From: George Michaelson <ggm_at_apnic.net>
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 16:53:16 +1000

I like my Archos Jukebox Recorder, and I found a 20Gb disk about the sweetspot
for the variety of music needed, available playtime (around 10-12 hours given
better batteries). I expect in 2 years time I'll be on a 2/hand 40gb disk or
something, but for now I can find something worth listening to from 20Gb of
material.

If FM radio matters to you, then in Archos form factor you need the FM unit
clearly. If not, don't give up on the older player models, sourced secondhand if
need be.

For a non-jukebox form thing, I think I like the philips mini-cd MP3 player very
much. A colleague has one, and finds the density of MP3 recording he can fit on
a mini-cd, and its anti-skip buffer size really hits the sweetspot. Its a much
longer battery life (20-30 hours from memory) and very very stylish/small. Of
course it does mean stopping every now and then to change a mini-CD, but thats
not such a great price to pay.

the density of these mini-CD's with MP3 is close to that of AATRAC devices, and
you shouldnt ignore minidisc players. they are phenominally well made devices,
small and light. However I think MP3 is good enough, and a minicd holds about
4-5 LPs worth at a low bitrate encoding.

There was a compaq device in the same niche as the philips mp3 mini-cd player.
It may be off the market by now. cruder construction, but otherwise the same, in
a less stylish enclosure.

There. a Jukebox owner who isn't a bigot. you get plusses and minuses from both.

I wish Archos had made the form factor just a bit smaller. I love my JBR, but
compared to an Ipod its like a VW beetle to a porche :-)

cheers, happy cycling (and watch out for those speeding cars you won't hear...)

-George
Received on 2003-08-06