Rating: 
Summary: Great Value with Some Flaws
Review: All in all, this imperfect player is the clearly the best MP3 player on the market in terms of both value and functional convenience, and for that it deserves 5 stars. Upgradeable firmware in a volatile technology is a comfort that is not matched by the two 100 MB plus competitors that I am aware of. It is about the size and shape of a portable CD player, but with it one carries the equivalent of an entire CD collection. At its present price, it is not that much more than a top of the line Rio or Nomad, yet it has more features and a spectacular storage capacity that does not require expensive flash cards. I've owned mine since the day it was released for sale in the U.S.A., and here are my observations regarding its other strengths and where it has room for improvement. File transfer is a huge improvement over the parallel port apparatus of my Nomad I. USB is much quicker, and I have experienced none of the buggy transfers that sometimes plagued use of my Nomad I. Also, I would rather wreck a thing than use a manual. (I'm not lost, the road signs are all wrong). I have made recourse to the manual only once to use a feature of either the player or the PC software. This speaks well of a very thoughtful, intuitively lain out design. Finding and playing tracks is easy. One can browse a library of tracks by album, artist, title, or playlist. I find the ability to save and play lists of songs especially convenient as I like different styles for work or for working out, and I do not have to spend any thought or time at matching a situation or mood because I can simply load a list of songs. The player has many extras. I like the battery power meter, which reads in terms of percentage remaining, as well as the ability to turn-off the backlit display entirely or after a specified delay. Spatialization (the ability to make the sound seem wider or narrower in source) and effects that can make a track sound as though it were a live performance in a club, arena, opera house, or out of doors are schmaltzier items I neither use nor like. I do welcome the addition of a three band equalizer, which can be adjusted to set the midpoint of the frequency range. This can go a long way toward overcoming the weaknesses of a particular track or a particular set of headphones. Adequate volume remains a minor issue, but the devise seems to play slightly louder than my Nomad I, and with ear buds it is fine for me on the street. Although the overall sound quality does not quite match the quality of my expensive, near audiophile quality home CD player, it is still quite good with high bit rate recordings, and I do plug it into my home stereo. I would never dream of doing this with the noisy output from most computer equipment. In fact, except when I sit down just to listen to music, this ultra convenient devise has become the primary player even on my home stereo. The supplied headphones are cool daddy-o "backphones" with one wire in to the left earpiece, so there is no dangling "Y" of wire hanging in the way. The phones fit behind one's ears like a pair of glasses and are connected by an unobtrusive strut that runs behind one's head, they are not in the way when removing hats and bike helmets, and they are comfortable (once you learn to put the strut behind your ears), but the sound is mediocre. Sennheisers from my home stereo make them sound absolutely sick, but of course there is a several hundred dollar difference in price. You may want to budget-in a set of your preferred headphones, or ear buds for loud environments. Also, like the smaller Nomads, this player can be used to store any kind of file, so you can transfer files of nearly 6 GB to and from work or school with it, but like its smaller nephews, it will not allow you to transfer MP3 files from the player to another computer. I did not notice this probable nod to the music industry with my Nomad I until a reviewer noted it, but I imagine it could be quite irritating if you had a need for transferring MP3 files. Also, like the feature that convinced me to buy the Nomad I, this player has the capacity for voice recording (and, obviously, a much better capacity for long discussions or proceedings). However, with the Jukebox, a preamplified microphone is needed but not built-in or supplied. Finally, the Jukebox's weakest point is that it does come with two sets of four rechargeable metal hydride batteries that recharge while the player is plugged into a wall socket, but you may need all eight batteries if you make a lot of house calls. It is a power pig. If I load a list then leave the player alone, I can get about 4 hours per set of batteries, but using schmaltz features, frequent fiddling with the controls, or especially rebooting will cut into this time significantly. Personally, I can comfortably live with the limitations, but the failure to use a lithium ion battery and the inability to use standard, alkaline batteries with the player irk me. Normal batteries drain in about one hour. The player comes with a carrying case that would be adequate except that there is no hole to plug in headphones while the player is encased. I would prefer a belt clip of some sort.
Rating: 
Summary: 30 Days with the Nomad Jukebox
Review: I've had 30 days to live with this thing extensively, and I thought I'd share with you what I've found out. The rating is really 4.5 stars, but I just can't give it a perfect score for the price they are asking. The Jukebox is excellent for what it does, which is put every CD you own at your fingertips. You should know yourself if you have a use for this or not. The Jukebox is perfect in the car or at work, where it is unfeasable to bring 100 CDs along. You don't have to change CDs, and you can edit the playlists to reflect your tastes at any given moment. When I was sick for a week, I had my complete collection at my bedside. Long trips would also be an excellent time for the Jukebox. Seek time between songs is about the same as the pause between songs on a CD. The hard drive inside makes noise, but I wasn't distracted by it. The case is exactly the size of a portable CD player, and only an ounce or two heavier. The Jukebox is Creative's flagship model, so everything is high quality. The package includes a nice carrying case, excellent-sounding headphones (which are a bit tight), extra batteries, all the cables, etc. If you have extremely sensitive ears, don't expect any MP3 player to have true CD audio quality. This is a compressed audio format, so you get what you pay for. I love the sound quality, but a recording studio technician might hate it. And don't expect to take this jogging. Although it can be done, the Jukebox is certainly not made it. It is designed to be used on a desktop, plugged into the wall. Unfortunately, the battery life is way too short. You will need to buy a power adapter for every location you use the Jukebox regularly. (i.e. home, work, the car...) Carrying around the power cord defeats the purpose of portability. A power cord for the car is not included. Lastly, the price of the Jukebox (and MP3 players in general) is way to high. Be careful that it doesn't get stolen. And the final test - I use this everyday! I love it. Navigation is easy, everything is easy. I certainly got my money's worth.
Rating: 
Summary: It's good, but not perfect
Review: The Nomad Juke Box is by no means the perfect solution to mass storage of MP3s on a mobile unit. The Downsides: 1) Battery Life: It's only four hours! So, you can store hundreds of hours of music on the thing, but only listen to four hours between charges; kind of lame. The good thing is that creative DOES include two sets of rechargeable batteries. That makes up for the low battery life. 2) Size: This thing is heavy! It is, as Creative says, the "size of a CD player." The size, yes, but not the weight! If you're thinking about going jogging (or even walking, really) with this thing, go buy something else. It 's just too big. 3) The Hard Drive Deal: How creative could have stored 6 gigs on a portable player without a hard drive, I don't know, but the hard drive just doesn't work that well. There're the vibrations, the heat (it can get REALLY hot copying stuff to it), and the possibility of damage. I haven't dropped the thing, yet, but I imagine that if I did, it would not be good. The Upsides: 1) The space, of course... lots of music 2) The organization software is pretty decent (I hate the SoundJam software for Mac, though) So, in summary, if you just NEED to have all your MP3s with you, this thing is great (as long as you can deal with the battery recharging). If you're looking to just play some MP3s on a jog, run, or in the car, go get a Rio (or a Nomad, if you like Creative--they're both fine).
Rating: 
Summary: First Generation, Lots of Problems
Review: I was so excited by this product - conceptually it's all I wanted. However, it's a case of great idea, bad implementation. 1) It's not loud enough. If I can't hear normal volume music when walking my dog on city streets, then it doesn't cut it. I couldn't hear music in a store either with volume full blast. My panasonic cd player has no problem with this - I'm not deaf or anything - it simply seems designed for use in quiet rooms. Forget using it at a gym where they might be playing their own dance music or something. 2) It doesn't scan through songs - you can only skip from one song to another. This is contrary to what the box says (although the manual confirms that it doesn't scan). In this day and age, how can you do without this feature??? 3) It doesn't recognize regular wav files - only mp3s. 4) Sound quality is inferior (if you care about this sort of thing - I do) to the DACs in most modern portable audio devices (again, my Panasonic portable CD is wonderful). If they fixed all this, I'd reconsider, but for now, I took mine back and received a full refund. Not yet ready for prime time.
Rating:
Summary: Hear this or hear none!
Review: I'm seldom taken in by gizmos by what I read or hear bout. I have a 64M MP3 Nomad MG, love it but I needed more. Juke it is I say, heck. Ya probably read it all heard it all, there are so many reviews already so I beez cuttin this real impartially and briefly and give ya a "critcal review". Out of da box, set up was a breeze. Play centre 2 was as it described..from rippin ta havin download thorugh USB..real fast @500Kbps. Navigation was intuitive and friendly and music housekeeping was easy too on a generous backlit screen. Rather quickly I had some 90 CDs beamed into me new Gizz. Accessories were great and all else already said here. Hey, wouldhav cost me a bomb havin many flashes or many CD changers in the car. Music management and muckin round with EAX and stuff are really somethin ya be grateful. And hey, thru me wabbit ears, there aint no other that gives that sort of fantastic sound quality, none..style and sound. Fitted it to me FPS2000 (four point surround PC speakers)..man, this stuff rocks and with home stereo was thrilling too. Took it to da gym..mill and all (sauna too), not a single skip or freeze. I dropped it once doin da squats..no problems. 4 hrs battery life is fine on da go..2 sets, so aint no problem at all. Longer than that I probably plugged to da car lighter or power point and it charges itself too. Read bout droppin it..so I tried it. Dropped it 10 times (bout 6 feet) to the floor and twice to da lawn from da bedroom window (bout 15 feet. No problems and I had it playin!. Non-Skip is thus no hype, though da skin gotten bruised a little. I'm waiting fer a patch for track forward/rewind. Digital recording is awesome (ya need a mike)..forgit ya DATs. I wish they had FM transmitter accessory, that will be cool although the casette adapter is absolutely fine too for car use. To round it up..its da fantastic sound quality, design, price (cheap! believe me), functionality, upgradability, friendly customer support etc. and finally knowing it comes from a reputable company that wraps it up so nicely. Well, ya know, Nomad Jukebox is not d first HD jukebox ;~^) I'm conservative and I was skeptical, at first, and if I like it chances are ya like it too. PS. I don't haveta de-fungus my music CDs anymore <QQ>. HotDamn! and this is only da first model. It gits a 6 out of 5 stars from me, and this is really rare coming from me.
Rating:
Summary: Dont believe the hype, this thing skips!!!
Review: I bought this as an upgrade from an earlier model mp3 player. I was sick of the long transfers and the relatively small amount of memory that I had in my Rave. The Jukebox is a significant improvement over my Rave but it has it's down sides. The battery life issue has me hopping all the time to make sure that I always have the thing plugged in to charge. It actually stresses me out to think that I might run out of batteries while listening to music. The solution of course is to always carry extra batteries, but that is such a pain and one more thing to worry about. Another downside is the skipping issue. I went to mp3s because of the skip-free music. I get on a treadmill at the gym and go to town with my Rave. I was shocked when I got on the treadmill and began my workout to have the Jukebox freeze up on me after only 2 minutes of play. I had to reboot the Jukebox to get it going again-while running; more than a little dangerous-to me. I am actually considering sending it back because of this one significant issue. It drives me nuts. I have to admit though, it did not skip on me during the rest of my workout, only while running. Do not consider getting this machine if you want to run with it. I would be all right with this if it had a radio, but it doesn't. The manual says that it has a 5 minute buffer to prevent skipping (I found this later while looking through the book), they must run their stopwatches a little faster in the labs they tested these things in. I was only two minutes into a 4 minute song when it froze up on me, it said so on the screen. It does have a lot of other features that are pretty cool though. The 6 gigs does have its advantages. I have my entire collection of mp3s on this thing (over 1100 songs). It is truly great to have that much music to choose from. For this alone I might consider keeping it. If all you are going to do is walk around with it will do everything you want. Also, the range of choices you have to set up the sound of the music is truly remarkable. I still haven't figured out how everything works but am willing to learn. Overall I say it is a good product with some design flaws. It is relatively easy to navigate through on the screen, but takes some getting used to. The skipping and the battery life are the only real issues I have with item, but they are real issues for someone who is using this thing while working out. I mean who actually likes the music they play over the loudspeakers in any gym? Also, do you want to constantly keep in mind the amount of power left in your batteries? Think before you buy. I am considering keeping this but only if I buy another one that is truly skip free for my running.
Rating:
Summary: Comes Close To Being The Best
Review: While the media trumpets the triumph of the first mass storage MP3 player, thier a little off the mark. The PJB-100 (a research project by Compaq, liscensed to Han-go of Korea and marketed by Remote Solutions here in the states) was the first true full function, mass produced unit. The Nomad beats it on price... It's "cuter" looking, depending on ones point of view. The PJ cleans the Nomads clock when it comes to play time. 10-12 hrs, versus Nomads 2-3 (these are real world numbers not manufacturer hype). The PJ uses one large LI battery as opposed to the 4 "AA" in the Nomad. Recharge time on the PJ, with its built in circuitry is on the order of 3 hrs. Additional batteries are about $... a pop. So it takes 12-16 batteries to equal the power of the PJ. At $... a set (it'll give you minutes of play time on anything other than NiMh), $... for an external charger, you've dropped another $... Plus time to charge. And dragging around those extra batteries. Size wise, the comparision of the Nomad to a CD player is very accurate. So if you don't mind carrying that around, great. The PJ is about the size of 2 1/2 packs of cigarettes side to side. Slips easily into the front pocket of ones jeans, although it comes with a nice case that clips to ones belt. Both units are well constructed, personal experience has shown the PJ to survive desk to floor plummets without a scratch. Beyond that, they're pretty much apples to apples in comparision. Both sport 6 gig drives. Both carry good warrenties and excellent support. The Nomad sports DSP effects (I prefer to listen to the music as the artist had intended) and has recording capability (where you'd use this is beyond me though). The PJ doesn't have a backlite display, but has a 6 line display versus the 4 on the Nomad. Both use USB interfacing and have about the same load rate. The PJ's software package allows for ripping CD's only direct to the unit, without the option of saving on your PC's drive. You can load existing MP3's onto the unit though. The Nomad will supposedly support useage as a removable stroage unit for other files types. The same benefit can be had with a Zip disk or CD Writers. The Nomad will supposedly support future hard drive size increases. The PJ is "stock" at 6 gigs, although there is an unoffical upgrade path to 20 gigs. Although a little bit more, the PJ edges out the Nomad in my opinion, which is why I now own 3 units
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: The Jukebox is terrific! I've got 40 albums loaded into it already, and have used less than half the available memory! I've programed three playlists of 30 songs each already, and listening to the playlists at work I've had eight hours of my favorite music uninterrupted! I'm taking the Jukebox on vacation, and the convenience of not having to lug around a bunch of CD's is more than worth the cost for just this one trip! The only thing that's keeping it from a perfect rating was an unexpected freeze while saving some CD's, and some minor glitches with the software. Generally the software interface with Win98 is intuitive and easy to use. I suspect the unit got overheated as I was loading all my CD's into it in one session! Luckily I didn't lose any music, and when I got it running again it picked up right where I'd left off. This is the only MP3 player you'll ever need! The rest of them out there are going to be eating the Jukebox's dust!
Rating:
Summary: LOAD ER UP PEOPLE
Review: Well I am glad I waited for an mp3 player because this puppy looks phat. It has 6gb internal hd that holds roughly 100 hours of music. So you can now make the ultimate mix to accompany you in your life. The internal recorder also sounds sweet with on the spot WMA recording. Bootlegs anyone? I cannot wait until I get my hands on mine hopefully they are still around and cost the same by the time my Nov birthday rolls around. You need windows 98 or higher to run the software so if there was ever a reason to finally upgrade from '95 this is it. Apperently the unit takes about 30 secs to warm up and the batteries last around 4 hours per charge but it comes with two sets so rock on. Must stop looking at Nomad Jukebox on the little picture and just buy the sucka
Rating:
Summary: 93 times more storage than a 64MB mp3 player
Review: The title says it all, for $200 more than you would spend on your average 64MB mp3 player, you can increase your storage capacity by 93 times. If your average mp3 file is 4MB, you'll be able to store 1500 MP3's on this player. Not to mention you get support for WMA and WAV file formats, and USB interface. The jukebox has re-programmable firmware, which means that in the future, it can be updated to support different audio formats. The jukebox also has a line-in so you can record directly to it, just like a DAT or MiniDisc, it supports dual band 48KHz recording. You can also speed up or slow down playback speed, great for listening to audiobooks that are spoken too slowly or too quickly. The Jukebox also has FourPointSurround technology from EAX and Spatialization Settings to enhance headphone listening. All in all, for only $200 more than an average 64MB MP3 player, THIS IS AN AMAZING PRODUCT AT AN AMAZING PRICE.
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