mp3 player, take in mind that you can't roughhouse it. It is not like other mp3's because when you load a song, you can actually hear it loading. What I mean is that inside the player is an actual harddrive and basically, dropping it would be like dropping a laptop to put it in lamens terms.
5-The battery is not changeable. Although it is rechargeable, you don't have the convenience of changing the battery in the middle of the street if it dies.

Neutralities:
1-The headphones that come with it aren't the best but are better than what I've read on some of the reviews. For me, I can bear with the sound quality of the headphones but others may want to buy better ones.
2-The battery life isn't too bad although it isn't great either. But it lasts a good deal of time when fully recharged. My guess would be that it would last around 2 or more hours of nonstop playing.
3-The radio is not very impressive. I have to admit that in some areas, it comes out as good as a car radio would, but for the most part(like in some areas of the suburbs) it has a lot of static and is hard to hear the actual radio.

So, basically my recommendation is this. If your somebody that doesn't plan to treat this player like a 10 year old would and you are more inclined to technicalities and features over looks, then this is a great deal for you. But, if you want something that's trendy and have some more money to spend, maybe you should go for some of the more popular one's. This unit is definetly not a trend setter and is more for those who seek value over trend.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Alert: No Tech Support Available!, August 31, 2005

By 

Meredith Peruzzi (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Juke Jam 40GB MP3 Player (Electronics)

I absolutely positively do NOT recommend this device. The on-screen interface is difficult to understand. The randomizer function limits itself by sections of the alphabet (if you select to play all songs randomly, it will only play tracks from the first few letters of the alphabet and never get to the latter half). The interface software you are required to use is clunky and nearly useless - it is only marginally better for creating playlists than the terrible device UI, and there is no synchronization between your device and your music folders. Perhaps most shocking - and this should have warned me about this player the moment I got it - is that selecting "power off" brings up a small screen that says "Bye Bye!" with an anime emoticon, of all things.

All of this could be tolerated if not for one major problem. Despite the device having a whopping amount of storage for a small amount of money, it is 100% not supported by ANY entity. [...] I thought that since Polaroid partnered with Digital Media Group, having their name on the product meant they would support it in some way - no dice. The representatives on the phone insisted that I call 1-800-MP3-PLAY (it took a long time before I finally convinced them that they had the wrong number) and that they couldn't help me. I finally resorted to contacting the person who sold this to me, who did some research and found that Digital Media Group had been sold, and the new company refused to support these devices.

In summary, do not buy ANY "Polaroid MP3" product. They are completely unsupported and not user-friendly.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Stay away from this one!!!, September 27, 2005

By 

Anita (WV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Juke Jam 40GB MP3 Player (Electronics)

I would like to reiterate what some of the other reviewers have said. THERE IS NO SUPPORT FOR THIS PRODUCT. Polaroid does not support and it says so in the instruction manual. They say to contact Digital Media Group which no longer exists. Once I got someone at Polaroid that knew anything about it, he said there is still some help on the Digital Media Group website [...]. Of course, when I tried that website it no longer exists. The player worked fine for a while, although, awkward and not user friendly. Then one day I turn it on and it shows a message that says "Cannot access HDD data". That's it. It's broke and I have no way of getting it fixed. I have read some reviews that say the hard drive just goes bad one day. That is probably what happened to mine. I have taken very good care of it and actually didn't use it that much. There is no reason it should have stopped working. Don't buy this thing no matter what. The price is enticing but you will end up buying another one anyway and then spend twice as much.