Rating: 
Summary: Excellent MP3 player!
Review: A no-muss, no-fuss way to take your MP3s on the road. The software is simple to install and use and even the free MusicMatch program is a breeze. And if you can attach a printer to your computer, you can attach your Rioport... it even comes with a parallel pass-thru. All in all, a worthy piece of electronics and a recommended product.
Rating: 
Summary: Diamond Rio PMP300 is great!!!!!
Review: I just bought the Diamond Rio PMP300 and I must say that I love it. As for quality, how can you complain? At 64Kbps it sounds great. I was also very surprised at how fast it transfers to the player from the computer. The volume is very load if you have encoded it at a high volume. You can't expect it to make a really low volume MP3 really load. The software that comes with it is great except for the fact there is a 50 MP3 limit on the encoder. You can allways download Real Jukebox. It's better anyway. This is a must buy.
Rating: 
Summary: technology ethusiast
Review: You can't talk about the future unless the audio player support the future. You have to compare what you have on the market. When you compare a MP3 player and what's on the market like a Minidisc, MP3 hasn't matured and isn't worth it. Damn manufacters just ripping us off (similar to CD-writers when it was first put on the market). The only advantages MP3s have are its battery life, weight, and it's ability to transfer data to the PC (files, pictures, etc..what's a zipdisk/LS120/CDRW anyways). I don't know why they don't want to do that with Minidiscs. Minidiscs are basically the same things as optical drives. Anyways, I have a sharp recordable minidisc player and play tennis with it strapped to my belt and it does not skip (I'm not an old timer either). CD players can't compare to minidisk in versatility and its definitely too late for a recordable one that operates independently of a computer unless its for the real poor. Hopefully, besides making it more like a optical hardrive, they will add a radio to minidisk players as well, but for now a $50 pocket radio with TV/weather from Sangean or pocket shortwave radio from Sony is fine.Back to comparisons. Minidisks are cheaply swappable (listen to music/record a lecture; why can't MP3s), on the go edittable, have an optical link for digital quality (if you have a digital link on your soundcard minidisks are just like MP3 players), can record directly from different sources of audio like my shortwave radio(MP3s can only record using the computer and through it's mic, why's that?), it has a smart function where it records only when there's audio, clearly it is more independent in operations. MP3's aren't truly portable audio anyway. I haven't heard of a Sony MP3 player. Sharing a song with a friend you'll need a computer disk or CD. The memmory stick or smartcard is currently too pricey. You can buy minidisks like CDs. Have a variety of music with you on your travels. What can I say overall. There are those who aren't spoiled and demand a lot more for their cash. Come on people demand better and you'll get better in a shorter time then if you just buy things when its first released. Newer MP3 models looks pretty good though.
Rating:
Summary: An audiophile by heart - The Rio does it's job!
Review: The Rio product does what it is supposed to do - deliver digital-quality music in a unit that offers re-recording, has no moving parts, and because the music is digitally stored, retains all of it's quality play-after-play. Some people writing in this message board have to understand the Rio isn't here to replace small digital-discs... it's here as it's own representation. (The small discs DO have moving parts) As stated in many other posts, you can download songs to this thing at various rates from 64Kbps to (I believe) 192Kbps. The quality of music you are going to hear is based on the original format, and the rate it is stored at on your Rio. At 64Kbps the music has some digital music artifacts and was quite lossy at low levels, but generally was acceptable - Like a tape that has been played MANY times. 96Kbps is a good medium rate that offers good music resolution, but cuts down on the # of songs you can store. At 128Kbps and higher the music is very crisp. The first thing you will want to do is make sure you are using a GOOD set of headphones! Most of today's have poor LOW-END response. You want to do listen to your MP3's in the car? Do what I do - Buy a tape-player adapter with a 1/8" plug and jam it into your Rio - then put the tape adapter into your car's tape player... or buy a small FM xmitter (SoundFeeder). Instant Digital Gratification. If you know how to appreciate it ...the Rio is definitely worth it. Besides, imagine what the (grand)kids will say when they see it in 30 years! <grin>
Rating:
Summary: Nice idea but highly impractical.
Review: Anyone considering buying a portable MP3 player please consider: MiniDisc is better!!! Better quality, cheaper (740 minutes of music for $20 opposed to 60 minutes for $100), and you can just as easily transfer MP3s to MiniDisc. MP3 players are not worth your hard earned money because: - I don't care what anyone says near CD quality means, not CD quality. - 32 megs is the maximum storage on a card and it costs you almost $100. If you enjoy paying $100 to listen to 5 songs over and over again, fine. - Most players are not Mac compatible besides most don't even a use USB interface. - Most players are manufactured poorly. If you don't want a product that will break wait until respectable companies like JVC make MP3 players. get a MiniDisc player!
Rating:
Summary: Rio Rocks!
Review: I have been using my Rio about a year now without a problem. The Rio 300 does not support Macintosh. So my solution was to build a 486 from the parts box and transfer the files via ethernet from the Mac to the PC. The 486 runs fast enough to upload the files to the Rio 300. The extra memory for the Rio is a must, so count on spending another hundred bucks. I use my Rio almost everyday and it sounds and works great.
Rating:
Summary: rio's problems exaggerated by others
Review: I just bought a rio about 4 days ago and feel I have had enough time to review this product. I also read all the other reviews and feel I must address some of the issues. Lack of space: for me this really hasnt been a problem. I have access to my computer all day and its easy to change the songs. Quality: I am no audiophile i admit, but I really don't mind the songs at 64kbps, I can notice a difference in quality when i compare it directly to a 128kbps, but it isnt as horrible as it seems. At 80 its pretty dang good. Speed: Another thing I don't have a problem with. I actually am able to do other things while downloading my songs (like im doing right now) and it doesnt take all that long. Plus i found the rio is the best buy right now, with the rebate, especially if the price of flash cards drops which i assume it will.
Rating:
Summary: This product is better than some people say
Review: I just bought got mine today and it is great! The software was easy to install. I got 8 full length songs on the thing with only 32 meg. I have a 32 meg smartmedia card on order and then i'll have twice as much room! The sound quality is Fantastic. But this depends on source recording (your CD) and the computer you create the mp3 on. Anyone who complains about that needs to either get a decent encoder/ripper or a better computer. As for MusicMaker, I bought it a couple of monthes ago so I could listen to music on my laptop while I travel. (Register your shareware! It's worth it!) The Rio is a much lighter way of listening to my tunes. If you youv'e been wanting to get the Rio and werent sure about it, buy this product
Rating:
Summary: Hold off on Rio 500
Review: If you're thinking of buying the new Rio 500, I'd advise you to hold off. It's buggy. The software stops working after a few transfers to the player, and they don't have it fixed yet. So hold off, let them try to fix the bugs, and wait for the price to fall too.
Rating: 
Summary: It's useful, but poorly designed
Review: I don't want to terribly discourage anyone that really wants the Rio player, but I just thought that you'd like to know that the Rio Player is really flimsy. My black PMP300's battery slot cover broke and so did both of my friend's. I guess that is the downside to having a really light unit. I understand that Diamond is really good with that and will replace it at no extra cost, but it's just a pain. I wish I had started with buying an MD player.. because you can still take songs off your computer ... they're just stored as waves on the MD... <sigh>
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