Rating: 
Summary: Killer Module!
Review: ...not enough stars to rate this Springboard module! I have used other modules, and wound up selling them all on eBay eventually. This one's a keeper. "It ain't goin' nowhere!" I love it! I love the size (fits flush, unlike other bulky _unnamed_ Visor MP3 players), I love the sound (no distortion, the volume can CRANK and so can the bass), I love the controls (I can control my player with the Visor on or off, doing other apps, of even during HotSync), I love the speed (takes about 10 seconds to download a song, coupled with my Cable connection, I can switch out my collection in 60 seconds), I love the power (a good nine hours on the Visors' own batt), and it just looks cool! For those with gripes about expandability, you could buy two of these modules for about the same price as one of the other "expandable" players. And you can get an awesome Energy Clip for this one. Hands down, this one's a winner!
Rating:
Summary: Wasnt sure but glad I got it!
Review: At first I wasnt sure if it was going to be worth it or do what I wanted it to do as easily as I hoped. Sure enough I was tranfering my songs quickly with the help of the provided Musicmatch software.. Next thing I new I was at the beach enjoying my favorite tunes!
Rating:
Summary: Great Product, with few reservations
Review: Battery life
Good battery life. I've noticed a slight increase in battery usage while the module was in use. Somewhat more than other Springboard (SB) modules such as memory expansion modules. Also, when the module is plugged in, it seems to affect the reading of the battery gauge, making it seem like there's less power than there should be. As a result, you may get a low battery warning sooner than you should. This is normal, but if you're using rechargeable batteries, you may want to swap fresh ones, since they have less capacity per charge than normal alkalines to insure you don't lose handheld data. The gauge returns to normal when the player is removed from the slot. My suggestion, if you use your Visor a lot and/or foresee using this player a lot as well, it may be worth your while to spring for nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries. You'll swap batteries more often due to its lower capacity per charge, but you'll get your savings back after a month of usage.Sound quality
I'm no audiophile, probably nothing to brag about, but the sound quality is good enough for me. Very close to the sound you get on a PC with "average" speakers and sound card. I can't put my finger on it, but the provided headphones sound "tinny", so using a better quality set ought to take care of that. Max volume is more than enough in quieter places, but on a "rickety" subway like the older NYC trains, you'll be almost hard pressed to hear much of anything. External controls
There 4 controls: play/pause (technically play/stop, as when you DO "pause", it actually turns off while remembering where you last were), skip forward one track, skip back one track, and a volume jog dial control. The first turns on and plays the player, or pauses and resumes play. The next two are self explanatory, but further adding that reaching the first or last track will wrap around to the last or first track respectively. Unlike many CD and mp3 players however, there is no search mode available (done by pressing and holding these buttons). The last controls volume, but also can be depressed (like the wheel of a scroll mouse), which will automatically bring up the control screen regardless the current state of your Visor. The jog dial gets you to your desired volume setting after a few flicks, but the controls are just rounded knobs, so you'll have to press hard or use your nail. Also, you may accidentally lift and pull out the head phone jack (mine plugged in wasn't snug, but a little loose) when you try to press the button next to it. It has it's faults, but is still a nice alternative to having to whip out your stylus and cover just to control the audio. One thing I do like about this is the play button will light green (dim or bright) if you set it that way. This takes more battery power, but I recommend it so that you can tell if the unit is on or off, without having to turn the screen on or plug in headphones to listen and potentially draining your power without knowing it. Software interface
It's simple and intuitive. Similar to Winamp minus the skins and fancy equalizer. You can bring down a pull down menu of all the songs you've loaded, there's an simpler equalizer where you can adjust bass, treble, and general frequency settings (none of which I really used), sliders for volume and track position (volume adjustable through the up and down keys as well), options to view details of mp3 tracks, and set modes of play (repeat, shuffle, etc.), as well as oversized standard buttons for play, stop, etc. Loading music
Easy enough. All you need to do is ensure that all your music files are indeed mp3 format, drag and drop, and your next hotsync op will transfer the songs over. On the desktop software, it even tells you how much space you've got left before you transfer. Takes about a minute to transfer the full capacity. Pretty reasonable considering it Is USB 1.1. Stability/reliability
Reliability has been good. I've never needed any tech support, and the thing's never broken down on me before. There have been times where upon plugging it in, I get "module was inserted improperly" or "Module seems hung, please try again". I sometimes get that once or twice in a row. The only time I get it 6 times in a row was when I left it in the car for weeks, in 35F degree weather, which I guessing was due to the cold. Tech support
N/A as far as I'm concerned. The company is still there, but they've changed their business model. I tried calling them up about months after they changed their ways (this was approximately around summer of `02) and only one guy was there who had a decent understanding of what this product is and does. He wasn't able to answer my question though. Don't count on getting ANY tech support. IMO, this product is well made, so assuming there's nothing wrong with your Visor, tech support won't be needed. Other notes
First, you can play games, take notes while the music is playing simply by hitting the home button. You actually need to hit the `stop' button either internally or externally to actually turn it off. You could also leave the screen off to save battery. Next, you don't have the option of rearranging your playlist on the handheld. You need to do that before you load the music on there. Finally, only 64MB of nonexpendable memory? That makes this best suited for workouts, grocery shopping, and "low-end" users. 128MB would've been IDEAL. 4.5 stars is my actual rating, since there are some trivial issues with this, but it does deliver what it says smoothly and acceptably.
Rating:
Summary: Great Product, with few reservations
Review: Battery life
Good battery life. I've noticed a slight increase in battery usage while the module was in use. Somewhat more than other Springboard (SB) modules such as memory expansion modules. Also, when the module is plugged in, it seems to affect the reading of the battery gauge, making it seem like there's less power than there should be. As a result, you may get a low battery warning sooner than you should. This is normal, but if you're using rechargeable batteries, you may want to swap fresh ones, since they have less capacity per charge than normal alkalines to insure you don't lose handheld data. The gauge returns to normal when the player is removed from the slot. My suggestion, if you use your Visor a lot and/or foresee using this player a lot as well, it may be worth your while to spring for nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries. You'll swap batteries more often due to its lower capacity per charge, but you'll get your savings back after a month of usage. Sound quality
I'm no audiophile, probably nothing to brag about, but the sound quality is good enough for me. Very close to the sound you get on a PC with "average" speakers and sound card. I can't put my finger on it, but the provided headphones sound "tinny", so using a better quality set ought to take care of that. Max volume is more than enough in quieter places, but on a "rickety" subway like the older NYC trains, you'll be almost hard pressed to hear much of anything. External controls
There 4 controls: play/pause (technically play/stop, as when you DO "pause", it actually turns off while remembering where you last were), skip forward one track, skip back one track, and a volume jog dial control. The first turns on and plays the player, or pauses and resumes play. The next two are self explanatory, but further adding that reaching the first or last track will wrap around to the last or first track respectively. Unlike many CD and mp3 players however, there is no search mode available (done by pressing and holding these buttons). The last controls volume, but also can be depressed (like the wheel of a scroll mouse), which will automatically bring up the control screen regardless the current state of your Visor. The jog dial gets you to your desired volume setting after a few flicks, but the controls are just rounded knobs, so you'll have to press hard or use your nail. Also, you may accidentally lift and pull out the head phone jack (mine plugged in wasn't snug, but a little loose) when you try to press the button next to it. It has it's faults, but is still a nice alternative to having to whip out your stylus and cover just to control the audio. One thing I do like about this is the play button will light green (dim or bright) if you set it that way. This takes more battery power, but I recommend it so that you can tell if the unit is on or off, without having to turn the screen on or plug in headphones to listen and potentially draining your power without knowing it. Software interface
It's simple and intuitive. Similar to Winamp minus the skins and fancy equalizer. You can bring down a pull down menu of all the songs you've loaded, there's an simpler equalizer where you can adjust bass, treble, and general frequency settings (none of which I really used), sliders for volume and track position (volume adjustable through the up and down keys as well), options to view details of mp3 tracks, and set modes of play (repeat, shuffle, etc.), as well as oversized standard buttons for play, stop, etc. Loading music
Easy enough. All you need to do is ensure that all your music files are indeed mp3 format, drag and drop, and your next hotsync op will transfer the songs over. On the desktop software, it even tells you how much space you've got left before you transfer. Takes about a minute to transfer the full capacity. Pretty reasonable considering it Is USB 1.1. Stability/reliability
Reliability has been good. I've never needed any tech support, and the thing's never broken down on me before. There have been times where upon plugging it in, I get "module was inserted improperly" or "Module seems hung, please try again". I sometimes get that once or twice in a row. The only time I get it 6 times in a row was when I left it in the car for weeks, in 35F degree weather, which I guessing was due to the cold. Tech support
N/A as far as I'm concerned. The company is still there, but they've changed their business model. I tried calling them up about months after they changed their ways (this was approximately around summer of '02) and only one guy was there who had a decent understanding of what this product is and does. He wasn't able to answer my question though. Don't count on getting ANY tech support. IMO, this product is well made, so assuming there's nothing wrong with your Visor, tech support won't be needed. Other notes
First, you can play games, take notes while the music is playing simply by hitting the home button. You actually need to hit the 'stop' button either internally or externally to actually turn it off. You could also leave the screen off to save battery. Next, you don't have the option of rearranging your playlist on the handheld. You need to do that before you load the music on there. Finally, only 64MB of nonexpendable memory? That makes this best suited for workouts, grocery shopping, and "low-end" users. 128MB would've been IDEAL. 4.5 stars is my actual rating, since there are some trivial issues with this, but it does deliver what it says smoothly and acceptably.
Rating:
Summary: Coolest gadget ever!
Review: I just got my Soundsgood mp3 player for US$149. I hadn't bought it before, since I thought the US$ 269 price was a bit excessive. I was amazed with the sound quality. And even better: the desktop software. Is the easiest and fastest interface for transferring files to an Mp3 player. I also have the Philips Rush player, and using RealJukebox (the software it comes with) is not as user friendly and fast as the Good Desktop software. The size factor is also amazing: you can use this product with your standard visor cases. I'm very happy and I would strongly recommend it. If you have a Visor, don't bother getting any other kind of mp3 player: get this one!. And now even the price is perfect!
Rating: 
Summary: Mac SoundsBad
Review: I just received it today and am enjoying the tunes. It uploads music to my Platinum fast (all 64 megs in about 4 minutes) and the sound is crystal clear. This is my first springboard and it was a good one (no pun intended). Here are the reasons I went with this one over the MiniJam: 1) It fits nearly flush into the Visor. You can put your cover on the front just fine and barely fits on the back due to the fact that the springboard is raised about 1/16 of an inch from the back of the Visor. The MiniJam on the other hand doesn't look like you can put the cover on at all. 2)Although this doesn't support extra memory, 64mb is enough for me. That's over an hour of music. The MiniJam with 32mb costs the same price and then you get to pay extra for more memory. 3)I have issues with the company that makes MiniJam, InnoGear. They were supposedly going to come out with a SixPak module last year that I was totally planning on buying. Then, with no explanation, all traces of the SixPak development and schedualed release dates disappeard. They dropped the ball, I dropped them. 4)SoundsGood comes with a nice case to put everything in.
Rating:
Summary: Gotta get it!
Review: I received the SoundsGood player for Xmas and I have had a great time with it. The install is easy (as it says on the box!), the setup is easy, and the interface is easy. The only difficulty I had was picking out which 64MB of music I wanted. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of sound, I haven't used the included headphones, but even with my simple discman headphones I was amazed! I was a little surprised by how expensive this item is, but if you're looking to find a new, fun use for your Visor, pick this up! Another cool feature is that I got a little battery pack for the player, so I don't even need to take my Visor with me to listen to music, and the pack just slips right over this module! I suggest both products for anyone that wants truly portable music! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Hands Down Winner for MP3's!!
Review: I started looking for an MP3 a couple weeks back for my Visor deluxe and it appears that my only two choices were the Innogear MiniJam and the Soundsgood MP3 Module. The MiniJam, which is advertised everywhere that one would think it's the only one out there, sounds like the obvious choice at first glance. In addition to playing music, it has an MMC slot for added storage. But then I had forgotten that MMC isn't the same as CF memory, which I own a few of. So that negates any advantage for me. The Soundsgood module, unlike the MiniJam, fits flush into the visor and the cover fits on front or back. That MiniJam looks like a mushroom the way it sticks out from the top and forget about putting the cover back on. On top of that, the Soundsgood also sells a separate mini encasement "The EnergyClip" that will allow the module to play W/O THE VISOR!! HOW COOL IS THAT!! To make a long story a little shorter....I picked one up as well as the mini case and I am completely and thoroughly happy with it!! Soundsgood, No Brainer of a choice!! Z!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent addition for Visor Deluxe PDA
Review: I was unsure of the outcome of the trial of this MP-3 player when I bought it. But, it exceeded my expectations. Device's design has virtually no flaws: it's measurements and transfer rate are awesome! I w'd recommend it for any novice with PDA Visor to get it if they wish to listen to music on the go.
Rating:
Summary: Stay Away from this "BAD" TECHNOLOGY Product!
Review: If your thinking of purchasing the SoundsGood Player, stay away. GOOD Technology no longer supports it's own player and have gone on to the two way pager systems business(i.e., Blackberry clones). So if your looking for s/w upgrade you'll be seriously out of luck. I've had the Sounds Good Player for about 2 years (being ultra busy), I have reserved my judgement until now. First off, I had problems from the start because I did not have a USB port or Windows 2000 (so the unit was unused for about 4-6 months). Once I got a new pc, it worked for a little while but was very buggy. Freezing during transfers and random blue screens of death etc. I even upgraded the Palm OS a couple of times (for the Visor prism.) The player hardly plays at all and gets hung on the device everytime I try to play it. The only time it may work is when I synch it with my pc and then listen to it immediately thereafter. The whole purpose of this device is to be PORTABLE and not chained to the workstation. I recommend this item as a door stop!
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