Sony Ericsson Z520a - Cellular phone - GSM - folder (flip)

I've been looking for a Bluetooth phone for over two years now. I've never bought one before because they were always high-end phones with more features than I would ever care about using. I'd been following the Sony-Ericsson phones, but they were always expensive when new and followed the same pattern of featuritis.

I just found this phone last week, and I bought it on the spot. It is exactly what I have been looking for -a good phone with some very useful features, plus a few gimmicks for the young and hip (or young at heart and hipless). Among the more important features for me, mainly from a practicality / safety standpoint:

Voice-activated dialing (super-easy to set up, and it even recognizes partial commands -I'd set up my home number as "Call home", but it worked just fine when I only said "Home")

Speakerphone function (a little fuzzy, but serviceable as long as you're not in a moving car)

(Brightly!) Backlit, reasonably large keys

Lightweight

Small, but not too small to hold comfortably (I'm 6' 3" with large hands, and I have no problems holding or dialing)

Caller-specific ring tones to spare me from reading the display (my wedding song's playing? Must be my wife calling)

Very good signal reception (I generally get 4 or 5 bars in my home, where I used to get 1 or 2 with my old Nokia [both on Cingular])

Good sound quality, almost as good as a land line

But for me, the most important feature in a cell phone has long been Bluetooth. I really think this is the best technology to come to mobile phones, and Cingular (unlike some other cell service providers ::cough::VERIZON::cough::) doesn't cripple or limit what it can do. Without reading the manual, I quickly navigated to the phone's Connectivity menu, turned on Bluetooth, and told it to find local devices. My Apple PowerBook was right there and turned on, and the phone found it almost instantly. It paired up without any hassle (the PowerBook notified me right away when I needed to enter the passcode for a permanent pairing), and a few seconds later I was using iSync to send over my contacts, saving me a good hour of time vs having to manually key them all in. iSync recognized the phone with no issues and configuration of sync options was a breeze.

I was also able to send an MP3 file from iTunes via Bluetooth (after first pulling out the bit I wanted to use as the ring tone through QuickTime). The phone took the file without any additional software -I just used the Bluetooth File Transfer utility that came bundled with the PowerBook. The phone automatically recognized it as a sound file, put in the right place, and made it immediately available as a ring tone.

I plan on purchasing the S-E Bluetooth car kit (HCB-700) and possibly the advanced music mute to route the sound through my car's speakers instead of using the kit's speaker. Then I'll have a perfect wireless hands-free setup!

If you travel overseas, you want a quad band phone. However, until recently that pretty much restricted you to Motorola. I've had three Motorola phones, and they all fell apart within a year, so I wasn't about to buy another one. In addition, I find the current Motorola user interface (on the RAZR) ugly and hard to use.

So, I was delighted when Sony Ericsson finally released a quad band phone in the USA, and Cingular picked it up. The Z520a is a phone for people who want a phone. It's small, robustly built, and has all the features you could reasonably want for telephony. The flashing lights are a gimmick, but a gimmick that can be useful in noisy environments.

If you want to use high speed data services, this phone is not for you, as it lacks EDGE support. If you want to browse the web, this phone is probably not for you--it has a web browser, but the screen is small. If you want to listen to music, get an iPod--this phone only has 17MB free when you get it, and there's no headphone jack. If you want to take 4x6 photos, again, this isn't the phone you want--the 640x480 resolution is good for e-mailing fun web snapshots, but that's about it.

But as I say, it's a phone. It's small enough to fit in the pocket of your jeans. It'll pair with a Toyota Prius via Bluetooth for hands free use. It'll pair with a Mac and sync your contacts and calendars via iSync. It'll play your choice of MIDI files or MP3s sent from your computer as ringtones, so you don't have to pay for overpriced downloads. For my phone at least, Cingular didn't lock down the Bluetooth or otherwise cripple the phone's functionality.

I had a Sony Ericsson T68i, which was incredibly slow. I'm happy to report that this phone is lightning fast by comparison--no noticable lag in the user interface. Java applications take a while to start up, but run fine once they're up.

Why not 5 stars? Well, the inner screen is absurdly easy to scratch--you'll want a screen protector. Also, the arrow keys are a bit fiddly to press; a scroll wheel or joystick would have been very welcome.

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This is a very good cell phone and Amazon.com gives the best deal. But, you can't transfer your old phone number from different provider to Cingular through Amazon.com. If you transfer your old phone number, you won't get your mail-in rebate. Please read amazon.com mail-in rebate rules carefully!!!

You can read about how to transfer your number through this link : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/508597/102-6686881-6992121

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We have THREE of these phones from Cingular. COmpared it side by side against the Razr.

After about 2 weeks of intensive use, we like this phone better than the Razr in everything area except for two things: reception sensitivity and screen size.

Pros:

Lighter, smaller, slightly more tactile key, and most importantly more analog sound both in the earpiece and transmitting than the Razr. It simply sounds more natural. Also, having a synthetic body (some kind of plastic) along with its lightweight, should be more durable than the Razr. GREAT talk time compared to the razr etc. Bluetooth with plantronics works just fine. Zero problems there. Finally, the speaker phone is quite usable and noticeably better on both the transmitting and receiving end compared to the Razr. Also, very consistent quality all three of our phones work identically in reception strength and sound quality. Kudos there.

Cons:

Razr has better reception. This is a big one. Our home is in the fringe area of reception in the mountains. Decending to the 'basement', we have very very fringe reception. Barely 1 bar at times. Razr takes the call no problem and maintains rock solid connection. The Sony would make the call maybe once out of five times, and then drop it repeatedly after seconds. Basically not usable in this very fringe environment. We continue to drop calls with CIngular often even with 3 bars in different environments. Not sure if it is the phone or Cingular.

Also, Razr does have a bigger screen that is just more of a pleasure to see. This is minor for us.

Currently, we are keeping the Z520 but the weaker reception than the Razr and dropped calls on all three Z520 is driving us a bit 'nuts'. We have 30 days to decide whether to keep it and are still evaluating.

Hope this helps.

Addendum after 3 weeks:

I would not give it 1 or 2 stars if I could. Called Cingular multiple times to resolve our problems to no avail and received some erroneous information. With all three phones, we would regularly drop calls even with 3 or 4 bars showing. Further, just sitting on our desk, the phone would bounce from 1 to 4 bar and back in seconds. Something is wrong with the internal algorithm. It is possible that the phone is searching for alternate bands? Can't set the band manually. VERY frustrating and poor performance after extensive testing with 3 phones.

Final update:

We traded all 3 for Razrs and the difference is remarkable. The Razr exhibited NONE of the problems of the Z520 with the many dropped calls. Simply blows the Z520 away. We tried our best to like the Z520 but am very happy with the Razr. Also, we racked up a bunch of unintentional charges with the Z520 as you can push many additional $$ services inadvertantly with just ONE button. THis happened on ALL three Z520s and was very irritating. We never saw this coming until the bill showed up. Cingular charge $20 for games which we never intentionally loaded. They did reverse charges though when we challenged it. In all, one star phone.

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We upgraded our phones right after Christmas and bought 2 RAZR's and 2 SE z520a's. My sons love their phones. My daughter and I loved ours, too, for about 2 weeks!

As much as we hate to, we've boxed them up to send back to Cingular. They are great phones as long as long as they are working. My daughter first noticed she was missing calls. She said the phone would vibrate without ringing and when she tried to answer it she could not hear nor be heard. Since it only happened a couple of times and this phone had good reviews, I didn't worry about it. Then I noticed there were times I would be talking to someone and then couldn't hear them, although the call timer was still running. I wanted to believe that Cingular was having some service problems and then it happened. I noticed my phone with it's cool lights dancing and realized that I didn't hear a ring. I popped it open to answer and got dead air. Isn't it funny how it's always worse when it happens to you? Well, this was serious.

I immediately went to the Cingular forums and found lots of frustrated people wanting help with these phones, most having the same problems with them. Those complaints weren't there when I ordered our phones. I saw today that Cingular has pulled the z520a from their sales site.

Some people believe that a memory leak is the cause. They have suggested powering down the phones each day. That didn't work for us. We put the call into Cingular, boxed up our really cute phones and are now waiting for the labels to ship them back. The new sim cards work great in our old phones. They will just have to do until Cingular puts an improved version of the Z520a or something equally cool up for sale. Something that will match the functions of the RAZR without the blocky width and it needs lights that help you find it in the bottom of a purse. I miss my defective phone!

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Memorex Mi9490P High-Fidelity Sound System for iPod/iPhone (Black)

• Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G, 2G; iPhone 1G, 3G
• Play and charge your iPhone, with display of ID3 tag info on the LCD screen
• Front slot-loading CD player for playback of CDs and CD-R/RW discs
• FM radio with user presets for quick access
• Auxiliary input for connecting external audio devices

Looked for a iPhone radio/bedside cradle for a month without finding anything that I really liked. Finally I started shopping at brick and mortar stores, when I came across this model I wondered why I hadn't seen it before on Amazon, well, turns out that it was on Amazon, but without any ratings, it was at the bottom of the search results.

As a dock: Charges and holds my iPhone and doesn't have any speaker buzz YAY! Comes with a couple of bases for other apple ipods. Has an auxillary input in the back, which is perfect for hooking up any other audio device (I use it for my wife's iPhone which uses the standard iPod charger. Sits on top, which isn't my favorite, but nothing is perfect.

As a radio: Nothing special here, just your standard radio, but it has digital FM radio (not HD) and something like 30 presets.

As a sound system: 30 watts RMS power output doesn't really mean anything, but in "at-home use", this system is quite sufficient. I don't often listen to music at a high volume, but at the same time I wouldn't use it for a party. Has some equalizer presets, which seem to work well.

Functionality: Easy to figure out the functions, alarm etc., CD player works well.

iPhone: When using the iPod app, it pulls the data from the iPhone and displays it on the screen. This is a cool feature.

Bedside use: The display can be dimmed which makes it much easier to go to sleep. This was a deal making feature for me because it's intended use was bedside. The remote works well, and comes with a battery. It must be in the same room to use, but this is pretty standard for remotes.

Overall: It does what it should and looks good too.

UPDATE: (11/11/2010) The cd player started to skip one year after use. This is not really a problem due to the almost exclusive use of radio and iPhone/iPod, but still something to consider if you plan on using the cd player a lot. Some music apps on the iPhone don't output using the cradle and you are forced to use the aux cord to play them. I wasn't bothered by this until I observed it was possible on the Memorex MiniMove Boombox for iPod. Perhaps it has to do with being iPhone capable...

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Like the other reviewer I've been looking for a while. I actually purchased 2 other systems before this one (returned them both). I just happened to stumble across this one at Best Buy. The key thing for me is that it has CD, radio & iPhone capability (very few systems do for this price). A few comments:

Radio I still listen to the radio a fair amount. The reception on this radio is very very good. I'm using it in a subterrainian metal lined garage and can clearly pickup all the stations I'm interested in.

Cost It's not cheap, but much less than Bose or Cambridge Soundworks models.

Size Very compact, which is important to me.

Sound I'm still playing with settings, but sounds great to me.

iPhone No iPhone buzz and my ipod works fine.

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I probably researched and listened to about a half dozen Radio Clocks with an iPod dock before taking a chance and ordering the Memorex Mi9490P. I say I took a chance because I previously looked at what local stores such as Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and Fry's had to offer in the way of these sound systems and found them each lacking in one area or another. I then saw this Memorex on a Golden Box sale, read the reviews and decided to take the plunge. Not a day goes by that I regret ordering this one. In fact my only regret is that I did not order 2 (one for the house and one for the office).

To hopefully help with your decision, let me start by listing my criteria.

1) Dock for charging and listen to my iPhone 4

The Memorex Mi9490 will fit the iPhone 4 with some limits on the size of case where other products sold by the likes of iHome and Phillips may fit the iPhone 3 but not fit the iPhone at all

iPhone will not fit if the case is an Otter Box defender, but you could order the dockXtender Premium Cable sold by CableJive, which works for charging as well as audio.

2) Had to have a clock.

The Memorex Mi9490 has a digit clock with alarm clock features

3) Had to have AM/FM receiver

The Memorex Mi9490 support standard definition FM and AM

No support for HD radio (definitely one drawback, but one that should be expected given the price range)

4) Had to high quality sound from the speakers

After listening to some of the units on the market, I was completely taken by surprise of how good the speakers sound on the Mi9490.

The Mi9490 has stereo speakers

Let me clarify and help set the right expectation.

Do the speakers sound like a live performance? No, it sounds like a system that cost less than $100. The speakers are clear with a good acoustic range (decent bass and decent tremble).

Can you pump up the music so loud the neighbors will complain? No, the Mi9490 seems to be designed to jam out to your favorite tunes in a bedroom or other small area without distortion

The bottom-line is this is not a $5000+ sound system like the audio room at your local Magnolia Best Buy. On the other side, the sound quality is at least a step up from the basic alarm clock radios.

5) Wanted CD

The Memorex Mi9490 has a front loading CD player that support CDR

Additional Features:

1) Comes with a remote

2) has a AUX input on the back

3) will control the iPod function from either the remote or the control on the top of the unit

4) When watching a movie on the iPhone, sound will play out the speakers.

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If you have an IPhone 3G, DO NOT BUY this product. You probably bought your IPhone or recently upgraded it in the last few months to work with Apple's most recent Operating System (Ver. 4.2.1) (Don't know your OS? Look at "Settings, General, About, Version" on your phone to find it.) If so, this Memorex unit will play NO SOUND (MUSIC, APPS, RADIO ETC.) As I learned from speaking on the phone with a product supervisor at Memorex technical support, this unit was made before the OS upgrade and is INCOMPATIBLE with it. As long as this unit continues to be advertised for IPhone 3G, Amazon and Memorex are making FRAUDULENT CLAIMS about it. BUYER BEWARE !!!

I bought this ipod player for my wife. The sound is excellent ! I saw it at Fry's, but the price was better at Amazon. Head to head with the other players on display, it was hands down the best sounding player. Expect this to be like a bookshelf player, not a mobile player. It is big and heavy, but to get the very good sound you need bigger speakers to get rich bass.

I wish it had an alarm clock, but that feature was left off for some reason. Baffling to me.

One thing I've noticed over time is that because the display light cannot be turned off, it can shine in your eyes with a rather bright light while trying to sleep. It looks really dim during the day, but in a dark room on the night stand next to our bed, it is too bright. I have to cover it up.

It comes with a remote, which is very nice to have. If it didn't come with one, you might not miss it, but I am glad it came with one. It works from any where in the room and is a big convenience when sitting at our computer on the other side of the room.

Rich clear sound is why I got an ipod player/ speaker system. It excels in this category. It looks good and has some nice features too.

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Oregon Scientific BAR339PA Projection Atomic Clock with Weather Forecaster

I had an older Oregon Scientific clock (atomic, projection, weather) that works perfectly. It projects the time in crisp red which is the right brightness you can clearly see it at night, and it does not illuminate the whole room. Also one can rotate the displayed image 360 degrees. My only complaints with that clock were the lack of temperature display on the ceiling and the hard to read clock face (old style LED dark gray on light gray). One can illuminate the clock face by pressing a button but cannot permanently turn illumination on.

I needed another clock so I decided that this one should be much better, especially with the temperature being shown on the ceiling. That new clock was a huge disappointment. First it is indeed too bright it is like a projector that illuminates the whole room, although one can get used to it. The image cannot be focused very well, and it has only two positions at 180 degrees from each other. Because of that I can either have the image on the ceiling right (but cannot see well the clock face), or have the clock turned so that I can see it (but the image on the ceiling is at an angle). Another huge problem is the illumination of the clock face. When turned off it is difficult to read but unlike the old model you can turn it on. And there the problems begin. Some designer kid has had fun designing the display with animations and color changes that are supposed to track better the weather changes. So at night, while you are trying to sleep and get used to the bright bluish light from the projector, suddenly color flashes start playing around. My wife almost got a heart attack when this happened for the first time.

The verdict just returned it.

Great product. A bit of a learning curve to get the World Time Zone set, but the remote temperature sensor is on my back porch and sends in a good clear signal upstairs through our two-story home. The only funky thing about it (projector works great) is the projector sleep/lock. If the projector is set to ON it is very bright and lights up the darkened room almost too much. So I turned it off, to touch-on only mode, which strangely goes into lock mode if left inactive for a bit and makes you hold down snooze for many seconds until the display projects again. I mostly have it off now which defeats the cool purpose of hitting snooze to temporarily show the display. Even the main display is really bright and can be like a night light -but so close to the bed is too bright I found. Still geeking out with it though and love it overall.

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I like all the features of this clock, except that the projection image can only be rotated 180 degrees. It projects both the time and temperature at the same time, which is a feature I wanted most. I like the alarm symbol that is also projected to let you know the alarm is set. When the snooze is activated the alarm symbol (a bell) flashes. It has an AC adapter and a battery backup. The reviews I read said the projection was too bright. I agree that it is rather bright, but it doesn't keep myself or my spouse from loosing any ZZZZZZZs and functions as a nice night light.

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I decided after my original Oregon projection alarm clock finally died (after the projector went out after 7+ years) I would give this one a shot. I read the reviews and alot of people think the projector is too bright. I was shocked at first because it was bright, but then I thought how my old clock got more dim as time went on so I was OK with it. If you've never had a projection clock, you've got to try this. I like the fact that both the LED screen and projector are able to be shut off at night. The projector has a light sensor so if you turn your room lights on it will automatically shut off. Also the weather forecast is nice. I've only noticed once the forecast was not accurate, but again if it's as accurate as the weathermen it's pretty good. Overall I would give this clock 5 stars. It does what it's advertised to do. I also would say if your worried about the projector being bright, you will get used to it.

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I hesitated with buying this clock even though it seemed to have everything I wanted because of the critiques of it being too bright. Those must have been written by very light sleepers. It is a bit bright, but I think that's just fine. I want to be able to see it in the dark and it's never bothered me! The crescendo beeping alarm is wonderful and sure beats those loud, irritating ones. It took a while for it to lock on to the sensor outside...I had to move it where it could see it. But once locked in, I moved it back to my desired spot and it works fine. The different colors are nice, but since I live in San Diego, I will worry if it ever turns green (snow). At 1 AM it does rotate and flash through the colors as it recalibrates the signal from Boulder, Colorado, but that's never disturbed me. I don't think any alarm clock is perfect but this is close. I had a marvelous but expensive chiming clock from Now & Zen but it died after about a year and a half and the time light was too dim to see at night. I had a Honeywell projection clock, too, but it also died. Maybe they all have a limited life expectancy, but here's hoping with this one.

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Sangean U3 AM/FM Ultra Rugged Digital Tuning Radio Receiver

• Water resistant
• Auto scan;10 memory presets
• Backlit LCD display
• Selectable auto shutoff timer
• 10 Memory Preset Stations (5 FM, 5 AM)

A reader warned me about the Sangean U3 being too bass-heavy. Listening to talk radio wasn't pleasant. Too muddled. Same complaint about the otherwise well reviewed U3's smaller brother, the very appealing Lunchbox, which will be available in about a month for about $12 less than my $103 U3. The lesser priced Lunchbox has a slightly smaller speaker, no headphone jack, and no tone controls for bass and treble.

Let me say before I delay any longer that the tone controls on the U3 make listening to talk NO PROBLEM. The sound is great on both talk and music. Digital FM, with 5 presets, is crystal clear with no background noise and no need to adjust the FM rubber antenna. The weakest station I listen to 89.3 KPCC comes in with no problem. AM, received from the internal ferrite, has 5 presets and is very sensitive. No ugly birdy noise on 710 AM, a sometimes problematic station on my other radios.

My wife also likes the radio, its bold look and its crystal clear sound. She said she wants to keep it in the kitchen, which means I'll have to move the Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo into the living room. For now the U3 is between my computer and yoga mat inside the office. Like all my radios, my U3 doesn't like the computer. Five feet away from the computer and all my radios suffer a bit of compromised FM. AM doesn't seem to be affected.

Power

You can power up the U3 with the included AC. Not included are the 2 AA batteries to back-up power, clock and presets in the case of a power outage.

If you don't want to use the AC, you power up the U3 with 6 D batteries.

The U3 also comes with dual alarm functions, which I plan on never using. This radio is to produce big clear sound in the house, the garage, or front and back yards. So far as I can tell it is a big winner.

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I started out looking at job site radios, you know, the ones with the battery charging systems. Some of them weren't rated very high and I didn't need that feature. Then I found the U-3. I have a hearing loss so I was worried about the base sounding mudduled like one review. Perhaps they have updated the bass control since that one review. I had no trouble with the base control and I can hear talk radio fine. I live in a rural area and have never been able to get AM reception on any radio, in my shop. Not only does it strong AM no matter where I place it, the U-3 gets crystal clear FM. My favoite FM station has always been fuzzy on other radios. There is plenty of base if you want it. The volume can boom clearly over all my machinery. The controls are eazy to use with dirty hands, and the thing laughs at all the saw dust on top of it. I have not tried the battery thing yet since I am never planning to use it that way. The thing is built to withstand an atomic attack.

Now for my only con........ If it had a remote I could put it on a high shelf. It is a minor inconvienace to put it within reach.

Treat yourself and buy this radio.

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I wanted a rugid, digital, LOUD, yet small radio for my husband to take with us tailgating, camping, and to NASCAR races. This fit exactly what he and I were both looking for. It has a light, can be used while plugged into an AC or DC outlet, or even use batteries. It's digital with memory so he can save all his favorite stations and it is LOUD for only being one speaker.

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The audio is a bit on the bass side, even with tone turned to treble, but I have no problem with it. Someone else might.

My favorite stations come in fine. Switching bands / stations is a breeze with pre-set buttons. The tuner will scan (similar to most car radios). The knobs are well labeled, very smooth, and simple to operate.

Limited testing renders DX'ing with U3 comparable to CC Radio on both bands.

The time / alarm are very easy to set. The clock displays the time when unit is turned off. The 2 AA batteries that just run the clock will probably last a year or more. I do not think the battery indicator reflects the strength of the 2 clock batteries. My guess is that when the clock stops displaying, it's time to change the 2 AA's(?).

The "Sleep" mode is handy and easy to invoke. Using it could save some battery life if one should wander off and forget radio is on.

I'm impressed with the build. The roll cage has rubber feet and the radio is mounted to the cage with rubber mounts. It should withstand rough riding and being moved around frequently. The "rubber ducky" FM antenna functions very well and makes moving / carrying radio much easier.

Having only played U3 on the "D" cells for a few hours, I cannot comment on battery life at this time.

The AC wire is on a spool in the roomy rear compartment. Returning the wire to the compartment is not difficult or "challenging", as with many portable radios. The AC plug is 2 prong; no wall wart.

While operating on AC, the battery indicator disappears as an indication that batteries are not in use.

The AC wire compartment has room for my 12V lighter plug adapter & cord.

Sangean should include this wire/adapter or at least offer one as an option. I was able to make one up, but only by luck of having correct parts on hand.

The display is large and easy to see and read.

Display back light remains on for about 15 seconds in both battery and AC mode. This is a good thing, in my opinion, since my CC Radio back light eventually burnt out after a few years of being on with radio always connected to AC. Pressing any button re-illuminates the back light at any time.

I've made no attempts to charge a cell phone from U3. I do not have the required wire for my phone. (No wires come with radio for cell phones or 12V DC input power.)

I'm also impressed with the door on the battery compartment. It has a screw-knob, is hinged, and not likely to fail.

All the auxiliary receptacles have rubber hinged stoppers in them to add to the water-proof integrity. Hand grip is rubber padded and very comfortable; radio is rather heavy (about 9 lbs),yet still easy to grab & go. It's very good for placing on the ground or floor.

Side-by-side, the audio is just as good (for my ears) as my GE Superadio, which up until now, has provided the best audio of all my portables.

Operating the U3 next to my computer, I get no noise on AM or FM.

I'm very pleased with the U3 radio.

I encourage Sangean to offer accessory connectors or at least links for 3rd party providers. Sangean may also care to re-visit the bass level of this radio.

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I bought this sight unseen or heard. It had all the right features, but it only had one speaker and there where one or two posts complaining about sound quality.

When the box arrived, it is way smaller and lighter than I thought. I plugged it in, set my MP3 player on Foo Fighters, and the box rocks. Nuff, said.

I was looking at the Sony ZS-H10CP Heavy-Duty CD Radio Boombox, and I am so happy I did not buy that. This is a boombox you don't mind carrying 3 miles in the woods. It is tough so you don't have to even think about being careful with the thing.

Two things weird things that have turned out really useful. One, the built in light was really handy. Two, the built in alarm clock proved a life saver.

I honestly think I can beat a bear unconscious with the thing, and not lose radio reception while doing so.

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Apple iPod nano 8 GB Green (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL

• Now the world's most popular music player lets you enjoy up to 5 hours of TV shows, movies, video podcasts, and more
• An enhanced interface offers a whole new way to browse and view your music and video
• iPod nano sports a larger, 320-by-240-resolution display that's 65 percent brighter than before
• In anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel, iPod nano is now 6.5 mm thin and even more beautiful
• Measures 2.75 x 2.06 x 0.26 inches (H x W x D), weighs 1.74 ounces
• It measures 2.75 x 2.06 x 0.26 inches (H x W x D), weighs 1.74 ounces.
• It is in anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel, iPod nano is now 6.5 mm thin and even more beautiful.
• It has an enhanced interface offers a whole new way to browse and view your music and video.
• Now the world's most popular music player lets you enjoy up to 5 hours of TV shows, movies, video podcasts, and more.
• iPod nano sports a larger, 320-by-240-resolution display that's 65 percent brighter than before.

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)

Apple's new nano is designed to improve upon past models and add some functionality. The improved video, smaller thinner body and updated firmware are enough to make it stand out. The slightly lower price tag is also sure to help sell more units.

I think most buyers will opt to get the 8GB, considering it is only $50 more than the 4GB and actually makes the video function more usable. Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Blue (3rd Generation) Regardless, the new nano is an improvement in any size.

Pros

+ Small size so thin!!!!

+ Nice design shorter, fatter form factor for more reliability

+ Brushed aluminum front seems more durable than plastic composite of 2nd generation nano

+ Many color options Silver, blue, green, black, etc.

+ Brighter screen with better contrast than previous generation

+ Great video option is a nice to have for sample TV shows, clips, etc

+ Works with most traditional iPod accessories (except old A/V cable)

+ Priced to sell! Lowest price Apple video capable player

+ Lower price tag than 2nd Generation nano

+ Unlike iPod classic, all flash memory means less failures and breakage

+ Flash memory also awesome for running / working out

+ Slightly better sound quality than 2nd generation

+ Apple reputation is highly deserved

Cons

4 GB capacity is very limited for a video player and will require constant reloading via iTunes

New 2GB Shuffle option provides a workout alternative at about 1/3 the price

New design not ideal for very big hands due to smaller click wheel

Universal dock now required for video out (no more A/V cable)

Slightly shorter battery life than other iPods

No expandability or SD card slot like Sansa View or Creative Zen

iTunes software with limited native formats (MP3, AAC)

Coverflow still buggy / slow

Features built-in to competing players, like FM radio & voice recording, much be bought as add-ons,

Competing players now available at 16GB flash at similar body size

The Looks

Some people prefered the gen2 nano's longer body and larger click wheel. The longer nano was prone to bend (and sometimes break) when people put them in their pocket and sat down or moved around. The smaller click-wheel can be awkward, particularly for those with large hands. But it's a worthy trade-off for the smaller size and better durability.

Another change motivated by durability is the metal face. The old clear composite face was a magnet for smudges and scratches. The new brushed metal face holds up nicer. Be warned though; it can chip and scratch, so get a cover.

The Sound

Sound quality is not significantly improved from previous models. The slight improvements touted in Apple's marketing are exaggerated. However, let's be fair to Apple here. MP3 and even CD audio have inherent sound quality limitations.

MP3 is a compression technology that does experience quality loss, however minimal. With a lower bitrate your MP3 files will lose more and more of the sound integrity from the original recording. Combine that with the fact many people rip from sources that are not digitally mastered, and you would get inferior sound quality with any device.

Almost no MP3 players are actually designed for audiophiles / musicians / sound engineers; i.e., the people who could tell the difference between good sound and great sound. Fortunately, some of these devices are starting to come onto the market.

Features and Software

Few new features are noteworthy with this device. Changes in the components and software make the screen brighter and allow you to do more things, including watch videos and play games. Some complain there isn't enough memory for video. You can still get enough on here to watch one movie or fit some TV shows with your music. It's a nice extra even if these nanos don't have tremendous memory.

The flash memory in this device could have been a faster speed. However, the main advantages of the flash player are still here: less risk of hardware failure associated with a hard disk drive player (better for running or working out).

The device does seem to have a shorter battery life than advertised. Perhaps because of the smaller body size Apple placed a smaller batter inside. As long as you sync and charge at night, it's ok. You are still likely to get a day's worth of use from a full charge.

Apple's software is still a weakness with very limited direct control over your device library and few native file options. All formats can be converted using iTunes or another software. You can convert pretty much any file to the MP3, MP4, or AAC formats you need for iTunes. This will mean that those of us with other players will have to have 2 versions of our libraries on our computers, eating up hard-drive space. That's because there's no drag and drop adding into the player, you have to add it to iTunes first and then sync.

However, most users have limited needs and will not notice if they are using MP3s. Apple hits the minimum compatibility needs of most of the market.

Coverflow is little more than a gimmick. It's still buggy and covers tend to blank out if you scroll quickly. Cover art has been downloaded with previous software versions and most other video players, so the ability to scroll covers is not really a breakthrough.

Competitors Pros and Cons

Apple's devices are obviously more expensive than other players on a per gigabyte $ cost. In addition, the iPod still has fewer built-in features than most competitive devices. It doesn't have a built-in FM radio tuner, voice recorder, Bluetooth, WMA support, and an SD card expansion slot. Both the Creative Zen Creative Zen 4 GB MP3 Player (Black) and the Sansa View SanDisk Sansa View 8 GB MP3 Player have micro SD slots, FM tuners and voice recording components built in. Both are better priced. The Sansa View comes in a 16GB size for the same price as the 8GB nano.

Still the iPod Nano beats both those players on size as the Creative Zen is much thicker and the Sansa View is taller. Also keep in mind that the Creative Zen has been somewhat buggy, and the View doesn't have as long a track record only being released in November 2007.

The new Sony players have finally abandoned their own bad software, and now provide some good competition to the iPod nano. In typical Sony fashion, they are priced just as high as the nano. But they do have quality components and better sound quality. Sony NWZA816BLK 4GB Walkman Video MP3 Player (Black)

The new 2 GB iPod Shuffle, released in February 2008, probably provides the biggest competition if you don't care about video and your only use is working out. Apple iPod shuffle 2 GB Silver (2nd Generation) For 1/3 the price, you get a player with half the capacity that's designed for longer battery life and more active use.

Conclusion

In the end, what the iPod nano does, it does very well. Apple really wins with sleek design and a wealth of accessories. This unit is no different. Not all docks and accessories work with the 3rd generation, but many do. And for that large number of users already using iTunes, moving your music over to the nano is a snap.

Overall this device is an improvement. Apple's entry level video player will continue to be popular due to great features, acceptable pricing and the Apple brand.

Enjoy!!!

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (3rd Generation)

This review is for the 8GB iPod Nano. All the reviews for the third generation Nanos have been combined by Amazon. While this unit is very similar to the 4GB iPod Nano Apple 4 GB iPod Nano (3rd Gen) there are enough differences that they each deserve a closer look.

Choosing Among iPods

Overall, I would choose the 8 GB iPod Nano over the 4 GB nano and the 8 GB iPod Touch. This unit is priced right, and at only $50 more than the 4 GB unit it's a no brainer. Those who want to step up should look to the 16 GB Apple iPod Touch 16 GB or 32 GB iPod Touch Apple iPod touch 32 GB. I have been lucky enough to live with all these players, so I hope this helps you decide.

Hopefully Apple will soon make a 16 GB or even a 32 GB Nano available. Only the iPod Touch currently sports those capacities. Till they offer larger sizes the 8GB is the biggest option. The screen is small, but the regular buttons and click wheel allow easier volume and track changes and better use on the go than the iPod Touch.

Some may choose to pay an extra $100 more than this to step up to the 8 GB iPod Touch Apple iPod touch 8 GB with Software Upgrade. The extra features of the Touch are awesome. The high overhead of the Touch software gives you 6 to 6.5 GB of useable space out of those 8 GB. That is just not enough to justify the higher price.

Comparing to Competing Players Features and Concerns

The iPod Nano still has less features than most competitive devices. It doesn't have a built-in FM radio tuner, voice recorder, bluetooth, WMA support, or an expansion slot. More and more users demand those features. Both the thicker Creative Zen Creative Zen 8 GB (Black) and the taller Sansa ViewSanDisk Sansa View 8 GB MP3 Player include most of those features. They both also now come in 16GB and 32GB capacities.

The Creative Zen does have slightly better sound and file version support. But its native software is even worse and the company has acquired a reputation for high failure rates. Conversely, the Sansa View is perhaps the best value but the video screen and sound quality is less attractive than either two. Perhaps the new Sansa Fuze may have more improvements, but we'll have to wait and see SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB MP3 Player (Silver).

Of course the growing Zune population gets wireless sharing and syncing Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player Black (2nd Generation). But Zune's screen is also less attractive for video and the device has other issues. So I would still choose the Nano over the Zune.

Perhaps the best new competitor is the 800 series Sony MP3 player Sony NWZA818BLK 8GB Walkman Video MP3 Player (Black). For years, Sony devices suffered from proprietary audio formats and both annoying and unethical software limitations. Sony has finally given in to MP3 format, though I'm sure they will try to sneak in DRM at every turn. Surprisingly, even though Apple is the clear market leader Sony's has almost overpriced their units. While expensive, they do have the durable metal body like Nanos. And in terms of sound quality, I would say they are just as good if not slightly better. I just don't consumers should pay them a premium.

The Sound

Sound quality has been slightly improved. Apple has a much better reputation and lower failure rates than music players marketed on high fidelity sound. Quality components and jacks still matters. But there is still no player on the market today that can truly claim hi-fi sound.

Some technical limits make it very difficult to get lossless sound out of any device regardless of source file. Lower bitrates make your MP3 files lose more and more sound integrity, and even CDs have quality limits, which are even lower if they are not digitally mastered.

The Looks

Apple shortened the body and added a brushed metal face for durability. There was a previous Nano version with a rounded metal face. Then they tried the clear composite plastic face that so easily scratched and smudged. The back still has the shiny aluminum surface used on most iPods that is known for attracting fingerprints. The brushed metal face holds up better, but you still need a cover.

The screen is smallish, though I would argue still adequate. But the thin body alone allows this player to overcome having less features than many competing players. Apple does lose points for the smaller click-wheel being awkward for those with big hands.

Features

The ability to watch videos and play games is huge. With the 8 GB capacity you can still get enough on here for a flight. That's the main advantage over the 4GB model. Watching videos will cut battery life to about 5 hours though.

Apple's software gives you limited direct control over your music and few file options. For people like me with multiple players, it's harder to manage your music library with multiple copies. iTunes is good enough for most users. You can easily convert and import your files, but it's an annoying extra step.

Cover-flow still underperforms on the Nano versus the iPod Touch. To me it's not a deal-breaker with the nano's real buttons. You still have the advantages of a flash-based player.

Conclusion

Apple's nice price, sleek design and a wealth of accessories overcome any missing features or annoying software limits. Unless you can afford a 16 or 32 GB iPod Touch or demand some of the missing features offered by the competition, go with this iPod Nano 8 GB and don't look back.

Enjoy!

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So last night I picked up my first Ipod, got a Black 8 GB Nano. Glad I waited for the new "fat" version. A few months back I bought my sister a Nano as a gift so comparing the "slim" Nano to the "fat" video Nano I like the one better, the extra width helps me hold onto the player better.

My one caution is this: with the new coverflow feature you need to be very careful how you organize your music, spent a fair amount of time last night getting that sorted out. If any of the tag information on any song(s) is off from the rest of the album it will create multiple albums in coverflow, also not having any album art for any music becomes annoying in coverflow. So my advice is; make sure you're meticulous on how you organize in iTunes. I did notice a few times that the coverflow artwork did take a second to load the image as I was scrolling, but this seems to go away after a few times.

The "split" screen from the menu that randomly shows some of your album art is very cool, since the half screen can't show a whole album cover it pans across the album art randomly, the cover that is show is random as well.

Very cool.

Last item, some people will rant about how the 8 GB Nano is on $50 bucks less than the 80 GB Classic. Remember its hard drive vs. flash memory, as I tend to be active and move around a lot and plan to use the Nano while at the gym I wanted the stability of flash memory. to me comparing the two is like comparing a dump truck to a sports car, you may want one or the other at a given time so it's really up to decide what is important, capacity or portability?

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I was prepared to love the nano. It certainly is typical Apple product design elegant, beautiful and stylish -and it would be perfect except for two very annoying software/firmware issues, and Apple's apparent lack of interest in addressing the first problem. If it were not for these two problems, I'd give the nano 4 1/2 stars. Maybe 5 stars.

1. First issue -this is apparently widespread from what I have read on all the forums -is that some .mp3 encoded files will skip to the next song for no apparent reason. The skip is always in the same place in the song, and immediately moves to the next song. No reboot, iTunes reinstallation or anything else helps. The same song will play fine in iTunes (on the computer) and in every other device and .mp3 player, only the Nano chokes on it.

Apple's helpdesk advises only one thing. Discard the track and reburn the CD using Apple's iTunes encoder. Since I have over 1500 tracks recorded to .mp3 and the skips occur randomly throughout, this is a ridiculous waste of time, and since the problem is very likely firmware related, it should be up to Apple to fix, but they apparently do not wish to do so for reasons only they know or understand. Apple just isn't talking. This is probably the most annoying part of the problem. They won't admit to the problem and won't fix it. (Microsoft never admits error either and it's obnoxious. How 'bout a changelog for software updates so the rest of us know what you fixed? Is that too much to ask?)

2. It took me most of a day to figure out why my movies weren't synching to the 'pod. The answer is that there is an iTunes 'synch movies' check box on an obscure menu which is unchecked by default. Since Apple doesn't include a manual (or even a disk with a manual, users are pretty much left to download the manual if they can find it from Apple's site, and try and diagnose the problem itself. Again, the Apple helpdesk is not very informative. iTunes LOOKS like it is well designed, but for some reason its menus and setup is not completely intuitive. Perhaps it might be more intuitive for a Mac user but I had more trouble than I expected getting my iPod set up correctly and loaded with the music I wanted.

Apple's proud boast is that their products "just work". In this case, the nano "just works, sometimes". I hope, but am not very hopeful that the skip problem will eventually be fixed with a firmware update. In any event, those of you with big .mp3 software libraries should be warned.

-Other quibbles --

An option to go to 16 gig would be nice, but Apple likes sealed machines. The only thing you can put into the nano is a stereo miniplug. Additionally, there is no user-replaceable battery -but by the time the rechargeable battery gets worn out (I suspect that it has a lifespan of 1000 charges like all Li-ion batteries), you'll probably ditch it for the latest and greatest anyway.

I should note that the Apple iTunes Store is brilliant well designed, interesting and just makes you want to throw money at them for songs you'd never consider buying on a CD. Apple is gradually getting around to introducing more high-definition encoded (256 kb .aac) non-DRM'd music, and this is something that noone else is doing as far as I know.

UPDATE 12/3/2007: Apple just released firmware upgrade 1.0.3; it's not clear yet what was fixed, as again, there is no changelog or buglist included with the upgrade to tell you what's fixed. One thing that was NOT fixed is the 'skipping' problem described above.

A few week's experience with the Nano has essentially confirmed my first impressions -yes, the design and looks of the hardware are pretty good -it's the software / firmware that's the problem. As the Nano is limited to 8 GB (who ever thought that 8 GB would be limiting, heh) there's a real problem when your library exceeds 8 GB and you keep adding music. There doesn't seem to be a way to add music to your library without having it "checked" for synching. Thus if you're already over the 8 GB limit and you add new music, you have to unselect the new music manually in order to preserve your existing Nano mix without synch difficulties. If there's a way to add music without disturbing your current synch list, I haven't found it.

Another feature I haven't located is a quick and easy way to keep different synch lists for different moods (i.e., all classical mix, all 60s mix, all vocalists list) so that you can quickly resynch and get the mix you want loaded without much manual tweaking. It's probably there somewhere, it's just not obvious where it is.

I agree that the newly required $50 Apple cable for video output is a cheesy ripoff. It's not 'sold in stores', so there's no telling how many people have been burned by clueless Circuit City or Best Buy clerks unaware that the third-party cables they've been selling no longer work with the 3rd generation nanos.''

And finally, yes, it would be nice to have an FM tuner but Apple "doesn't do that" with Ipods, maybe it's a Steve Jobs thing (besides, I suspect they've already crammed as many chips as they can into the Nano form factor and it may be impossible to do so, but what do I know.)

Well I must say, it has taken me all this time to finally succumb to owning an Ipod. When these new little gems came out, I just couldn't resist it. I think it's the best MP3 player I've ever owned, and I've owned quite a few. I'm very impressed with Apple overall, and can see why these are so popular. I love the design and the amazingly brilliant screen. The cover flow is a really cool feature and I'm really happy I can get a flash Ipod with pretty much the same features as a hard drive Ipod (classic). The best feature for me is the shuffle mode. I usually like to put my music on random and this player lets you access the shuffle mode easily and change it easily. I also like the 3 games that are included. Two of them are really fun, but I'm not as big a fan of the solitaire knockoff, but that's just me. I've never been as much a fan of hard drive MP3 players since mine always seemed to freeze and they are more delicate due to the moving parts, so I wasn't really interested in getting a Classic even though you get more GB for your $.

This 4GB Nano is perfect for me since I really don't need much more space than that and I feel I'm not throwing money away. I couldn't see myself ever filling up 80GB of space if I got a Classic, especially not in time for when (inevitably) the next version of the Ipod comes out that I will probably want!

I have another MP3 player that I use for my car that is a little bigger and hard drive based, so this is my travel player to use when I'm out and about or exercising. The size is perfect, and I actually prefer the more square design to the long design of the previous Nano. It holds just enough files and keeps me from putting too much music on it that I don't really want to listen to after a while. I've put about 3GB of music on and left the other 1GB for photos, videos, etc. I doubt I'll ever watch movies on it since it's kind of a small screen (and the PSP is much better for that) but I have added some music videos and maybe will add some TV shows.

Like another reviewer said, it would be nice if these were offered in other colors too, but it's not that big a deal to me and definitely not enough to stop me from buying it. Silver is a good neutral color, so I'm happy with it.

Anyway, I think this is a great deal for $149 and really is worth every penny!

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Philips DCM250 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock

• Play and charge your iPhone/iPod
• USB Direct for easy MP3 music playback
• AM/FM Digital Tuner with 40 station presets
• Dynamic Bass Boost
• Includes full function wireless remote

I received my Philips DCM250 and have been nothing but impressed by this unit. Right out of the box, it's a gorgeous piece. Very sleek and very modern. The scrunched up photograph on the page does it no favors whatsoever, so make sure you look at the larger image. It took me no more than a few minutes to get the unit set up in my bar room and it was off to the races with my iPod.

The sound quality immediately blew me away. This unit sounds fantastic. It's got two large, ported speakers that produce the full spectrum really well. What I really noticed was how much punch the little unit could throw behind bass. It's incredible. It doesn't quit at high volumes either, it fills the largest room of my house with enough sound that it starts to resonate off the walls creating a pseudo-surround effect without any distortion whatsoever.

I chose to navigate to whatever album I wanted to listen to using my iPod wheel and just turning back to what I was doing. You can't really read the iPod screen from far enough away to bother trying to control it's playback with the remote. What the unit does do though that's special is it has full video support. You can plug it directly into your TV via component cables that are included to get a large screen and full video playback.

It has a ton of playback sources. Along with the iPod it has AM/FM radio support that can be boosted with included external antennas, it plays CDs including discs that are loaded with MP3 files and it has an Aux input and a dedicated USB input. I tested the USB input with my Sandisk Sansa Clip and was able to get playback from it also once I played with the USB mode on the Sansa. If you have a device and you want to plug it into this, there's an input for it.

I really recommend this unit. It is easily the finest iPod dock that I have ever touched in this price range.

Buy Philips DCM250 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock Now

This is an excellent music entertainment system. The sound quality is outstanding. It plays iPod/iPhone music, Audio CD's, MP3 CD's, MP3 Link devices, and music from USB flash/thumb devices encoded as MP3 players. It also states that it can play videos from iPod Video or iPhone devices on a television using the included Component Video cable, but the sound would still output from the Philips system.

FRONT OF THE UNIT: There is a brightly illuminated LCD screen which always shows the source input, if the Dynamic Bass Boost (DBB) is on, and the Sound Preset (Rock, POP, etc). The LCD screen also changes its display based on your source. iPod input only has the word iPod on the screen. You will still be required to use the screen on the iPod itself to search for specific songs. During CD's, the song number and time passed of the current song is shown. During MP3 CD's, the song name, track number, and time passed are shown, with scrolling song name if you press the Display button.

SPEAKERS: The sound is very clear. The speakers are of a high quality build. There are 4 presets that will adjust the sound equalizer, CLASSIC, ROCK, POP, and JAZZ. I used the CLASSIC setting for Classical music and it sounded very clear, while the instruments sounded garbled in the ROCK preset. So each setting does make a difference. Excellent adjustments by Philips. Use the correct one for the type of music you listen to. Use the POP preset and turn the Dynamic Bass Boost on for DANCE and bass-heavy songs.

BACK OF THE UNIT: The system has two 1-inch holes on both sides which are the subwoofer's bass ports/openings. The back also has a headphone jack, DC power connector port, Component Video Out (to view video on a tv from an iPod Video or iPhone), FM aerial connector (sigle coaxial cable), and an AM aerial connector (double snap-down wires). I have to mention that this system INCLUDES ALL WIRES FOR EVERY TYPE OF CONNECTION. The system includes an FM wire with antennae end, an AM wire and antennae stand, Component video cables (one end Red/Blue/Green, the other end single black speaker connector),and a stereo cable to connect to any other device besides an iPod (connection is on top of system).

TOP OF THE SYTEM INPUTS: iPod connector, MP3 Link port, USB Direct port.

The iPod slides on very easily onto the iPod connector, and it stays in place with the backing plate. It stays secure to the system. The system auto-detected the iPod when I connected it and automatically started playing the first song. You can also connect through MP3 Link (with the included stereo cable) to play any other devices besides an iPod. There is also a USB-Direct port to connect any USB thumb/flash drives loaded with songs that you may have.

REMOTE CONTROL: The remote is well-designed, sleek, thin, and comfortable to hold. From the picture, you can see there are many buttons that allow you to control a lot of different things. You can choose the source of music through the remote, and fully control your iPod (although when searching for a specific song, you need to be at least two feet away in order to read the iPod's LCD screen since it is not projected on the illuminated LCD of the system). The system does have an illuminated LCD screen, but it doesn't display what is on the iPod. The remote lets you control Playback, Volume, Display, specific CD/MP3 tracks, Prog, Repeat, Shuffle, source inputs, Sleep, Timer, Dynamic bass Boost, Presets, and the FM/AM Band.

DYNAMIC BASS BOOST: You can either turn the extra bass on or off. The OFF setting allows a decent amount of bass. Adjust the presets accordingly and you will always be able to find the right setting for you songs. I turned it off for ROCK and CLASSICAL songs, turned it on for DANCE songs. The bass sounds clear and does NOT have that cheap bass feel where it shakes the speakers and causes vibration. Excellent bass.

RADIO: The FM sounded clear. The grey connector connects easily and only one way. Radio cycles through by .1's so you can get 102.6 and 102.7 stations. The AM was somewhat clear, but still sounded well on the speakers. You may want a larger wire for better reception. Lengths are below.

WIRES INCLUDED: The AC adapter (power supply cord) that comes with the system is similar to a laptop AC adapter, with a total length of 9 feet. The FM Wire easily connects and is about 40 inches long. The AM Wire is easily connected through snap-down connectors on two wires, and is 28 inches long. The base on the AM atennae easily folds in and stores flat. A Stereo Cable is also included so you can connect any other device besides an iPod, and it is 18 inches long. And lastly, Component Video Cable is also included to connect iPod Video or iPhone devices so you can view your videos on a TV, but I was unable to test that feature since I did not have those devices at hand. The component video cable is RED/GREEN/BLUE connectors on one end, and single BLACK connector on the other end which plugs into the Philips system.

iPOD CHARGING: The iPod will charge when connected while in STANDBY mode, or when you are using any of the other sources besides an iPod. While I was playing an Audio CD, the iPod continued to charge. Very convenient.

BUILD: The device is built of strong, sturdy, hard plastic, and does not feel cheap at all. It has a great professional look as well. The buttons are all made of hard quality polished plastic, and they feel really good when pressing them. I shook the system around while a CD was playing, and there was absolutely no skipping at all.

Other features: It was very easy to set the clock.

By far, this is one of the best portable systems out there. Other than having a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set up, this system sounds nearly flawless. A+, 5 out of 5.

I tested the following songs and each sounded exquisite, after adjusting the Dynamic Bass Boost and Presets.

Aerosmith Dude Looks Like a Lady ; Alice in Chains Would; AR Rahman Latika's Theme; Audioslave Like a Stone; B52's Loveshack; The Bangles Something That You Said; Beastie Boys Fight For Your Right; Belinda Carlisle Heaven is a Place on Earth; The Buggles Video Killed the Radio Star; La Bouche Be My Lover; Guns N' Roses Welcome to the Jungle; Collective Soul The World I Know; Nightwish She is My Sin.

Read Best Reviews of Philips DCM250 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock Here

Just looking at this product, you may be reminded of the Bose Wave Music System, and for many potential buyers, you have a real contender here. Owning an iHome iH30B Boom Box and JBL On Stage, I can attest to this being much more than a standard iPod dock.

Initial setup was a snap. As soon as I powered it on, it wanted to find AM and FM stations. After a couple of minutes, I heard lots of static, and was kind of disappointed. The FM tuner is simply dismal with the included antenna, and I thought "If they can't get FM radio right, this must be junk." The manual and remote both indicate that it will display RDS info, but it didn't show up on stations that I know broadcast RDS text. This could be related to the reception, though.

I decided to slide my new copy of The Listening in the CD player, and was quite stunned by the sound quality. While enjoying the CD, I took a look at the iPod dock and was happy to see that Philips hasn't gone the way of so many of their competitors with different dock inserts. Instead, there's a back support that adjusts with a thumbscrew. We have an iPod Classic, iPod Nano, and two iPhones in the house, so being able to switch between them easily is an excellent feature. When the unit is turned off, it will charge your iPod / iPhone, which is really great, too.

The preset EQ's do a reasonable job of adjusting the sound for most types of music, but I would have preferred to have had the ability to set bass and treble individually. That said, the EQ's are diverse enough that only the most discerning listener would be disappointed.

Perhaps most surprising is everything this dock can do. Sure, you get radio / CD / iPod functions, but there's also a USB slot that will play WMA and MP3 files on a thumbdrive, a headphone jack input for anything else, and component video *out* for playing videos on a TV with component inputs. If you've got it, this will play it with unbeatable sound quality at this price point.

So, why not five stars?

Again, the FM reception is TERRIBLE with the included antenna. You might be able to adjust it to get decent reception, but you'll almost certainly destroy the clean look of this unit in doing so. Getting a decent antenna is a must, if you ever plan to use the radio.

While the included remote feels much nicer than what normally comes with units like this, most of the buttons don't seem to do much of anything. Navigating through iPod songs seems to be hit-or-miss, based on the iPod you're using. Moving from song to song seemed to work only half the time on a current-generation iPod Classic, but was consistent on the current-gen Nano. Usually, hitting Play/Pause on the remote fixed the problem on the Classic.

Although this can be used as an alarm clock, the layout shows that this was really an afterthought to ensure everything including the kitchen sink was thrown in.

To be honest, if I could give it 4.5 stars, I would. For what you'd spend on this, those issues are really minor. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an all-in-one solution in a medium-sized room, small apartment, dorm room, etc.

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Purchased the DCM250/37 as a Christmas present for my mom (Dec 2009)based on the average 4.5 star rating and positive comments. She only uses it for FM Radio and playing commercially produced CD's...no custom burned CD's...no iPhone...no MP3's. It sits on a table in an air conditioned condo...and is never moved, bumped, thrown in the car...etc. Six month's later it is displaying a "NO DISC" message and will not recognize or play a CD. I tried other discs that function perfectly in a different CD player...but this unit will not play them. So you can conclude that the problem is not a scratched or dirty CD. Tried to clean the lens with a CD/DVD cleaner disc...and it will not play the cleaner disc. Also tried a can of compressed air...but no dice...still not reading. Called Phillips Customer support (1-888-744-5477) and was told "this product only carries a 3 month warranty...we can't not take it back for repair...but we can give you the name and contact info for a local repair center". So basically, if anything happens to the DCM250 after 3 months...you are either paying to have it repaired out of your own pocket...or you are tossing it in the garbage. If this were a $35 boom box...I could accept that...but not from a $150 "seemingly" high end player. It's obvious that the lens that reads the CD is out of alignment...which is a Phillips quality control issue...a repair cost that definitely should not be passed on to the consumer after only 6 months of very light use. Your taking a risk, if you buy this product without an extended warranty. Based on my experience...I would not recommend the DCM250 Docking Entertainment Center. Personally, I am staying away from Phillips Consumer Electronics in the future. This player also qualifies as my first electronics purchase that did not make it to at least 1 year prior to failure. Too bad...because it did have a nice sound...when it worked.

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Playing around with the remote, it did things I expected, like switch from radio to ipod. I was happy to see it could skip tracks on the ipod, but then I wondered if it could do a little more. I hit "menu" and was surprised to see my ipod light up, then I hit the arrow keys, and it began scrolling through artists! I can pick and play any song I want from across the room, awesome.

Things I like,

Seperate, long antennae for FM/AM, both of which come in crystal clear.

Clock Radio, I set it to a classical station and this is now what I wake up to every morning. It's an enormous upgrade from my cheap, crackling wakeup radio.

Slot loading CD's. Not that I use CD's anymore, but slot loading has always been the coolest.

Wonderful sound, I believe Phillips made this to compete with the small Bose system.

Things I didn't like,

No equalizer, though the bass has two settings (DBB or normal)

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Philips DC185 Sound Machine with iPod Dock (Black)

• Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G
• Play and charge your iPod and enjoy MP3/WMA music playback directly from USB devices
• Docking system has two built-in speakers, LCD, sleep timer, FM stereo tuner, 20 programable playback tracks
• Superb performance in a compact design with dynamic Bass Boost for deep and dramatic sound using 2x2W RMS total output power
• Auxiliary input for external audio devices

I say medium because this thing is a little bit bigger than some iPod docking stations I've seen, but it has so much to offer. Great sound quality as far as my ears can tell once you turn DBB on. Comes with a radio which is a bonus for me because I wasn't really looking for one with a radio, but I have used it, and the quality is great and I pick up every station I pick up in my car. Also allows you to have up to six preset stations which is nice if you do use the radio a lot.

It works great with my iPod (80GB Classic), and I'm sure it works fine with any other iPod. One of the things I like is that if you turn the player off, for whatever reason, the next time you turn it on, it takes about 1-2 seconds to load up and starts up exactly where you left off. Heck, it takes me longer to resume my song with the iPod manually than it takes this thing to resume. Also, the buttons on the stereo work great with iPod. Very easy to navigate the menu's with it, though if you have alot of songs it might take a while to get from A to Z, though you can still use your wheel if you need to get that far. Also has buttons that you can use to turn shuffle on/off, as well as turning repeat on/off for the current song, or the current playlist.

Let's see...the volume on this thing can actually get very loud too. I keep it on about 10 when I'm listening to it, and if I put it on 15-20 I can hear it fine in another room...and it goes all the way up to 32, which I haven't even tried yet. I can't imagine how loud it would be. It also has DBB which, to be honest, without it the audio is terrible, but turn it on and it's like a miracle, though it's like that with any stereo with DBB really. Comes with different covers for the dock so you can use it with a Nano, Classic, Touch, or other popular iPod's. Also comes with an auxiliary cable so you can plug in another MP3 player if you don't have an iPod.

Now, one of my favorite features...a USB port. Simply plug in any USB flash drive with music on it and listen away. I have used four different USB flash drives on it so far, one 1GB drive, two 4GB drives, and an 8GB drive. All of them work seamlessly and takes less than a second to load up and play...even if it is filled up with songs. Had 5GB's+ of music on my 8GB drive, and all I did was change the source to USB and the player started playing in less than a second...it's that fast. Using USB also has the ability to turn shuffle on/off, or turn repeat on/off, again for the current playlist (which in this case would be every song on the drive) or for the song currently playing. The auxiliary option obviously doesn't provide these options as you're simply transferring the audio to play out of the speakers, but you can still turn repeat/shuffle on via your device.

All in all, this is a great stereo, with great features. Sound is perfect and loud, and also create's a nice home for my iPod to keep it when I'm not using it, and charge it at the same time. And it's nice to have because before I was having to plug my iPod into my PC and listen to music off my iPod through my computer (using SharePod), and it was getting kind of annoying, so this thing is great for me. Also accepts C batteries so you can carry it with you and listen to your tunes with ease wherever you go. Would make a great portable player if you want to go outside by the pool, go to the park, or something similar...even has a nice handle.

It's true, what the other reviewer said, the plastic probably isn't the best in the world, but as long as you aren't throwing it off balconies it really shouldn't break. Really, I think any stereo that you drop is probably going to be a bad thing...not just this one. And I've actually knocked it over twice now, with my iPod inside, and it kept playing and wasn't damaged at all...and it kept the cover closed with my iPod secured inside, so I'm glad about that.

Also plan on taking some pictures and adding them later so check for those.

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PROS

The sound is great for one of the lower priced stereo docks out there (volume level 10 is perfect for general listening).

Radio tuner worked well for my local station preferences. They all came in clear and were able to be preset easily.

Price is decent. As much as I try not to shop there, found this on clearance at Walmart for $49. The current price on Amazon ($66) is not too bad either but certainly happy to find it cheaper.

Charged my iTouch 2g. I had previously purchased two alarm clock docking stereos -HMDXthat claimed to charge all iPods but wouldn't with the new iTouch)

Portability and USB/aux port

Sleep timer. Haven't used this yet but a pleasantly suprising feature

CONS

No remote!!! Of course, not necessary, but it would have been useful.

Size. Its not huge but its not made for the average nightstand (as I'd hoped) unless this is the only thing on it.

No place to store AC cord. I guess they assume if you're using this on the go, you'll leave the cord behind since it would be powered by the C batteries. However, if I happen to be near an outlet on the go, I'd much rather use that than burn the batteries.

I'd been looking for an docking stereo for a while and but I'm very happy with this one.

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I was shopping for a small iPod dock with radio, and after doing a lot of research, I settled for the Philips DC185, and I couldn't be happier.

If you need a nice looking and simple solution to listen to the radio and your iPod, this is a great choice, and for $62, its a bargain.

Pros

The sound quality is very good (but not great)

It has FM radio

USB port to read mp3s from a pen drive

It can be carried around the house with ease

Comes with several adapters for older and newer iPods and iPhones

Cons

No remote control (not a big deal for me)

There are other options that have more powerful speakers, and sound better, like Bose

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I just got this stereo for my 4th generation nano. I was worried it wouldn't work with it, but it does, and charges it as well. I like how portable it is, and that it has a radio. Overall I really like it. The only negative I can see so far is that it doesn't look as cool with the nano docked as it does with a larger unit. Since the nano is so skinny, it doesn't fill up the whole front panel and theres some open space, but other than that, it's just what I was looking for.

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I've been looking at this item at the local Target store and decided to look on Amazon.com. The price at target is $69.99 so when I found it here for half prize I didn't hesitate to order it. I purchased it over the weekend and it arrived on Thursday. What a great purchase. The sound is great and the price can't be beat. I am extremely satisfied with this purchase and I highly recommend it. I plugged in my iPod Touch 2nd Generation and my wife's iPod Nano 4th Generation and they both worked as expected. The only con is that it doesn't come with a remote control, but for the price and quality I can overlook that small detail since it's not something I need.

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Altec Lansing iMT702 inMotion Max Speaker System for iPod and iPhone (Black)

• Supports most iPhone and iPod models with Universal Dock Connector
• Precision-matched speakers and XdB bass enhancement deliver crisp, full-spectrum sound
• Included remote controls speaker system functions, FM radio, and playlist and song navigation
• Auxiliary input for connecting external audio devices
• FM radio with four user presets

I've read a lot of reviews online for this product, and the biggest hangup seems to be with the ipod related features, overall looks, button sensitivity and so on. Very few actually focus on the sound quality, which for me is by far the most important factor in choosing a sound system. I've owned the IM600 and Logitec Pure-fi Anywhere speakers, and this system is light years ahead of those, and any other similiarly priced portable ipod speakers in overall sound quality. This system in on par with the Bose SoundDock II portable system and is quite a bit cheaper. The only drawback to the sound is that it isn't going to blow you out of the water with incredibly deep bass. That being said, I don't think there is a portable system out there yet capable of producing significant bass due to their smaller size. Bottomline, if sound is your driving factor in choosing a rechargeable ipod speaker system and you don't want to pay $350 for the Bose SoundDock portable, the InMotion Max should be your #1 choice.

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I am disappointed in this product, which is unexpected because I love the IM600 that preceded it. I decided to give this one a try because it looked like it would have better sound with the 4 speakers, and I wanted something that I could use with my iPhone (the IM600 only works with iPods).

Maybe I was spoiled by the IM600, but I was disappointed with the inMotion Max IMT702 from the beginning. I still would have kept it, but the unit turned out to be defective (explained below).

I will try to give information to help readers decide whether to buy this based on features. The first thing that I didn't like is that rather than have physical buttons to press, there are touch sensitive areas on the top. I prefer, as on the previous model, to have physical buttons for the tactile feedback they offer.

I have the unit on a table next to where I sit. Because I am on the same level, I can't see the top of the radio, so it is awkward to use the buttons.

The cradle area where the iPod / iPhone goes initially didn't want to pop out for me but after some use it does so, but not "convincingly". Rather than a nice click, it has a mushy feeling, it comes out just a bit, and then I pull it out the rest of the way.

The sound at low volume is not as good IMO as the IM600. However, this unit can go louder without distortion, so for me it was a wash. There is not much bass, so I use the equalizer of my iPod / iPhone to obtain more bass. It would be nice if the unit were designed for more bass -I know this is possible because I have other kinds of audio devices that are smaller and put out more bass.

Even when I first got the unit there were very infrequent "glitches" or pauses in the music. It concerned me, but they were so infrequent that I didn't worry too much about it.

Tonight though, the unit has been having major problems. While playing, it all of a sudden cut out. I turned it back on, and it worked for a very short period, then it started making popping noises (on low volume) about every second. I turned it off and on several times to try to fix it, and I made sure that there was a long interval between some of the times. Then two other problems happened. One, occasionally the unit would say "Reset?" in the display, and all of the lights flickered. I didn't know how to reset it (there doesnt appear to be a reset button) so I tried the buttons on the top and it seemed to reset, and then the messages "Region 1... Region 2 ... 4" came up.

Then, the volume would increase by itself. I had it low, around 15, and it would go up to 40, and make the popping noises.

I treated the unit very well, it never fell or anything. Right now it is unusable. Even with the design IMO not as good as the IM600, and sound quality not as good as I think it should be, I was willing to keep it. Now I will need to return it to Amazon for a refund.

Oh, one last thing. The FM antenna on the IM600 pulled out and it was a metal telescoping antenna. The FM antenna on this unit is a wire that is loose that needs to be attached when the antenna is used (or kept on, but if you use it portably, you would want to detach when carrying around).

I rarely give 1 star to an item, I wanted this to be a great item, but regrettably this unit gets one star.

Update:

About a week ago I contacted the company's support line and received a voice prompt to leave a message. I offered to send my defective unit to them with a detailed description of the problems to aid in their diagnosis of the problem and product development. I did not get a response. A proactive company, in my opinion, should use such opportunities, especially when my defective unit does not appear to be an isolated case based on other reviews here and elsewhere on the Internet.

Update:

Amazon processed the return and refunded the entire amount of my purchase. Because the unit was defective, I was able to print out a mailing label for the return and I didn't have to pay for return shipping. This is one of the reasons I feel comfortable buying from Amazon.

Read Best Reviews of Altec Lansing iMT702 inMotion Max Speaker System for iPod and iPhone (Black) Here

I bought the iM600 over a year ago and was looking for a replacement. The inMotion Max is a GREAT update of the iM600. The iM600(original version) does not charge my new ipod nano, the new Max does. The sound quality of the iM600 is a little crisper at low volume than the Max BUT once you play a song with a little bass and want to turn the volume up, the iM600 sounds cheap compared to the Max. The Max also displays your music selection on its screen, something the iM600 did not do. The control buttons on the Max have also been updated (they are touch control), the iM600 has regular button controls. However, the iM600 does have something the Max does not have, you can update your ipod without removing it from the dock....the Max does not have that feature.

The main reason I wanted to replace my iM600 is because of the sound quality when I would turn the volume up(and it would not charge my new nano). Altec Lansing improved the sound quality in their newest version(Max) and I am glad I chose this product to replace my older version. Also, I liked the fact that it is rechargeable, one of the very few on the market.

UPDATE!!!.........I've had the Max for about a week now and having both the iM600 and Max playing side by side, the iM600 sounds better at low to normal volume(the sound is crisper and richer). But the iM600's speakers start to rattle and sound constricted when you turn the volume up. The Max has a fuller sound and does not rattle when you turn it up. I am still satisfied with the purchase. I now hear that they are updating the iM600 to be able to charge the new ipod nano, even if I knew that before I bought the Max, I would still have bought the Max because the inability to listen to my podcasts or music beyond a certain volume became annoying. (By the way, I'm beginning to notice that the Max keeps turning "off" my equalizer. I set my EQ to 'treble booster' on my Touch and Nano and I always have to keep resetting it. That does not happen with the iM600.)

FINAL UPDATE!!! this product stopped working. It cuts off and starts FLASHING, playing no sound. Plugged in or not, it WONT work.

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I just got the iMT702, and it's exactly what I was looking for. The speakers sound great. The unit looks incredible sitting on the buffet in my dining room. The unit comes with a universal-style iPod dock, with five different adapters for the various iPods and iPhones. The unit is shielded, so that you don't have to turn off your iPhone when it's in the dock. The FM radio also sounds great. The remote has four presets for the radio!

Most of the available docking stations look like they belong in a teenager's bedroom. Or you can overspend ($300+) for a Bose. This unit has both good looks and good sound, and it's on sale at Best Buy.

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This product was defective twice bought it for a Christmas gift. Shortly after setting it up, the sound started cutting in and out, the controls wouldn't respond to touch (could not turn it off until we unplugged it), radio station presets would get lost, etc... We thought we had just gotten a defective system, so we returned it only to have the same issues quickly show up on the 2nd unit.

This is too bad the system looks and sounds great with just the features we were looking for.

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Midland WR-100C Weather / All Hazards / Civil Emergency Alert Monitor with S.A.M.E.

• Receives All NOAA Weather Channels
• S.A.M.E. Technology
• Memory System for 25 Counties
• Clock with Alarm
• User Selectable Warning , Siren, Voice or Flashing LED

In retrospect, I wish I had ordered the WR-300, as the WR-100 does not have an AM/FM tuner. When you're hiding out in your bathroom during severe weather (and my WR-100 is located in my master bathroom for convenience), it would be nice to be able to listen to your local radio stations for bulletins. Still, this radio performed flawlessly just a few hours after I opened it up. It woke me up at 1am to tell me there was a tornado watch in my area, and I turned on The Weather Channel and confirmed this.

The manual comes with a set of instructions on how to get the radio up and running. DO NOT SKIP THESE! You should not assume that you know how to use this product intuitively, because it is not a very intuitive product at first. It will become extremely easy to use later, but only AFTER following the instructions in the manual to the letter. SAME codes for your region can be found at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/indexnw.htm#sametable

I bought this radio even though it had a few bad reviews, because I was pretty sure that some of the bad reviews were just operator error. My radio runs just fine plugged into household current, and will run for several days on the 3 backup AA batteries. Keep a pack of spare AA batteries around, because this radio is a real lifesaver and you don't want it to run dry during a power failure.

Two reasons I gave this radio 4 stars instead of 5:

1. No AM/FM radio. If you need that, get the WR-300.

2. When the weather radio switch on the right side is set to "on", every keypress will react with a very loud BEEP! If you use this radio as an alarm clock in a quiet bedroom, you must first turn that switch to "off" and then the unit will operate silently while you adjust your alarm time or activate the backlight to check the time. This is a small nuisance and I wish it had been designed differently. Don't forget to turn that switch back "on" when you're done, or the radio won't sound an alarm in case of an emergency.

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Note: this is a copy of a review that I posted for the WR-100B, which appears to be nearly the same (check both listings for best price).

I live in Oregon, which is not noted for severe storms, but I was really caught "off guard" last week when a severe thunderstorm with a large amount of hail blew through. Severe weather can occur almost anywhere! Shortly after the storm, I ordered one of these weather alert radios to keep me more aware of any local hazard that could pose a threat.

The radio itself is quite sensitive, and provides reception of several more distant weather stations that can not be picked up by less sensitive receivers such as the general purpose (AM/FM/TV/Wx) Sony 410 (see my review of the Sony).

The big deal here is the weather alert function... The radio can be set to be silent until it receives a specially coded message from the NOAA weather station. The radio can be programmed to respond to "codes" from one area or several, so you can adjust your "zone of protection" to suit your needs. When a warning that affects the area that you have programmed in (by setting specific SAME codes) is detected, a loud alarm or flashing light or voice alert will sound (your choice).

If it is desired to hear a weather report, just push the "weather" button on the unit and listen... very much like those old Radio Shack "weather cubes" that were very popular 20 years ago, but with better reception.

Everyone should have one (or more) of these.

Read Best Reviews of Midland WR-100C Weather / All Hazards / Civil Emergency Alert Monitor with S.A.M.E. Here

This product works perfect...and was a great price especially with the rebate....To the person with the problem making the unit run on DC power....you had it plugged into the wrong jack on the back...NOT the middle jack...Plug DC cord into jack labeled DC....and then it will run fine on household current and not eat your batteries.

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This radio is superb. It is easy to setup, and functions very well in our area. It has more options for user selection than any other similar device I've used. No home should be without one.

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This unit was actually delivered to me Thursday and we had our first severe weather of this season on Sunday, four days later.

This radio allows you to listen to weather forecasts at any time want to by pressing one button (when you first get the radio choose one of seven frequencies for which you get the best reception.)

The best part of this radio is the "S.A.M.E." technology which only sounds alarms for severe weather in the in the county where you live. You can choose to have alarms sounds for multiple counties area your area refer if you prefer.

Because the National weather service station in my area covers such a large area, severe weather watches and warnings are very common. The "S.A.M.E" Technology allows the radio to sound the alarm only when severe weather threatens the county in which I live.

The radio is easy to program and the user's manual answered any questions I had.

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