Imation RipGO!

Mobile music is getting more and more popular and supply is determined by demand. So the assortment of models is getting wider at a scaringly fast pace. Some novelties resemble the predecessors like two peas, some are really eye-catching. Imation RipGO! that recently appeared on the Moscow market no doubt can be referred to the latter.

But before we take a closer look at it let's recall where the watershed between the flash- and MP3-CD-players lies. The definite plus of MP3-CD-players is their cheapness, the 700 MB of the recording media where you can fit about 200 songs, they are easily available whenever you need and they cost less than $1. MP3-players storing data on flash-cards are a symbol of absolute portability. The times when the most diminutive models were as big as cigarette-boxes are gone - today even the smallest are at least twice as small.

Therefore, the pros of one player are cons of another - MP3-CD-players are restricted by the not quite small 5.25", but the flash player, despite the continuous price drops is still quite expensive as compared to CD-disks - a 128 MB SmartMedia card today costs as high as $55. As a result, you have to take a lot of trouble recording new files on one and the same card, while with MP3-CD all is much simpler - you insert a compact disc which suits your current mood and that's it. Market and nature can't stand the extremes, so the niche between these poles was filled quite quickly by MP3-CD-players designed for 3.5" diskettes. Yes, their capacity is several times as smaller compared to their 5.25" counterparts - merely 185 MB with the standard recording density, but the dimensions immediately won the golden middle between the above approaches.

Sure, the x1.5 downsizing compared to ordinary MP3-CD- players, however, does not allow to reach the diminutiveness of the flash-media players but already makes it possible to put the player into the pocket of your shirt, let alone any other jacket. Yes, a 4-fold downsizing is definitely not pleasing, but anyway 185 MB at $1 sounds more appealing than 128 MB at $55, morever, the 185 MB are enough to fit tens of songs or a couple of albums.

At a first glance, RipGO! fits within this class of devices and embodies their maximum functionality. Namely:

• it comprehends various compression format files, from MP3 to WMA.
• the 8 MB buffer guarantees not only continuous playback of music at any jolting conditions but allows to save power per single battery charging.
• the graphic LCD with highlight provides a quite adequate display of the tree-like structure of folders on disks
• with the 7-mode equalizer you can select whatever you like - from rock, techno up to classics and pops.
• USB interface makes the data exchange with the computer maximumally easy

Add the standard "industrial" design in here...

.. and the above mentioned diminutiveness:

and you get an almost ideal MP3-player. Among the pluses there is one thing worth mentioning which is missing in flash-card MP3-players - it's the use of a built-in LiOn battery which is enough for 5 hours of continuous play, and the minus is the lack of belt clip or any other fixture to keep the player fastened on the belt. Having shoved the player into the breast pocket of my jacket I can enjoy its convenience, but the thought of coming summer turned my joy a bit down: despite the diminutiveness you can't put it into the jeans pocket (although it's all right for sports trousers or whatever).

All in all, Imation got a not bad at all result, and with the average price $150, the player is good value for money since the price includes a pair of clean disks and good headphones, not those ear plugs, so the $150 can be regarded as the "net" price of the player.

By the way, speaking of the headphones we can assert the following: the sound is the best ever heard with MP3-players, it's pure, rich, without slight distortions. Of course, the impression can't be impartial, moreover, I do not belong to audiophiles, so you can either take my opinion or ignore it. But, again, in my opinion, the sound is excellent.

Is that all? No, because the most interesting stuff starts just here, namely, with the super-bonus that makes RipGO stand out from many of its counterparts. On buying it you won't have to buy a CD-RW drive - the player is able writing 3.5" CD-R disks itself. For that, it suffices to plug it to the computer via the USB port while working as a normal external CD-R drive! And that does make a difference, doesn't it? The first difference is in the price as well as the ease of use: you get a good audio device which is able to both play and record sound.

Looking forward to seeing DataPlay players on the New Year, but until they are released, Imation RipGO! is my personal favourite.