|
|
|
|
Technology Bytes
by Francine Brokaw
The Pocket Concert Audio Player
From Intel
The box says "Big Concert Sound To Go," and they aren't kidding!
Portable music has never been easier to create, or sounded so good. The Intel Pocket Concert Audio Player comes with easy to install software, which includes the Intel Audio Manager, sample music, and MusicMatch Plus. MusicMatch is a great program in itself for making and playing music on your PC, and the Plus version is definitely a "plus" for any music lover. MusicMatch Plus lets you easily "rip" music from CDs and create music files from LPs. The unit also comes with comfortable foam earphones and a removable belt clip. This compact player has 128 MB of built-in memory and holds up to four hours of music. There is an 11mW amplifier and a built-in Digital FM radio with ten preset stations. The player supports MP3 and WMA formats and has the ability to add support for future file formats.
Now that I have all the statistics out of the way, let's get down to business. Setting up the system takes only a few seconds. First install the software and then connect the USB plug. Windows will install the drivers and then you're set and ready to go.
The Intel Audio Manager program makes it effortless to move music from your computer to the audio player. The audio manager window is divided into two sections. On the "my computer" side you will browse to find the music files you want to add to the player. On the "player" side you will see the selections already in the player. In the middle there is a "Transfer to Player" button. When you select your music files click the button and they're automatically copied to the player. There's nothing to learn and no complicated directions to remember. It's a no-brainer! You can also delete any or all of the music in the player any time the player is connected to the computer.
When you have the songs you want in the player, you can then disconnect the player from your computer and now you have your personal music to take anywhere. Just insert the earphones, turn on the player, and enjoy full, rich sound. And I mean that. The sound quality is fabulous. The LCD window on the front lists the tracks, and a wheel on the side allows you to scroll to any song you want. If you leave the wheel alone, the tracks will play in the order they are listed. The volume is controlled on the top and there are easy to push play/pause, forward and back buttons. There's a small button on the side for the times you want to switch to the Digital FM radio.
Intel has an additional accessory kit to go with the Pocket Concert Audio Player. The Intel Audio Accessory Kit includes the Audio Stereo Dock, which allows you to connect the player to your home stereo speakers or other external powered speakers. The Audio Car Adapter lets you connect the player to your car speakers via the cassette player in your automobile. Simply plug the cassette adapter into the Pocket Concert and insert the cassette into the cassette player. You'll now be able to enjoy your music while you drive. A special neoprene carrying case protects the player when you are on the go, and rechargeable batteries help save money and the environment.
I love this unit. The only thing I would change would be the addition of a memory card to save the play lists. Otherwise, this is the top of the line in portable digital music. It's lightweight, easy to use, has incredible sound, and additional useful accessories. The Intel Pocket Concert was created for the discriminate music lover who knows good sound quality makes or breaks the music. And if you're like me, music can really brighten even the darkest days. In these times when the world seems like doom and gloom, let music cheer you up, wherever you are. With this player, taking my music with me wherever I go is a breath of fresh air, even in the smog!
The Pocket Concert Audio Player currently lists for $249.99 after the $50 mail in rebate. The Accessory Kit lists for $59.99. You can purchase them both for $299.99 after the mail in rebate. For more information, visit the Intel Pocket Concert site.
Note: Intel is stopping production of their cameras, audio products, and toys, and are selling out the remainder of their inventory. From now on they will focus on the internal computer products like memory, processor chipsets, and the real guts of the computer. However, they will continue to provide support for their other products. Drivers and software are available at the Intel site. Intel products are top quality and I am not the least bit hesitant to recommend purchasing these products while they are still available.
© 2001 Francine Brokaw
Let's Talk About It!
Issues newsgroup
Join us to talk about this article!
|
|
|
