Creative Labs 128 MB NOMAD IIc MP3 Player

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Manufacturer: Creative Labs
Price at amazon.com: $69.88
Usually ships within 24 hours

Product Features:

• 128 MB onboard flash memory
• Doubles as a voice recorder for capturing classes, meetings, seminars, and notes
• 4 presets and 1 custom setting; bass and treble control
• Up to 10 hours playback on 1 AA battery
• Includes USB cable, headphones, installation CD-ROM, and AA battery

Product Description:

Description from Manufacturer:The Creative Labs Nomad IIc is one of those gadgets that are so much fun to play with, you find yourself forgetting they're useful, too. When portable MP3 players first hit the market, they were relatively simple devices good for one thing: playing MP3 files. Now, as companies have learned customers want more than just that, today's devices can no longer be described as just MP3 players.

The Nomad IIc's most overlooked feature is that it is a digital voice recorder. Since voice recordings aren't the memory hogs that music files are, the Nomad IIc can record up to four hours' worth. This feature is perfect for dictating messages to yourself or for the fledging journalist recording interviews, and you can even upload voice files from the Nomad IIc to your PC.

From an audio perspective, the Nomad IIc couldn't have performed any better. The equalizer had good settings, and the ability to program user-defined settings was awesome. A wired remote control and bass-enhanced, behind-the-head headphones completed the package.

MP3 players are great for music lovers on the go. Because they have no moving parts, they're well-known for delivering skip-free music. To test the Nomad IIc, we loaded it up with some hip-hop and headed down to the local BMX spot in San Francisco. With the player clipped to a belt, we put it through its paces over a multitude of jumps, with more than enough crashes. We did our best to make it skip, but it performed perfectly (but beware--the Nomad IIc isn't scratch-proof). Only after the battery started to get low (the Nomad IIc offers 8 to 10 hours of playback) did performance degrade. But this was easily remedied by dropping in a new AA battery.

This version of the Nomad IIc has 128 MB of onboard memory, but it does include a slot for SmartMedia memory cards. As additional memory is still relatively expensive, and most of us don't have extra cards lying around the house, there will come a time when you'll tire of the songs on the device. And without the presence of your PC--and no additional SmartMedia cards--you'll be at a loss.

MP3 music, like everything else technology related, is in constant flux. Recognizing that, Creative Labs ships the Nomad IIc with reprogrammable firmware that should enable it to support digital audio formats and software extensions as they emerge. So you should be able to enjoy your Nomad IIc for years to come. --William O'Neal

Pros:

• Awesome sound
• Lightweight
• USB interface makes connecting to your computer simple and downloading fast

Cons:

• Simple software could be more robust
• Navigating the LCD menu can be a pain

Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Great sound for a great price Rating:
Have owned the Nomad IIc for a month and haven't dropped it yet, so I can't attest to its durability. Top rating from Consumer Reports (for the 64MB version) influenced my buying decision. The "quick setup guide" is not much help, so if you need detailed setup instructions, install the PDF manual from the CD like other users have suggested. Don't bother downloading the manual from the Nomadworld site - it's exactly the same as the one on the CD, only with some annotations. Setup was easy after reading the aforementioned manual - install the software, plug in the player, transfer the files. Have used both the PlayCenter 2 software and the MusicMatch Jukebox Nomad plug-in to transfer files; since I rip CDs using MusicMatch, I prefer using that program, but the two perform identically in terms of letting you know how much memory is left, etc. Be sure to pick up a 128MB SmartMedia card to expand memory capacity (256MB total will hold 50-plus 128 kbps MP3 files). Written documentation for inserting and removing the card is nowhere to be found, but just look at the two little pictures on the back side of the player (where the battery cover is) and the instructions are right there. Actually putting in and taking the card out is a little tricky, especially if you have RSI like me - you may need to take the battery out first! Would give this product five stars if it didn't come with a stingy 90-day warranty and those extremely uncomfortable, ear-pinching "backphones". Use your favorite pair of headphones or earbuds instead. Either way, the sound is awesome for such a small device - after all, Creative is a leader in sound cards - and the player is easy to use once you've gone through the menus and controls a few times. Have it set on a pretty low volume (around 2 or 3) and it's quite loud enough with the Sony earphones I use.
Overall, an excellent product. Just hope it doesn't conk out on the 91st day...

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Comment: great product Rating:
I bought my Nomad IIc just 2 months ago, and have loved it ever since. It is so easy to use, and coming from someone that is technologically challenged, that is a huge compliment. It has very easy to install/use software that makes adding and deleting songs a breeze. It also provides great sound, and a long lasting battery life (6-8 hours) off of only 1 AA battery!

Some negatives I found are as follows:
1) the headphones- they are so uncomfortable. After the first few hours of wearing them, I went out and bought a nicer pair.
2) the look- compared to most other mp3 players I have seen (including other nomads), the IIc is very boring looking. It has a matte silver finish that makes it look more like a toy mp3 player.
3) The instruction manual could use some help...I am still waiting to find out what a few of the buttons do.
4) It doesn't come with a mini remote for easy navigation. I run everyday, and in order to skip a song or increase the volume, I have to remove the player from my pocket to see the buttons.
5) it is slightly bigger than most other mp3 players I have seen. It is much smaller than a cd player though.

Overall, for the price, durability, and memory provided (128) it is a great investment. I have yet to encounter any major problems (knock on wood!).

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Comment: Good Unit Bad Weak Software Rating:
Have had this unit for a couple years. Also have a 3rd gen 15 gb iPod. Size and weight are major pluses. With expansion card over two hours music. No hard drive, no skips.

The Creative software is poor. I really dislike it. I have to have the original cd just to get the most recent versions. Go to Red Chair Software and get Notmad software which is Windows Explorer like. Very nice and fast compared the Creative's.

One AA battery is very nice.

For a quick music fix get the Nomad.

Posted at November 11, 2003 05:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)