Samsung YP-K3 - 4GB MP3 Player - With Photoviewer

Looks aside(although it is extremely eye-catching)this Player is very easy to set up/use and the sound quality is excellent with my own Senheiser earbuds. The first thing I did after purchase was check out the prices for a 'powered usb hub' as someone said in their review that this was the cheapest/easiest way to charge away from your pc. I found Aldi selling a 7-port one for just under eight pounds and it comes in black or white so I bought this.

Took everything out of the box then attached the Player to the powered hub and when I switched on was gobsmacked to see that both the Player and Hub glowed blue which looked pretty cool... anyway while the Player charged I popped the Samsung CD in the laptop. Instead of automatically installing three options came up (1) install software (2) read manual - for which you need 'acrobat reader' or (3) cancel. So I read the manual and realised I didn't need to install any software as the Player would work by dragging/dropping using either Windows Media Player or Real Player, both of which I have. It stated in the manual that the Player takes approx 4hrs to charge but only took 2. So doing the first charge with the hub showed that they were compatible with each other and worked fine. Now I know I can take the Player anywhere and charge as the hub is so small (approx 3.5 x 2.5 inches) it sits in my pocket.

Attached the Player to laptop and XP recognised/installed it and in less than 20 seconds up popped the normal window asking what I wanted to do. Worked through to the 'music' folder and from here just dragged and dropped files from 'My Music Folder'. At the moment I have 51 Albums on the Player and still have about 1.5Gb left.

This is the first item I've purchased that is touch-sensitive and this was my only concern, however this has been totally unfounded as it is so easy to use - just the gentlest of taps brings up a miriad of glowing lights which are crystal clear. On the side there is a lock button for when it's in a pocket.

I cannot fault the Player at all it gets five stars in every category from me. Looks, quality, ease of use, sound, weight and size (the profile of this Player is amazing) no buttons nothing sticking out just a sea of black gloss and so feather-light. Put this next to an ipod and there is absolutely no contest and no silly memory-grabbing software on your computer either. This morning on the way to work four people on the bus were intrigued enough to tap me on the shoulder to enquire about it!

I purchased this in February out of curiosity after several years of loyal iPod purchases. Overall, I'd say this is the only real competitor to the Nano in style terms. It's slightly thinner than the Nano, although also wider and taller. The touch sensitive controls (which are reminiscent of my old 3G ipod/the LG Chocolate) and the OLED screen give it a unique look.

Pros: - Great sound quality. Fully customisable EQ available via firmware update from Samsung is far superior to the ipod's distortion prone presets.
- FM radio built in
- Stylish interface, with lots of animation etc. Especially like the "Graphic EQ" effect while songs are playing
- Songs transferred using drag-and-drop in Windows Explorer
- Good battery life for something so sleek. The OLED screen seems to save lots of power

Cons: - Not Mac compatible unless you apply a firmware update which messes up browsing by artist, album etc
- No ability to make playlists on the go as far as I know
- Fairly scratch-prone (although not as fragile feeling as the iPod)
- No video playback (can't see why why you'd want to watch videos on a device this size anyway)
- Some may find the touch controls fiddly

For Windows users this is a great purchase. Players from Creative and Sandisk probably have more functionality but for simple music playback I reckon only this matches the style/simplicity of the ipod. I recommend matching it with a pair of Sennheiser CX300 earbuds for best sound quality

had it now for 5 days ( ypk3 ) the best thing i have ever brought windows media player needed up dates , not a problem software easy to use ,design album covers brillant, touch screen sensative but ok , good quality on photo:s ,battery life very good ,brought a hama usb plug to charge it up with out having to use pc .sound settings very good ,very slim and lite weight,would like a protective cover for it ,go and buy one you will not be disappointed .