La Crosse Technology WS-811561-W atomic digital wall clock with solar-powered sensor

Not much to say except that it does exactly what it's supposed to do. I love the solar powered sensor that shows the temp and the clock picked up the "atomic" time within just a few minutes. Setup was a breeze and I had everything up and running really quickly. The only reason for 4 stars is that something inside the clock seems to have come loose/broken and rattles around inside, but it still seems to work fine.

Works beautifully. Easy to install. Solar powered remote sensor/sending unit

works continuously even during prolonged cloudy periods. Excellent value.

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Received shipment promptly. Easy to put together and install. The display itself still works and no issues. The outdoor sensor however stopped working after only 5 days out.

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I bought this clock because it has indoor+outdoor temperature sensor, with little extra money the outdoor sensor is solar powered.

Pros:

Easy to setup, time/dates/degree in C/F. Once it is on and took the outdoor sensor out the clock receives signal from the sensor and displays the temperature immediately.

Cons:

-I put the clock high on the wall and from where I'm normally sitting the LCD is not readable. So I have to switch it with my old analog clock and put this one low at eye level.

-After few days outside and got 1 day in the rain the outdoor sensor dies. LCD does not display anything and clock doesn't receive anything from it. Resetting the sensor does not help. I even contacted La Crosse to get some help and doesn't get any feedback from them.

Conclusion:

Don't follow my mistake, go with cheaper model without outdoor sensor. It is not durable and lack of support anyway.

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Don't waste your money. The solar sensor doesn't work after 2 days. Stick with a battery operated unit if you want to purchase one of these.

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Tivoli Audio SBBS Songbook (Black/Silver)

• Henry Kloss Analog AM/FM Tuner - pulls in more stations clearly
• Portable and weather resistant
• AC/DC operation
• Built-in NiMH/NiCAD battery charger (Batteries not included)
• Auxilary input and stereo headphone output

I conducted a fairly extensive and enjoyablesearch for a radio to use at work after on-line music streaming was blocked by my employer. Because the reception in my office is just about 'nil, it was important for me to find a radio with not only good FM reception, but also an input jack for me to connect ipod/phone. I also needed the device to fit into a small nook on my desk. Plus I wanted the unit to look, well, like a piece of e-candy. And, of course, produce a nice sound without too much bass due to the, um, acoustics in my office.

I still can't get much FM reception in my office, even with the Songbook; however, I've come to realize that it's unlikely any radio could bring me much in that environment without actually somehow convincing my employer to hook me up with an outdoor antenna. Right. (I do want readers to know, however, the FM reception at home is super.) And, the sound quality both of the radio (at home), and using this device as a speaker using input jack (both in the office and at home) is absolutely wonderful! I love this unit so much that I bring it back and forth between office and home for use at both places.

How did I ever live without the Tivoli Songbook?!

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I bought the Tivoli Songbook in black some years ago to supplement my aging (but still working) Tivoli PAL. Now, I love the PAL -it's the radio that let me listen to New Orleans radio stations during my Katrina evacuation when my car radio no longer picked up WWL 870 -but I wanted an easier way for me & the kids to hook up their iPods, plus I wanted digital tuning. I got the Songbook in black (to be neutral to decor of a bathroom) and regretted it after about half a year. The rubberized casing was a dust and debris magnet; no way to clean it properly. Plus it all started wearing off in time.

Enter the revised, two-tone Songbook. Happy to report this is a full-plastic case, easy to clean, and it sill looks like new after many months of use. The sound is great for a single-speaker radio; in fact, got one for my Dad for Christmas (he was still using one of those shower-hanger radios; geez) -he was quite impressed when we first fired it up. My step-mom now steals it to use around the house during the day.

I far prefer the plastic to the rubberized coating. As mentioned, the rubberized Songbook looks like hell now; so does the PAL. All the rubberized junk has rubbed off after years of use and moving -I imagine if you never move it and use it in a lint& dust-free environment it might still look good, but these radios get used and shared in my family. The only problem with grip is that I am always hitting the "set alarm" button because of placement (the light button should be where the alarm button is).

I've had no problems with reception (Central Arkansas) nor has my Dad (suburban New Orleans). YMMV, of course.

One caveat I've seen in another review; when plugged in, the backlight stays on. When unplugged, the backlight only comes on when you tap the backlight button, and then only for about 5 seconds. But plugged in, it's always on -so it's not much use for a bedside radio (that light is bright).

Love the fact you can use rechargeable batteries (I use Eneloops; it takes six AA) and keep them charged thanks to the radio's ability to charge rechargeables.

Several very happy purchases. My only complaint is the overall cost, which seems to be more of an attempt to garner a Bose-like sense of boutique-ness. It's worth it for the sound alone, but I keep thinking it should be about $50 or so cheaper.

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The Songbook is an excellent radio: high quality audio, intuitive and well laid out controls, beautiful design, and tough. I use it as an FM radio, as an alarm clock, and, when I travel, as an external speaker for my laptop (the radio is about the size of a book, so it fits easily in my briefcase).

The SongBook is my favorite alarm clock, at home and when traveling. It can wake you by playing the radio, but I prefer its alarm, which starts softly and gently, so as not to jar you, and slowly increases in intensity and frequency. It's very effective, without pumping adrenalin into your system. If you don't shut the alarm off, it goes silent for about a minute and then repeats its routine.

After owning my SongBook for a year and a half, I dropped it, twice, by accidentally knocking it off a table. It survived the first fall with no damage and continued to work perfectly. The second fall damaged the volume control, though the damage wasn't visible. I went online to Amazon to order a new SongBook, and, in the process, read a review that said Tivoli repairs or replaces these radios if they malfunction. I called Tivoli and received superb customer service. For a $50 charge, they said they would repair or replace the radio. I shipped it and a few weeks later received a brand new radio, which sits on my desk as I write this.

Highly recommended; buy one.

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I have owned a Tivoli Pal for many years and thought a traveling Tivoli would be great. My wife needed a last minute rush Xmas gift for me and I suggested this without having seen one or doing research, instead relying on Tivolio brand expectations. Expected the radio to be rubberclad like the Pal, the one we got is slick hard to hold onto plastic, looks and feels like the "tansistor radio" I owned 40 years ago. Radio reception is fair, a $75 Audiovox I have in the same room locks onto a distant radio station I constantly listen too. Pluging the A/C adaper in causes static. Sound quality is equal to the Pal which would warrant 2 stars if not for the weak radio tuner.

This was a waste of money

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Timex T035WW4 Color Changing Alarm Clock with Soothing Sounds (White)

• 7 changing colors on cabinet and display, with simple and convenient controls for easy operation
• Wake to 4 soothing nature sounds or buzzer alarm; 24 Hour Set-And-Forget Alarm that has auto repeat and auto shutoff
• Large, easy-to-read LCD shows hour, minute, month, date and day of week; as well as 12 or 24 hour time display
• 24 hour countdown timer for appointments, meetings, naps, etc.; as well as an adjustable snooze from 1 to 60 minutes
• Indoor thermometer (Fahrenheit or Celsius)

As far as I can tell, the colors only change when 1) a button is pressed or 2) you play the "soothing sounds". Otherwise it looks like a clear plastic sphere with a white faceplace/insert. The silver "button" on top apparently does nothing (I thought this would be perfect for snooze!). The soothing sounds are very digitized, but for the price I wasn't expecting much from that feature. I had thought with an "INDIGLO night-light" that the clock would remain backlit at night, but that does not appear to be the case--at night you have to press one of the face buttons (which always BEEP when pressed, annoying!) and then you get a brief backlight.

The pros...it's cheap, it tells the time/date/temperature (though I have yet to understand why anyone needs their room temperature readout on their clock), you can wake up to a pseudo-nature sound that is not a buzzer, and it runs on batteries so it is small and compact without needing a trailing cord. I think the design overall is cute, but the functionality could have been much improved.

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I almost sent this back because it's battery powered and very small. But when I saw all the things it does, I decided to keep...changes colors, gives you soothing sounds to go to sleep by, gives you the room temperature, has easy to use settings for alarm and snooze....very neat little gadget. I just wish it was AC and twice as big.

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You can't get the "soothing sounds" with the countdown timer. The countdown timer has only a harsh beeping noise. The "UP" button did not work, which meant I could not turn up the volume -it was stuck on lowest volume forever -though I could adjust the time by pressing the DOWN button for a long time.

The clock is cute, the changing colors are cute (though they light up & change only when you press a button). I liked the soothing sounds, though they are "computer-like," but I needed them for the timer. I returned the clock.

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I decided to buy this clock based on everyone else's "bad" reviews. So glad that I did! I wanted a small white or clear clock for my baby's nursery. I needed something that was battery operated, so I could move it around the room and not have to worry about finding a free plug. I really like that the color changing lights don't stay on constantly, only when the "nature sounds" are on. (My baby seems to enjoy listening to those sounds and watching the lights.) I also like that you can set the amount of time until the sounds shut off (one hour or less), so that it doesn't stay on all night. Seeing as how this is used in my baby's room, I also love the thermometer function. Bottom line, this is a nice, small, inexpensive, simple clock. As long as you read the manual, operating this clock is not confusing at all. Perfect for what I was looking for. However, I do not use it as an alarm clock, and not sure that I would. I am a sound sleeper and I don't think that the nature sounds would wake me up. There is a beeping alarm option, but it isn't very loud compared to other alarm clocks out there.

It sounds like a cool, relaxing clock, but it is really a piece of junk. It is SO confusing to operate and unreliable as an alarm. There is no backlight, and it wont stay lit unless the sounds are playing. Disappointed. Atleast it was inexpensive.

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SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip 4GB MP3 Player (Blue)

• Plays music, audiobooks, and podcasts
• It has FM radio and Voice Recording
• It has new stopwatch feature
• Plays content from nearly every source (MP3, WMA, secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC)
• AAC for DRM-free iTunes compatibility

I am a big old fat geek that recently got into doing...(GASP!)...exercising.

I have many MP3 capable products and reasons why I am very fond of this little one for my new found effort. I have the following list of products and have tried my:

Nexus S (too big and heavy for running, no physical buttons)

iPod touch 4th Gen (Big, expensive at the storage size i wanted and no buttons for music controls)

iPod Nano 4thGen (little, has a clip, but why the hell can't they include buttons?)

iPod shuffle (not enough storage and I don't want to mix in my metal songs from lifting weights into my up beat running songs...)

Likes:

The clip Zip sounds great, is very small, has a clip and has physical buttons.

It fits every need i want. The bonus is the MicroSD slot, I can not stress this enough. Skip the 8GB version and get the 4GB and pair it with a 16 or 32GB card. Bam 20-36GB of storage, insanely small and still clocks in under $100.

FLAC support.

Low rez color screen does what it needs to. Won't knock people over but tells you whats playing with album art.

As for the other areas, the stop watch works like a stop watch...It keeps time and does splits. Not a huge thing and if you are using a polar watch or at a gym, the machine you are on will do just as well and be more convenient. In a pinch it works.

The FM radio works fine. I live in a rural area, so my station choices are limited. From my experience, it works just fine if you are in an area with good recption.

Dislikes:

*UPDATE* MM works on updated firmware...still broken on stock firmware. Drag and drop also works, so you have that going for you.

General gripe: The included headphones are perfect for giving to people you hate. You can use them, i guess, if you want to torture yourself, but like any MP3 player, Apple or otherwise, get some better phones...your ears and your music will appreciate it.

Considering you would need to pay twice as much for an iPod with fewer features, no physical buttons and no storage expansion, just to run in a hampster wheel, save your scratch and get this guy. You will be glad you did, as it looks good, sounds good and does a it in a small package that just screams to be used in your fitness routine.

Update of an update: A new firmware patch was released, make sure to update your new Clip Zip or you will experience the "Static Blast" between some of your songs...not fun, but it has been addressed, so make sure to update right away.

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The pros:

- all the benefits of the Clip+: great sound; small; microSD card support; FM radio (with record capability); recorder; gapless play; optional folder navigation; multiple formats support (mp3, wma, ogg vorbis, flac); file drag-and-drop capability; ad hoc playlist creation; cute and appealing

- new: aac file support for DRM-free aac format files; small color screen with album art display; time-of-day indication; "sports mode" with timer and lap time; fast alphabet scrolling in lists; menu customizability; enhanced contemporary feel and, perhaps, sturdiness; improved microSD card fit; improved EQ

The limited cons:

- internal memory maxes out at 8GB; limited what's playing screen information; underlying folder art can make screen readability harder; missing some play-all options; for some users: battery life remains rated at 15 hours; no video capability; greater functionality could be provided to the user (could be handled in future firmware upgrades)

The Clip Zip, the latest in the SanDisk Sansa Clip line, is firmly committed to the Clip line's proven success: a small, cute and attractive, easy-to-use player with great sound. Not much more can be said about the sound: SanDisk got it right with the original Clip and wisely has not tinkered with that, keeping the Clip line at the top of the audio player field. With one exception: while the Clip Zip's EQ options sound improved to my ears, they still can sound harsh--as a general matter, best to leave the EQ options alone.

Physically, the Clip Zip is only a trifle larger than its predecessor, in its long dimension. As before, the body is an attractive, sturdy 2-piece plastic shell that angles out, with a large, permanently attached, sturdy plastic clip occupying its back. The one-piece directional pad on the front of the Clip Zip has been reduced in size to the bottom third of the player's face, with a thin, rectangular select button in its center--some larger-fingered users may have to exercise some care. An inset postage stamp-sized screen occupies the top half of the face of the player. Available in a variety of pleasing colors, my player is an attractive platinum color with a silver-colored directional pad and silver volume rocker and power switches at the left and top sides. The headphone jack remains on the top right side of the player, with a microSD card slot below that, at the bottom; an inserted microSD card now sits totally flush with the player, helping to avoid any inadvertent ejection (although this could make removing the card a trifle more difficult for some). The Clip Zip adopts the micro USB standard for its data and power port at the top left of the player, and comes with a handy short USB/micro USB cable.

In the end, the Clip Zip has a perhaps slightly more contemporary, and sturdy, feel than before, including with its modernized screen graphics and opening and closing exploding screen logo. SanDisk includes with the player a pair of its standard earbud headphones, which many users like--I swap them out for audiophile in-ear phones that complement the player's well-tuned sound.

Beyond these basics, the Clip Zip, like the earlier Clip+, includes microSD card support, making it possible to increase the player's storage five-fold from its maximum 8GB internal storage to a total of 40GB, with a 32GB microSD card. Amazing, for something so small; microSD card slots should be standard in all audio players. All content nicely is seamlessly merged in the Clip Zip's database, or separately can be accessed by folder, as on a computer. The Clip Zip also includes a well-functioning FM radio, with presets and recording capability; new, the display automatically shows the currently-selected radio station's call letters. As before, the Clip Zip has a recorder; gapless play between files--a necessity for live performance recordings; simple drag-and-drop file transfer capability as well as compatibility with music players and aggregators like Windows Media Player; and ad hoc playlist creation (limited to a current, temporary playlist). The Clip Zip also continues Replaygain support to equalize volume between files, and speed control (slow, normal, fast) for podcasts and audiobooks (but, unfortunately, without pitch adjustment, which would be a welcome addition).

With this pedigree in hand, the Clip Zip then takes off. Firmly inviting iTunes users in, the Clip Zip now is compatible with DRM-free aac files (the iTunes standard), in addition to, as before, mp3, wma, protected wma, ogg vorbis and flac formats; iTunes users no longer need convert their aac files (hurting it in the process) to mp3 format. Reflecting the visual age, the Clip Zip trades in the mostly monochrome, text-oriented small screen of its predecessors for a full (albeit postage stamp-sized), well-functioning color screen with album art display and muted album art backgrounds; where album art is not available, the Clip Zip substitutes varying tasteful designs rather than a dry, static picture (no more pictures of a music note for album art-less files). And then, perhaps listening to its audience's earlier suggestions, SanDisk adds in the time-of-day to the player's what's playing screen (many thanks!); a "sports mode" with timer and lap time; fast alphabetical scrolling for content lists--very welcome for those users with lots of content; and the (limited) ability to customize the Clip Zip's top menu to show or exclude function categories (Music, Radio, Books, Voice, Card, Sport).

Users of earlier Clip players will find the operation of the Clip Zip familiar, and largely instinctual. Newcomers will adapt in minutes.

All of this is done in an evolutionary manner, still within the Clip lineage; this is not a new player line. Some users will be disappointed by the 8GB internal memory ceiling; 16GB and 32GB models would be appreciated at this point in time--as well as beyond that for us jukebox users. The player's battery remains rated at 15-hours, typically enough for a full day, but some users would like more; the battery is not user replaceable, given the player's size (some users would prefer otherwise). And there is no video capability (although this only would be minimally useful, given the small screen--but it still would be welcome).

Seemingly as a result of the adoption of album art display, some informational functionality has been lessened on the Clip Zip's what's playing screen: there is no current track number and total tracks information; the current song/file time position is only indicated by a progress bar--there are no elapsed or remaining time indicators; and some of the on-screen information can be a bit harder to see, depending on underlying album art. Also, for some reason, a play-all option, apart from in shuffled mode, has gone missing from most of the playback options--album aficionados will be limited to choosing 1 album at a time or creating playlists. These issues are important for many users--perhaps (hopefully) SanDisk will consider them for future firmware upgrades. (Speaking of which: how about a separate time screen with a clock face, with a few style options?) And the database hindrance from earlier Clip models remains: when files are added to or removed from the microSD card or the card is removed and replaced, the Clip Zip needs to refresh its database, which can take many minutes, depending on the size of the card's contents, during which the player cannot otherwise be used.

In the end, despite some limitations (some of which could be addressed in the future), the Clip Zip is an attractive successor in the Clip line, with enhanced functionality especially of note for those with a library of aac files and for those wanting album art or timing capabilities.

9-12-11 UPDATE as to Audible compatibility with the Clip Zip:

Apparently, people have been finding it impossible to transfer Audible audiobooks to the Clip Zip. In trying myself, I found the same thing--frustrating! In following up, it turns out that Audible needs to update its Audible Manager software, used to transfer Audible audiobooks, etc. to a device, and is working on it. In the meanwhile, see the comments section below for a couple of easy ways to transfer Audible content to the Clip Zip: simple drag-and-drop/copy-and-paste; or using Windows Media Player. In fact, personally, I actually prefer using the drag-and-drop method to having to fire up the Audible Manager just to transfer content over--simpler.

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The Sansa Clip Zip sounded like just what I wanted -a small, inexpensive, clip-on mp3 player to use while I exercise. I was wrong. I listen to audiobooks while I exercise, and despite Sansa's product description the Clip Zip doesn't do that.

When I manually load audiobook mp3 files on the Clip Zip, it classifies them as songs on different albums by one artist. If I select "artist" it plays all the 'track #1s' in sequence and then all the 'track #2s', etc. If I choose "album" it plays that set of files but then I have to search around for the next cryptically-named "album" in the book. That works, sort of, but who wants to stop exercising to fiddle around with an mp3 player for 10 minutes searching for the next section of a book?

When I use Windows Media Player to make a playlist of an audiobook's tracks and then sync them with the Sansa, the process fails -no playlist is on the Sansa and the book is organized exactly as it was using drag-and-drop.

Same thing happens with iTunes, except iTunes itself crashes half the time too.

Audible.com books? Sorry, the audible format is not supported.

If you want to listen to music on a cheap mp3 player, buy the Clip Zip. If you want to play an audiobook, forget about it -it's useless.

Addendum:

Several people have offered comments and work-arounds that have been very helpful. First of all, the problem with Audible compatibility apparently belongs to Audible.com, not SanDisk. Second, Windows Media Player does work with the Clip Zip. Third, even without built-in Audible support, you can manually add Audible books to the Clip Zip.

I've added one star to my rating. It's OK as it is now and when Audible.com (an Amazon subsidiary, BTW) changes the Audible Manager it should move up to "pretty good" rating -actually a "good for the price" rating.

Second addendum (December 15, 2011):

1) I'm told that Audible.com now supports this device.

2) There's a workaround for the problem I had with playing mp3 audiobooks. Both Andy Sexton and John R. Ridley came up with the workaround and posted it in the comments to this review. Quoting Mr. Ridley: "If you put audiobooks into the audiobook folder, or set the genre in the MP3 tags as "AUDIOBOOK" the Clip Zip will handle them properly, with proper resume points and no need to make playlists or anything." Thank you Andy and John!

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I bought this little guy to replace a 6th Gen iPad Nano. My main complaints about the Nano:

1. No buttons, difficult to work with it when you are running or working out. Difficult to pause when a co-worker arrives at your desk.

2. I'm a Linux guy. The 6th gen iPod nano is not compatible with any Linux drivers. Will not work with gtk-pod. Running a VM just for an iPod is a drag.

3. You're stuck with the storage size you buy.

Don't get me wrong, I really did like the Nano, but for my usage patterns it was not ideal. The Zip Clip takes care of the above problems and then some.

1. Buttons are easy to find and navigate, even when you are not using your eyes.

2. You can load it just using your raw MP3's or MTP mode using Rhythmbox on Linux, and lots of other music managers on other platforms.

3. Stick a microSD card in it and bam, you now have a 36 GB portable music player.

4. Bonus, the Zip Clip has a custom EQ mode as well as presets, so you can make your music sound just the way you want.

5. Bonus, the Zip Clip supports the leveling encoded in your MP3's or albums. Yes, the iPod has sound check but that's all secret voodoo stuff and only works with their own files.

The size is a bit bigger than the nano but it's made of plastic and is nearly the same weight (Zip Clip is 25 grams, nano is 20.) I clip it on my watchband when I'm working out. It also dangles from my lanyard when I'm working. My RSA fob and badge weigh way more than the Zip Clip.

I'm really happy with this thing, it does exactly what I want it to do. Dealing with the iPod was becoming rather frustrating to a non-Apple guy and I find that the Zip Clip has a couple added features that make it work and sound better than the iPod. Me like.

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Let me start off with the bottom line. Buy this player. Period.

Ok,with that out of the way let me tell you why. I am a complete tech geek. I built my own computer AND server and have the usual assortment of laptops, mobile phones, netbooks, and other assorted tech items. I decided I wanted a compact music player because there are times I don't want to use my mobile phone as a music player. Sometimes I want something really small and light. With my tech background my standards were pretty high for what I wanted out of an MP3 player and of everything I looked at, including the various iPods, this was the ONLY player that met all my criteria.

PROs: Super small and light. In fact, if it had been any smaller it would have been TOO small. One complaint some people have with the newest generation iPod is that it's so small they have a hard time manipulating the controls. The Clip Zip has actual buttons you can press which makes control very easy. And don't worry about accidentally hitting a button and screwing up your music. If you tap the power button on top it locks all the buttons except the volume control so that won't happen.

Has a small screen so you can actually select what you want to hear and displays album art if you have it installed.

All the usual music selection options. You can search by artist, album, song, genera, or even by folder or playlist.

SD CARD SLOT!!! This was the most important feature to me. It will take up to a 32 GB MicroSD card. 32 Gigs. Do you understand how much music will fit on that? I have every CD I own installed to an SD card, over 7500 songs, and it only takes 18.5 GB using Windows Media format. Even better, when you pop in an SD card the player takes only a few seconds to scan it and update its internal database. So even if you have 50,000 songs you could just copy them all to a couple of different SD cards and switch them in and out. There are only a small handful of players on the market with this feature and it gives you AMAZING flexibility in using your player. Want to just cram a ton of music on there? Go for it. Want to use a lossless, high quality format like FLAC so your music sounds perfect but don't want to be stuck with only a handful of songs on your player? No problem, grab a few cards and take as much as you like.

When you first get a blank card install it in the player and go to "system settings". Chose "format" and select "external card". The player will format your card for you and install a folder titled "MUSIC" on it. Just drag and drop any music folders you have saved on your computer here and install it in your player. The player reads the card, organizes the files, and you're ready to listen to music.

File Options. It accepts an amazingly wide range of file formats. MP3, WMA, Flac, even the various iTunes formats.

Built in FM radio. Less important these days but still a nice option to have sometimes. And it even does autoscan for stations.

SANSA Updater. If you go to the Sandisk website to the clip zip page you can download their installer. First, it upgrades the firmware on the player. DO THAT. But more important it also installs a small updater program. When you connect your player it pops open and gives you different options including syncing with different folders or just dragging music onto your player. You can use it to create playlists right on the player. Or, if you already have playlists on your windows media player you can sync with those instead.

CONs: Nothing is perfect and this is no exception. First, it is a very light plastic player. If you step on it or sit on it you WILL break it. Duh.

It seems to have a problems with songs recorded in iTunes format. Checking on line it has to do with the way iTunes tags certain songs. A few years ago iTunes adjusted the way they tag songs based on if they were DRM protected. I had a mix of old and new songs in my iTunes folder and if I tried to install them the player would hang up. Deleting the music from the player solved the problem. There is no such problem with ANY windows based format. Personally, I have seen this as yet another problem with Apple being not quite compatible with everything else and not a player problem.

Slow file transfer. Dragging music onto your player is kinda slow. Not a huge deal since you are unlikely to do it very often. It's even less of a big deal because you can take the SD card out and copy music directly to the card, then just pop it back in. In truth, even burning directly to an SD card can take a while if you have a lot of music. I copied 12 GB at once at it took almost an hour. But again, how often are you going to need to do that?

CONCLUSION: The bottom line here is this is an amazingly good MP3 player. Is it perfect? No, obviously not. But there are a lot of players on the market with fewer options for a lot more money. I spent several days researching every player on the market and the Clip Zip has the best combination of options at the best price, hands down.

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Boston Acoustics Duo-I Plus iPhone/iPod Dock AM/FM Stereo Radio and Clock Functions (Gloss White)

• Works with iPhone & Made for iPod
• Integrated iPod dock with video output charges your iPod or iPhone
• Precision AM/FM stereo tuner
• Dual high performance 31/2-inch full-range speakers
• BassTrac audio processing for clean bass at all listening levels

I bought the Duo-i because I needed something for my bedroom that served three purposes: a radio for general listening, a quality iPod player, and a set of good-sounding, external speakers for my 19" TV.

Positives:

The radio produces surprisingly booming lows for its size, and exceptionally detailed high end. The clarity of the speakers is stunning. The radio can easily fill a room with sound. Besides an iPod dock on the top, the radio offers two auxiliary inputs for flexibility. I use the rear aux RCA inputs for my bedroom TV, and the front aux 1/8" input will come in handy if I ever want to run my other MP3 players through the radio. The auto-dimming display is a novel touch, too.

The BIIIIIG negative:

The radio has booming lows and very clear high end, but there's not nearly enough in between. Apparently Boston Acoustics tried too hard to give this radio a big sound, and, in the process, forgot that a radio this size still needs a natural midrange presence. The radio seems to lack terribly in the 600Hz-3kHz range. Music is reshaped to sound like it is being run through a smiley-faced graphic equalizer. And to top it off, there's no mid-range level control.

As a result of this deficiency, all music, whether from your iPod or FM radio, is affected. The average person on the street probably wouldn't notice, but a discerning listener (like me... an audio engineer by trade) would notice. If you listen to pop, rock, dance, R&B, modern country, etc. then it may not be such a big deal. But of you listen to jazz, big band, classical, ethnic, etc., then you will miss the warmth this radio cannot provide.

Weak midrange means that dialog in television/movie audio lacks clarity. In order to get acceptable sound when running my TV's audio through the Duo-i, I have to leave my TV's cheesy, little, internal speakers turned on. They compensate by providing some of the desired mid frequencies that the Duo-i lacks.

But the biggest victim, believe it or not, is AM radio. It's rendered absolutely useless. The Duo-i simply doesn't possess any of the midrange frequencies in the AM radio bandwidth. As a result, talk show hosts' voices are nothing but boomy and muffled, even with the treble all the way up and the bass all the way down.

The low end is too loud relative to the rest of the radio's sound, so I experimented by loosely plugging the rear bass ports with my fingers. The bass response suddenly tightened up and became more natural-sounding. So my radio's bass ports are now permanently corked. (I even wrote to Boston Acoustics and suggested they begin shipping their radios with a couple different sets of "port corks" for discerning listeners.)

Summary:

If you always listen to your stereo with a smiley-faced graphic EQ, and you're one of those people who can never get enough bass, you'll probably love this radio. But, if you're a discerning listener who prefers a more natural frequency response and/or listens to AM radio, the Duo-i is NOT the radio for you.

Buy Boston Acoustics Duo-I Plus iPhone/iPod Dock AM/FM Stereo Radio and Clock Functions (Gloss White) Now

I recently purchased this product for use with my iPhone 3GS. The sound quality is superb, rivaling that of Bose systems. The alarm clock feature works brilliantly and the remote is the icing on the cake. I really enjoy the touch-sensor 360 Snooze Bar, an intuitive design that keeps you from smacking the dock when you want to snooze. There is even a plug-in slot on the back for a sub woofer upgrade, just in case the bass isn't enough for you. Oh, and did I mention? The display automatically dims according to the lighting in your room, and you can adjust the overall brightness to suit your liking in the dark. Genius! If you want a nice dock for your iPod/iPhone with second-to-none sound quality, the functionality of an alarm clock, and state-of-the-art features, then I strongly recommend this product!

Read Best Reviews of Boston Acoustics Duo-I Plus iPhone/iPod Dock AM/FM Stereo Radio and Clock Functions (Gloss White) Here

My first impression of the Duo-I Plus surprised me -it's impressively well-built, with a beautiful gloss finish, solid weight, stable rubber feet, and smooth rubberized knobs that don't wiggle (unlike a lot of competitor's clock radios). There is a nice long power cord with no "wall wart" power supply to deal with. It comes with a thin remote control, an FM antenna, a decent manual, and an assortment of iPod/iPhone dock adapters. The overall design is very well laid-out, with a recessed area on top to store the remote (in front of the ipod dock), plus a magnet on the back of the remote which allows you to stick it to the speaker grill. You can even special-order new grills in designer colors to match your decor. Even without the designer grills, it blends in very nicely in a bedroom or kitchen.

The first thing I did after unpacking the Duo-I Plus was to test it out in my living room with the iPod docked. The sound is truly remarkable for such a small stereo. Nice full bass and crisp highs. As some other reviewers have noted, there is not a whole lot of mid-range but the overall sound is still very balanced and natural. When I plugged in the FM antenna wire and tried the radio, I was surprised by the clarity of reception I got. Another nice touch for radio listeners is that the antenna jack can accept a coaxial TV cable for even better reception. There is also a wire clip for an AM antenna, though I don't listen to AM radio. On the front panel, there is an 1/8-inch auxiliary input and an 1/8-inch headphone jack; on the back, there is a stereo RCA second auxiliary input, a stereo RCA subwoofer output, and a single RCA video output. Pretty flexible for a clock radio!

Aside from five small radio station preset buttons and two small buttons for setting the alarms, all the stereo's functions are controlled using three digital rotary knobs; these knobs can also be pressed like a button to make selections. The largest knob in the middle turns the power on or off with a single press and controls the volume. The small mode knob on the left selects the input, as well as other functions: iPod, FM radio 1 (presets 1-5), FM radio 2 (presets 6-10), AM radio, Auxiliary 1 (front input), Auxiliary 2 (rear input), brightness, info, sleep, bass, treble, alarm 1 set, clock set, alarm 2 set; depressing the same mode knob will also cycle through all the available inputs. The small tuning knob on the right tunes the radio, changes mode values (brightness/info/sleep/bass/treble/alarm time/clock time), and skips ipod tracks backward or forward. The ability to skip iPod tracks with the tuning knob is wonderful, since it is often inconvenient to wake an iPod Touch or iPhone when it is docked. The remote control can skip tracks as well.

The small alarm buttons provide a quick way to change alarm settings without having to use the mode knob to select from a lengthy menu; there is a separate button for both alarm 1 and 2 -a single press sets the respective alarm to alarm mode, music mode, or off; hold the button down and you can change the respective alarm times backward or forward using the rotary controller directly below it. Changing alarm times has never been easier! Unfortunately, you can only wake to whatever music and volume level was last playing. This is a serious oversight on the part of Boston Acoustics' design team. Like many people, I go to bed with relaxing music but like to wake up to something more energetic. This is not possible with the Duo-I Plus. The alarm sound fades in after a few seconds, which is nice. I also love the snooze bar -just touch anywhere on the metal outer rim of the radio to sleep another ten minutes; hit the snooze bar repeatedly and it adds increments of five minutes to your snooze. I have not experienced any of the bugs with the snooze bar that other reviewers have reported.

The backlit display is probably the weakest part of the design of the Duo-I Plus. I wish Boston Acoustics had chosen a color besides cool-blue. Many reviewers found the display too bright even at the lowest dimmed setting. There is however a fix for this that is not mentioned in the owner's manual. If you unplug the unit and plug it back in while holding down the alarm 2 button, you can adjust the dimming sensitivity using the tuning knob. This allows you to turn the display completely off if you wish. The down side to this is that it makes it difficult to make selections using the mode knob because you can't see what you're controlling. The auto-dimming sensor, while wonderful for sleeping, only makes this problem worse. I still have not found a happy-medium that is dim enough for sleeping yet bright enough to control easily.

The other controls are fairly self-explanatory: info mode chooses what to display when the unit is idle; sleep mode activates a sleep timer in five minute increments up to 90 minutes; bass and treble EQ's the sound, plus or minus 7 steps. It's unfortunate that there is no midrange control since the midrange could really use a boost, but overall the controls are very usable. I have to say that, while I love the concept of the simple three-dial face, in practice it is a bit cumbersome to use. There are simply too many menu items, which makes navigating through them tedious. Setting the alarms, on the other hand, couldn't be any easier.

I have to say that despite a couple nit-picks, the design team at Boston Acoustics got everything right. I absolutely love my Duo-I Plus. Unfortunately, I ended up sending it back. Why? The unit I bought was used, probably an older model, and it would play but not charge my 4th generation iPod Touch. I doubt those who buy new units will experience that problem. In any event, if you're looking for the perfect clock radio, you will not be disappointed with the Duo-I Plus.

UPDATE: After sending my unit away for repairs, it now charges my 4th Gen. iPod Touch without any problems. Unfortunately, now the snooze bar doesn't work right. Sometimes, the snooze bar doesn't respond at all when I touch it; other times, it "snoozes" itself, incrementing all the way up to an hour for no reason at all. As a result, I don't trust the alarm to get me out of bed on time. Other comments after owning this for six months... The knob controls are the most annoying part of the interface. Trying to set the sleep timer function takes several precise knob turns, and if you miss the "sleep" setting (which is easy to do in dim lighting) you end up changing the input (FM/AM/aux) inadvertently. Very annoying when you do this every single night! Also, some users have complained of a low humming when the unit is on with no music playing, and I have noticed this as well. Overall, I really wanted to like this clock radio because of the sound quality, but for day-to-day use, it really falls short.

Want Boston Acoustics Duo-I Plus iPhone/iPod Dock AM/FM Stereo Radio and Clock Functions (Gloss White) Discount?

I purchased this item for my wife. I was limited in that it needed to be white, charge and play the iPhone (not just the iPod), have FM radio, remote, and small enough to fit in a book shelf. There aren't too many similar items with all of these attributes with an acceptable to great sound.

We are using it in a 20' x 13' family room. The sound is excellent. It can liven the room without appreciable distortion. The remote covers all corners of the room. Whether we want to play the iPhone music or FM radio, this little guy's got it covered.

I have owned this radio, purchased through Amazon, for about one year. It replaced a similar though somewhat less expensive HD radio that, even after replacement, had constant and vexing software problems. The Boston Acoustics Duo has had no such problems. It works fine, and it doesn't seem to mind power disruptions. In other words, it remembers all of my stations and settings even after electric power failures that last 2 or 3 hours (for some reason a frequent occurrence in the Washington, DC, metro area).

This iPod dock / tabletop radio offers remarkably good, crisp, mellow sound for such a small device. In my view, this is the #1 consideration when buying a tabletop radio I will listen to frequently. The BA Duo has good, though not outstanding radio reception and an up-to-date iPod dock. By that I mean that my brand new Verizon iPhone works without any difficulty, as do my older generation iPod Touch and iPod Nano devices. All get charged without problem, and none of the Apple devices complains that the BA Duo radio is not compatible with all the features of the Apple device. In contrast, less than two weeks ago I purchased a Sangean WR-5 iPod dock / tabletop radio. Although my older Apple devices work with the Sangean tabletop radio without problem, my new Verizon iPhone, when inserted in the Sangean iPod dock, gives the following message: "This device is not optimized for the iPhone. You may experience a decrease in cell signal strength." In other words, I may get weaker cellphone reception when my iPhone is inserted in the dock. The iPhone gets charged when inserted in the Sangean iPod dock, and the iPhone / Sangean combination delivers fine musical sound, but I do not know whether or not I'm missing some cell calls. There are no such problems with the Boston Acoustic Duo.

Let me make some comparisons of the BA Duo and the Sangean WR-5 iPod dock / table top radios. The Boston Acoustics Duo undoubtedly delivers better sound and offers a more up-to-date interface with iPod / iPhone devices. The BA duo and Sangean WR-5 offer approximately as good radio reception. The Sangean WR-5 has a smaller footprint and, because its iPod dock is more spacious, I do not need to remove the rubberized protective bumper from my iPhone before inserting onto the dock. (In contrast, the rubberized bumper must be removed from the iPhone before it is inserted onto the dock for the BA Duo.) Both devices accept input from a standard audio jack linking the radio with, say, a portable CD player. The instructional booklet for the Sangean WR-5 was worse written (I assume because its authors were Chinese rather than Americans), but the Sangean's set-up was faster and a bit more intuitive. I find that without wearing glasses it is easier for me to read, say, the time and radio frequency on the face of the BA Duo. That information is less clearly displayed on the face of the Sangean WR-5, and this may be an important consideration if you are using the device as an alarm clock.

The biggest difference between the two iPod dock / tabletop radios is the price. As of this date (late March 2011), the Boston Acoustics Duo costs about $250 on Amazon while the Sangean WR-5 costs $100. Determining whether the better sound and more up-to-date Apple docking of the BA Duo are worth the $150 price difference is obviously a personal matter. I like both devices and give both of them equal ratings (4 stars), but that is because the price differential compensates for the somewhat worse sound and more out-of-date Apple docking interface on the Sangean WR-5. For a number of years now I have noticed that I actually listen to music much more frequently through my tabletop radios than through my far more expensive sound system. The better sounding tabletop radio -the BA Duo -is in my kitchen where I listen most often to music. The Sangean WR-5 is in our bedroom where it doubles as a tabletop clock and Apple iPod / iPhone charging device. I suppose other people discovered this fact long before I did: The availability of these iPod dock / tabletop radios means that you never have to worry whether your cell phone or MP3 player has a charge. If you listen to music through these docking stations for about an hour or so a day, your Apple device is substantially charged virtually all the time -it gets a charge at the same time you are using the device for one of its main functions, namely, to play music. In addition, of course, both the iPhone and iPod Touch devices can be used to listen internet radio, Pandora, podcasts, etc., partly depending on whether you have a WiFi system in your home. This means you worry less about the quality of your local radio stations: The internet offers a huge number of attractive alternatives.

In sum: the Boston Acoustics Duo radio is a wonderful tabletop radio / docking device. The only reason I withhold a fifth star is that I anticipate the arrival someday of a similar device that is (a) a bit cheaper and (b) a bit easier to set up and use. Until that day comes, this is an excellent investment. If you're strapped for cash, the Sangean WR-5 is also a first-rate product.

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Sangean DT-400W AM/FM Digital Weather Alert Pocket Radio

• Digital AM/FM tuner
• 19 random presets
• "My Favorite Station" select button
• Optional 90-minute auto shutoff
• Built-in speaker/clock

This is a fine radio with very nice improvements starting from its predecessor, the Sangean DT-200VX. It is a very light and small portable radio with very good battery life that can be taken almost everywhere for full as well as easy listening capabilities.

PROS:

1) It has quite good reception on all bands (AM/FM and Weatherband). Now it also has excellent and almost completely static-free reception on all 7 US frequency channels of the standard NOAA weather-band. In addition, this radio also has the official NOAA weather alert detection capability to signal the user of impending weather disasters as well as other problematic situations such as child abductions, flash floods, earthquakes, etc. However, this NOAA alert capability is NOT the latest S.A.M.E. technology (Specific Area Message Encoding) that is available on some other table top units that can give a county by county area warning to individual users. Like its predecessor, this radio also has a monaural/stereo switch (bandwidth control) for FM listening improvement, but there is no RF (radio frequency) DX gain switch on the DT-400W as there is on the new Sony SRF-37W for example, but see Con below.

2) It has a very big and easy to read display with a battery level indicator, a lock display indicator, a 90 minute shutoff capability (that can be disabled during each listening session if needed) with an on-screen indicator, etc. It also has a clock and a backlit display, but see Con below.

3) There is a very nice arrangement (called My Favorites) for as many as 19 presets for any band in any order with simple retrieval of all presets, but only in order from the first one designated to the 19th one in a logical progression (it won't go backwards to find the previous preset for example).

4) Its deep bass boost is a very nice feature.

5) Automatic scanning capability and seeking capability, but see Con below.

6) It also has a nice and easily removable belt clip for wearing the unit for jogging or walking.

CONS:

1) Backlight cannot be turned off even in daytime and even in bright sunshine conditions. It is apparently an LED (light emitting diode) with an extremely low power drain, but it seems very illogical to me that it can't be overridden when it isn't needed at all. Apparently, it is actually only on briefly while tuning the radio and then it shuts itself off after a short time, but to not be able to disable it entirely when it is not needed seems absolutely counterintuitive to me.

2) It is certainly well built with a fully attached battery compartment door (requiring two AA batteries), but it is not as rugged as the Sony SRF-37W for example (and the latter only requires 1 AAA battery). Of course the reception and acoustics are better overall on the DT-400W so get a good case (like the Sakar International HS-10, a small hard shell case which it fits like a glove).

3) A 90 day limited warranty from Sangean America is way too short given that even the Sony SRF-M37W has a 1 year limited warranty (see my review of the SRF-M37W and also its product manual for details).

4) During automatic scanning/seeking, the audio is muted so you can't hear any stations as they are detected. Only the strongest stations are picked up during the scanning/seeking process. Of course during manual scanning the individual stations are easily heard so that you can readily pick the station you want to listen to.

5) Sangean chose to put the speaker controls on the same slide switch along with the Stereo/Mono (bandwidth) changing capability. In my opinion the arrangement was better on the DT-200V with a simple and direct push button Stereo/Mono switch on the front of the radio and not on the side with one other commonly used function.

6) As also discussed by others, you must connect the short trailing wire (that is supplied by Sangean) or else connect a set of supplied earbuds (or a more comfortable set of headphonessee below) in order to receive any FM or Weather-band transmissions at allincluding the weather alert transmissions.

7) The supplied earbuds are very uncomfortable and could also be quite dangerous given the volume output that this unit is capable of with 2 AA batteries.

Buy Sangean DT-400W AM/FM Digital Weather Alert Pocket Radio Now

I wasn't happy with the FM on my tiny Sangean DT-180 and my Sony SFR-M37V provided similarly disappointing FM. But both were good on AM.

Wanting an upgrade, I bought the DT-400 on Amazon for $61 free shipping. You can choose the built-in speaker or go through the earbuds, which serve as the FM antenna. Without the earbuds or provided wire you will get zero FM reception. I replaced the stock buds with my V-MODAs and the FM was just as good.

The AM and FM of the DT0400 beat the reception of my aforementioned radios. The weather band is a plus as is the Deep Bass button. Also, with TV band obsolete in 2009, the DT-400, which replaces TV with weather, is an important update.

The sound is far better through the provided buds or my upgraded V-MODAs and I recommend using them over the built-in speaker.

Final verdict: Highly recommended.

Read Best Reviews of Sangean DT-400W AM/FM Digital Weather Alert Pocket Radio Here

This is a decent AM/FM (stereo) weather alert radio with two exceptions you should be aware of.

Number 1: You will NOT be able to receive FM or Weather Radio without first attaching the supplied external antenna (a piece of wire that plugs into the earphone jack) or having the earphones plugged in. If you are counting on the radio as a weather alert radio and don't have the antenna with you or forget to plug it in, you won't get the warning.

Number 2: If you have the earphones plugged in and you are listening with the speaker turned off (there's a switch on the side to change from headphone to speaker listening), you'll have an antenna but the speaker will be off and you won't hear the warning unless you are wearing the headphones.

Also, don't pack this radio away in your emergency kit with batteries installed. The radio has a clock feature which continuously uses battery power so just when you need it, it may be DOA.

Want Sangean DT-400W AM/FM Digital Weather Alert Pocket Radio Discount?

I feel strongly compelled to add to this discussion and the comparison between the Sangean DT-210V and the newer model Sangean DT-400W pocket size radio.

First off... I have both in my possession as we speak. So I am a reliable source for what I am about to share.

Now I have owned the DT-210V for at least four years. I have loved this radio! Reception, sound, performance... is second to none in pocket size radios. I have purchased at least 4 of these over that span of time... telling friends of this great gem and they have loved it as I have! The earlier purchases came with a great set of ear plugs that rival named brands at $30 to $50 a hit. More recently, Sangean no longer ships these earplugs but a lesser quality replacement with purchase of the DT-210V (similar to one in picture above). That's a shame... but I have kept my originals and still use them regularly.

Ok... just recently, I purchased the DT-400W... and hear is what I can tell you definitively for comparison of each model:

1) Reception: No difference. Don't get caught up in the lame claims that AM is better or worse for either model. There is no difference for either AM or FM reception. The KEY is the sound that fills the ears... and the more "tinny" it sounds... the more pronounced the hiss or static becomes (i.e. I took note of a claim that the DT-210V was superior in AM reception over DT-400W by a post from Amazon). Which brings me to my next very important point.

2) Quality of sound: Hands down, slam dunk... the DT-210V wins by a mile. I Could not believe the difference in overall quality of sound. I have always been impressed with the DT-210V's ability to sound like a concert hall in my ears... coming from a such a small device. Now... mind you, I am comparing these two pocket size radios using the SAME set of quality earplugs that came with my original DT-210V purchase (How nice if one is lucky to find these earplugs with a future purchase of the DT-210V. However, if not... you can always go and purchase better earplugs seperately but one has to understand... it will only sound as good as the unit that is pushing it out. Which brings me to the DT-400W). There is no debate regarding the nice additonal features of the DT-400W model, with its enhanced updated memory presets (easier to use after setting), the updated weather band, the LCD light, etc. But... the SOUND of this radio is a BIG disappointment when comparing with the DT-210V. It sounds flat and un-impessive to the ears. Easily... inferior in quality of sound to the DT-210V. I guess something has to be sacrificed when a company adds features. I can do without... if it means sacrificing the most important thing.

Now, if all you are looking for... is a good weather band and AM talk and sports, then by all means... the DT-400W is a very nice purchase. But... if your priority is FM sound and reception from a pocket size device, then I HIGHLY recommend the DT-210V. It blows away the DT-400W for overall sound quality (via earplugs or external speaker which both have).

Of course, the DT-210V's nice feature for TV sound will become obselete very soon. I haven't used it enough to care. I thought the weather band would be nice to have, but I can live without it... if it means sacrificing overall quality of sound to the ears.

For me... when you're plugging something into your head... it better sound real good! The DT-210V is far and away better than the DT-400W in comparison for this category. Reception is no different... regardless of what you might hear. I tested with same earplugs in use for both.

In summary, I was excited over the purchase of the DT-400W (with its additional features), until I did the comparison of the two radios. It's not even close to me.

I am taking the DT-400W back. Not because of its quality of reception that is Sangean's trademark. Simply because I already have a pocket size radio (DT-210V) that provides the same quality of reception... but quality of sound that is easily superior.

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There is little I can say or add that previous fine reviewers have not covered other than this little wonder just accompanied me and my family through hurricane Ike and it performed spectacularly.

Normally I wouldn't be anxious to hand over $60 for a "pocket radio," but this ain't your father's pocket radio. I'm into my sixth decade on this planet and have seen any number of "pocket radio" variations in that time, none of them as complete a package as this. I'm currently also a talk radio buff and hail the return of AM radio for that format. I also love old analog radio dials but you can't beat a digital with pre-sets for quick tuning accuracy, especially on a radio this size. Because of its size the speaker sound is on the sharp side but for someone my age with a degree of high-end hearing loss it's great.

I cannot find a single fault with this little jewel. It is frugal on batteries even though a small LED illuminates the display for about 7 seconds whenever a function button is pressed while the radio is on, which is especially helpful when you're in the dark without power.

Read the features list everything on it is real and works as advertised. I couldn't be more satisfied.

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Samsung i900 Omnia Unlocked Phone with 8 GB Memory, 5 MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6.1, and

I am glad I bought this phone. I fell in love with it since I got it out of the box.

PROS:

* Slim design, executive look

* Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional (great improvement)

* AGPS. 100% accurate when you choose My Location. Associated with

google maps is an A+. (Why pay for something that is already part of the

phone...That goes for you VERIZON!!!!).

* Opera Browser works great (sorry Internet Explorer)

* Touchscreen is very responsive (if you do not want screen to vibrate,

you can disable it in SETTINGS.

* Stylus, I do not use it. my fingers do the job excellent.

* Push E-Mail. I get all my emails from work, POP accounts, Gmail, (which

is already integrated in the phone), and of course windows live

messenger.

* Video player is very good, good resolution, great audio. (One thing

I dicovered today is that I can listen to Internet radio, WOW!!)

* My 5 Faves...NOT REALLY, but keep reading, (in this case 4 faves, yes, one of the widgets lets you add 4

people you call the most just like my five faves.) I am using my Omnia

with T-mobile and this came very handy.)

* Microsoft Office, YES! you have Excel, Word, Power Point. All 3 are

mobile version, you can read and edit any documents as you wish. you

also can read .pdf files, isn't that something?? you will love this

phone.

CONS:

* I personaly, don't have any negative comments on this phone, but I will

mention one that I know bothers some people out there, that is:

NO 3G Network compatibility in the USA. This phone was made exclusively

for Asia and Europe and their 3G works on a different band. But I tell

you one thing, Internet over EDGE is very good, so I really don't care

at all about 3G speed. So keep this in mind....NO 3G in the USA.

Over All, this is a great phone. you will have to take your time to play with it to find all its features and how to make them work for you. Don't get frustrated if you don't get it to work the way you want the first time. It took me a good week to figure this phone out and now I am very excited I chose this phone. Iphone is a thing of the past, which I never had but my friends have it and some of them are not too happy with it, plus, they got stuck in a contract. Here you don't have to do that.

Thank you SAMSUNG for this phone.

I have include this link called Omnia i900 The Whole Nine Yards

This will make you take a final decision to get this phone or not.

Hope it helps, like it helped me to get this phone

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i900_omnia-review-267.php

Thanks! and let me know what you think.

I decided to stay with Verizon instead of switching to ATT to go with the Apple Iphone.

I am an early adapter, I picked my omnia over the blackberry storm when both had just come out in january 09.

The Omnia offered far better processing speed, immensley better use of the touch screen technology, better screen resolution, full version of MS office rather than just a viewer and the use of Internet Explorer Mobile for internet viewing as well as Opera (not able to view all internet pages).

The camera was superior, the integration with outlook was phenominal and the bundled apps were perfect.

Learning curve on the Keyboard was tough but manageable.

Althouth I believe this product is electronically far superior to the Iphone and Storm, there are some serious issues that have not and probably will never be resolved as Samsung is already moving on to their next "superphone" without resolution of problems with this one and Microsoft has already (at the announcement of this phone) announced the release date of Windows Mobile 7.0..

Although the Iphone is slower and has less memory, it has a far more predictable speed allowing for constant rate of typing and response . . the Omnia like anything running Windows bogs down over the course of the day making the search and input speed vary. This is fine until you figure out how to use the keyboard to do email and are maddly typing only to find that the phone is three letters behind you...A simple reset solves the issue but . . . . you dont have to reset an Iphone every day!

The battery life is no where near advertized. If I unplug the phone at 7AM it starts complaining that a recharge is necessary by 5PM . . just in time for the evening commuteheck of a time for the cell phone to run out!

If you are accessing the internet or listenting to music or a movie, you get about 6 hrs before the low battery alarm starts chiming.

Standby time is about 36 hrs lot of good that does though!

Apple had similar issues with their phones and worked some fixes on the early ones, Samsung has no intention.

When you are on a high call day . .or watching a video on the phone, the phone gets hot . . my IR thermometer says over 103 degrees . . .Samsung says this is normal and fine . . .dont know about that as there is a Lithium Polymer battery in there and that is getting hot too.

I have had two phones and they both acted the same way, this is a design issue not a particular unit.

The biggest reason to think carefully about the purchase of this phone is that there are NO aftermarket apps that mix well with Mobile 6.1 and none on the horizon that are reasonable.

I tried to find a calculator to figure time cards, the Blackberry progam was 9.99, the palm version was 4.99, the Iphone app was 9.99 and the windows mobile version with no promise of compatibility with 6.1 was 49.99.

Check on Amazon, downloads.com and try to find aftermarket software for windows 6. . . .not much . . .

Go to Apple Store and see how many apps are out there for Iphone . . heck, there is even an app that allows you to use it as a flute!

I like the Omnia even with it's faults but wish I had known then what I know now . . If you have no intention of doing anything other than what this phone has built into it, then it is better than an Iphone. If you want to watch movies and listen to tunes, have some odd and end games for the train ride home at night, then dont waste your time with this phone, buy an Iphone.

Buy Samsung i900 Omnia Unlocked Phone with 8 GB Memory, 5 MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6.1, and Now

First, I bought this phone thinking that it would resolve the problems I was having with my treo 750...HA! It has created more problems than solutions. Touch screen doesn't respond as you would expect and as stated in other reviews the widgets are small and sometimes hard to manage.

I was so excited to get this phone, windows mobile 6, great internet, email, on and on. It states in the phone review that this phone is compatable with microsoft voice command. That isn't the case, at least not for my i900. I used voice command with my treo 750 and it worked great so I just assumed it would work with the i900...it does not. So while you can receive calls thru the blue tooth headset, you can not make a call and that is huge for me. This is definitely a big negative.

It won't send picture messages as advertised, at least not with T-mobile. Texting and email work fine. If the email is set up correctly thru your phone service it works great and you can either receive emails automatically, set it up to retrieve them every few hours or get them when manually requested .

I guess that if I had done a better job of researching the pros and cons of purchasing a phone made in Asia, I might have waited. You won't get any help from Samsung USA as they just give you the excuse that since the phone is European, they do not support it in the US. As a matter of fact, you get that excuse almost anywhere you turn for support.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung i900 Omnia Unlocked Phone with 8 GB Memory, 5 MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6.1, and Here

23 more months. I too have a Samsung Omnia. As you read the reviews everyone sings the praises of all the "features" of this phone. I bought this phone for 2 thingsto take and make cell calls and to access Excel spreadsheets when I'm in the field.

Load up a spread sheet and you can see 2-3 rows and 2-3 columns which is fine until the data is spread out over 4-6 rows/columns. Guess I'll keep toting my laptop.

Now the calls you want to put the call on speaker? First you have to hit the little mouse pad to remove the stupid black box, then hit the speaker button -Oh, I'm sorry did I lose the call?

Did you miss a call? I don't know. First you have to pick up the phone shake it repeatedly to switch back to portrait, enter your security code then you may see a box that tells you a phone number. Does it tell you what time or if they left a voice mail no that would be too convenient.

If you are thinking it may be time to upgrade your phone I strongly recommend you go into the providers store and get a "hands-on" experience because it may just turn out the phone doesn't do the simple things. 23 more months, sigh.

Want Samsung i900 Omnia Unlocked Phone with 8 GB Memory, 5 MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6.1, and Discount?

I have given this phone 8 months before finally admitting it's the worse handset I have ever owned. 8 months...of resetting, crashing, hanging, fixing .. I doubt I have enough room here to list the problems I have had, so let's think of a few of the more annoying ones, starting with WinMo 6.1 (need I say more)..the fact that syncing music is a nightmare because when you sync 4GB of music the phone "tricks" itself it is full and you can't use the camera ...the Touch Player is only marginally better than the Windows Mobile player..the touch screen sticks or scrolls uncontrollably, the phone/dial screen locks in seconds making it cumbersome to use the keypad in touchtone calls..having to unlock every few seconds, the sms and email notfications decide when they're going to work if at all..the email app seems totally unable to sync with an MS Exchange Server...you have to constantly remove tasks in the task manager to save on battery and processing memory, it doesn't like 3rd party apps or shells...the stylus hanging from the phone without a cradle was bound to break off sometime (and it did)..the animation/rotation has a mind of its own even when you've altered the settings. The clock and alarm apps decide they're only going to work when THEY want to...the Opera app decides it can't run at all because despite what the memory status is telling you , it thinks there is no more memory left...there is much much more..I had a 2G iphone for a year before the iphone was released here and even with the restrictions I had network-wise made that a more functional handset...I did/do not want another iphone because I wanted a phone that had "more features"...but seriously, I cnanot beleive that I haven't yet launched this Omnia into a wall..

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