Rating: 
Summary: Total piece of garbage with lame docs and lamer support
Review: I just returned my iPaq-2 to Amazon--the problems:1. Documentation is incomplete--you have to download and run an .exe tutorial (with a non-intuitive interface) to figure it out.
2. Had problems installing the drivers. I work in the computer industry and know a lot about the technical side of Windows--if you don't know what a Windows Device Manager is, you won't have a prayer.
3. Phone support was horrible - they would only deal with error codes--refused to take 10 seconds to point me in the right direction for formatting the memory--told me it would cost... for any advice (I had [already spent the money] on the system and memory upgrade).
4. I upgraded the memory to 112 Mb--it still holds only around 40 songs.
5. You can use Windows Media Player or lame Compaq Jukebox software for the user interface--both completely unintuitive.
6. Mystery software - they load some 3rd party music license protection sw on your machine without telling you what it is--you have to install it, but they never tell you what it's for. ....after all this (2 hours) I finally got it working, but it hung 1/2 way through the music download to the devise. It's in the box going back to Amazon right now.
Rating: 
Summary: This thing ROCKS!!
Review: I think the compaq ipaq is a great product. I like to listen to music when i'm running, and it clips nicely onto my shorts and doesn't fall or slide at all. It's so small and doesnt weigh a thing. Plus, the sound is great, however it doesn't have the best selections on volume. It's often too loud or too soft. I've replaced the clumsy looking headphone with some sony ones ($8 anywhere). What I like best of the ipaq music player is that it's very durable. I'm a klutz so this is very helpful. Even if you drop it (which I dont recommend) it still plays just fine. I lost the little rubber thingy that goes on the USB plug, but scotch tape seems to work ok.
Rating: 
Summary: May be a dead product, but I like it!
Review: I think this product may have gone the way of the dodo, which is shame because it does really work, albeit with some quirks. I purchased this specifically to have something that would not be susceptible to the usual problems that occur during a run: skipping, and being forced to hold something large in your hand. Consequently, I took a chance on the PA-2. I read the Amazon.com reviews, and figured that, with my limited technical knowledge, I could work through the quirks. I received the product, which includes a set of headphones (which are only so-so), the device, a CD with software, a connection cord, and some starter AAA batteries. I was up and running very quickly. On the plus side, this device really does a great job of making the download of music (I do it through MusicMatch Jukebox) simple, and had intuitive controls for pumping up the bass and treble, as needed (controls allow for +/- 5 for each setting). Sound quality is strong (dependent, of course, on the quality of MP3 or WMA files that you store in it). I have jogged with it several time, and have never had a problem. The fact that the play button is large, and on the front, does mean that occasionally the music will pause because I accidently hit it. Other than that, it has been great. One notable problem occurs with MP3 files. I have nothing but WMA (Windows Media Files) in my collection, and they play like a charm, at all sizes, lengths, and quality bitrates. MP3 files are not so fortunate. I put a couple on it, and had files stop halfway through and go to the next track. Converting the files to WMA and redownloading took care of the problem immediately. Don't know what kind of glitch it is, but since I don't have many MP3 files, it doesn't really impact me. The four stars is because it would have been nice to have more/better software. Plus, I would imagine technical assistance to be a real pain, since the HP-Compaq merger seems to have left the Compaq support site in some disarray. However, someone who generally doesn't rely on tech support, with a library of primarily WMAs, will find this product to be a godsend.
Rating:
Summary: COOL Little Toy
Review: I was looking for an MP3 player for one reason, to listen while I jog or workout. I converted from a minidisc that skipped alot to this MP3 player, and I'm happy that I did. The player has no moving parts, so it is SKIP-FREE !!
I did give the unit a 4 star cause it does have some minor problems.
1. The headphones: I have yet to buy any devise that had a great set of headphones out of the box, and this is no different. I bought a set of Sony earbuds for an extra [money] and they make the player that much beter now.
2. Software: IF you buy this unit, do not load up MusicMatch jukebox (Problem is that most of the mp3 players I looked at had the same software.) Musicmatch is worthless software. - BUT - You can use Microsoft Mdia player to load your songs. However there is no real documentation on how to do this. I spent about 10 minutes and was able to figure it out real easy. Musicmatch also dumped some software on my computer that opens up an account that allows you to buy and download music while online [JUNK]. Again SELECT NOT TO INSTALL MUSICMATCH JUKEBOX !! In all I am very happy with my purchase and feel I got my money's worth. Also I have windows XP and the player works great with WinXP. The drivers installed flawlessly, and with Microsoft Media player, uploading files is a breeze.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent mp3 player
Review: I've been very happy with this product. I use it mainly when jogging or at the gym, and for both purposes it's great. The small size and weight make it easy to carry around, and you can move as much as you want with it because it doesn't skip, and the hold mode locks the buttons. 64mb memory has been enough for me. You can easily fit an album into the player when using the wma compressing, and the sound quality is still good. Even if this isn't enough, you can always double the memory to 128mb. The only small minus comes from the rather slow transfer speed, but when everything else is positive, you can forgive this.
All in all, an excellent mp3 player. If you were looking for one, you've found it.
Rating:
Summary: PA-2 is heads above the rest!
Review: I've owned several other MP3 players. Actually, I've owned many items and this is the first time I ever felt compelled to write an on-line review. The reason is: the product is superb for what is currently available. No matter what you read, the MP3 player works fine for both MP3 and WMA files - even though some poor quality MP3's do not work well on the player. With the included 64 kB MMC card, I can get about 10-11 songs at 96 kbps. There is an additional slot for another card so that could be easily doubled and is perfect for workouts and jogging. Another excellent feature is it's compact size and weight. This player won't tug on your shorts or have to be strapped to your body with heavy duty straps. It is extremely light and smaller than the two dimensions of a credit card. Downloading music to the player is slow but this can be remedied by purchasing an adapter to directly download to the MMC card. Extremely happy customer for over a year!!!
Rating:
Summary: PA-2 is heads above the rest!
Review: The iPaq PA-2 is a reliable player if you use Windows Media Player. It then downloads in the wma format. MP3 format does not work. This is a fact (you can read about it on the Compaq web site). In wma format the music plays well. Downloads are slow and software is not self explanitory. Otherwise a good product. Not recommended if you are in a hurry to download your music. I suggest buying a few 64K flash cards.
Rating: 
Summary: The good and the bad
Review: The iPaq PA-2 is a reliable player if you use Windows Media Player. It then downloads in the wma format. MP3 format does not work. This is a fact (you can read about it on the Compaq web site). In wma format the music plays well. Downloads are slow and software is not self explanitory. Otherwise a good product. Not recommended if you are in a hurry to download your music. I suggest buying a few 64K flash cards.
Rating:
Summary: I miss it...
Review: This MP3 player served me well for two years until (because of my clumsiness) I broke it. It worked beautifully, able to play both MP3 and WMA files with ease. Loading files onto the player was a breeze, as was initial setup of the software. The headphones that it comes with are comfortable and have a good amount of volume capability. A great MP3 player, I'm now trying to find a replacement but am finding it difficult to find another that measures up. I miss you, my iPAQ.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent MP3 Player
Review: Works great with WindowsXP!
This is my first MP3 player so I don't have much to compare it to but I dont' have anything but good things to say about it. If you have WinMediaPlayer 8.0 then you don't even need the software that comes with it, it just plugs and plays with WMP8.0, although I've heard good things about the software as well.
I really like the headphones and the 64MB card. I've bought another 64MB card to go with it and since I convert all my music to WMA format, I generally can fit about 50 songs on the two cards - more than enough for my needs.
It never skips, has great sound, seems fairly durable and is small and lightweight. If there's anything I might want to change about it is to either have rechargeable batteries come with it or else an power adapter for during downloads. Other than that, it's been great!
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