Good functionality, case is weak
Written: Sep 29 '03 (Updated Sep 29 '03)
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Pros: Small, light, sleek, FM radio, expandable memory, arm band, relatively inexpensive
Cons: Arm band is terrible, volume is digital, random play doesn't always work, weak headphones
The Bottom Line: It is an excellent MP3 player and FM radio. The two things that keep me from giving it 5 stars are the arm band and my issues with random play.
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| gdinero's Full Review: Mpio FL100 (128MB) MP3 Player |
I bought this Mp3 player for the following reasons:
- it's small and light
- it's sleek and cool looking, with blue indigo lighting
- FM radio
- expandable memory
- arm band for roller blading
- relatively inexpensive, about $40 less than Rio Cali at Best Buy
Here are some things that pleasantly surprised me after I purchased the unit:
- FM recording was decent quality, even though reviews said they were horrible
- The unit does NOT come with an SD Card. So the 128 mb is all internal, and if you buy and SD Card, it's 100% additive. So if you buy a 256 MB card, and you will have 384 MB total memory.
- The Sony-style jogger switch is very useful. In FM Mode, you flick it one way or another to switch between stations, and press it down to get to the menu. In playback mode you switch between songs.
- The neck strap is elegant, and actually really useful for periods where you are sitting still (think airplane, train, etc)
Here are some things that I have not liked:
- The arm band sucks. It works, but you have to be able to live with the limitations. It covers the display entirely, and also covers up two of the buttons (including the one that switches between playback, FM presets seek, and FM stations seek. It additionally covers part of the volume switch. You can use all of the buttons effectively through the case, but it is a little annoying. The arm band also uses a snap instead of velcro to close over the unit, and my expectation is that the snap will no longer stay shut within a year or so. Depending on what you are doing, this could potentially result in the unit flying out of the arm band when that happens.
- The volume switch is a digital button, not a dial, and it takes a few seconds to signficantly change the volume.
- You cannot change the volume while recording FM radio.
- The random play of the whole device has only worked properly for me once. It had a menu choice to random play just the songs in a sub-folder, or all the songs on the device. And it has had a lot of trouble playing the songs on the entire device randomly.
- The earphones are okay, but not great. And there's no great way to store them.
Bottom Line:
I like it and will use it often. In pricing the unit, I would add $15 or so for an additional pair of headphones. I would be wary about the arm band / case though.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
gdinero
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Reviews written: 40
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Travel addict. Love speed, gadgets, and sometimes my PS2.
38 Countries and counting...
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