Archos Ondio 128MB MP3 PLAYER

Minues:
- no backlight
- no power source other than batteries
- no rechargable battery support
- screen is narrow, which requires lots of scrolling(i.e. waiting) to see info
- can't access card and builtin memory at same time
- no quick access (1 button) to scan through pre-set radio stations
- quirky flash process that requires you to leave the updated firmware on device. The process hosed my device and I have to send it back. They don't provide a PC means of flashing the player, the player flashes itself, so if something is wrong with the player OS, you're [out of luck].

My email asking whehter >128MB cards would work in the player went unanswered but I still bought the player. I wanted something small and shock proof and expandable. This fit the bill.

Add in backlight and the ability to draw power from the usb hub, I would give it five stars. Manual is of marginal quality. Accessories are good. Comes with a case that doesn't quite fit and headphones that are dull but this is fairly standard.

I later found out that the external flash support is a little flakey. Songs played from my one lexar 128mb mmc are incredibily choppy or nothing is heard at all. Flash fit is very tight and difficult to manage at best. This aspect of the device is flawed.

However, the rest of the device works quite well. Really do miss not having a backlight available.

- I bought the Ondio mostly as a voice recorder, and I am very pleased with it in that capacity. It records directly to MP3 files and the recordings sound great (slight hiss). I record mostly in my car and the background noise is not a factor.

- The MP3 player works great as well. Good sound, loud enough, good capacity.

- The entire unit functions as a USB drive, so you just plug it in and move files on and off through the file system. Super easy and straight forward.

Cons:

- Other reviewers are right about the radio reception. Walking around the house causes even the most powerful signals in my area to cut out. The headphone cord is the antenna so maybe that can be fixed with a better cord(?). Probably not so good for runners. However, if you can get a steady signal, you can record to MP3 very easily, which is kinda cool.

- The "Line In" port does not allow you to use normal PC microphones, which is sad. Apparently, "powered mics" work, but I haven't tried it. The internal mic is very good however.

- The case does not fit quite right (partially covers button) and doesn't provide more than cushioning. No belt clip.

I have read reviews by others, and many of the complaints are non-an-issue thanks to the firmware upgrade. There have been a major upgrade in firmware 1.32b, and most bugs are eliminated. I expect other bugs be corrected and new features (such as WMA support) be added soon. The firmware upgrade is easy as a flip.

Features I like:

(1) Line-in recording. This really makes music conversion easy.
(2) Unlike other brands, recording is coded in MP3 directly.
(3) Easy USB connection. No software is needed, as the device is recognized as a removable drive. So you can drag and drop files between your computer and the Ondio.
(4) Sound quality is excellent.

Features I am happy to have although wish it better:

(1) FM (this is an bonus compared to the RipFlash Plus) has reception for only a few station (only those with VERY strong signal). But the quality is good. The reason may be that it filters out weak signals. Really not a big deal.
(2) Built-in mic recording is just OK. I heard others saying a preamplified microphone is needed to make decent recording.
(3) The carrying pouch does not fit the player very well. I probably won't use it at all.

The sound is very loud and the level is ajusted via the earphone instead of the player. This may be the reason that the battery life is only 12 hours from three AAA batteries, compared with 20 hours from 2 AAA. Too much a difference in my oppinion.

Overall, I am happy with the purchase. I also paid less for it.