D'Music presents inexpensive alternative for MP3 buffs

By Paul Wong

Daily Online Editor

If you're like most students, you probably have more than 100 MB of MP3 files stored on your hard drive - files you can only listen to when you're sitting in front of your computer. Frustrating, isn't it?

MP3 players are the future of portable music players. But it doesn't take long to realize that you'll have to dish out an additional $250-$300 for a new Diamond Rio MP3 Player. With ever-increasing bills and textbook costs, it simply makes a difficult task even more painstaking. The Diamond Rios have definitely taken the market by storm, but if you're simply looking for an easy-to-use, cheaper yet reliable MP3 player, it's worth checking out the Pine D'Music Digital MP3 Player / Voice Recorder.

Weighing only 62 grams (without batteries), the Pine MP3 Player is so small and lightweight, you can easily slip it into your pocket. No larger than a pack of cigarettes, it probably wouldn't feel any different to walk around with. The player comes with a little pouch to store the player that even makes it more comfortable to carry around.

As with any other MP3 player, MP3 files have to be downloaded to the player from your computer. The Pine MP3 player connects to your computer with a parallel cable and some installed software. Once the bundled software is installed you can start uploading and downloading MP3 files to your heart's content - a process that involves just a few clicks. The only drawback is, this software only caters to PC users. Unfortunately Mac users are left out.

The player contains a internal memory of 32 MB that is expandable to 64 MB with a compact flash card. This corresponds to up to two hours worth of music. You can choose to either repeat the songs, or have them play randomly. Of course, if there's one song that you really love, you can simply choose to play it over and over again, all with a simple touch of a button. Every action is displayed via symbols on the LCD screen. Unfortunately the LCD display lacks backlighting, making it difficult to read in the dark.

There is a built-in equalizer that allows you to customize the feel of the music based on the available settings - pop, classical, jazz, extra bass, rock and flat. The earphones that are included produce high-quality music so there's no need to go out and get your own. (The headphones included with the Diamond Rios are comparatively lacking in performance).

One cool feature the Pine MP3 player offers is the ability to make voice recordings. You can record different voices for up to 2 hours 15 minutes and upload them onto the computer. This is definitely a new area that still needs work. Recordings are difficult to pick up and the playback sound quality is poor. This is largely attributed to the small microphone and a lack of an external microphone jack.

At times, the behavior of the buttons on the Pine MP3 player is rather erratic. The buttons sometimes go from being to sensitive to not registering key pressure at all. It takes some time to figure out how to properly operate the buttons.

Even with its flaws, the Pine MP3 Player certainly gives you the enjoyment of listening to MP3s away from your computer - without the price tag of the Diamond Rio.

Courtesy of Pine Technologies

The Pine D'Music MP3 player gives comparable performance to the Diamond Rio yet has a substantially lower sticker price.