TheTechLounge - Recent Reviews: Multimedia: Portable Media Players

iRiver LPlayer MP3 Player

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:16:08 -0500

I initially mistook the Lplayer for its older cousin, the Clix. I had always been infatuated with the physical design of the original D*Click player, and iRiver has brought yet another product to market with this slick navigation method. It reminded me of a Nano "Phat" without the navigation bits below the screen (and indeed, the 2-inch, 320x240 pixel screen is a dead ringer for that found in the Nano). And clean lines and simple functionality are the kinds of things that get me hot.

Griffin Window Seat for iPhone / iPod Touch

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 17:57:34 -0600

The Window Seat can attach to any flat surface like a windshield or dashboard to hold your phone or iPod touch. How well does it stand up? Really well, read on to find out what other ideas I can come up with for using one.

COWON iAUDIO 7 MP3 Player

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:18:09 -0500

I don't hate the player, and I'm certainly not disappointed with it. I just have a hard time recommending it, unless you know you're willing to spend time with a machine and learn how to really manipulate it, as opposed to going on intuition. As silly as this is, I will be happy with this player and even happier to buy the next COWON player that takes the iAUDIO 7's place. Because for all the stupid mistakes that they made with their UI and the layout, the function of the player, with regards to music, is perfect.

iriver E100 MP3 Player

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:42:22 -0500

Despite their underdog status, iriver continues to impress with their ever expanding and evolving line of digital toys. I have generally been a fan of their various digital players and often refer friends to iriver's website when exploring non-Apple options. Their newest offering, the E100, boasts big league features at a budget price. But for $99.99, will this cheap model deliver quality or just quantity?

iriver Clix Gen 2 / Clix Rhapsody

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:28:04 -0500

The Clix player is a 4 gigabyte model in line with other such players as the iPod nano, Sansa e200 series, and other flash memory-based portable media players. iriver may not have the market share of the aforementioned Apple product or the distinction of being the inventor of solid state memory (like Sandisk), but they always pull out great designs that match and even surpass the feature sets of the big name players. I�m hoping the Clix Rhapsody will keep giving them a run for their money and that it lives up to all my self-imagined hype.

Archos 704 WiFi

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:09:54 -0500

The 704 WiFi is the current flagship product in Archos's lineup, available in 40GB or 80GB capacities. While the 40GB version we tested doesn't offer the most storage space of players in its class, the 704 WiFi's 7" touch screen dwarfs the displays of most of its competition. Additionally, the "WiFi" portion of the full product title indicates what you'd expect, that the 704 WiFi packs in some wireless features as well, including web browsing. While the screen size and feature list of the 704 WiFi are quite impressive, does the product deliver on all of its promises? Let's take a closer look and find out!

iriver X20 Portable Media Player

Mon, 4 Jun 2007 13:11:57 -0500

I've been a fan of iriver products for a while now. Like many electronics companies they are primarily based overseas. As such, we in the States miss out on a handful of nifty little gadgets that our Asian or European brothers and sisters have in abundance. In fact, iriver showcased a select few non-U.S. market devices at CES '07. I have to admit, I didn't give them much of a glance as I figured we'd never see them again. Not so! Today I'll be playing with the iriver X20, a 4GB media player that runs with the like of the iPod nano and Sansa E200 line of PMPs. But don't expect to find one at your local Best Buy or Circuit City. The X20 is available online from our product sponsor, but is this little bit of gray-market goodness worth exploring?

Speck Products Microsoft Zune Cases

Wed, 16 May 2007 13:12:59 -0500

As a testament to the rising popularity of Microsoft's Zune media player, aftermarket companies are starting to jump aboard the Z-train. Earlier this year at CES we started to see the makings of aftermarket schwag popping up in the form of speaker sets and other random gadgetry. Speck Products has wasted no time diving into the Zune market, and today we have for review four stylish Zune cases.

Creative Zen V Plus

Thu, 10 May 2007 13:17:10 -0500

When compared to the iPod shuffle the Zen already has twice the capacity at a price that is nearly identical. We're not doing a head-to-head comparison between the two products, but it is interesting to see how much of a price premium you pay for an Apple branded product just in terms of capacity, not to mention the many features the Zen V Plus can boast of as well. Let's take a closer look and see if the Zen's features and performance can make for a well-rounded product.

Apple iPod Shuffle 2G

Sun, 6 May 2007 13:34:41 -0500

In the crowded world of portable media players there's no bigger name than Apple who simply dominates the market with their various iPod offerings. Since we've already reviewed the iPod nano 2G and the iPod Video 5G, the iPod we'll be taking a look at today is the iPod shuffle 2G which sets a couple iPod records by being the smallest iPod ever, as well as the cheapest ever at $79. Of course, to set those records the shuffle had to cut the fat somewhere, and the obvious omission is that it lacks any real display, with only a small tri-color led to indicate basic functionality to the user. With all of the competing portable media devices available to consumers now, does the cheapest, smallest, and simplest iPod to date have what it takes to win the battle for your ears?

Apple's iPod vs. Microsoft's Zune

Tue, 1 May 2007 21:27:21 -0500

It's time to settle the debate. iPod or Zune? Did Microsoft kick the pod where it counts or is the mighty whitey still the king of the ring? Each player is loaded with features, flashy video capabilities and music storage galore. What one should you take home? Well, I can't tell you exactly which one you should rush out and buy. But maybe I can help to point buyers in the right direction. Here is my short list of what I consider to be the most important features of any portable media player. Which player fulfills these criteria and which stinks up the joint? Let us begin.

Apple iPod Video 5G

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:48:56 -0500

We chose to review the 30GB (as opposed to the 80GB version) as it is the direct competitor to the Microsoft Zune (not that the capacity will really make a difference in our review, aside from value). And seeing as how we just finished reviewing the Microsoft's 30GB Zune, what better time to take a closer look at the top dog? But what can my review of this most popular of gadgets offer? As an iPod detractor, I've never previously owned or reviewed an iPod. I've always thought of the player as a well-designed, but more importantly, well-marketed product. Many other companies offer comparable and even better portable audio products but can't compete with the iTunes media distribution juggernaut. Basically what I'm admitting here is that I harbor a healthy respect for the iPod but you can expect no Apple fanboy, one-eyed reviews from me. Now, on with the show.

Microsoft Zune

Tue, 6 Mar 2007 19:35:00 -0600

After several weeks of daily use I've certainly formed more than one opinion about the Zune. Of course there are endless product reviews of the Zune available on the interweb. But with this review I'll try to not only cover the basic features and usability of Microsoft's little brown brick but my impression of the player as a whole, why and who should buy one and if it lives up to its great white competitor.

iRiver T10 MP3 Player

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:40:07 -0600

The iRiver T10 is a flash-based player with what iRiver bills as a "sport ready' design. It's got a chromed metal "sport clip' to keep it attached and the body of the player is sturdily built. These are both good qualities to have when you're waist deep in blackberry bushes trying to retrieve a wayward golf disc. Of course, sturdiness alone is not enough to compete in the portable media player market. Consumers demand features! And sound quality! And maple bars! Does the iRiver T10 have what it takes to succeed? Well it doesn't have maple bars, but tell me, which player does?

iRiver Clix 2GB Multimedia Player

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:47:25 -0500

The one company that, in my opinion, stands out as the small market iPod alternative is iRiver. For the last few years iRiver has steadily developed a string of interesting personal media devices which, while not as popular as the iPod, are every bit as stylish and cool. Today I've got my hands on the iRiver Clix 2GB. This simple looking player jumps into the flash-based player arena to take on the likes of the iPod Nano as well as offerings from Samsung, Toshiba, Sandisk and others.