1TO10REVIEWS

My review: 7.5

The new ipod shuffle is really cool. I got it as a Valentine’s Day present from my fiancee (she kicks ass) and I use it almost every day. As usual, Apple hit it right with form factor and design, and this little device fixes the issues that existed with the generation 1 shuffles.

First let’s talk form factor. The body is made of brushed aluminum and feels sturdy and reliable in your hand. Little pieces of plastic (like most miniature mp3 players and the original shuffle) just don’t compare with something that feels solid and metallic. Also, the biggest pain that existed with the original shuffle was where to put it. I use my shuffle when I exercise. I would prefer to only run when I’m being chased, but I force myself because it is good exercise. Most running shorts don’t come with a convenient pocket for an mp3 player - the new shuffle fills that need with a built in clip. And it is so small and light that it doesn’t drag your waist band down or flop around when you’re pounding across the street to avoid getting smashed by a city bus while jaywalking. Is nice.

Sometimes, especially when you have a full 1 gigabyte (that’s the capacity) of music on the thing, it’d be nice to know what song is playing, or where you are in the list of music. But I think that most people (myself included) accept not having a screen or interface for the sake of minimal size and weight. I just set it on random and take off.

The battery lasts forever. I’ve used it consistently (about an hour at a time) and not charged it for over a month and never run out of battery. Maybe that means I don’t run as often as I should. In any case, Apple claims 12 hours of battery life when fully charged, and I think that runs true. You do need to use their little docking station, both to charge it and to add / remove music from it. I’d like it if I could maybe use a USB cable instead (easier to carry) and not be married to the dock, but it’s small and light, and it is sort of cool looking.

The metal, while it is durable and solid, does cut into the skin a little bit when I wear it on my waistband. I could clip to a sleeve, but I usually just suck it up or tuck the front of my shirt into my waist just behind the player. It works, but I wouldn’t mind some rounded edges on the inside of the clip.

Overall, this thing is awesome. The buttons are easy to press even while moving, and the whole thing pretty much rocks. My buddy Kurt bought one when it first came out, and I was uber-jealous. Then he told me that he lost his after a serious night ofdrinking with his boss. I started to commiserate with him, but he interrupted me to say he was glad. This way he was able to justify a blue one.

The basic specs are:

• Height: 1.07 inches
• Width: 1.62 inches
• Depth: 0.41 inch (including clip)
• Weight: 0.55 ounce
• Capacity: 1GB
• Playing Time (fully charged): 12 hours

For more comprehensive technical specs see the Apple website:
http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/specs.html

You can buy it on Apple’s website as well. As usual they will do a free engraving for you, and you can have standard shipping for free. You should buy one, it is rad.

Post Script

There is a cool review of the original iPod shuffle to be found here: http://www.livedigitally.com/2005/02/27/please-try-not-to-eat-it-a-review-of-the-very-edible-ipod-shuffle/

My Review: 7.5

The Samsung YPK-5 rules. The biggest problem is really the name of the device - no wonder Apple’s iPods are kicking so much ass. YPK-5 vs iPod. Shit.

So, the obvious cool feature is the slide out speaker. It really does sound great. If you are in the kitchen, outside smoking a cigar, or taking a shower in your hotel room, this portable mini-Boombox is awesome. And the device feels solid in your hands. There is no cheap, plasticky vibe. It feels solid, has some mass, and the speaker slides in and out perfectly time and again. The player is available with a 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacity.

The interface is really cool. There are little animations as you switch between functions (music, photos, alarm, etc.) and they are neat. It is responsive as well, not a long lag time between sections as you navigate. There is obviously a music section, as well as a photo section, alarm clock, FM radio, and the user settings area.

The interface is intuitive and easy to use. When a song is playing in the music section, if you slide out the speaker it continues playing without a pause or a hitch. The headphones included with the player are bass enhanced and really comfortable.

The FM radio is a neat feature as well. You do need to plug in some headphones - the metal in the plug acts as an antenna. Without it the device will not pick up a radio signal. You can still use the speaker though. As soon as the speaker slides out it takes over regardless of whether there are headphones plugged in. Cool.

Pictures look ok. Not great, but they look ok. It can be a fun diversion while you’ll sitting on the john, but it’s not a fantastic picture viewer.

The alarm is another thing I really like. You can set multiple alarms, and set them for particular days of the week (or to only run once, etc.) You can also designate a song on the device to play as the alarm tone. I wish you could pick multiple songs (or random) but it will only let you select a single song as the “alarm song.” Still, I like the option. And you do not need to open the speaker for the alarm to work. It will still play the song (pretty loud too) or regular alarm tone audibly, even if the speaker is closed.

The battery life also kicks ass. They list the battery use as 6 hours with the speakers open, and 18 hours using the headphones only. I have found those numbers to be very accurate. It’s got a strong little battery.

You have to use the USB cable to charge it; I’d prefer to have a wall charger as well, but I can deal with it. the bundled software (on CD-ROM) is ok, but nothing special. On most machines you can simply dump songs into the pre-set folders (MUSIC, PHOTOS, etc.) using Windows Explorer. I haven’t plugged it into a Mac, but I believe it the same basic story.

I think this is one of the coolest MP3 players on the market. The FM radio is nice, the alarm is rad, and the speaker kicks ass. For ultra-light / slim fanatics, Samsung has another version with the same features and interface sans speaker, which cuts the depth about in half. As is, with the speaker, the device still fits comfortably in your pocket and is easy to carry. And, you can plug it into any computer and add/remove songs, which in my opinion is a huge advantage over Apple’s iPod DRM madness.

Bottom line - this thing kicks ass and you should buy one. Solid 7.5

PS

The 1st link is to the YPK-5 section on the Samsung site. The second link is to J&R Electronics, they sell the YPK for a decent price.

http://samsung.com/Products/MP3Player/MP3Player/YP_K5JZBXAA.asp

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4140388

My Review: 7

So, this is my first Blackberry. My first smart phone as well for that matter. First impressions: this is a sturdy, powerful device. Now I went for utility rather than sex appeal. The Blackjack, the Sidekick 3, the Blackberry Pearl, and numerous other devices offer more fun features (like cameras, music players, expandable memory, etc.) The 8700 is a pretty utilitarian, no frills smart phone. It has a kick ass QWERTY keyboard that makes it super easy to type. It has a large screen making reading emails and even web-browsing totally tolerable. And the UI is straightforward and simple.

My feelings in choosing this device were as follows:

1. I want a phone
2. I want email on said phone
3. I already have a good MP3 player (or 3) - so I don’t need a crappy one
4. I already have a good digital camera - so I don’t need a crappy one

In my experience hybrids rarely perform well. You can buy a mountain bike or a road bike, and find one that works great. Buying a hybrid bike that attempts to do both usually results in poor performance everywhere, instead of excellent performance somewhere. I employed this same logic in choosing this device. Expandable memory matters if you are carrying large files (or lots of files) like music, photos or video. I wanted this device to do two things well: make/receive call and receive/send email. It does both par excellance.

That being said, there are a couple of small drawbacks. I am now a “Blackberry guy.” I mostly hate those guys. And I am putting my foot down on the holster. Not happening.

Also, it is a bulky mother-trucker. It’s not too heavy, but it is wide and pretty thick. In a jacket pocket, this isn’t a big deal. On a warm day, in a pants pocket, it feels a little awkward. The Pearl is a great solution to this issue, but I really like having the full keyboard and the track wheel on the side. It’s a trade-off (size vs. keypad) but I want to be able to send a message easily when I want to.)

But, overall, I am pretty pleased. There is a USB connection to sync it with the desktop software, and you can export contacts and calendar information in MS Outlook format if that’s your thing. I live my life with a little less organization than that, so I am holding off for the time being.

Also, incidentally, I have to say that T-Mobile is a cool company to work with. I know they get a lot of grief regarding the quality and breadth of their coverage areas, but I am lucky enough to live in an area (San Mateo, CA) that is well covered. And they offered to buy out my contract from Verizon and discount the device. As far as customer service is concerned, they have all the other networks I’ve worked with beat.

So, I give the Blackberry 8700 from T-Mobile a 7. Not that much style or sex appeal, but a reliable device with exactly the features I need.