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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent product, perfect to work out or commute, May 15, 2001
I am comparing my experiences to my use of the Rio 500 mp3 player, which I recently replaced with the Intel Pocket Concert due to storage constraints. 1) Look/handling: I'm not one for flashy looking things, but the Intel unit is a good size and easy to handle. The belt clip is handy (Rio did not have one) but I do miss having a case for it, which I understand I have to purchase separately from Intel. 2) Plug and Play Ability: The set-up and installation of the unit was flawless. I was listening to the unit as soon as I pulled it out of the box (it comes pre-installed with a few mp3s and a walking tour of the unit). The Intel file transfer software is several thousand times easier to use than Rio's. My one complaint is that you cannot reorder the songs once they are on the unit. I haven't used MusicMatch Jukebox, which came packaged with the player, to upload files to the unit, but for now the Intel software is more than adequate. 3) Sound quality and usage: The volume on the Pocket Concert is incredible. I had problems with the Rio in that I couldn't get it loud enough to hear well over a train or city traffic noise, which is a problem, since I use it to commute to work. The Bass/Treble controls are adequate, although I miss having pre-sets, which the Rio had. The bookmark, random and repeat features are fine. The volume control is at the top of the unit, and separate from the scroll wheel which controls settings; I appreciate having it set up this way. It is much more functional than combining them all on the side of the unit, which Rio did. 4) Storage: I am getting 23-30 songs on the 128 meg internal storage. This is pretty much what I expected, since I was getting 9-13 on the Rio with mp3s encoded at the same rate (128 or 160). This is more than adequate for my commuting and exercising needs. 5) FM Tuner: I'm not getting tremendous reception on the Pocket Concert, even in and around downtown Boston where the signal is the strongest on any other walkman type unit. But I didn't buy this for the radio! 6) Battery life: This is the one downfall to this unit. It is eating batteries like crazy. I think that if the scrolling info on the face of the unit could be controlled, it would cut down on the battery drain. The Rio upgraded its firmware to be able to cut down on scrolling and the amount of data shown, and even on the amount of time the backlight was lit, and I found I could extend battery life quite a bit if I cut down these settings. I think this is definitely one area Intel needs to look at. I get on average about 6-7 hours on a battery, whereas on the Rio, it was over 10 and close to 12 or 13 hours on a regular basis. 7) That annoying hiss: Yes, I do notice it, but only between tracks and in a quiet room. If you're using this to work out, jog or commute (which I do) then you'll never know it's there. I would assume that it's fixable with a firmware upgrade, since several people on the internet have complained about and returned the product without a noticeable improvement. I look forward to firmware upgrades which I would assume are coming. As an Intel shareholder, I'm proud of this product, and haven't gone anywhere without it for the last 10 days!
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm glad I waited for this one!, April 3, 2001
I've been looking for an MP3 player for a while now. I knew I didn't want an MP3/CD player, but I wasn't sure about any other specs after that (Expandable/Non-Expandable, internal batteries,etc.) I stumbled on a review for this one and everything was highly favorable. So, I pre-ordered and patiently waited. It finally came last night, and man, am I glad I waited. This thing is phenomenal! I didn't even have to crack open the instructions. I installed the software, and away I went. The transfer rate on this is REALLY fast. I mean, you can dump 128 MB in about three minutes. I haven't messed around with the MusicMatch Jukebox yet, but the Intel software is ridiculously easy to use. It reminds me of an ftp program, just drag from one side to the other. Great. Other features: FM Tuner. This was another feature that I hadn't thought I needed until I read the review. At my gym, they have TVs all over the place, but the sound is channeled to a low-power FM antenna. You need to use your personal stereo to tune to an off station to get the audio from the TV. The equalizer is also a very cool feature. Most personal stereos may have an EQ with a few presets, but the Intel's EQ allows you to tailor your EQ settings to a degree of +/-8. The only thing is that to my knowledge there are no EQ presets. This is something that could probably be added with a firmware upgrade. How does it sound? Terrific. With one exception. When the Intel is connected to your PC (via USB), there is some hum that is picked up. I'm not sure if that's because the USB also provides a power source and is creating interference. When not connected to the USB, this sounds perfect. As with any MP3 player, the quality of your MP3 files is going to be most important. The included headphones were decent, and they're those new-fangled wraparounds everyone's wearing. In my opinion, not the best for working out, but in any other application, cool. Of course if you can spend some money on a decent set of cans, it'll sound even better. Other things: The battery life is decent (ten hours MP3, 16+ radio). The thing even comes with batteries! The controls are also laid out very well. Intel doesn't try to cram all the controls on a single side of the player. The volume control gets a side all to itself, as does the menu button and scroll wheel. Not likely that you'll accidentally press the wrong button. One thing that I didn't like about the buttons, however, was the fact that the action assigned to that button (volume up, set, etc.) isn't actually executed until you press and RELEASE the button. This is a minor point, but one worth noting when you'll have to click-click-click to increase the volume instead of just holding the button down. Another great feature is the bookmark. They implemented this with audio books in mind, since you can't scan the tracks and there is no resume function. You can set a bookmark and then come back to it later. Maybe a future upgrade could include a resume function. Something akin to the bookmark function, but one that is done automatically instead of having the user activate it. Bottom Line: I love this thing. I'm glad I waited for it. It's priced competitively if you consider all the features. Granted, it doesn't come with any sort of expansion capabilities, but how many of us are going to drop another 80-100 bucks on expansion memory for an MP3 player anyways?
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last, a quality MP3 player, April 8, 2001
Think of every feature you expect in a portable music player: sound quality, features, ease of use, size, weight, construction quality, software support, value. The Intel Pocket Concert (PC) has it all. Sound quality: Highs and lows are faithfully reproduced through the powerful 11mW amp. Contrary to what everyone has been saying, the included neckphones are fantastic. I've given up earbuds for the first time in my life. Another first for me - the maximum volume on the PC is actually louder than my ears can take. This beats every Sony portable device I've ever owned. Features: My #1 requirement for any MP3 player is a properly functioning shuffle feature. Some players don't have one, or implement it poorly. I am happy to report that the PC has a great shuffle & repeat feature. ie. It can play all your tracks in random order (without repeating one until they are all heard), and then repeat this process again in a different order. Perfect. The PC also includes a bookmark feature, which is great for saving your "place" in an audio book. Treble and Bass can each be increased or decreased according to your style of music. Let's not forget the inclusion of a fabulous FM tuner with the PC. Note that the reception is increased with the use of headphones, such as the ones included (it uses the headphone cord as an antenna). The PC can remember up to 10 FM channel presets. The PC can also play WMA encoded files, as well as MP3. IMHO, WMA is not a "near CD quality" encoder, and my recommendation is to avoid encoding with WMA. However, if you don't mind low quality WMA sound, save your money and buy a cassette Walkman (which will sound better). Ease of use: The player has 3 large main buttons (Rewind, Play, Fast Forward). Easy. It also includes a jog dial to scroll through song lists, and allows one to set up options, such as Random/Repeat and Bass/Treble. I didn't even bother reading any manuals. I just opened the box, installed the included batteries, and listened to the pre-installed MP3, which describes the basic usage of the PC. Perhaps a user manual could also have been included, describing the more advanced features. The fast forward/rewind feature is quite "slow". For every second you hold the fast forward key down, it jumps ahead only five seconds. So if you want to skip ahead 60 seconds, you need to hold the fast forward key down for 10 seconds! IMHO, this is the only major problem with the PC. Luckily, a firmware update could easily fix the problem (should Intel decide to release one). Size: The unit itself is much smaller than it appears in photos on the web. I was under the impression that it would be Walkman sized, but it is actually smaller than a cassette tape. Weight: I clip the unit to my sweatpants when I go for a walk or jog. Surprisingly, the unit is light enough that it doesn't bump around or weigh my pants down. This is key, as most music players are so heavy that they require you to wear a belt to stabilize them (ie. CD & hard disk based players). Construction Quality: I was worried about this since CNET mentioned that the headphone jack on their unit broke easily. I tested the jack out, and it is quite stable. CNET must have received a defective unit. The hardware feels quite sturdy, and the only piece that feels breakable is the battery door. I get the feeling that I will need to be quite careful when replacing the batteries each time. Software support: My #2 requirement in an MP3 player is the freedom to load any MP3 file I want into the unit. Thankfully, SDMI and similar nuisances are absent from the PC. Instead, Intel included a simple application, the Intel Audio Manager, where you choose the file you want to load, and then click "Load". Simple. The file then copies to the PC via a fast USB connection. A 5 minute song takes about 25 seconds to transfer. Intel also includes a great MP3 ripper/encoder called MusicMatch Jukebox Plus. Unfortunately, the included version (5.1) is a bit old compared to today's (6.0). Still, free software is always good. Value: The PC comes with 128MB of flash. What more is there to say? If you want a "solid state guaranteed not to skip" player, this is the most memory for the money. At roughly a minute/MB, the PC gives you 2 hours of CD quality music. Similarly priced units only provide 1 hour. Extras include a fabulous pair of headphones, a belt clip, two alkaline AAA batteries, and the MusicMatch software. I only wish Intel had included a pair of rechargeable batteries and a docking station. Instead, you'll have to buy those separately, via their overpriced "audio accessory kit". Overall: 128MB flash, loud, small, light, easy, no SDMI, fast USB, FM tuner. Nuff said.
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