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Plug and play: MP3 players with built-in USB |
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 James Kim Senior editor |
December 14, 2005
A number of MP3 players have mimicked the original Creative MuVo, the first player to ship with integrated USB (2002). A physical feature endowed only on flash-based MP3 players, built-in USB means that you never need to worry about toting along a USB cable while you're out and about. All you do is plug the player into any modern computer to transfer unprotected music files or store and access personal data; however, the Apple and the Sony models require the use of proprietary software to get MP3s on to the respective devices. Plugging in also means recharging for models with built-in batteries, except the EnCross and the Creative MuVo. For those who often shuttle data between computers, a USB plug-in MP3 player makes a lot of sense. Check out the following parasite-style USB 2.0 MP3 players, which range from small and simple (the iPod Shuffle, the Dell DJ Ditty, and the MuVo TX FM) to whimsical (the Sony Walkman Bean and the Disney Mix Stick). More resources
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| Product name |
Apple iPod Shuffle (1GB) |
Dell DJ Ditty (512MB) |
Sony Walkman Bean NW-E307 (1GB, Cotton Candy Pink) |
Creative MuVo TX FM (256MB, White) |
EnCross Enterprise WaveX SR-M620F (256MB) |
Disney Electronics Mix Stick (Sassy Pixie; 128MB) |
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| Review date | January 25, 2005 | October 31, 2005 | October 18, 2005 | June 28, 2004 | September 13, 2004 | December 1, 2005 |
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Editors' rating (Editors' rating explained) |
6.7
Good |
6.3
Good |
5.7
Average |
7.3
Very good |
7.0
Very good |
5.7
Average |
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| Buying choices |
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| Product videos |
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| Review summary | The iPod Shuffle, with its ultralow price, its dead-simple design, and its iTunes integration, is virtually guaranteed to be a hit, especially among those looking for a second iPod. | The Dell DJ Ditty is a decent low-cost option, but you can get more for your money from other offerings | Sony's half-baked Walkman Bean tries hard to be hip, but bad design elements and hissy audio make it one square audio player. | Creative's MuVo TX FM is a great option for people who want a small, lightweight, and gymworthy player with a decent feature set. | The feature-filled WaveX SR-M620F offers solid audio playback and mediocre FM reception, but the built-in speaker sets it apart. | The Disney Electronics Mix Stick, an affordable MP3 player for kids, looks cute and has more features than you'd expect, but the adult-size earbuds will frustrate little listeners. |
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| Product series | See all products in this series | N/A | See all products in this series | See all products in this series | N/A | See all products in this series |
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| My Products | ||||||
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| User comments | 7.1 Very good (from 127 users) | 5.5 Average (from 38 users) | 4.2 Mediocre (from 8 users) | 7.5 Very good (from 218 users) | 9.0 Spectacular (from 8 users) | Be one of the first to rate this product! |
| Basic Specs | ||||||
| PC interface(s) supported | USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB , USB , FireWire , USB 2.0 | USB | USB |
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| Flash memory installed | 1 GB | 512 MB | 1 GB | 256 MB | 256 MB | 128 MB |
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| Flash memory form factor | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated |
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| Digital storage media capacity | 1 GB | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Digital player signal-to-noise ratio | Info unavailable | 92 dB | Info unavailable | 90 dB | 85 dB | Info unavailable |
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| Digital Player total harmonic distortion | Info unavailable | 0.1 % | Info unavailable | 0.05 % | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 1 in x 0.3 in x 3.3 in | 1.1 in x 0.5 in x 3.6 in | 2.7 in x 1.5 in x 0.9 in | 1.5 in x 0.6 in x 2.9 in | 1.2 in x 1.2 in x 3.4 in | 1.5 in x 5 ft x 35 ft |
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| Weight | 0.8 oz | 1.4 oz | 1.6 oz | 1.1 oz | 1.4 oz | Info unavailable |
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| Resolution | Info unavailable | 96 x 32 | Info unavailable | 96 x 32 | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Battery technology | Info unavailable | Lithium polymer | Lithium ion | Alkaline | Alkaline | Lithium ion |
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| Mfr estimated battery life | 12 hour(s) | 14 hour(s) | 50 hour(s) | 15 hour(s) | 9 hour(s) | 8 hour(s) |
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| Software type | Apple iTunes | Info unavailable | Sony SonicStage | Drivers & Utilities , Creative MediaSource | Drivers & Utilities | Drivers & Utilities |
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| Manufacturer warranty | 1 year warranty | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | 1 year warranty | Info unavailable |
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| Product type | Flash player | Digital player / radio | Digital player / radio | Flash player | Flash player | Digital player |
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| Color | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Pink | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Sound output mode | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo |
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| Width | 1 in | 1.1 in | 2.7 in | 1.5 in | 1.2 in | 1.5 in |
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| Depth | 0.3 in | 0.5 in | 1.5 in | 0.6 in | 1.2 in | 5 ft |
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| Height | 3.3 in | 3.6 in | 0.9 in | 2.9 in | 3.4 in | 35 ft |
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| Equalizer factory presets | Info unavailable | Speech , Classic , Normal , Rock , Jazz , Pop | Info unavailable | Classic , Normal , Rock , Jazz , Pop | Classic , Normal , Super Bass , Rock , Jazz , Pop | Info unavailable |
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| Amplifier response bandwidth | 20 - 20000 Hz | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Digital player (recorder) | WAV , Audible , MP3 , AAC | WMA , WAV , Audible , MP3 | WMA , WAV , ATRAC3 , MP3 , ATRAC3plus | Protected WMA (DRM) , ADPCM , MP3 | WMA , MP3 | WMA , MP3 |
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| Product name | Apple iPod Shuffle (1GB) | Dell DJ Ditty (512MB) | Sony Walkman Bean NW-E307 (1GB, Cotton Candy Pink) | Creative MuVo TX FM (256MB, White) | EnCross Enterprise WaveX SR-M620F (256MB) | Disney Electronics Mix Stick (Sassy Pixie; 128MB) |
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| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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| Price range | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available |
Please visit mySimon for pricing info.
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