Rating: 
Summary: A good MP3 player for active use
Review: I purchased the 256MB Rio Cali a month ago and so far it has been a great player for what I intended to use it for which is working out. I realize that you can purchase a player with more features, more memory, and better sound quality for just a little more money, but most of these players are just not practical for active uses like running and working out. This is my first portable MP3 player so I can't really compare it to others, but I am very happy with it. Contrary to some of the other customer reviews, I have found the Cali to be very user friendly. Some reviewers have said that you have to use the Rio music management software that comes with the player (which is cumbersome and only rips CD files in WMA format) to upload songs onto the player, but this is simply not true. I have successfully uploaded songs onto the player with Windows Media Player and MusicMatch Jukebox. I'm sure other programs will work also. The player will hold about 60 songs if they are ripped at highest quality. SD or MMC cards can be added for additionaly memory but I haven't done this yet. The player's rubber casing is very durable which is good because I've already dropped it several times. Battery life (single AAA) is said to be 13 hours but it seems to be less than that. There is a screen indicator to tell you when the battery is getting low. The in-ear headphones provided are OK but cheap and I plan to replace them with better quality Sony earphones. The player somes with a rubber/plastic cradle which can clip onto the armband provided or onto a belt. I really like the FM tuner which is probably the main reason I chose this player over the Nike or Memorex players which are comparable price. Overall I would recommend this player to anyone looking for something to use while working out. Spend the extra $30 to get the 256MB version over the 128MB version. Have access to 60 songs compared to only 30 is so nice. Expanding the memory with cards seems to be quite expensive and kind of a hassle. I'm not an audiophile, so if you want a player with lots more memory and other functions, get an iPod or something. But this player is probably the best out there for active use.
Rating: 
Summary: Rio Cali 256 Sport is rugged
Review: Whlie the player sounds good and is well laid out, what was most imoportant to me is that it be rugged. This one can withstand being dropped on concrete repeatedly. The soft molding is wrapped in a plastic carrier for extra protection. It is light, and I use mine every day while I lift weights or run. I did replace the ear buds with sony in-the-ear, but I am sill looking for a better set of earphones that don't get in the way. I recommend this player highly and if I were shopping again I would still buy this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Possible memory defect
Review: Now on my 2nd Cali (256 MB) and it also has the same problem. Purchased new Cali and ended up returning it to the store for a new replacement. Tested the 2nd one and find the same problem. There seems to be a memory hole (not sure what to call it) at the top end somewhere between 15.0 and 10.0 MB left on the total memory. As you load mp3s into the memory, the included software gives you the total remaining memory. Load about 56 songs in and then check the memory scrol bar. When you get up to 15.0 megs left on the player memory, load one or two more to almost fill it up. Now play songs starting at say 3 or 4 from the top. Listen to the 'pop' or 'click' during the song and notice that the player will drop one or two bars of music. It might even drop part of one word in the song. You have to list close, but two player have the same problem. The bar or word falls into a memory hole (my words) and keeps on playing. You will never notice it if you do not fill up the total memory. Other than this, I like the Cali but considering returning my 2nd one as well and looking elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Clarification
Review: Kazaak - You can use other applications (WMP, MusicMatch, and RealOne) to transfer files to your Cali; not just RMM. Although, IMHO, I think RMM is a great application for this purpose.lyoung502 - Did you get the names of the Rio customer care people who you spoke with? If yes, please email me at nvang@digitalnetworksna.com.
Rating: 
Summary: ***** ABISMAL SOFTWARE *******
Review: *****SOFTWARE MAJORLY LIMITED********
First off - I've no complaints with the hardware as I've barely used it.
Music Manager is bloated program that does way more than i want. The crucial flaw is there is no way to x-fer a directory structure to the player. All songs just get mixed together. I tried making m3u files with winamp, but Rio Music Manager refuses to use transfer these playlists to the cali. I contacted cust supp. and they affirmed you must make every playlist manually.
Why can't the thing just show up in explorer so I can drag some directories of sorted music onto it ? Is this so much to ask...
Rating:
Summary: All around good. Minor things need work.
Review: I've had my Cali for a little over a week and have used it while exercising five or six times now. Over all I really like it. The battery life is great, it's very light and has great sound. I haven't had any problems with the software, but I'm a little disappointed that you can't just drag and drop files to the device. Instead you have to use their software or other supported software like WMPlayer. I haven't tried the memory upgrade yet. USB 1.1 is a little slow; 2.0 should have been used. Most of my complaints are minor and rather petty. The little joystick takes some getting used to, and having to use it for the stopwatch while running is a little difficult though not impossible. The armband works fine and the only time I've had trouble working out is while doing up-right rows when my thumbs kept catching the earphone cord. Another gripe is the case you have to put the Cali in to use the arm band. It works fine, but why couldn't they make the case black to match the player? Instead it's kind of translucent and ugly. If Whet34 had done a little research, he/she would have realized that SonicBlue no longer produces the Rio line which was bought by Digital Networks, North America after SB declared bankruptcy. I used the Rio website form to ask numerous questions about the player and received a response in just under 24 hours. They refused to tell me if they were planning a USB 2.0 version, so I guess I'll have to learn a little patience.
Rating:
Summary: Great product, lots of hassle
Review: I have owned an iRiver (256) and the Rio Cali (256), and the Rio Cali has better sound as well as a higher top volume. The Rio is also smaller, more durable and comes with more carrying options (case and arm band).
HOWEVER, I am now awaiting my second Rio Cali, because I experienced so many problems with my first one. First, the software installation instructions are poor, resulting to a call to Rio technical support. I spoke with two people, one of whom was very rude and gave me false information, resulting in a 1 1/2 hour call (on my bill!)to resolve the issue. The second technician was very knowledgeable and helpful. After resolving the software issue, however, I found that the play button on the Rio worked only 1 out of every 20 or so times that I pushed it. But because the Rio is so durable and small and because the sound is so good, I am going to try another one. I suggest purchasing an extended warranty or product replacement plan with this item if possible, because Rio's warranty is only 90 days.
Rating:
Summary: The best player to workout with
Review: I, like many others watching this item... and waiting for it to finally be available, did my share of research on mp3 players. My main purpose for getting one was for when I went to the gym. I was borrowing my friend's Nomad (64mb) for a few weeks just to get a feel for what I wanted to buy. I found out about Gateway's mp3 player and was a little excited... however when I went to go look at it I realized that there was no way I could workout with it. The Rio Cali seemed to be the best player available for working out. This was purely through old reviews I'd read on the S35. I bought this one before I read anything about it. I've worked out four days now with it and have to say it's great. I use the armband for when I'm on the treadmill... and then clip it to my windpants (with the included cover/belt-clip) for when I do weights. I was hoping to use the armband for weights but it's impossible. You have to attach it to your pants unless you are very talented. I have only two complaints with it. The armband is uncomfortable and starts to almost feel like it's slipping off as well as restricting your bloodflow. This might be because I'm not use to armbands... dunno. The other is that the protective cover you slip the mp3 player into is plastic and the belt clip is a cheap metal that could easily break. It works great now but I would suggest being cautious when clipping it onto anything to avoid bending the clip. A hint... The "normal" mode on the equalizer (as well as ALL the other modes) is crap. I thought that the headphones were just really bad (like everyone says)... but I messed around with the "custom" equalizer and got it to sound similar to the nomad. It really is a great thing to take to the gym... running or weights.
Rating:
Summary: All things considered, best solid state player avaliable
Review: Upgradeable to 768mb once the 512mb SD cards become commonplace. That's more than any non-HD player on the market. Reasonably rugged and shock-proof. Audio quality is average for this type of device. Small package, but could be smaller if not for the wasteful, 'sport' styling. Lots of functionality and intuitive to operate. With the ability to store a large number of songs, the multiple playlist feature is definately a plus. But editing playlists with the included application is quite tedious. Playlists aren't compatible and can't be moved from the PC to the device, when editing a device playlist you can only add to the end of a playlist, and you can't move songs up or down on the list. The loader program is better than most, but still not perfect. Can't interface to computer as a "mass storage device", you must use the included application. Runs almost forever on a single AAA battery. Produces some "garbage" noise on power-up and power-down. Overall, not perfect, but a good product and more than worth it if you want a solid state (no moving parts) player. Just don't use the included MP3/WMA encoding tools, encode manually with LAME in the VBR/ABR mode instead for the best sound quality and compression.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for me
Review: This item is a must for anyone who wants a solid workout player. It is especially good with a Mac and iTunes but I am sure it works as well on a PC. The only downside is the headphones (but who packages good headphones with a sport player anyway.) I swapped mine out for a pair of Shure E2 earphones ( I think they are the best for the price, E5's are probably better but so expensive.) The Rio has great features and I love being able to customize the EQ settings. LCD is perfect, nice and big. Can't ask for more in the price range for a flash based player. I added a 256MB SD card and now have more than enough room for all the music I could want in a day.
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