Lexar Media 256MB JUMPDRIVE USB DRIVE ( MP256-231 )

Rating:
Summary: Some Problems - Backgound Noise - Playback Order
Review: I just purchased one and have two problems with it. First, there is a high pitch noise that begins when you press play. It's noticeable between tracks and during silent periods of a track. I listen to a lot of classical as well as rock. If all you listen to is rock or other music that doesn't have silent pauses or quiet passages this won't be much of an issue.

More troublesome is the fact that you cannot specify the order tracks will be played. For some reason it always puts a track or two out of order. Even if I drag and drop them one at a time. Again, if it's not a big issue for you, then this product will do nicely.

On the plus side - sound quality is very good with the Koss earplugs I bought. At 59.99 it's pretty cheapfor 256 Meg.
In surfing the web I've found other reviewers with the same problems. Would appreciate it if anyone else out there would let me (us) know if they also have had these problems.




Rating:
Summary: Lacks features, but easy to use
Review: Forget playlists -- there aren't any, you listen to the music in the order it's saved on the thing, or in random/shuffle order, or you can manually waggle the joystick to skip a song you don't want to hear, but that's it. However, what it gives up in flexibility it makes up in ease of use. Plug it in, turn it on by holding down the one and only button for a few seconds, and it looks like a USB storage device. You can just drag your MP3 files right over, whether you're on Mac, Linux, or Windows XP. (Do note that while it's plugged into the computer you cannot play music). Pull it out (after unmounting it in Linux, or ejecting it in Windows or MacOS), and it's ready to play.

Other minuses: The included earbuds are pretty useless (at least for someone with ears the shape of mine), but better earbuds are easy to buy. The lanyard is convenient, but a clip would have been more convenient for exercising, but there's no real place to put a clip (the back has the battery compartment door, the front has the LCD display and "joystick").

Like all flash-based MP3 players, it has the advantage of durability -- there are no moving parts to break (other than the one and only button/joystick). I bought this to wear while riding a vibration-prone motorcycle, where one of the hard drive MP3 players would have turned into scrap after about thirty minutes of getting beat to shards by huge 650cc cylinder moving up and down, and for that use it is fine. Just be aware that 256mb isn't much memory if you rip your MP3's in 256-bit mode like I do! 2 hours of music is better than none, though, and if I want better memory usage for a long trip I can always choose the songs I want from my CD collection and re-rip into 128-bit mode to get the promised 4 hours.

Oh: Batteries: It uses one (1) AAA battery, like is available at every convenience store in America if you're on the road and need a battery. For travel purposes this is much more convenient than a rechargable battery, since this means you don't have to hunt up some way to plug it in (hard to do if you're riding a motorcycle!).


Rating:
Summary: Nice gadget, good sound but feels a little cheap.
Review: I have used this device and it is very friendly to work with, delivers good sound but I recommend you use another brand of headphones, the ones provided are not so good quality. works just like a usb storage device and requieres no drivers. for the price I don't think you can get a better deal. (I have compared it with the Creative Labs Muvo and this one sounds better although is a little bit bigger). At first I was a little disappointed because of the case material that looks cheapy but once I started using it I begun to like it.

Rating:
Summary: 256 Jumpdrive Junk
Review: I purchased 3 of these and they all experience the same problem. They will play one song and quit - never cycling to the next song. I've tried 3 ways to upload songs, including no directories -doesn't matter. My 3 are being returned to Lexar proper, I must have gotten a bad batch. Once one song stops playing, the unit stays on until you reset the battery to turn it off. Very frustrating, I had pretty high hopes and the price was great! Guess you get what you pay for - beware.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to use!
Review: The best part of this compact mp3 player is its ease of use. I plug it into a USB port of my Mac and drag mp3 files (or any data files) into the device. That's all. I can put about 70 of 128kbps mp3 files in this 256mb player. I'm satisfied with the sound quality I get from the device. The included earbud headphones are not too bad, although I use Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia Headphones with it. I got my JumpDrive Music 256mb at $60.00 from J & R Music and Computer World. If you have no need for such features available on more expensive mp3 players as FM radio and voice recording, the Lexar JumpDrive Music 256mb mp3 player is a fantastic deal and excellent choice. Here is my rundown of Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Ease of use (plug and drag)
Price (available at $60 from J & M Music and Computer World as of this writing)
Compact and light
Easy reading on the LCD display
Good sound quality (5 Equalizer settings-normal, classical, jazz, rock, and boom)
Uses a regular single AAA battery
Cons:
Ugly (but my girlfriend thinks it's "so cute." Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. . . .)
No FM Radio or voice recording
No playlist capability ("Shuffle" to mix the order of songs.)
Joystick--simple but a bit awkward to use
No armband nor belt clip (only lanyard)