Rating: 
Summary: Nice MP3 player - a few minor flaws
Review: I purchased the RipFlash MP3 play to work out to and not for the digital voice recording features. This is my first MP3 player so I have no point of reference compared to other MP3 players. Given that, here are my experiences so far.Pros: - very good sound - especially with the equalizer
- fast transfer rate from my PC - 30 songs in less than 5 min
- very lightweight Cons: - no software for ripping CDs. I had to buy some but found a good one called MP3 Workshop... - can only read MP3 format. Would have been nice if it could read WMA format. Then I could have used the Windows Media Player to rip the CDs.
- earplug earphone sounds good but had trouble keeping them in my ears. Things you should know: - If you do want to add a SmartMedia card, the songs on the card will be played separately from the ones in the built-in Flash memory. (this may be important if you want to play randomly)
- The display is small and somewhat hard to read, but did not bother me.
- I haven't tried to Rip CDs with the line-in but I think it is a useful feature.
- Would have been nice to have a belt clip for working out. Overall, very good player. As I said, I like it very much, but it does have a few minor flaws. I can live with them for working out and would buy it again.
Rating:
Summary: good product, with difficult menus
Review: The RipFlash is a good product with a confusing interface. pros:
* standard interfaces
- native MP3 support
- Flash memory
- Smart Media Card expansion
- USB
- standard jacks for ear phone & line-in
* good sound quality with the built-in microphone,
especially for meetings/interviews
* simple (very basic) software cons:
* AAA batteries
- I use rechargables and I wish this device
had a recharging/docking station like my Palm.
* confusing menus (see below)
* poor documentation For the most part, this is a very good device, but the menus are difficult to understand and navigate. The font is the worst device font I've seen in years. But if you can struggle through its basic operation, then you've got a pretty useful device. I do hope they have a ROM upgrade that fixes some of these UI issues and new manual would help too. I would buy this product for someone who's resourceful, but not for someone who needs something very simple to use.
Rating:
Summary: handy digital recorder/mp3 player, comes w/ basic software
Review: After having done a month search, i think it will be fair to add one more star to it! Original I wanted to buy a good music player for my husband, in addition to it, I could record lecture three times a week. RipFlash's metal look makes it a winner. The review mentions about the wrist band, but mine did not come with one. I had Archos Jukebox Recorder 10 and RipFlash 128mb Digital Recorder. Software Problems: RipFlash's software is very basic. Installation was easy. I could drag songs directly from the MP3 manager software when it was first installed. But on the next day, this function was not working. Furthermore, when I disconnected the USB from the computer, the devise still has the 'pc usb' signal on. Meaning? i have no way to play it until and unless i take out the battaries and reinsert it. It happens very often. Neither Archos Jukebox Recorder nor Ripflash software is a good file organizer. The Archos Jukebox has one more problem than the Ripflash. When i closed the MusicBox software and disconnected the protable device, an error message saying improper disconnection will cause pc hardware problems..... I guess no one would expect to see such a message after having done everything in great care. In fact, it crashed my computer more than twice. I had to reboot my computer. I gave up, and returned it As the RipFlash player does not display title, i have to guess what is coming next. I bought a SM card for extra memory, the eject 'button' is difficult to use. It seems i have to push the card out myself. Voice recording I have to admit that the voice recording function is very easy to use and very sensitive, compare to my Archos Jukebox Recorder. Unlike the Archos Jukebox, the Ripflash allocates a new file for voice recording automatically. The Archos one asks for a new name everytime. Otherwise it will either replace your existing 'new song' file or refuse to record. I missed almost 10 minutes lecture because of setting up the Archos. And the battaries ran out within an hour. I was caught in the middle for recording exam tips! Definetly I will not recommend the Archos Jukebox Recorder for reporters or students alike. As a matter of fact, the RipFlash recorder is a very eligant and handy devise for recorders or students. Final conclusion: there is no prefect mp3 player!
With almost 90 bucks more, why should i buy Archose Jukebox Recorder10 instead of Archose Jukebox 10 or other Jukebox? I am still considing whether to keep RipFlash because of the unreliable software. A month later, i had returned the ripflash and the Archose. I did a lot of research, it seems no mp3 can fit in my need. Hey i have to trade off. Pal, if you are looking for something to convert your old plastic disks into good digital songs, the Ripflash series seem to be the solution. PoGo has some improved products. check out its website.
Rating: 
Summary: Lanugage Learning
Review: Got this product shipped in from the States, so I was taking a chance there would be no need to return it. Am glad I made this my choice. This product is a must have for anyone doing language learning. The sound quality is awesome and the ripflash is so convenient. I have tapes I wanted to review and put them onto my MP3 and loop the segments I want. Also the voice recorder is great on the streets. I hear a word and ask a person to record it into my player and then I can go and listen to it for practice. No problems with the software on an old computer (does anything work well with Windows ME?). My only complaint would be the manual, which is pretty worthless. But thankfully one can figure most things out in the trial and error mode. For the price, this is a great buy
Rating:
Summary: Excellent voice recorder with troublesome spots
Review: As a digital voice recorder I rate as four stars. In all other aspects, I rate it one star. Read on for details. Installation of the supplied drivers was a nightmare. Contrary to instructions, it took serious manual intervention to get Windows to recognize the device. I am no stranger to computers, and it took me a couple of hours to get it to work. BTW, I use Win98SE on this particular computer. I would rate the installation part as poor. Once the drivers are installed one has to launch the MP3 manager software supplied with the device to format its memory for the first time. The software supplied is a disaster. Buttons are misaligned (to the point where wrong labels are under wrong buttons--be careful), and the error messages, well, it takes some imagination to guess their meaning (I can see some of them as a material for stand-up comedians). Fortunately, the el-cheapo manual at least shows the buttons as they are supposed to be, with the labels, so after a while it is possible to figure out what should do what. What I can't understand is why my 2 year old camera can connect to a USB port and look just like an external drive, and I have to go through this rigamarole every time I want to transfer some files to my RipFlash device. Very bad design. I would rate the software as terrible. Out of curiosity, I did put some MP3 music files on the device and played them through the supplied earphones. The quality was not impressive (a bit metallic and hissy), but that was not why I bought it. I bought RipFlash128 for its functionality as a high-capacity digital voice recorder. MP3 music playback was secondary to me. As a digital voice recorder this device shines. The preselected recording default of 32Kbps (can be easily changed) is quite good, and allows for close to 9 hours of speech. I don't know anything else in its price that can come even close. The resulting sound files are small and very clear (in fact, considering the tiny built-in microphone, the clarity is astounding). They are not very loud, however, so after transfering them to the computer, one may need to raise the volume level a bit. I tested the recording both from up close (closer than 6 inches to the mouth deteriorates quality) and while the device was placed on the desk. In both cases the quality was better than expected. The built-in speaker cannot be taken seriously, of course. It is possible to review the notes, but one has to raise the device close to the ear. I do not consider that a serious fault. The files can be reviewed very well with the earphones or on the computer. I would rate the digital voice recording part as excellent. In summary, as a digital voice recorder, I would give it a total of four stars. I would have given it five stars had the device been recognized by Windows as an external removable drive. For other purposes I would not buy it.
Rating:
Summary: A powerful and fun MP3 tool.
Review: I am really enjoying this product. I can't give a comparative review, because this is the first MP3 player/recorder I've ever used. However, I did a lot of research in making this decision and can share with you the distinguishing features that drew me to the RipFlash Digital Voice Recorder/MP3 player. My Requirements
I was looking for a digital voice recorder that is easy to use, can quickly and easily transfer files to my personal computer for use on a personal site. I also wanted to listen to MP3's via this device. My Research
I used ... customer reviews and related products tools to get a feel for the product ranges. I also visited other e-commerce sites and review sites to get as clear a picture of the products I was considering. I found many positive reviews for mini-disc players stating their many benefits over other storage types so spent a lot of time researching them. I found that many of the highest rated mini-disc systems did not have an easy mechanism for uploading recorded audio to the pc. This meant that I'd have to record my audio to the handheld device then connect the devices headphone jack to my pc's audio in jack, play it back and re-record it using the an application on the pc. I'm too lazy for that. I was concerned about the "limited" storage on the pogo. 128mb holds about 30 mp3 files with a little room for audio recording. With the mini-discs, storage is [inexpensive] and portable, so I could have many mini-discs with my audio collection handy. I was also concerned about one review that stated that the pogo audio in and out jacks were prone to static and weak connections. My Decision
Remembering my original goal was easy audio recording and publishing, I put aside my concerns for limited capacity for my mp3 collection. My Experience
+ Wow! 30 songs is a lot if you are selective.
+ The software works well and was easy to install.
+ It is very quick and easy to transfer files to and from the pc.
+ This thing is tiny and light. It fits in my shirt or pants pocket without feeling heavy or clunky.
+ I think the audio sounds great played back on the little headphones or connected to my Cambridge Soundworks speakers at work.
+ The batteries really do last a long time. (If they run out on you, standard AAA batteries are easy to come by.
+ The built in microphone is adequate for my purposes. - 30 song limit
- while my audio jacks are static free so far, I'm concerned about the longevity.
- User interface for the software might be a little confusing at first.
- The user interface on the device is limited and sometimes awkward. (for example, when changing the volume, it is easy to accidentally change the equalizer from jazz to rock.)
- The digital display does not include filenames or any meta info about the songs.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent compact device
Review: After doing much reading on MP3 players, I decided to go with the RipFlast Plus 128MB recorder. Holds as many songs as a CD, even more if you use .wma (which is compatible with this player). Expansion slot allows you to keep tons of songs on flash cards.
Rating:
Summary: RipFlash
Review: I can't wait to try this one out!
Rating:
Summary: Great performance, Poor ergonomics
Review: I bought this RipFlash primarily for voice recording, including memos to myself while driving. What I like about the RipFlash: 1) Since receiving the unit about 6 months ago I find myself using it for *SO* many things I never thought it would be good for. For example: The "Line In" allows you to capture sound from ANY audio/video or audio-only source. Big deal, right? Well I happen to subscribe to an Internet real estate service that hosts ALL of the author's lectures in streaming media format. Very inconvenient if you don't want to sit in front of the computer for 40+ hours to listen to all the tapes. Enter the PoGo. I unplugged my PC's speakers, plugged in the PoGo (it comes with a Line-In patch cord) into the back of my PC, pressed the "Record" button on the PoGo, clicked the audio file I wanted to capture, then walked away for 1/2 an hour. After downloading several hour's worth (since it is voice-only capture I picked a lower quality level, which uses less memory) I transferred the files from the PoGo to the PC as MP3 files, then burned the real estate lectures onto several audio CDs. Now I can listen any time - anywhere - to what originally forced me to sit in front of my computer for hours! That's just one example of an innovative use for this product. There are literally dozens of useful applications - I think of a new one every few weeks! 2) Software for the PC is good, easy to use, and uploads/downloads are pretty darn fast using the provided USB cable. Now for the things I don't like: 1) Battery life. Uses 2 standard Alkaline batteries. They last about 10 hours. I found the "Ultra" batteries go about 50% longer, but they cost more. There is no way to plug in an external power supply. 2) Documentation is poor. REALLY poor. There are actually CUT OUT pieces of paper with new print on them covering the old print in the manual!!! 3) Menu doesn't work well for deleting specific files. Since this base model doesn't identify songs/entries by title, you only get to reference entries by number. The numbers change (re-number again) as you delete entries. I've found the best way around this is to use the PC software that comes with the unit. 4) No back-lighting for the display. Hard to view in low-light conditions. (Number 3 and Number 4 are addressed in the RipFlash Plus - spend the few extra bucks - it's worth it!) 5) Ear bud headphones sound great, but you gotta have BIG ear holes to have them fit comfortably. I can't go longer than 1/2 an hour before it hurts. I'm very happy with my RipFlash over-all, but I'd recommend spending the few extra bucks to get one of the more expensive RipFlash models of this product line.
Rating: 
Summary: digital on the go.
Review: small, compact, cute, puts your favorite songs from cd's and cassettes, that i have alot of. great for traveling. easy to use. well made product. cool blue screen. all around good product.
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