The tiny gadget that packs a punch
Written: Dec 25 '03
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Pros: Small, light, sexy, and packed with features.
Cons: Avoid using the supplied headphones and belt clip.
The Bottom Line: Fantastic, buy this now! Other players for the same price don't have half the Jobyee's features!
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| andrewc2004's Full Review: BenQ Joybee 120 MP3 Player |
Firstly, I am amazed at the size of this thing. It's tiny, about the size of a Zippo cigarette lighter. You can read it's dimensions (which are 57 x 38 x 11.5mm) over and over but you don't really appreciate how small it actually is until you are holding it. It's also light, at just 24 grammes.
I'm sure you've already done some research so I'll just quickly recap it's main features:
Plays MP3 & WMA (not sure if WMA is avilable on all models)
Plays FM Radio
Records voice (via built-in mic)
Records FM Radio
Available in 64/128/256mb versions
Available in Orange/Green/Silver
The product manufacturer's homepage for the joybee 120 is at http://www.benq-eu.com/Products/mp3player/index.cfm?product=359
In the box you get:
The Joybee 120
A very useful carrying case for everything
A pair of in-ear headphones with volume control
A USB cable
A belt clip pouch for the Joybee
A neck chain with clip
A CD with drivers, software and manuals
Various bits of paperwork to introduce you to the product
The headphones are a bit crappy, and don't even have sponge covers on the end that goes in your ears. Possibly if you add sponges, they would be more practical to use but until then I would recommend using your favourite pair of headphones. Having a volume control on the cable is a good idea because adjusting the volume on the Joybee is a multi-button pressing adventure. The cable isn't long enough to reach from your ears to your trouser pockets, so wearing it around your neck is pretty much your only option when using these headphones.
The belt clip is nice, but I found that it is a very tight fit, and often buttons were pressed that I really didn't want to be pressed. I recommend attaching the neck chain and tuck it inside your top.
The USB cable is approx 1m long and is white in colour.
Along the top of the unit are 5 buttons and the headphone jack. These buttons are how you control the joybee. They are:
- Menu/On/Off
- Repeat A-B, LCD backlight
- Skip back, menu up
- Skip forward, menu down
- Play, pause, stop, cancel
Down the right hand side is the mini USB socket (which is also where you can plug in the mains charger), the master on/off switch, and the inbuilt microphone.
Before using the Joybee, I recommend reading the manual, and following along and do the actions on the Joybee as you read about them. This is a good way to get a feel for how the product works.
When playing a track, you get some on screen information about the current file. It shows which number track in your playlist it is, and how many tracks there are total. You get a timer for how long the track has played, as well as how long the track will last. It also scrolls information about the track, but I think it just shows the file name (minus the extension) and doesn't read the ID3 tags. As such, I recommend giving your files sensible names!
It has all the usual repeat functions, repeat one, repeat all, and a random repeat (which I assume will play random tracks until told to stop). It also has a repeat A-B, which you can select a portion of a track to repeat over and over. This is what they claim is good for language learning, and I suppose combined with the voice recorder could indeed be used for such.
The FM Radio gives a clear signal, and is easy to use. It does not store preset stations, you just have one tuner and it remembers the frequency you are listening to.
One thing alarmed me when reading the manual - it warns you that if you were to switch it off instead of shutting it down with the standby button on the top, it could damage the unit and require you to reapply the firmware! This was only listed as a possibility, and full instructions and software are provided for that possibility. The firmware is upgradable, so if BenQ (or a third party) come out with better firmware it can be applied easily.
I recommend anyone who is looking at buying the Joybee 120 to go to the BenQ website and read the manual. It's there to download, in PDF format.
To summarise, I love my Joybee 120. I recommend converting your MP3's into WMA format to be able to store more on the player. Microsoft provide free software to download to do this for you. MP3 Audio Converter LE is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/bpmp3convert.aspx
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 212
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
andrewc2004
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Reviews written: 1
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