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Summary: IPAQ PA-1 64 MB
Review: This is one of the most advanced gizmo an electronics person can buy. The sound quality and the player ergonomics are perfect. The setup directions are simple and intuitive. I was able to setup the player and connect it my computer in less that 15 minutes. The software - Rio Player, is quite sophisticated and mature. If you are looking for an mp3 player that is handy and a high price/appreciation ratio, look no further.
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Summary: don't buy
Review: i had it, but i sold it and bought a nomad 2. it's much better. you should try it.
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Summary: Don't buy this product
Review: I had a compaq iPAQ PA-1 64 mb player, but it was hard to opperate. I then returned it and bought a nomad 2. Is is much more reliable and plays a lot better.
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Summary: do not buy this
Review: I sold my compaw i paq PA-1 and bought a nomad 2. it's much better and is easier to opperate
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Summary: Great Mp3 player for the computer savvy
Review: I recently received the PA-1 for a gift. So far it is a blast to play with and everyone is amazed by it! While the installation was a an extremely easy USB install, the software shipped with the player is not very user-friendly. However, Compaq offers a Softpaq through online support that allows Windows Media Player 7 to be used to transfer songs and I find this much easier to use. Another knock to the shipped software is that you can only rip 50 Mp3's and then you have to pay an upgrade fee, which is really not a big setback but considering the price of the player to start with it should be included. But again, Windows Media Player to the rescue as the shipped software does allow unlimited WMA rips. Indeed, as everyone else has said, the PA-1 does eat batteries. I thought I could bypass this by buying a MultiMediaCard "drive" to transfer files but presently the format used by the player isn't supported by even WinME - So just get used to changing the batteries. As far as the sound quality goes, it is extremely dependent upon the source Mp3. If I use a Mp3 with a 192kbps rate and my Sony studio reference headphones the audio quality is amazing considering it comes from something the size of a pager. But, who works out worrying about hearing every overtone in Debussy's Sonata No. 1 in d minor :-) For casual listening and looking cool, the PA-1 is perfect.
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Summary: I have entered Hell on earth.
Review: DON'T rush and buy this. Look at other players first. Tech support at compaq is awful and customer service is worse. It looks good and is light, but downloading requires fresh batteries each time, I have not been able to make mine work consistently. What others have said about the packaging is true. You could probably damage the thing trying to get it out. You practically have to be a surgeon to get the player out (That may not seem important, but the player is so flimsy that you want to be gentle opening it, but at the same time you wonder if superman could open the package. If you want something that works some of the time get this, but if you want a reliable player and knowledgeable Tech reps, and courteous sales reps look at other players. If you have to order this don't order form compaq direct. First you will spend 15-20 mins givining them your personal info, then they wont enter the order and you will be waiting and waiting. Then you will call and someone will tell you there is no order in the system. Then you will order again, but of course they cannot expedite your order since youve been waiting. Then you will get this player and you are all excited and it takes you 10-20mins to get it out of the plastic package. Then you will download songs and they will sound great BUT stop half way through. You think it is a fluke so you reformat the media and download all the songs again but it still plays the song and then stops for no reason. Then you will call tech support and they will be of no real help. (patronizing reps who think you don't know how to turn on your computer).
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Summary: Run from this Tin Machine!
Review: When I bought the IPAQ, I knew very little about MP3 players--I figured they were a cross between digital cameras and Walkmen. I listened to the IPAQ at Circuit City (with my own headphones), and thought that the pre-recorded music sounded OK. But I think that what really sold me on the IPAQ was the Compaq name and its cute looks. So I picked one up early in January. Big mistake. First of all, the software was a punishment. It hated me. Sometimes it recognized my machine, sometimes it didn't. Creating playlists was impossible. Nothing seemed to click. After three hours of torture, I figued out that one of the two flash memory cards was DOA. I finally got "card 1" to format, and did what I could with 32MB. I was able to download some MP3 files from the Rioware software, but when it came to erasing the card, no luck. As for the sound quality, it was horrible, even using my $30 Sony earbuds. No bass, little depth, very scratchy. This was the case with MP3s and ripped CD tracks. The volume was weak, too. I was also disappointed with the workmanship. The USB port on my unit had a short. After plugging in the USB cable, the USB indicator appeared only half of the time. Jiggling the cord helped. Many times the buttons on the my unit did not respond at all. Ok, so maybe I had a bad unit, a Monday IPAQ. But even if it worked perfectly out of the box, one huge issue remained--its incredible battery demand. My IPAQ ate two premium AAA's in less than an hour of use. Remember that there is no provision for an AC adaptor, so the IPAQ runs on batteries while downloading files. Also tricky is the memory--two mini 32MB cards. Fitting a long playlist on 2 cards can be a chore and wastes memory. So back it went. I did more reading and took a gamble on the Iomega HipZip. I hit the jackpot! This is the machine to buy. The sound is unreal, the media is cheap, and the thing is built to be knocked around! And the battery lasts forever. If you really have to have the IPAQ, buy a blue plastic pager instead. Empty out the guts and stick a mini-Walkman radio inside. You'll still impress everyone at the gym, and will get better sound to boot!
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Summary: The best mp3 player.
Review: i think this is one of the best mp3 players because its is small and not heavy. another thing of it is that this mp3 player takes inof capasity for a cd and and some more songs. all my freinds think this is the best mp3 player and the one's who have one are feeling bad about not having the mp3 player i have because it is the best mp3 player. my freinds are 17 year old and we all love music a lot. now they are sving money and selling their mp3 players so they can get the one i have.
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Summary: iPAQ Delivers the Goods
Review: I recieved this for Christmas and have been hooked since. Overall this is a wonderful piece of electronic equipment, albight a few minor problems. However, considering the infacy of this technology I would have to say this is one of the better buys on the market right now. It is small enough to fit in the pocket of your jacket, with the headphones, making it great to carry around all the time. The amount of memory is sufficient (I have 16 songs on it right now), while many of the less expensive players simply do not come with enough. The function of the controls are also quite apparant. The Rio software that comes with it is also easy to figure out, unless you are completely unaccustomed to windows programs. Most importantly it sounds phenominal. A few problems do exist. One: What ever happened to packaging such as a cardboard box and styrofoam? My God...I think law enforcment agencies around the country should begin research tests on what ever the packaging is, as an alternative to Kevlar in their bullet proof vests. Someone is going to loose a finger trying to open this thing. Also, Compaq needs to put an AC jack in the player, so you don't have to waste expensive batteries while uploading songs into it. The upload time is also slower than I expected. Overall Compaq did a great job with this one, and if they fix these problems I believe they could make one of the best players on the market the best player.
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Summary: Oops!
Review: I mistakenly said the memory cards are smart media style. I ment to say MultiMediaCard style from Sandisk. See sandisk.com Sorry.
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