Sony WMFS499 Sports Walkman

• Heavy-duty, die-cast aluminum
• Digital synthesized AM/FM stereo tuner
• Rugged, water-resistant sports-series case
• Adjustable action grip
• 20-station preset tuning (15 FM, 5 AM)

I have two older model Walkmans and I dropped both of them by accident and the cassette tape player feature no longer works. To my surprise, when I went to several local stores, I couldn't find a similar Walkman for sale. I guess with the i-Pods and other new technology, the tape players are being phased out. I bought a newer model Sony Walkman at Target and the sound quality of the tape was so awful I took it right back. These players that only use one battery have terrible sound quality I've found. The FM radio stations had terrible reception, too.

I found this Sony WMFS499 Sports Walkman for sale here on Amazon.com and purchased it and I love it! Since I use my Walkman for walking and running, I need a durable player that can withstand being dropped and getting damp in the rain, and the case on my new player seems indestructible. The sound quality of both the FM radio and tape player are fantastic! I decided to buy another one to have as a spare in case I lose this one. That sounds kind of crazy, but having a good tape player for exercise is important to me and I don't want to ever risk being without my Sports Walkman.

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Bought this because my previous Walkman died after many good years of service. Nothing lasts forever and my old one took many a bump and drop. So I approximated this model would be a good replacement. I was right. It's a nice heir to the line of Sports Walkman's. Like the clasp, the lap counter is a nice feather and the mega bass really helps with the right music. This is a fine product. You will not be disapponted.

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This walkman is awesome! It's sound is un-matched! The headphones are really cool! The only problem with it is that the radio stations do not play very well. I have to constantly move the walkman around to get a good perception. If you don't care about the radio feature, but need to play your tapes, go for this one!

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I dropped my last Sony cassette player and tried to find another one just like it, which is impossible and I saw this on Amazon and jumped on it. I walk and listen to audiobooks and I so glad I purchased this one.

The loading of the batteries and tapes are odd, but for the listening, the stereo sound and dobly feature are great. Compared to my last Sony, this one really surpasses it.

I did change to another Sony headset with earplugs. I do not like the over the head type. I do want to purchase another like the other reviewer said, you never know when you need another spare.

I have a lot of cassettes, and I figure that I'll use them up before I switch to some kind of ipod, (plus I don't like the size of a CD player: I turn my CDs into cassettes for portability). So I bought this to help me play my cassettes into oblivion. It is not my only cassette player by a long shot, but it's the best I've had. Great sound, rugged, convenient controls, auto-reverse, a belt clip that's long enough not to squeeze off the belt when I bend over. The sound is better than the cassette players that I have with built-in graphic equalizers. It has three sound settings. The included headphones have a cord that's too short for good FM reception, but with set of phones with a cord of more normal length, the reception is fine.

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Motorola i836 Nextel iDen PTT rugged Gray cell phone

I like the design features and everything in this phone but the battery life. As the previous reviewer said battery drops dead by the end of the day even if use it for just few minuts only. But the specifications says 80 hrs stand by time. It is not even lasting 40 hours as standby(No calls at all) let alone 80 hours. Don't buy this unless you want to charge it daily. If the battery life is like this in new phone I wonder how it would be after 1 year use. I strongly recommend aganist buying this phone.

I had 3 different i836's and all had the same problems. The phone looks great but it ends there. The battery life is short & the signal sucks I went from an i205 that I had for 5 years to the 836 which cut off 36% of my calls (according to Nextel's own records) this phone is the worst phone I ever used it goes from full signal (5 bars) to no service all day long just back and forth. I use about 6000 minutes a month and I need a dependable phone and service provider. I wasted hours and hours arguing with Nextel and got nowhere. After 2 months of torture I cancelled my service with Sprint / Nextel they charged me $200 temination fee and refused to allow me to return the $100 i836. I went into Verizon, got a Kyocera phone and it works great. I'm paying more for my monthly service, but it just works with no hassles. The i836 is now a $300 paperweight. I would rather stick needles in my eyes then deal with Sprint / Nextel again. What a way to treat a 9 year loyal customer Nextel. Way to go.......

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I have owned the i836 for about two weeks now. The good features of this phone are of course its size and weight. The software is basically identical to the i730 or i830. The aesthetics are the only apparent difference. The buttons for the DC, speaker toggle, and volume control are closer together than on the previous models due to the small size, so you may occasionally hit the wrong ones. My biggest complaint with this phone is the duration of the battery. I consider myself a moderate user (1 hour phone usage and DC combined per day) and my battery is always close to dead at the end of the day. A larger size battery may be available, but then the leather case supplied with the phone won't fit.

I am a former T-Mobile user and have had several of their phones, the last being the Motorola V600. I don't know if it is fair to compare the two, but the interface on the V600 is substantially easier to use. It seems to me that the interfaces on most Nextel phones are very basic and not particularly user friendly, including the i836. Also, there are no connectivity options, (bluetooth, etc) which is a minus for me. Altogether not bad, but don't build yourself up. This is just an i730 in a nicer case.

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Ok, let's face it...you are a Nextel user, love the DC/GC, and use the phone for business or pleasure, but your phone is

1) Humongous Brick (I355, i315, i530, i325), but durable

2) Small (i830), but susceptible to scratches and tinny sound, and either not resistant to heavy use or just too dang odd looking to be a Nextel phone....

This is the answer! I have been using my i836 for a week-it is great! As a previous user of all the above phones, this is the best....feels lighter than the i830, sounds better, and the casing holds up better.

Comes with all the features...not only DC/GC, but web and message capable, bright color display, and a NICE case from Motorola for your belt, leather case, nice and easy access.

All the usuals....datebook, GPS, call listing, java apps, etc.

Hey, I can never go back to the bricks......this is a great phone! Five stars !

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This phone is awful, I upgraded because my i80 (?) an old nextel brick was just too big and it snapped in half. this phone is the smalles they make right now. It has horrible battery l;ife, I am on my second battery because it will just cut out without warning when I am on the phone and have barely used it after a full charge. the signal is terrible, I don't have reception in places that I did with my older phone. the case scratches and chips easily and it just doesn't work!! If I paid for the phone I would have given it up long ago, but I use it for work heavily, dc and phone when the battery is charged it does work fine. Another annoying thing is the volume buttons on the outside of the phone are easily pressed if the phone is in your pocket and will take itself off of vibrate without you knowing.

All nextel phones have horrible battery life, but some of them don't drop calls as much!

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Sangean America WR-3 Digital AM/FM/CD/SD/USB MP3 Table Top Radio (Black)

• Radio Data System with radio text, program type, station name, and automatic clock time (where available)
• Compact disc drive supports MP3/WMA playback on CD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW formats
• Dynamic bass compensation for high-quality rich bass
• Full-function IR remote control
• Alarm and sleep timer
• CD MP3 Playback
• Menu System
• SD Card/USB MP3 Playback
• Search and Manual Tuning

After much deliberation, and as much research as the Internet would afford me, I decided to buy this radio and try it firsthand. As always, I felt safer buying from Amazon because of their fair return policy and outstanding reputation. I knew I was going into this somewhat blindly because there are precious few reviews of this piece anywhere online, and even fewer by real folks like me.

Anyway, I got the product yesterday and test drove it in depth last night. Its first impression is an excellent one. The substantial heft and gorgeous "piano" finish would probably sell a ton of these radios if they were more readily available in stores. Set up was expectedly simple, and the user's manual wasn't needed until later on. Personally, I liked the metal, telescoping antenna mounted on the rear of the unit (where, by the way, you'll find a clean array of additional I/O plugs and the "3-D" sound selector. From every angle, this is a beautiful radio.

The first thing I did after plugging it in, was check a few local FM stations. They all came in very well, which was no surprise given Sangean's radio heritage. Be certain of one thing about this unit: it is a radio first, and then a CD player, audio file player, etc. The RDS feature was a novelty, but not as intuitive or lavish as I was hoping for. I'm not entirely familiar with what RDS normally provides on most equipment, though, and I don't fault this unit for anything in that respect.

It wasn't until I put in the first CD (a standard "red book" audio CD) that I experienced that all-too-familiar consumer electronics letdown. It didn't play. The unit acknowledged that it read the CD and recognized how many tracks were on it, etc. But I could not get it to play any of it. The CD was not suspect; in fact, I deliberately started with a CD that was playable on every piece of CD equipment I've owned. Subsequent discs, however, did work, and apparently with no further problems.

It was while I was waiting for the first CD to play that I removed a promotional sticker the factory had stuck on the front of the unit (advertising what types of media it can play). Where every other manufacturer I've seen has used a static-cling or no-residue adhesive to make sure the sticker comes off cleanly, such was not the case on this radio. The sticker came off with much effort and left behind quite a bit of very stubborn adhesive. This might've been negligible had this radio not been so beautifully finished, and the sticker not been put in so prominent a spot on the front. While this had no bearing on the player's performance, this was pretty disappointing to me.

In playing with the sound options--the part of this unit I had the most interest in and curiosity about--I ultimately realized that even the fine design and speaker capabilities of this radio/CD player are limited by the direction of the speakers and bass firing. In a very specific listening zone, this sounds pretty good. And by specific I mean, I found that directly facing the speakers from a distance of about 6 feet, with some peripheral area to either side, was ideal. Step much further outside this cone of sound, and the overall listening experience is compromised significantly (though the 3-D sound effect lessens the degradation a bit). This is more a limitation imposed by the direction of the speakers, and not by the design or components. But it's reason enough in my opinion to consider a radio/CD player with detachable speakers, unless you're using this on a nightstand or a very small room.

The USB and SD card input options are really fun novelties, and I wish more manufacturers would get hip to this simple technology. But in the end, when you have a unit that already plays MP3 CDs, these additional formats aren't as needed.

In the end, after only a day, I'm sending it back for a refund because of the fickle CD player issue. I'd rather not take my chances on this one. In a nutshell:

Pros:

-product feel and look

-simple set-up and easily moved

-excellent radio capability

-clean inputs and outputs on the back

-telescoping FM antenna

-full function remote

-SD card and USB drive options

Cons:

-Small "ideal listening zone"

-Unnecessarily bright display

Too bad these aren't in your local store where you can play around with them in advance. Hope this helps.

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Originally I had been eyeing the Tivoli radio brand because of their tuning sensitivity. I listen to late night AM radio and unfortunately most radio manufacturers produce poor quality radio receivers nowadays; from what I read on HD radio it didn't sound that beneficial to me, signals are said to cover less territory. I also wanted a CD player which meant the Tivoli would come in three pieces too large for my night stand and I assumed it would not play MP3's because the literature made no mention. To top it off I felt the Tivoli was too expensive so I searched for other makes and found the Sangean. Surprisingly, I could find only one professional and one personal review which made me cautious why so little mention/notice? I am also leery of professional reviews as many times they won't say anything negative about a product due to advertising relationships.

After reading the reviews and specs, and finding a refurbished unit, I took the risk and made the purchased. What a pleasant surprise. The radio has a nice gloss black finish and is heavy, actually nicer than the pictures. Sound quality was better than expected even to my audiophile ears. I download favorite Internet radio MP3 interviews and load them to a USB thumb drive which plugs into the front of the Sangean. Control is mostly made from a thin card-like remote control. I highly recommend the item.

ImprovementsSome notes on what I thought could be changed or didn't like but is true with most table top radios these days: blue lit display will dim but is still too bright, wish it had the option to turn off altogether. I think the USB slot should be in the rear of the radio so the cable or drive isn't hanging out front. I don't particularly like being dependant on the remote control, just in case it gets lost. It would be nice to have controls all on the unit. No battery back-up for presets and clock. If you lose power, guess what? You lose clock time, radio presets, and the clock alarm. So, if you set the alarm, lose power in the middle of the night, you might be late for work. Not too smart. Needs a battery backup. One other comment Sangean makes an interesting wireless Internet radio. I would have been tempted to purchase that if it had all the other features of the WR-3. Why not combine Internet radio with AM/FM CD USB?

Read Best Reviews of Sangean America WR-3 Digital AM/FM/CD/SD/USB MP3 Table Top Radio (Black) Here

I bought this radio for my kitchen, which is a high traffic, high use area. It has great sound but the features are the real sell. I was frustrated because most everything out there was focused on the iPod which I will never own. Also, most of the CD players will play mp3s but not wma format. My collection of thousands of songs are wma. This radio plays mp3 and wma formats from 3 different sources (USB drive, SD card or CD). It also has an aux jack so I can plug my (non-iPod) player in. Now, my kids and I can each have our own music on whatever media we like and just plug it in. On top of all this, it has RDS (Radio Data System) that tells you the names of songs and groups from radio stations that participate. I have always loved this feature on my car radio.

Now for the downside. All the functionality is on the remote. All you can do from the radio is power and volume. I would have liked a little more functionality available on the radio. Also, there does not seem to be a way to make it so the RDS display is the default. I have to hit the mode button when I switch to a station that supplies RDS. This radio is a little pricey but well worth it and much less expensive than the Bose Wave radio that has nowhere near the features.

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No problem with reception or sound quality, those were excellent as other reviewer's have stated. The remote as noted by others is required to do anything at all, and if anything the flimsy feel is worse than others have stated. Worse yet is that one large volume knob in front of the unit, this thing overall is built like a tank, but that knob in front feels like it will break off very quickly.

We still would have kept it even with these flaws, but the video display went to all exclamation marks after only about a week or so of use, seems to me like it burned out because it was very bright, abnormally bright from an electronics design point of view. Something voltage or current wise is not calibrated correctly there, I suspect.

It's like, they were 88% done making a really great product, and cheapened out on the last few details, and compromised the whole thing. We sent ours back for a refund, and Amazon return policy is NOT that easy, major pain shipping back because the original box they used to ship to me fell apart.

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My wife and I recently decided to rearrange our living room. Part of the problem was a large entertainment center full of audio components and flanked by two large floor speakers that dominated a complete wall. This made it tough to arrange things how we wanted. The solution was to lose the entertainment center, upgrade to a wall-mounted flat screen television and replace the stack of component audio gear with something simple, self-contained and compact. I had originally planned to replace this "mission control" audio gear with a Bose Wave radio, having marveled at the nice sound from one owned by a friend some years ago. Upon researching the available choices among the competition, I discovered the Sangean WR-3. I suspect Sangean is virtually unknown to most folks. Sangean has long manufactured portable shortwave radios with which I'm well familiar. I also purchased a Sangean WFT-1 wifi internet radio last year and was very impressed with the quality of this product. This afternoon, I received my new WR-3 from Amazon and quickly unpacked and set it up for a test run. This product is quick and intuitive to setup and didn't require any help from the owner's manual. I was completely astounded by the "presence" of sound from this relatively small box. The only similar product I had to compare it to is a friend's Bose Wave radio. Both have fine sounding full audio, but the Sangean has a "3D" switch on the rear panel that when enabled, made a profound difference in stereo separation. It's uncanny how the sound of this product emulates that of a much larger system with much larger speakers. The Sangean WR-3 has separate bass & treble controls which are lacking on my friend's Wave radio. Bass response is strong but not "boomy" and obnoxious. The WR-3 is quite loud at full volume too and has a complete lack of distortion. So, are there competing products that sound better? There may well be, but the WR-3 must certainly rank among the best. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in the way it sounds. Indeed I suspect most users will be just as astounded as I.

The other thing that struck me is the obvious look and feel of a quality product. It's quite an attractive piece with it's highly polished black plastic case and fabric-covered speakers. The display is bright and automatically dims itself after a short time after the last button is pressed. Still, the blue illuminated ring around the volume control and the display backlight remain on even when the radio is off. "Off" therefore may be more accurately described as "standby". For those intending to use the WR-3 as an alarm clock/radio, the constant display illumination may be an issue. Another quirk is that the RDS function of FM reception must be manually enabled by a button press on the remote before it displays artist/song, etc. The included telescopic FM whip antenna works well in my suburban home and I found the tuner to be quite sensitive and selective. AM reception sounds great as well. This model is one of the few that features a real internal ferrite loop antenna for the AM (MW) band. The ferrite MW antenna design performs far better than the plastic-frame wire loop external antenna supplied with nearly all competitor's radios. In fact, the provided antennas became one of the key features that prompted my choice of the WR-3 over the competition. The downside of a built-in ferrite AM antenna is that they are quite directional and may require that the entire radio be rotated for best reception of weaker AM stations depending on the direction from which the signal arrives relative to the radio. For me, this was only a problem with very weak AM stations located well beyond a reasonable listening distance. It's simply much cleaner to have the antennas built into the case than to have unsightly external antennas and their connecting wires. The telescopic FM antenna provided with the WR-3 may be extended just enough to offer good reception in metro areas and may be rotated to hide it if desired. Fully extended, the telescopic whip enabled good reception of normally weak stations well beyond their intended listening area. The FM telescopic antenna provided simply screws onto the 75-ohm type-F connector on the back panel, so a much more substantial external antenna may be used for rural area users in tough reception areas. The tuner itself is most certainly well designed and capable of good performance of weak signals with a suitable antenna. CD performance is excellent with a motorized disc transport mechanism that operates just like an automobile CD player. The WR-3 features an auxiliary audio input jack mounted where it belongs on the rear panel. I connected the auxiliary input to my Sangean WFT-1 wifi internet radio with excellent performance. The combined package is still compact and quite an entertainment package! The 1/8" (3.5mm) auxiliary jack may be driven by audio from a myriad of sources such as a multi-CD changer, portable audio player, etc. A press of a button on the included remote control selects the auxiliary input and the volume is adjusted normally with the large front-panel volume control or by the remote. Incidentally, nearly all functions and features of the WR-3 are controlled by the remote control. The radio itself has controls only for power on/off, volume and CD eject. This may be an issue with some users but appears most of the competing models are designed similarly. The thin-profile remote control included with the WR-3 is comprehensive with all control buttons intuitively layed out.

Overall, the WR-3 is a well-made, visually attractive product that features outstanding sound. It's a great option for those like me who prefer a simple self-contained audio system that compares favorably with the average component system yet doesn't take over the room. There are some very nice competing products from the likes of Bose, Polk Audio, Cambridge Soundworks, Tivoli, Yamaha, etc but the Sangean WR-3 compares very favorably yet is among the lowest priced. It includes some design elements of the best competing models the provided antennas being one most noteworthy. It will be interesting to see if Sangean offers a future version that integrates wifi internet radio reception with AM/FM & CD audio into a single unit. In my opinion, the WR-3 leads the pack where value is a fundamental criterion.

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Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock, Black

• Compact speaker system with external iPod docking station and digital AM/FM tuner
• Fits all iPods with 30-pin dock connectors, including iPod video, iPod mini, and iPod nano
• High-sensitivity Phased-Locked-Loop (PLL) tuner guarantees superior radio reception
• 3-inch, full-range, front-firing speaker; includes clock, alarm, sleep timer, and snooze button
• 3.5 mm auxiliary input; measures 8.27 x 4.53 x 5.1 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The Sound 100 iPod Dock is the latest in Eton's product family. As a stand-alone radio this device is average. With the iPod dock this unit is a cut above and one you must consider.

They do sell this device without the iPod dock, and it ranges from being $30 to $50 less than this model. I don't believe it's worth getting this unit without the iPod dock.

Eton Sound 100 AM/FM Radio, Silver

There are many iPod radios and alarm clocks on the market which may be able to compete against the Sound 100 iPod on price. The iHome and iLive models come to mind.

iHome iH6 Clock Radio for iPod (White)

iHome iH5 Clock Radio for iPod (Black)

iLive ICR6307DT iPod Docking System with Digital Tune AM/FM Stereo Dual Alarm Clock Radio with Remote Control in White

The competition does not come close on engineering. The remote allows you to completely control your iPod! That means menu control and navigation in addition to the standard FF, RW, PLAY, STOP, and PAUSE funcitons. This is so simple, yet few devices have this ability. The Line-in and auxiliary jacks can connect other MP3 players (Creative, Zune) sans the menu control.

The speaker is monaural, but optimized to prevent distortion. At the highest volume the sound gets tinny but doesn't hiss. If you like modern design, the Eton is one of the best looking. It is sleek, COMPACT and light.

But there are shortcomings. The internal AM antenna is below average. The device lets you use an external one, and most users will need to.

The features could be better. There are only 10 programmable station presets. The RDS broadcast data is only 8 characters at a time. The screen is hard to read; you have to be right in front of it. There are no external RCA, speaker or subwoofer jacks, only line out. There is no EQ, treble or bass control and no way to adjust the backlight.

This radio came out in January 2007, well into the HD radio era. Only 10 presets? Why no speaker or subwoofer jacks? Why didn't they add Short Wave or HD capability?

If you only need an alarm clock radio, there are better options. This unit is above average on FM but below average on AM. Competing products by Sangean, BA and Sony have higher ratings at this price.

Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, Black

Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, White

Boston Acoustics Receptor Clock Radio (Platinum)

Sony XDR-S3HD HD Radio

If you are VERY picky about sound and want a nice compact iPod radio alarm clock, this unit is worth a look. Enjoy!

Pros

+ Remote control functions are very well integrated with the iPod!

+ Very nice iPod serial interface for digital sound quality

+ Line-in and auxiliary jacks for MP3 players and other devices

+ Good speaker sound with surprising bass

+ Shielding protects the radio from interference

+ Battery backup possible for power outages

+ Nice alarm clock function

+ Nice looking design in a small and LIGHT form factor

Cons

No equalizer; no treble or bass control

Requires external antenae for good radio reception

No RCA jacks or stereo connections for external speakers

No Subwoofer connector only standard stereo line out

RDS only displays 8 characters at a time

Backlight is not adjustable; you must be close to it to read it

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The Sound 100 iPod Dock comes in black and white. The radio only version adds other colors including silver, blue and red. I've had the white one for a while and I've been pretty happy with it. This Black Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock is very similar, but loses points for the non-black speaker face. As a stand-alone radio this device is average. But the stellar iPod dock integration makes this unit a cut above and one you must consider.

Without the iPod dock the unit ranges from being $30 to $50 less than this model. I don't believe it's worth getting this unit without the iPod dock. Still, they have been having periodic sales for the stand-alone model in the $30 range, which is very hard to pass up.

Eton Sound 100 AM/FM Radio, Silver

There are many iPod radios and alarm clocks on the market which may be able to compete against the Sound 100 iPod on price. The competition does not come close on engineering.

The remote allows you to completely control your iPod! That means menu control and navigation in addition to the standard FF, RW, PLAY, STOP, and PAUSE functions. This is so simple, yet few devices have this ability. The Line-in and auxiliary jacks can connect other MP3 players (Creative, Zune) sans the menu control.

The speaker is monaural, but optimized to prevent distortion. At the highest volume the sound won't hiss. If you like modern design, the Eton is one of the best looking. It is sleek, COMPACT and light. Wish this guy was all-black, but I can live with the silver toned speaker.

Most of the shortcomings are from the radio aspect of this device. The internal AM antenna is below average. You can use an external one, and most users will need to.

The features could be better. There are only 10 programmable station presets. The RDS broadcast data is only 8 characters at a time. The screen is hard to read; you have to be right in front of it. There are no external RCA, speaker or subwoofer jacks, only line out. There is no EQ, treble or bass control and no way to adjust the backlight.

This radio came out in January 2007, well into the HD radio era. Only 10 presets? Why no speaker or subwoofer jacks? Why didn't they add Short Wave or HD capability?

If you only need an alarm clock radio, there are better options. This unit is above average on FM but below average on AM. Competing products by Sangean, BA and Sony have higher ratings at this price.

Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, Black

Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, White

Boston Acoustics Receptor Clock Radio (Platinum)

Sony XDR-S3HD HD Radio

At the present time, there is also a larger 2 speaker version which will be widely released within a month. Some may opt to get that one, but on sale this is still a great unit to own.

Pros

+ Remote control functions are very well integrated with the iPod!

+ Very nice iPod serial interface for digital sound quality

+ Line-in and auxiliary jacks for MP3 players and other devices

+ Good speaker sound with surprising bass

+ Shielding protects the radio from interference

+ Battery backup possible for power outages

+ Nice alarm clock function

+ Nice looking design in a small and LIGHT form factor

Cons

Standard pricing means you should only be looking to get this on sale

Many newer alternatives coming to market for those seeking the alarm clock feature

Display light may be too bright for some when used as a bedroom alarm clock radio

No equalizer; no treble or bass control

Requires external antennae for good radio reception

No RCA jacks or stereo connections for external speakers

No Subwoofer connector only standard stereo line out

RDS only displays 8 characters at a time

Backlight is not adjustable; you must be close to it to read it

If you are VERY picky about sound and want a nice compact iPod radio alarm clock, this unit is worth a look. Enjoy!

Read Best Reviews of Etón Sound 100 iPod Dock, Black Here

Pros:

Warm easy-listening sound, perfect for speech

Good FM performance with RDS

Compact, internal AM antenna (option to switch to external AM antenna if you have one)

iPod integration

Cons:

Mono speaker

Sound lacks clarity

Bright LCD backlight cannot be turned down/off

Turning off the unit does not turn off iPod

Big power brick

Cost

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The sound quality is what I was looking for, with a radio and iPod dock. I like the remote, nice and lightweight and doesn't hit the floor very hard when it falls off the bed. Where this gadget falls short is on the clock radio features. I can't hardly read the clock from even a short distance away. If I take my glasses off, which I often do when I sleep, I literally have to stick my face within about 3 inches of the clock to read it. When the radio alarm goes off, the time display changes to the radio station, so you need to turn the alarm off or snooze it to see what time it is. If they could make this product with comparable features to a $20 alarm clock, it would be excellent. I'm currently in the market for a small digital clock that matches the radio so I have all the usable features I need.

I purchased this clock radio with iPod dock because I have been looking for something to replace our clock radio in the bedroom. It is impossible to listen to commercial radio any more unless you are doing something boring, like cleaning, because of all the advertising and mindless babbling that takes up at least twenty minues of every hour. So, I wanted something that sounded good, that I could play my own choice of music on, and could wake me up in the morning to talk radio (usually NPR) without costing an arm and a leg.

When I saw the price drop on the Eton Sound 100 iPod Dock, I thought I had found exactly what I wanted. It had all the features I was looking for, and was now affordable. (The link I found to it--I can't locate it now--said that the deal was good for twenty-four hours only, which is not the case.) I talked my wife into it, and ordered it.

A few days later it arrived and I set it up. Tuner sensitivity was good even without the FM antenna attached, the remote worked, and the sound was good for such a small box. Sound volume was good for our small bedroom. It uses a ported system to enhance the bass, so it seems a little sensitive to placement in relation to the walls and corners, but I was happy with it. I scanned through the local stations, and got some presets in. All seemed good.

Once the novelty had worn off, and I started trying to use it the way our old clock radio had been used, its shortcommings were revealed.

From across the room, the LCD display is washed out by the bright blue backlight, even after it automatically dims when you stop adjusting the controls. My wife thinks the light from the display is almost too bright to sleep with. Also, after your eyes have adjusted to the dark, it is difficult to read the display, even up close. I wonder if some tinted or polarized glass over the display would tame it.

The next problem cropped up the next morning when the alarm went off. There was no way to turn down the volume of the radio after you wake up! This may be a peculiarity of our household, but often when the radio comes on and wakes us up, we like to turn down the volume and listen as we wake up. In order to do that with this unit, you must turn off the alarm and turn on the radio and adjust the volume. This is a pain in the butt for us, but your mileage may vary.

In summary, the radio plays and functions well, but the display and the volume controls used with the alarm cause me to give the Eton Sound 100 iPod Dock a less-than-perfect rating.

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Clarion MiND 4.8-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Black)

• Portable Internet-connected navigation/entertainment device in black with for GPS turn-by-turn directions and multimedia playback
• Pre-loaded with Navteq maps and 2 million POIs for U.S. and Canada; send Google Maps information to device; 2D and 3D map views
• Store music, movies, and photos on 4 GB internal memory or on optional MicroSD memory cards; pre-installed MySpace and YouTube software
• Connects to the Web via Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) or through Bluetooth-connected cell phone; access to email; PDF viewer
• Includes car and AC chargers; rechargeable battery provides up to 1.3 hours of continuous use

6/3/2009 Update

I've been using the device for a few weeks now. It has a lot of potential and things can be done, but many applications/features lack the quality of a mature product: inconsistent and unfriendly interface, missing features etc.

Major issues:

1. Small POI database. Only 2 mln POIs, and so far, no way to buy or import additional POIs. Big problem for me, and no easy way around. Finding missing POIs using Google at home takes longer than on a regular GPS unit with built-in POIs. You cannot use Google on the road (or it is much more difficult). Some GPS devices have 6 or more millions of POIs; you can really appreciate it after using the limited 2mln Clarion's database.

2. POI search speed can be from 10 seconds to 3 minutes!!! depending on user's entry. 3 minutes it is just an absurd number. It must be fixed.

3. No Bluetooth hands-free calling. (The GPS is supposed to work with a phone. Why not hands-free calling? I need a BT headset? How many more electronics should I carry?)

4. Bluetooth dial-up network (DUN) doesn't work with my phone. I was surprised because it was one of the major selling points. Clarion provides only a list of compatible networks and my network is on that list. No list of compatible/supported phones.(My phone's DUN works with my other devices)

My hope is that Clarion will keep releasing updates and improving its functionality.

Written before 6/3/2009

The great:

1. Integration with the Internet:

a) You can send POIs from the Internet to ClarionMiND. Even with good GPS units finding POIs may be difficult: you either don't find it or you find too many. ClarionMiND lets you plan your trip on your computer at home using Google Maps, and send POIs to the device. Great feature!!!

b) Great desktop-class Internet browser. You will be able to do everything you can do on your desktop at home, including Flash videos.

c) Google search, and it is integrated with navigation.

2. Navigation (I will update this review on route quality after I use the unit more):

a) So far routes look good.

b) Lane assist. It shows which lane on a multi-lane road you should take.

c) Nice job with voice directions. For example, it tells you something like, "go to the right side of the road" in order to prepare you for right turn.

d) All info needed for navigation is on the screen: compass heading (N, NE, E...), arrival time, distance, next and current street.

e) auto-zoom.

3. POI

a) Very fast search

b) You can preview POIs on the map. This is something nice and unique. You can select a single or a group of POIs and see them on a temporary map.

4. Address entry

a) Very fast.

b) QWERTY keyboard

c) Predictable entry. Only valid keys are active. As you keep entering data, it shows what was found at the top of the screen.

d) It remembers previous entry, and lets you re-start search from any level: state, city, street.

5. Hardware:

a) Gorgeous, high-resolution, large screen

b) Touchscreen works well. It is responsive.

c) Dedicated hardware buttons for Home, Top Menu, Music/Sound.

d) Great to hold in hands

6. Free Internet traffic. So far, I didn't find if it is integrated with navigation. There will be an option for radio traffic which, most likely, will be integrated.

7. Internet weather, news, email etc

8. Fast GPS lock. Less than 30 seconds.

The bad:

1.POI database is small. I couldn't find retail stores like, Walmart, Target, Costco etc

2.The car mount is awful. It is a few 100s dollars device with a "$1" mount. Very difficult to mount/dismount.

3.After you mount the device, it automatically limits its Internet functionality. Result: you cannot use the Internet in your garage when the device is mounted. You have to dismount it 1st, check the Internet, mount it again. AWFUL!!! If they wanted to make it safe, they should detect vehicle speed from the GPS.

4.Addresses are not displayed in the American format (number street, city zip), but as zip city street number.

5.Keyboard

a) Inconsistent keys. Sometimes, it is character-only; sometimes, characters and digits.

b) Inconsistent behavior: to accept, sometimes you have to click "Back", sometimes "Enter"; sometimes something else.

6.Too many keystrokes needed to see the route overview.

7.Current time is not displayed during navigation.

8.The device gets very hot.

9. Video player doesn't accept many video formats.

The bottom line:

It is a great navigation device: very fast, detailed spoken commands, plenty of details on the screen, great map, good routes. The device could be a perfect GPS but they have to add more POIs, BT hands-free calling, and polish the interface. ClarionMiND works very well with the Internet: it will have more or less of a practical meaning for different people.

Buy Clarion MiND 4.8-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Black) Now

Overall as a GPS I pretty much agree with "Stan Matofu's" review of the device above. However, I purchased this device in December primarily as a portable media player for my car. Everything else that this device offers was extra, especially considering that I purchased this device for a shade over $100. After having it for a couple of weeks and hacking on it for a while, I would say that I am pretty pleased with the device. Firstly, the device has an Intel Atom Z530, Intel GMA500 (Poulsbo) integrated graphics and 4GB SSD, which is pretty "standard" netbook/UMPC class hardware. With the standard USB port that is built in, one can attach a thumbdrive of practically any size for an infinite amount of music on the go. Additionally, by plugging in a USB keyboard, and switching to virtual console 3 (Ctrl-Alt-F3), you can login as the root user and hack the device to your pleasure (default password is '1234'). Wifi support is pretty rock-solid. DUN support over Bluetooth works well with my Blackberry Storm, which is great because I can use this device as a quasi-internet tablet while in the car(parked of course :) ) The device itself is based on Asianux Midinux Linux which is a offshoot of Fedora. Ubuntu's netbook remix also runs on the device. Installing whichever OS you want on the device is pretty simple, as the USB ports are 1st in the boot order of the device. Heck, even Windows XP runs like a champ on this device. The hardware, according to its specifications, supports up to a 4GB microSD card. I've happily been using a Transcend 8GB microSDHC card with this device to store my music. At its original price of ~$600, there would be no way that I would have bought it. As a ~$100 GPS unit, it is quite serviceable. It has its quirks as all devices do, yet it has some pretty nice features, especially if you can connect it via PPP over Bluetooth so that it gets Internet in-vehicle. Finally, as a portable Linux based computer, it is very much worth the cost alone. I am purchasing a second one, just because it is so hackable.

Read Best Reviews of Clarion MiND 4.8-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Black) Here

I have used this unit for a few weeks. The navigation part is excellent. Google search is useless without Wifi. POI is a joke...it cannot even find Walmart down the street. In order to get any usefulness in searches, I had to setup Wifi in my car. Traffic integration is awful. The traffic applet cannot zoom. You have to switch screens to see traffic. This cannot be done if you mount the unit. Mounting the unit switches it to car mode. The traffic receiver NK1U works okay if you get a signal. See my review. Overall, the unit is still very rough. I am hopeful that with software updates, traffic can be updated via Wifi instead of the Docking station. I had a Dash Express prior to this unit, but it got stolen. The Dash Express had better traffic information...I miss my now stolen and dead (company is on skeleton crew) Dash Express.

Want Clarion MiND 4.8-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Black) Discount?

1st off, I use this device primarily as a "MID not a MIND"; can do without the GPS navigation, I know my directions well nuff and can still actually read a map.

1. What I find are its outstanding qualities:

Amazon price for this product for what's basically a miniature surfing computer spells out as a nice little cheap toy!

Wi Fi connection, this machine seems to instantaneously hook up faster than my laptop or hard rive.

Browser, surfing, e-mails, etc. as described; works just like a larger laptop or desktop. I understand you can surf with most smart phones now, but their screens are still way to small for my taste.

File manager and RealPlayer software for storing some important pics, those good enough that you can use for your Clarion wallpaper choices, other so-so pics can stay in the flash drive.

Good enough size LCD screen, clean picture resolution, vibrant colors. Audio good enough for this small device.

Real Player software good enough to use for watching MP4 movies while sitting around in a plane plus opening your picture files.

2. Good: 4 GB internal memory only, however, I am always using USB 2.0 flash drives. One of my 8 GB flash drive hold ups to 6-7 full length DVD movies, MP4 files that is.

3. Sucks: Battery life, charged and re-charged this a few times and I feel like I'm only getting 30-45 minutes life out of it. This in mind, I usually keep it plugged in while monkeying around with it in the sofa. I am getting a Duracell 100 watt mobile power source to use, see if this'll get me an extended 2-3 hours more when I can't find an outlet.

Bottom line, for a $129 mobile internet device with Free Amazon Shipping, what's not to like about this?! Gave this a 5-Star, discounting battery performance which I believe is totally independent of this device's useful capabilities.

It is a great device. It would be much better if it was able to hook up to any available wireless or Wi-Fi connection automatically. Also the GPS is not as accurate as my Navigon unit. Maybe with a few firmware updates it can be an excellent all around GPS and internet device. It is a great device for the new price.

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