USB Stick MP3 Player

This flash drive/voice recorder/MP3 player is the size of two sticks of chewing gum but holds the same number of songs as a 6-CD changer.
This flash drive/voice recorder/MP3 player is the size of two sticks of chewing gum but holds the same number of songs as a 6-CD changer.

MP3 players are getting smaller, more useful, and less expensive all the time. I recently bought the DiskGO MP3 player, which is about the size of two sticks of chewing gum but holds the same number of songs as a 6-CD changer. This flash memory player holds 256MB of any files you want, so it is actually a portable disk drive as well as a music player. To copy or transfer files, just insert it into any USB port and drag and drop the ones you want.

The sound is surprisingly good, with plenty of volume. The supplied ear buds are cleverly integrated into a neck lanyard making this one of the most convenient "necklace players" on the market. The DiskGO design is so light and convenient, I find myself using it constantly and rarely resorting to my PDA or a bulkier "lump in the pocket" MP3 players even though they hold far more tunes. DiskGO also functions as a voice recorder and USB flash drive, so this is a great value.

The operating buttons are well designed and pretty intuitive. Short press = next/previous track, while long press = volume up/down. Play/pause button toggles easily. The side slide switch turns the unit on & off. In the off position, the unit functions as a flash drive even if the battery is fully drained.

There are some notable limitations, although they don't bother me:

  1. The battery is not replaceable, so once it no longer holds a charge, the MP3 player will be useless even though the flash drive will continue to work fine.
  2. This unit ONLY plays MP3s and WAV files, not WMAs or other formats.
  3. There is no equalizer, no shuffle, and no repeat feature.
  4. Songs are always played in the order they are burned to the drive, so be sure you like that first album!
  5. The unit only recognizes individual MP3 files, so you can't play different folders. You must just copy the songs themselves directly onto the flash drive.
  6. There's no LCD readout, so you cannot tell what's on the drive or what song file is playing without connecting to a PC.

When the unit is off, it recharges from your USB port. And, it's both MAC and PC compatible. In short, this is one of the best options if you are looking for a simple, low cost, ultralight MP3 Player/USB stick/Digital Voice Recorder combo. The 256MB version runs about $99 online while the 128MB model is available for under $80. Details are available at www.edgememory.com/products/diskgo/default.htm.



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