Date: November 12th, 2002
Article by: Nathan Glentworth (Head Editor & Hardware Reviewer)
Product was donated by: Samsung Canada
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PRODUCT FEATURES AND SETUP

Just what do I get?

The package includes two "AAA" batteries, the users manual (you will use this twice), a warranty card, a set of decent earbud headphones, a arm strap for the athletic runners (I won't be using it! ;) ), a carrying case with belt clip, a USB cable for loading songs and the actual player itself. Now one thing that confused me was the whereabouts of the driver and application CD. I searched and searched and finally tore the package apart to find the mini CD enclosed within the base. I found it a little humorous ripping the package apart in frustration, but in the end, I guess I was suffering from a mild case of localized retardation =D.

One of the advantages of this player is its size and weight. As you can see by the photo, this little unit is indeed tiny and I can tell you from experience that the majority of the weight is contained within the batteries themselves and not the actual player. On the downside, the unit doesn't have a place to put in any optional memory, so you will be stuck with only 64megs of memory. Mind you, that internal 64megs should enable you to store close to 25-30 songs if you stick to 128 kbit/sec mp3 format.

Turning the unit over on its side will reveal the USB connection, the mode button for accessing the settings within the player, and the main control toggle which allows you to forward tracks, scroll through the menu options and/or change the radio station. I will not be going through the menu options in this player due to the fact that there is indeed too many and the size of this review would expand from a three page document to a 6-7 page review. The manual does an amazing job helping you with the features and curiosity will teach you the features quite quickly.

One of the unique features included is the capability to digitally record your voice or covertly record someone else's while looking like you are listening to music. The active range is about 5 feet and anything beyond that is too faint to make out. Now most people won't use this option, but it could come in handy for reminding yourself with a voice memo while listening to music or for recording a small meeting etc.

Samsung was smart enough to include a handy carrying case for transporting the unit. This is indeed a great idea. Most MP3 players lately come with that crappy wrist strap that I find useless and in so many words is a little feminine for my taste and offers no shock protection.

Now, strap on the arm band and you can have "hands-free" listening while you go on your morning jog. As said before, I am in no way a jogger, so this was not field tested. Heh!