RE: Creative Labs 6 Gig MP3 Player

["Paul Gordon" <paul_gordon@xxxxxxx>]

Well, I wouldn't go "quite" so low-spec for MP3 playback, but I
agree with
the basic point - the DAP costs about £300 does it not?  Many computer
vendors can supply a brand-new entry-level PC for about that amount! (or
not
very much more)...

I wouldn't use less than a Pentium CPU, at least 266 for MP3 playback, - I
once tried using a Pentium 133 (old laptop), but it was jumpy and
unsatisfactory. This would of course not be an issue if you used one of the
LP3 hardware dongles to do the "grunt" work...

Once set-up, you wouldn't even have to bother leaving a screen on it or
anything... if you have other PC's at work, drop any old low-spec pentium
on
the LAN, and use VNC or PcAnywhere to remote control it, or, better still,
get one of these from Keene electronics:

http://www.keene.co.uk/pages/cat/18rem/181-remext.html
then scroll down to the "IRGizmo"

Presumably you'd be turning the device off at the end of each day anyway,
so
the (un)reliability of a Windows OS shouldn't be an issue, but if it's a
convern, I guess you could always use some flavour of Linux... (and then
ave
even lower hardware requirements!)

So, it "could" be done with a PC for a very similar cost as the
DAP, but
then you'd have the advantages of being able to upgrade the hardware
whenever you need to, choice of your favourite MP3 software, and remote
control (either PC remote control or IR)

£0.02

Paul G.

(PS, I've nothing against the DAP....)



>
>You could nip down to a local computer fair and buy an old 486, stick
an
>old
>Sound Blaster in it and run off of WinAmp.  Bet ya, it'll cost less
than
>the
>DAP.
>
>Andy
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark McCall [mailto:mark@xxxxxxx]
>Sent: 26 March 2001 17:16
>To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Creative Labs 6 Gig MP3 Player
>
>
>Yeah...we'll be feeding into and amp.  We'll also be feeding it into
our
>phone switch for music on hold (we're using a personal CD player for
that
>at
>the moment).
>
>Thanks
>
>M.
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Brown, Andy  <mailto:andyb@xxxxxxx> [Infrastructure]
>To: 'ukha_d@xxxxxxx' <mailto:'ukha_d@xxxxxxx'>
>Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 5:11 PM
>Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Creative Labs 6 Gig MP3 Player
>
>I think it does continuous (I'll check).  It will do random play as
well,
>although to get to these features requires some hunting around in the
>menus!
>
>I guess if you fully load it up with 150Cds, it'll take a while to get
>through them all any way.
>
>Presumably, you'll be putting it through some kind of amp?  I bought a
>couple of cheapo passive speakers (£8!) and the sound was crap - not
that
>I'd expect much from an ear piece output, but you'll definitely  need
to
>boost it with something.
>
>Andy
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark McCall [mailto:mark@xxxxxxx]
>Sent: 26 March 2001 17:04
>To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Creative Labs 6 Gig MP3 Player
>
>
>We'd be using it on mains so battery life isn't an issue.  We'd also be
>playing through our lo-fi mono ceiling speakers setup on the shop
floors.
>
>Can you tell me if you can set it to play continous repeat?
>
>I want to just download tracks onto it, turn it on and walk away.  I
>imagine
>I would only turn it off once a quater to change the tracks.
>
>Pity I don't have a spare PC.
>
>M.
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>
>From: Brown, Andy  <mailto:andyb@xxxxxxx> [Infrastructure]
>To: 'ukha_d@xxxxxxx' <mailto:'ukha_d@xxxxxxx'>
>Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 4:58 PM
>Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Creative Labs 6 Gig MP3 Player
>
>I wouldn't bother with it, in this incarnation any way.
>
>The software is pretty basic and fiddly, the battery life questionable,
>sound quality iffy (it has a lot of preset EQ sound effects like
>Auditorium,
>Concert hall etc - but I couldn't really tell any difference and
resorted
>back to None!).
>
>The transfer software's ok and it's quite quick at downloading songs
(USB).
>
>Each time a new track starts, the hard disk spins up, it buffers the
track
>and then spins down again.  The spinning up / down can be quite noisy
and I
>suspect this is what kills the batteries as well.
>
>I don't know how it fairs with jogs etc as I've only really used it
>stationary.
>
>May be I've got a duff one?
>
>Having said all that - I've no idea how it compares with it's
competitors.
>
>Andy
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark McCall [mailto:mark@xxxxxxx]
>Sent: 26 March 2001 16:40
>To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>Subject: [ukha_d] Creative Labs 6 Gig MP3 Player
>
>
>Anyone got one of these yet?
>http://www.europe.creative.com/jukebox/about/
><http://www.europe.creative.com/jukebox/about/>
>
>Want one for background music at work but want a few questions answered
>first.
>
>Anyone?
>
>Thanks
>
>M.
>
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