An expensive toy, but worth the cost
Written: Mar 22 '03 (Updated Jul 20 '03)
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Pros: lots of storage, easy interface, easy to learn
Cons: locks up from time to time, a little bigger than I'd like
The Bottom Line: Worth the cost, especially compared to other players on the market. Expandable and accessory ready, easy to learn, and loads of storage. My favorite expensive toy. :)
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| nitesite's Full Review: Creative Technology Nomad Jukebox (20 GB) MP3 Play... |
I am a music junky. With over 530 CDs in my collection, and gigabyte after gigabyte of mp3s, I just can't get enough. So when I decided it was time for an mp3 player, I shopped around. The iPod is cute, and small, but with the $300 version only having 5 gigs of storage, I decided it just wasn't enough. I went with the Nomad 3 20GB, and I really don't think I could be happier. I've already convinced other people to buy one, and we're all thrilled. :)
The Nomad comes with both a USB cable and a Firewire cable. I recommend springing for a Firewire card if you don't already have one. Using that, it takes about 5 minutes to rip and transfer an entire CD, counting the time it takes to put the CD in, let it look up on the CDDB and rip and transfer. It only took me a few hours to rip most of what I wanted out of my collection on to it.
The 20GB of storage is great. I've loaded over 1200 songs on mine already, and I've still got tons of space left. I actually think I'll be able to fill it up, but it's taking me some time to do so.
The software that comes with it is extremely easy to learn - I've not even looked at any manuals or how-to guides. I literally installed it and was good to go. It's also really easy to use to manage all those songs. Rename, move around, set up playlists, whatever, in a few short minutes. With indexes by Artist, Album, and All Tracks, being able to find what you want to listen to is relatively easy to do. Make sure you check the ID3 tags on all your downloaded music though. They're rarely accurate and not paying attention to them will lead you to find hundreds of "unknown" tracks on your player. (You get what you pay for when you're downloading free music you know...)
Despite my music junky status, I'm not an audiophile, so I don't know how the sound compares to other systems, but I have no complaints. Everything sounds clear and beautiful. I got a radio transmitter so I can listen in the car as well, and even that sounds great to me.
I've seen some reviews that say it should come with a dock... but why? It's a rechargeable battery, and comes with a AC adapter to take care of that... I see no need for a dock. There are a few accessories I'd recommend to make it the best -- the radio transmitter (iRock was my choice), the Firewire card, and probably the leather protective case (though Creative Labs was out of those last time I checked). Other than that, it pretty much comes with what you need.
The included battery provides about 20 hours of play time, and charges in about 3 hours. You can add a second battery if you need the extra time, which is a pretty convenient feature if you don't like having to recharge often.
It seems to be pretty sturdy, as on the first day I had it I dropped it twice (and several times since then) and not even a glitch. I carry it to and from work every day in a backpack, and haven't managed to hurt it yet. Pay attention while putting the battery in though. In my giddy state upon getting it, I somehow managed to put the battery in upside down, and it took me a good 20 minutes to get out of that.
The headphones that are included suit me just fine, although, again, I'm not that much of an audiophile.
The device interface is easy too, with the scroll button it's got quick navigation. You can't really manage the collection on the device, but the software makes that easy to do on the computer. The find feature makes it so that you can find a particular song in the "All Tracks" list within a few seconds, even with over 1200 tracks loaded.
My only complaints are these:
1. Every once in a while (like once every 3 or 4 weeks) it seems to get locked up. This is mildly annoying, but quickly rectified with a reset.
2. It's a little bulky. About the size of a portable CD player, I wish it could be a bit smaller. Mind you, 5 years ago this kind of storage in even this small a package would have been unbelievable. It isn't quite as portable due to it's size; if you're wanting something to take along to a workout, this probably isn't for you. Being a couch potato though, it's not that inconvenient for me.
UPDATE JULY 2003
So, it is possible to do damage. I dropped it one more time, this time onto concrete, and I did manage to make it unusable. All that actually happened though was the LCD screen cracked. A month wait and a $75 repair fee later, all is well again. (I'm really not complaining - my own stupid fault.) So I really recommend the leather case now. :)
Also, I've come to believe that this is missing one little feature I'd like. It's something I can work around using playlists, but requires a bit of maintenance to make it work. What I wish for: a way to play all tracks on shuffle, without having to make a new playlist for it each time I add something. Not a biggie, but there you have it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 270.00
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Epinions.com ID:
nitesite
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Location: Lakewood, OH
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 4 members
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