i2Go eGo 32MB MP3 Player (Blue)

by i2go

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004SDFG
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #359,263 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The i2Go.com eGo portable digital audio player brings the technology of MP3 to your car. The eGo transforms the car stereo into a new-generation Internet appliance. The i2Go.com eGo also offers interactive features such as mp3mail, mp3chat, and e-mail2Go, which allows you to convert e-mails into audio and record responses or notes as MP3 files. These capabilities enable you to listen to and respond to e-mails, catch your personalized sports or stock reports, or listen to a self-devised musical play lists while you commute. The Web site of i2Go.com also has a complete menu of information that you can download daily to your eGo.

With the eGo player you get a compatible software package including i2Go mp3agent. With the i2Go mp3agent, you can browse your local computer drives for MP3 music or news reports, then drag and drop the files onto the player. You can also drag and drop files that are already on the player or copy them back to your hard disk. The i2Go mp3agent also reads and writes MusicMatch play lists, allowing you to enjoy MP3 music when you are at your PC.

The eGo features an LCD screen that becomes more intense in direct sunlight and is backlit under low-light conditions. The eGo mounts in the car the same way you would mount a radar detector, on the windshield or visor. Along with the mounting kit, you receive connectors and an adapter so you can power your i2Go.com eGo from the cigarette lighter. With the ability to add another CompactFlash slot, your eGo can expand in memory up to 680 MB and beyond as the technology matures. The processor inside the eGo is also flash upgradable, so you can update it when i2go.com makes improvements.

MP3newswire.net

Think of the i2Go eGo as the MP3 equivalent of a Cadillac. Chock full of the latest features, some unique to the model, refined in operation, attention to detail, and big as hell. Of course, big is a subjective word, in this case it means it is the SAME size as a portable cassette unit. Designed primarily for use in the car, the eGo nonetheless functions well as pocket portable. I2go offers one model available with 32, 64, 96 MB CompactFlash cards and IBM's 340MB Microdrive. We tested the unit with both a 32MB CompactFlash card and the IBM drive. We were particularly eager to test the Microdrive as this is our first experience with it. The amazing thing about this drive is that it is the exact same size as the CompactFlash card, whose slot it is designed to fit in. Know what is even more amazing in regards to size? While we were reviewing this player, IBM announced the release of a new 1GB version of the Microdrive! An announcement that i2Go immediately followed with their own that they are adding this new drive to the player line.

The Hardware

The eGo resembles a tricorder from Star Trek more than it does an MP3 player. As we said, it is a relatively big unit as MP3 players go. We held it up next to our Rio 500 and roughly found it to be twice the thickness as well as slightly larger in width and length. The good news is the eGo takes full advantage of this size difference. First of all the unit has two CompactFlash slots. If you install two of the new IBM 1GB drives inside, that's 2GB of memory in a unit that is the smallest MP3 anything to hold that much memory! See what we meant by relative when we were discussing size. Memory expansion is a key element for the eGo as it will retain its viability a year from now when other MP3 players become obsolete. The eGo comes with a generous set of accessories to get you started. This includes a car kit composed of a cassette adapter, cigarette lighter adapter, both a straight and coiled external power cable, a direct power cable if you choose to hook the eGo directly to the battery, and a windshield mounting bracket. Earphones, a belt clip, and a neoprene carrying bag round out the list.

IBM Microdrive

Once we were done gathering our basic usability impressions with the flash card, we moved on to the 340 MB drive. First word of warning on the 340MB drives, they eat batteries for lunch. A fresh set of Duracel Ultra's were killed in about an hour. At first we thought there was something wrong with the unit because the display still lit up and the battery gauge reported that the battery still had medium power left. Even though we could hear the drive spin, tunes would not play. Furthermore, the buttons became sluggish requiring several clicks just to advance the display to try another file. Another fresh set of batteries cured this. Power was a non-issue when we used the Microdrive unit in the car. Fed by the cigarette lighter, it provided a pleasant selection of music for hours.

More Options

Another useful item on the i2Go eGo is an external speaker. The delivery is only in mono and the small speaker only offers modest sound, but we found ourselves using it quite often when others were around. The i2Go has voice recording capability. To record, hold down the 'I' button for about two seconds. Hit the button again to stop. The eGo has a clock that is automatically set by your computer's clock the first time you connect it to download music. Another well thought out touch. Finally, the software that comes with the player has text-to-speech capabilities designed to translate your morning email into MP3 files to listen to on the commute in.

Getting Started

The file management software MP3Agent worked well. File transfers were simple and quick. One warning, use the upload button to transfer your files to the player. We made the mistake of dragging some files from Explorer into the window. It works this way, but sometimes the files you transfer become hidden. The window will say you have filled the memory, but the songs visible in the menu tell you there should be several MB of space left.

Controls

The buttons were big, with a clean solid click. Cycling through the various menus can be annoying at times, requiring several clicks to make a simple change. The keystrokes are not the most intuitive either and the display offers little in direction. Reading the instructions will help.

Display

The i2Go uses a bright LED display that we thought was excellent for clarity. We just wonder why they only made it only a one-line display. They did a very good with only one line, ID3 tags scroll with the track info quite well. We just can't help thinking another line of information could help guide the user when fumbling with the necessary keystroke moves.

Sound

Excellent.

Conclusion

The i2Go's features and flexibility, especially in the memory category, could easily make it the top MP3 player out there now. What holds it back are several minor annoyances involving its file transfer software, controls, instruction manual, and display. The Rio 500 is more polished in these categories, but the Rio cannot read flash cards higher than 32MB, stranding it at a 96MB maximum capacity. The i2Go can handle up to 2GB with the release of the new Microdrives, which makes it the preeminent unit today when it comes to the balance of memory and unit size. The Microdrives serve best in the car where unlimited electric power allows it to do what it does best, stream hours of music without the need to change the CD or cassette. That's a convenience that shows off the true advantages of digital music players over traditional formats. Bottom line, if you plan on using your player on the road, this is the unit to get. Same thing if you want a player with lots of cutting edge features. No other portable can touch the i2Go eGo in this category and that will make a difference a year or two from now when owners of other MP3 players feel compelled to update their units and you don't. Just be patient with the eGo's foibles.

Final Score A-

-- Richard Menta

--Copyright 2000 MP3newswire.net All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of MP3newswire.net is prohibited.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The eGo does a lot more than I expected, May 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: i2Go eGo 32MB MP3 Player (Blue) (Electronics)

I bought the 32MB eGo player about 4 months ago. Since then, the company who makes it, i2Go, has made tons of improvements which I just download from the desktop software, the MP3Agent. I love it. I use it a lot in my car - it can play through the car stereo. The coolest is that I can drag and drop my MP3 files from my own collection OR go to i2Go's website and build a program that is the stuff I want to listen to - like news, sports, weather, entertainment info, and music.

I'm actually going to buy more memory (an additional 64MB) from i2Go because I find it better than listening to the radio - more customized for me. The customization, expandability and upgradeability options are awesome!

I have played with a friends MP3 player (not an eGo) and the eGo has great sound quality too.

I highly recommend this product for someone who spends a lot of time on the go.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best MP3 Player for your Money!, July 13, 2000

By 

M. Phillips (Asheville, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: i2Go eGo 32MB MP3 Player (Blue) (Electronics)

Overall, this player packs more punch than all the others. No other player can compete in storage capacity (you can buy additional storage to the 32MB included here), and the eGo has more innovative features, such as MP3Mail and Interactivity. Using the i2Go website, you can customize your own news, sports, and weather content for downloading to your eGo. The eGo can also load an IBM microdrive for a whopping 340mb of storage space, or 680mb if you buy two microdrives and the optional Compact Flash Expansion Slot! Also, it's not locked into a certain amount of memory, you can add more as the flash card technology improves. It's also slick-looking and perfect for the car. The eGo is a great product and well worth the money.