Amazon.com Product Description
Sony is aiming to make it easier to remember all of those little details with a new line of digital voice recorders designed for, consumers, professionals, and academics. At only one-half inch thick, the Sony ICD-SX57 boasts a slim, light aluminum body, making it easy to take with you to the office or on the road--and the record and pause controls are located on the side of the unit for easy operation. It also has 256MB
3 of Flash Memory
5 available on the integrated circuit chip which may be recorded over and used again.
Some key features of the ICD-SX57 include:
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PC Compatible via USB (Cable Included): Easily transfer audio files to a computer for processing and archiving.
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256MB
3 Built-in Flash Memory: Available on the integrated circuit chip which may be recorded over and used again.
- Up to 95 Hours Recording Time (LP Mode)
4: LP mode gives you plenty of time to record everything you need.
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Stereo High Quality (STHQ) Recording Mode: Offers longer recording time while maintaining 2-channel recording for improved sound quality.
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MP3 File Conversion and Playback
4: Playback unsecured MP3 files by dragging and dropping files right into the MP3 folder on the device. Precorded sound can also be converted to MP3 or WAV file formats with the included Digital Voice Editor 3.0 software.
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Adjustable Recording Level Indicator: You can listen to the recording level by using headphones while the unit is recording and adjust accordingly.
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Backlit Dot-matrix LCD Display: Shows the number of messages recorded, recording length, date, time and battery power remaining.
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High Speed USB 2.0 Compatible: Quickly and easily transfer your voice files to a PC.
1. Not all products with USB 2.0 connectors may communicate with each other due to chipset variations.
2. Approximate recording times. Battery life will vary based upon usage conditions.
3. User available memory=128,494,080 bytes (preliminary), a portion of which is used for data management functions.
4. Actual user available memory is approximate. A portion is used for data management.
Product Description
Thin and durable, the ICD-SX57 model offers more than 90 hours of recording time in the Long Play (LP) mode. With a slim, light aluminum body, this recorder is easy to take with you. It comes with a USB port for high-speed file transfer to a PC.Five recording modes, including Stereo High Quality (STHQ), Stereo (ST), Stereo LP (STLP), Standard Play (SP) and Long Play (LP), let users achieve the preferred sound quality and recording time. The recorder features a new STHQ mode (with a frequency response of 80Hz to 20KHz) and a highly sensitive triple microphone array to meet the needs of not only business users, but also musicians and podcasters.Digital voice operated recording stops the recording during silent pauses, and then without missing a syllable, reactivates it when speaking resumes conserving recording time and eliminating soundless gaps in the recording.The new backlit dot-matrix LCD shows the record level as well as the MP3 ID3-tag if the user uploads music content to the device. The recording level can be set to either Automatic Gain Control for traditional dictation uses, but can also be set for Manual Adjustment for special applications.
Customer Reviews:
OK, but just OK.......2007-10-27
I am a journalist and use the device for recording interviews. The weakness of this device is the Sony proprietary file format.If they would only record in MP3 format you could download, file and play from your computer. Instead I back up on the computer, erase and if later I want to refer back I have to reinstall onto the device to play. It sucks, what were they thinking.
Five star recorder.......2007-10-13
I want to recommend the Sony ICD-SX57 to anyone who needs a small high quality voice recorder. The recording ability is excellent, size and shape are perfect and High Quality Stereo recording time is four hours. There is one issue to be aware of. The unit comes with non-rechargable batteries but is set to "CHARGE" batteries when connected to USB, as a default setting. This will probably cause the batteries to melt and ruin the unit as another reviewer discovered. Navigate the menu and change the USB to "NOT CHARGE" if you are using non-rechargable batteries, before connecting to a USB port. As a voice recorder the Sony ICD-SX57 far exceeded my expatations.
Sony ICD-SX57 digital recorder.......2007-09-26
I love this recorder. I use it in conjunction with my dragon NaturallySpeaking, and it seems to work very well.
The product was actually delivered quicker than I expected.
Love it...except for the exploding batteries.......2007-09-09
I've been searching forever for an easy-to-use, reliable digital voice recorder to record sermons and other events for our church to podcast. Finally picked up one of these this week, and was thrilled with its easy operation and terrific recording quality in a few short tests. Today it also came through its first full-length sermon recording with flying colors. Looked like a total winner.
Then I came home, connected it to the computer, downloaded and edited the file, and left it connected for a couple of hours while I did some other work at my desk. After a while, I heard an odd fizzing sound. By the time I looked over to see what was making it, the sound had disappeared. Happened two more times. Finally, I touched the recorder to move it out of the way to get something else, and discovered it was blazing hot. I immediately yanked it off the USB cable and moved it off the papers it had been sitting on. Then I noticed a bluish-green drop of goo where the device had been sitting. After letting it "cool" for about 10 minutes (during which it actually stayed amazingly hot), I was able to touch it with bare fingers and I pulled out the batteries. They were very gooey and the paint on the labels had liquified.
Not a good sign for a brand new device. And, yes, I was using the Sony batteries that came packaged with the recorder, so there's no chance I used the wrong kind.
I'd love to give this thing five stars for the recording quality, size, ease of use, user interface and all those very good things. But it definitely gets a 0 for safety (can't imagine what might have happened if I hadn't been sitting there when it started to sizzle), and that's got to trump all else - can't burn down the house or church for the sake of a nice, crisp recording.
Addendum: The recorder comes with two non-rechargeable Sony AAA batteries. The instruction book warns you to make sure the batteries are installed before connecting it to the computer with the USB cable. But using the supplied non-rechargeable batteries while the device is connected causes the batteries to explode. (It has actually happened twice to me now - I tried it again a week after the incident described above, and the same thing happened...in less than 20 minutes.) I tried connecting it to the computer a third time, however, with NO batteries installed, and it worked fine...despite the instructions to the contrary in the manual. Also, I would presume that using rechargeable batteries would be a good alternative, since it's likely the non-rechargeables are exploding because the recorder is trying to charge them through the USB cable. The recorder does have a setting that allows you to turn off the battery charge function while the device is connected to the USB cable...but while this seems like a good solution, when I tried it with the non-rechargeable batteries, the computer didn't recognize the device when it was connected. So the best, safest option seems to be using nothing but rechargeable batteries...and keeping non-rechargeables away from the thing at all costs.
Wont work with my Mac.......2007-09-06
I should have known. I read a lot or reviews and this seemed to be the product for me. The description says it supports wav and mp3 formats. Problem is you have to run the software on a PC to get that to happen. The msv file format is not compatible with a Mac. Looks like this is going back.
Product Description
Coby Electronics is a manufacturer of quality consumer electronics products designed to deliver outstanding performance for value conscious consumers who do not compromise on product performance. Coby incorporates new designs with innovative technologies to produce great looking and great performing consumer electronics products.PRODUCT FEATURES:256 MB Built-in Flash Memory;Mobile Music, Data, Documents and Pictures Storage;Direct Connection into USB Port (No Cable Required);Plug and Play;Voice Recording Up to 60 Hours;Displays Lyrics;Digital Preset EQ's (Normal, Rock, Jazz, Full Bass, Pop and Classical);Upgradeable Firmware;PC and Mac Compatible.For a complete compatibility list please refer to the original manufacturer's web site.
Customer Reviews:
Not worth the money! .......2007-06-09
Had it for less than two weeks and the player no longer works. The player would shut off for no reason occasionally and then finally it had a total malfunction. Customer service only had one solution and that was to reformat it on my computer but the computer would not recognize it being there. Had trouble with switching between songs with the toggle switch. the headphones are bad to use, sound quality is ugly to say the least. You get what you pay for!!
so far so good.......2007-05-03
I have had this product for about 8 mos with no problems. I bought it for 19.99 at a local save-a-lot store. The pros, other than being inexpensive, is its ease of use and transferring music. my pc immediatly recognized it with no disc needed. There are a few cons but for the price they are negligable.
Don't waste Your time.......2007-03-09
The only possible attraction to this gizmo is the price. With that said it is still over priced. I purchased my Coby player from a local sporting goods store because I didn't want to pay a lot for a new mp3 player. I just had a really good one that I spent maybe $49 dollars for, stolen. And when I went to buy a new one they were priced around $80, $90 and up.
I went with this cheapo item and paid about $36 hoping that if I lose it or get it stolen again it wouldn't be a big deal. Now I'm begging someone, please take it. I used it for a few days and did not like the difficult screen menus. You have to scroll with a toggle switch several times just to get to a menu that enables you to play music. The toggling is not intuitive and you have to jar it several times before it actually moves once. The view is less that an inch tall and so you really can't see what your playing.
Long story short before anyone got a chance to steal this one it stopped working completely in a couple of weeks. I just took it back to the store for a refund of my money. It is well worth it to spend another 10 or 20 dollars and get a decent MP3 player.
Great for four months.......2007-03-05
This item was great for the few months that it worked. I liked how I could just plug it straight into a USB port to transfer music. I had just started using its voice recording function when it stopped working. I was able to record a lecture and do an interview with it. It seemed to me to have a good range and playback. I typically didn't use the earphones, but rather plugged it into my tape player in my vehicle. A drawback perhaps is that songs are listed sequentially, so it is not possible to select a menu, choose your favorite artist, and then choose a specific song from that artist. But, I didn't mind that so much. The major flaw was that it stopped working. The COBY screen flashes on and off, never getting to the point where I can play any music. I can still use it as a thumb drive to store media if I want, but it's a bit bulkier than my other ones. When I contacted COBY about doing a reboot, I was told how to reboot it, but that it was out of the short warranty period. I know that no device is going to last forever, but I think that I'd like an MP3 player to last longer than 4 months.
It's okay..........2007-02-25
Alright, first off this piece of crap will randomly stop playing. It started off when I'd just walk around that it would turn off, but now sometimes I barely TOUCH IT and tilt it to the side to look at the song and it turns off. It is NOT easy to use if you're a HOLD button person... if you have it on hold while plugged into your computer, it will not let you delete or add music, which made me panick at first and fear for a permanant playlist.
Also, the headphones that come with it are REALLY not worth it, they are really really bad, so go buy some nice Sony ones.
AND, the song switcher thinger is a little defective... it's neat, but you can push it down and it'll hit something inside of the MP3 player that makes the songs skip and be all crazy... so it gives me a fear of damaging the insides of my MP3 player whenever its in my pocket or something.
I think thats about it... I wouldn't recommend it, unless you want a cheap piece of s***.
Product Description
The SANDISK Cruzer Micro reminds us again that SanDisk is the most innovative USB Storage Drive designer in the industry! This stylish, diminutive drive can be slipped into a pocket or purse for easy transport or data files, image files, video and audio, between home or office and virtually anywhere else. Fully compatible with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP and Mac OS 9.1+, OS X v.10.1.2+
Customer Reviews:
Little is fantastic!.......2007-09-23
I've never gone for small before (I lose things), or decorative (seemed frivolous), or anything less than 4gb (too much hassle selecting out all the files you actually need that evening because the entire folder won't fit on your USB stick). But when I happened upon this stick in a store, I took one look at the colored skins and thought "Now THAT would be handy. Maybe when I lend this stick to someone else, I'll get it back." And besides, it was super cheap.
Now that I've actually used it, I am amazed. The skins do their job: you get three colors (counting the white one), making it easy to keep track of which stick is which. There's a label for your name and phone number, the kind of AHA! extra that makes you wonder why nobody thought it years ago. Same goes for the blazingly bright light at the tip (much easier to see than the light on the computer drive) that lets you know when the stick is in use.
But the pièce de résistance is its size: it actually FITS in the awkwardly-angled, horribly positioned USB port on the front of my computer. It's the first USB stick I've ever had that doesn't require me to crawl around on the floor in the dark behind the computer (or conduct UN-level negotiations with my USB hub and the computer to come to some sort of understanding) to get access to the files on the stick.
And I don't have to worry about losing it: it comes with a ring to attach it to a keychain, and a lanyard for those who prefer to wear it around the neck.
I am extremely happy. If I don't experience any of the durability issues others have had, I'm going to buy an entire set. Bye-bye long, elegant, professional-looking USB sticks! You've been replaced.
Great product.......2007-08-21
Very small, can fit anywhere. Works perfectly and the price was awesome. Just be careful of losing it, it really is quite tiny.
SanDisk 256 MB Micro Cruzer.......2007-07-25
Works great! Very easy and so far very reliable. Larger capacities are now available, which may be of interest if you want to use this as a backup for your large folders (or even most of the data files on your hard drive), but for transfering files or folders from one machine to another this works just fine and the prices have tumbled, making them a real bargain as compared with multi GB versions.
Very convenient.......2007-07-04
I use this little USB stick almost every day. I just keep it in my pocket so it's always there when I need it. The skins aren't really necessary but if you have more than one it's a good way to distinguish between them.
Great Little Device. Sandisk has a great product line........2007-01-31
This is a great little device, had have used other products by Sandisk and the keep getting smaller and more powerful. Good deal for the money.
Product Description
The SanDisk Cruzer Freedom USB Flash Drive is a unique USB flash drive designed for students to carry personal files on the go. Powered by SanDisk's FlashCP technology, it allows easy & secure downloads of copyrighted content. Save textbooks, novels, study guides, educational software, and much more -- all in this "digital backpack". Dimensions(LxWxD) - 79 x 20 x 11 mm Weight - 15 grams
Customer Reviews:
These Flash Drives are the KIND!.......2007-08-12
I am getting a friend a Sandisk Freedom, it is her first Flash Drive, I know this is one of the best! Easy to use, no problems, EVER, I have had my first Freedom for at least two years now, the only thing about it, is that I use it so much, the name has rubbed off of it! I can carry it anywhere, I am not gentle on my gizmo's,(Yes Gizmos is a word)I ordered Three, Two for me and One for my friend. The name FREEDOM really does fit this product.
Product Description
LEXAR JDSP256-231 -- The 256MB JumpDrive Sport is the ultimate data storage accessory for mobile business persons. A traveling executive can put all required information on the drive and have it available, from any computer, at a moment's notice. Featuring a unique industrial design, the JumpDrive Sport is extremely small, and able to fit easily into most USB hubs, and even the USB ports found on notebook computers. Operates without drivers with the following operating systems - Windows 2000, ME, XP, Mac OS 8.6+ and Mac OS X Drivers for Windows 98SE available for download on LEXAR website
Customer Reviews:
reliable, and I like the rubber cover.......2006-12-31
I've had this drive for over two years. I've had one minor problem (I loaned it to someone, and they corrupted it - don't know how), but I transfer regularly back and forth from Mac to PC (I use it formatted FAT), and I've had no problems. I've only formatted it once (after it was corrupted, see above).
The rubber cover is an opinion thing. I personally think it's a great feature. I can throw this thing around without worrying about it at all. I don't use it as a keyring, but I know a friend who does. Once nice little feature is a white space to write (w/ permanent marker).
Durable Enough! .......2006-06-07
I'm a grad student so I rely utterly on this little piece of equipment to keep my work portable, accessible, and backed up. I've been using this 256 MB Lexar Jumpdrive for about a year now, and I have utterly abused it along the way! It goes absolutely everywhere with me on a keychain: in backpacks and purses, into the field and back again, and it's worked without a hitch in several computers of several ages, all along! I finally completely filled the drive. And now, right on time, the rubber cap is breaking down right where it attached to my keychain. As other users noted, the cracking is slow, so I had plenty of time to notice it, and not lose the thing. After reviewing the other "known" brands on Amazon(read: Sandisk and Memorex), I have to conclude that this one is probably one of the best flash drives available. Let's face it: small electronics are prone to failure eventually, and the fact that this one made it through my lifestyle for 1 year is impressive to me! I'm purchasing the 1 GB version!
An Ugly but very Durable USB Drive.......2006-05-23
In general, Lexar's USB drive does its job just as well as other USB drives; there isn't much of a difference except for the following:
1) portability
good: it has a convenient way of attaching to your keychain
bad: this rubber holder only lasts for so long (in my case 6-8 months)
2) it is extremely durable. This drive survived a full 30 minute (clothes) washer cycle. When I took it out of the washer, I thought all the data and the drive was gone for good. To my surprise (after letting it dry for a day) it worked just fine. This is amazing!
I have also accidentally stepped on it while wearing shoes (not using all of my weight though) a few times on carpet and concrete; and still works fine.
Finally, I have dropped this drive on a variety of surfaces and it's still fine.
3) looks:
good: it is very easy to see since it is bright red
bad: it is fatter than other USB drives and it is bright red. The drive is pretty ugly.
It maybe good to note however, that the drive's structure is probably a good reason as to why it has survived my abuse. The bright red color's advantage has already been mentioned above.
I hate this drive.......2006-03-25
I bought it thinking it will be a sturdy drive, and Lexar anyway had a good name in flash drives.
But to my utter dissapointment, barely 2 months after use, it started behaving funny. It won't copy data(1 file) more than 20-30 MB. While copying back (more than 100mb) data from this drive to my laptop it will hang and then computer will not be able to read it (I tried with 3 laptops!). Maybe it has bad sectors, but its as good as a floppy disk for me now. And I'm using it only for sharing keeping small amount of data.
Highly dissapointed ...
Excellent little drive.......2006-03-08
I have three of these now...they work great! I've used them to transport data files and for MP3 files. I have the Lexar Sport MP3 player that uses these USB drives for storing the MP3 files.
I did have one new drive that had a problem where the MP3 player "forgot" that the USB drive was in place. It was as if I had pulled the drive out of the player without shutting it off. Re-seating the drive fixed that problem and I have not seen that problem since. Maybe it was a fluke.
Getting it out of the packaging is a challenge, though.
Average customer rating:
- junk
- wow it worked for 2 weeks
- Wonderful item
- The Best Cheap Mp3 player for MAC or PC
- great little product, but may be glitchy
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COBY MP-C841 MP3 Player w/256 MB Flash Memory & USB Drive
Manufacturer: Coby
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics
MP3 Players
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Portable Audio & Video
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Refurbished & Used
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Special Features
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Electronics Features
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Electronics
Audio & Video
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Refurbished & Used
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Special Features
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Electronics Features
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Electronics
MP3 Players
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Coby
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Custom Brands
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Custom Stores
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Specialty Stores
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Electronics Features
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Electronics
Electronics Available for International Shipping
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Specialty Stores
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Electronics Features
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Electronics
Flash Drive-Based
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MP3 Players
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Audio & Video
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Categories
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Electronics
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2 GB
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Up to 64 MB
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Product Features:
- 256 MB built in flash memory/USB PC interface for fast down/uploading
- Digital voice recording/Mobile data storage function
- LCD displays song title, album, and artist information
- Direct connection into USB port (No cable required)/Upgradeable firmware/Plug and Play
- Digital preset EQ's (normal, rock, jazz, classic, & pop)
ASIN: B0008F6DCQ
Release Date: 2006-01-16
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Product Description
Be discreet when on the street with this diminutive MP3/WMA unit, which plugs in directly to your PC's USB port for quick up/downloading of files. See song title, album and artist displayed while playing back up to 4 hours of 60 MP3 songs or 6 hours of 120 WMA songs. Hear your thoughts read aloud with up to 16 hours of voice recording. Displays Song Title, Album and Artist Digital Preset EQ's (Normal, Classic, Rock, Jazz & Pop) Upgradeable Firmware PC and Mac Compatible Includes Installation CD /USB Cable/Carrying Strap/ Professional Digital Neckband Stereo Headphones Requires 1 x AAA Battery for MP3 Playback (Not Included) Dimensions (WxHxD) - 3.69 x 1.18 x 0.8 inches
Amazon.com Product Description
With a convenient size and shape that resembles a typical USB jump drive, this handy Coby MP3 player features 256 MB of built-in flash memory. The player plugs directly into your PC's USB port for quick file transfer. Its handy shape allows it to be easily stored in a shirt or pants pocket, an added bonus for those who like to take music along on bus rides or during exercise. In addition to storing music files for audio playback, the player features a mass storage mode you can use to store a variety of different files. Ideal for use in school or at work, the player comes with a voice recording mode for important lectures, business meetings, and personal journal notes. The player can record up to 16 hours of voice notes.
You can see song title, album, and artist information displayed on the built-in LCD screen while playing back up to 60 MP3 song files or up to 120 WMA song files. To ensure that all your favorite music genres sound optimally clear, the player includes digital equalizer presets for normal, classic, rock, jazz, and pop. With upgradable firmware, this player is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems. The player requires one AAA battery for playback (not included).
What's in the Box
MP-C841 MP3 player, stereo neck strap earphones, installation CD, and carrying strap.
The convenient size and shape resembles a USB jump drive, ideal for school or work. |
Simply connect the player to your PC or Mac with the mini USB cable, and start dragging music onto the device. |
Customer Reviews:
junk.......2007-04-27
This thing didn't last long at all. First month worked fine. Second month, the files started to randomly get shuffled into other files. Third month, the folder files were unable to be deleted off the player, and the screen gave foreign jargon instead of english, so I had to remember how to get to menu items by counting 'clicks' and 'ups and downs'. Fourth month, the screen went out. Bottom line, stick with a proven technology leader like Sandisk, who have been making quality flashdrives for years. I've got one of their players and have had not one problem for nearly a year.
wow it worked for 2 weeks.......2007-03-21
do not buy this item. i brought 2 and they both failed within 2 weeks. you get what you pay for.
Wonderful item.......2007-03-11
Works great, but drains battery life rather quickly I think. Very handy to have around when you need a usb flash drive.
The Best Cheap Mp3 player for MAC or PC.......2007-02-07
I had this for 1 1/2 years. I am a MAC person. So I wanted the cheapest MAC compatible player out there. IT WORKS EXCELLENT!! For both types! No reformating of the drive, you stick in a MAC it reads it or stick in a PC it reads it. You can't use Itunes with it but the software in the box works fine. It does the job. You get what you pay for which is true. Simple to use and drag and drop and your done. I use this for work as well (transport files).
TIP: if does fail go to the website and get the FIRMWARE UPDATE. I had mine freeze up b/c I snatch it right out of the port rushing to meet an appointment. I got the update and it works again, Great!
PS I have a NanoPod too, this is COBY player is still a great value.
great little product, but may be glitchy.......2007-01-26
The navagation buttons are a little odd. The music seemed to be glitchy, but I think that was my software I was using. It has been running fine for the last 6 months. Doesn't eat up batteries that bad. I use it jogging and has a hold button which is nice.
Product Description
Coby Electronics is a manufacturer of quality consumer electronics products designed to deliver outstanding performance for value conscious consumers who do not compromise on product performance. Coby incorporates new designs with innovative technologies to produce great looking and great performing consumer electronics products.PRODUCT FEATURES:Mobile data storage function;Synchronous lyric display function;LCD displays song title, and artist information;7-color display;Direct connection to USB port (no cable required);Digital preset EQs (Normal, Classic, Rock, Jazz & Pop);USB interface for fast file transfers;Digital FM tuner;Voice recording through integrated microphone.
Product Description
The TravelDrive USB 2.0 flash drive offers users a convenient way to store data, digital photos, video and MP3 files and then easily access them from any PC or Mac using the computer's USB port. The TravelDrive features a slim, cast aluminum design, pen-like cap, blue wrap around LED, and reinforced, drive-attached lanyard. This innovative design, combined with fast read and write speeds, makes storing and transferring files stylish and easy.
Customer Reviews:
Not worth it.......2007-10-10
The external covering is made of very cheap plastic.
I tried to insert a key chain into the end square-loop- which broke with a moderate amount of pressure.
I recommend any Kingston 1GB which you can find here for half!
Product Description
The IBM USB 2.0 memory key is athumb-size, lightweight, USB flash memory storage devices that let you share data between notebook and desktop systems with a functional USB port.
Customer Reviews:
This is amazing!.......2005-09-04
I'd heard of Flash Drives for years but held off on getting one. After using countless floppies, Zips, and CD-RWs for data exchange I decided it was time for a Flash Drive.
The memory key is compact. It's about the same size as a standard five-pack of Wrigley's gum. It also works quickly and reliably, and can connect to any USB-equipped Mac or Windows machine. Even though this is a USB 2.0 product it works fine on a USB 1.1 system--it just doesn't go at USB 2.0 speed.
This is useful in many situations. The most common is transporting files from an office, school, or library to a home computer. Another great use for the Flash Drive, however, is transferring files from an older machine to a new one. It's also good for those with more than one computer who need data synched.
My model number is 22P9240, but this seems to be the same product. There are other makes of these out there, but IBM is the best due to the reliability.
Note that the CD claims it requires Windows. This does, as previously stated, work on the Mac OS (both 9 and X). They don't need any drivers for this but the CD is still useful due to the PDF version of the manual it contains.
Product Description
The Cyclone Flash Key transfers data instantaneously and recognizes immediately as another drive. It has no moving parts. Drop it into your pocket or toss it to a friend. The Cyclone Flash Key plugs into a standard USB port and requires no software. It is ideal for quickly transferring files from a laptop to a desktop or vice versa and is perfect for any file format.
Customer Reviews:
Does the job, cheap and easy!.......2004-08-01
I have an older (4 years) Dell 7500 laptop running Win 98. I wanted a flash drive to use as a cheap and easy way to do backup because I have no r/w drive. All my s/w is licensed so all I was really concerned about was backing up Word, Excel and email files. My main concern from researching many of these devices was price, durability and the ability to work with my older and slower USB port.
This product had a nice price point for the memory size, 256 meg. The 128 sized drives out there are about 40% cheaper than the 256's, but I think the doubled size is worth the extra $20-$30. The larger drives are at a premium right now with the 512 meg drives going for more than double the 256er's, and larger storage jumping even higher. It was not worth it to me. I'm sure in a year or two, even multi-gigabyte sized flash drives will be available for cheap, but I wanted it now.
Next, I was a little concerned about this brand; I'd never heard of CD Cyclone. I did a little research though, and they seemed like a reasonably dependable company.
Finally, some of the newer model flash drives gave me some concern about compatibility with my older system and USB ports.
Amazon had the best price when I factored in their free shipping program. The product arrived sooner than promised; the free shipping is supposed to take 6-9 business days and I got it in about 5 days overall.
The product comes in sparse packaging with minimal documentation, the drive itself, a necklace cord, and a USB cable. Nothing else like a CD. The drive looks pretty cool, and weighs next to nothing. I popped open the cap to check that there was SOMETHING inside. (There was!)
The documentation says that newer operating systems than mine will do plug-and-play, but Win98 required downloading a small file (a driver, I guess) and rebooting before the device will be recognized. After installing the file and rebooting, it was plug-and-play instantly.
Using the drive from that point was extremely easy. It showed up on My Computer as the "E" drive, and all I had to do was drag the files I wanted onto it. It took about 30 seconds to copy about 80 megs of files. It couldn't have been simpler. Later I took the Flash Drive to a friend's computer running Win 2000, popped the drive in a USB slot, and was instantly able to read my backed up files.
It feels good knowing that if my older laptop dies or the disc crashes, I've got my files safely backed up. This was cheap and easy peace of mind.
The age of "Star Trek" type storage is here.......2003-02-02
Specifications: Like most "USB ram drives" this device is the size of the average disposable lighter and about as heavy. The interface is USB version 1.1, which means that you can expect a transfer rate of about 1.5MB a second. The ram configuration is static, which means that you cannot upgrade the drive for greater memory capacity. The drive is plug n play for Windows ME, 2000 and XP only. Other operating systems will need a driver update.
Performance: Plugging this drive into the USB port of my computer, the drive was instantly recognized and installed. Within "MY COMPUTER" it was listed as a removable drive for ME, 2000 and XP. I have not tried any other OS.
There is no special formatting necessary to get the drive to work with Windows operating systems. These drives behave as any other hard drive. Files can be written and deleted with simple drag and drop actions. Copying enough files to fill the entire 256MB of this drive took about 5 minutes, as expected.
Quality and Fit: These drives are small enough to put into your pocket, and easy to misplace as well. All manufactures offer some way secure the device to a tether and wear around the neck or on a key chain. Unfortunately, the case these devices come in are often flimsy and will likely wear out and break eventually, exposing the ram and board inside to the elements. Additionally, The cap that protects the USB connector will likely be lost within a couple of weeks. Again, this exposes the device to the elements and limits the mobility characteristics.
This drive is small enough to fit into a USB interface without an additional cable extension, though one is provided. It is a tight fit when there is another USB device next to it though.
Other issues: Because not all computers have Windows ME and up installed on them, you will need to take the driver CD with you when you take your "ram drive" out to remote locations.
It is sometimes inconvienent to plug the ram drive into USB Ports on the back of a computer. A front USB port on a computer is a welcome site.
Because the drive uses the USB 1.1 interface, the read and write speed is limited. Other drives use the USB 2.0 standard and can read and write data much faster. Above 256 Megs this becomes relevant.
Other drives have the ability to change out multiple ram cards to make the USB drive truly flexible. Those drives tend to be twice the size however.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
-Does everything it should do, and fills an important void in computer storage
-Very Small and convenient for transport
-USB interface available on most all computers made within the last 5 years
-All recent computers use ME and above for a OS (USB Plug N Play)
-About a million read/write operations before the ram fails
Cons:
-Small size makes it easy to lose
-Cost is still too high for mass adoption
-Need to carry around drivers for older or special OS
-Flimsy case will not likely last long
-Write times not as fast as USB 2.0 (1GB = 20 MIN)
Cheap Consumer Electronics:
- Sony Micro Vault Tiny 2 GB USB Flash Drive (USM2GH)
- TEAC 24X Slimline CDRom PCMCIA Portable Drive For Notebooks Retail
- TEAC 24X Slimline CDRom PCMCIA Portable Drive For Notebooks Retail
- Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB Drive 2GB
- Western Digital 1TB Mybook External Hard Drive Essential Edition
- Western Digital 80GB Sata HDD, 7200 Rpm, 8M (WD800JD)
- Western Digital WD1600JSRTL Caviar 160GB SATA Hard Drive
- Western Digital WDG1U5000 My Book Essential Edition 500 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive
- Western Digital WDG1U7500N My Book Essential Edition 750 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive
- Western Digital WDXMS1200TN Passport 120 GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive
Cheap Consumer Electronics List
Cheap Consumer Electronics
Olympus ME-15 Microphone
Sony ECM-CS10 Tie-Clip-Style Omnidirectional Business Microphone
Sony FS85USB Digital Recoder Transcription Kit
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Preferred
Olympus TP-7 Telephone Recording Device
Targus PA400U DEFCON 1 Ultra Notebook Computer Security System
Sony MDR-V500DJ Monitor Series Headphones with Swivel Earcups
Sony MDR-V700DJ DJ Style Monitor Series Headphones
Sony MDR-V600 Studio Monitor Series Headphones with Circum-Aural Earcup Design
Sennheiser HD600 Over-Ear Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Professional Stereo Headphones (Black)
