Where do i put the Cd? (Philips GoGear SA1100 512 MB)

Member Name: madmum71

Product:	Philips GoGear SA1100 512 MB
Date:	13/02/07 (1118 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use

Disadvantages: A few

Before you read this please take into account i am NOT a gadget person, This is my other half's department.
My reasons for getting this are quite simple, I have mentioned before that i was brought up on a staple diet of rock music, The louder the better and now as a responsible mother ( yeah right ) my boys are not as appriciative of my taste in music especially when they are watching the T.V!
When i was younger i had a Walkman, For those who are younger you have may of seen one of these in a museum! Basically this was a portable tape player with headphones and looked like you had a brick in your pocket. The headphones went over your head and had big sponges on the ear bits! They were very easy to use you put the tape in press play and that was it, Ok the sound quality wasn't great and the tapes unraveled but you didn't have to use a bloody computer! Then there was the protable CD player, The only problem with that one was the Cd would jump if you moved around too much!
I asked my sister to get me an MP3 for christmas. So when i un-wrapped this at christmas i was pleasantly surprised, I was happy my sister had bought it as i would have a fighting chance of being able to use it. If the other half had bought me one then it would be the one with all the bells and whistles and i wouldn't have a hope in hell!

PACKAGING
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Nothing special really, It comes in one of those plastic see through thingies that you find hanging in shops, You know the ones that are impossible to open without cutting them open. Or you need a PHD in packaging to not cut the actual product! You can see the player through the packaging, When you finally get it open you get a nice cardboard wallet that contains the install disc, user manual, Customer service booklet & warranty.
The player itself is silver in colour and quite dinky, It is a triangle cube shape with a bit on the end that pulls off to reveal the USB conector ( or as i call it the bit that plugs into the computer! ). On the other end is the headphone plug in, You also get the USB cable and the headphones which are bog standard hard plastic black ones.
On the side of the player you have the menu, Volume & record buttons, On the front you have the phillips name on/off button and forward/backward buttons, And then the display panel.

GETTING STARTED
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Ok as i mentioned the other half is the gadget freak, So i collected all my cd's and listed which tunes i wanted and left them on his desk. The next day they were back with me and i was basically told that it was about time i learnt to do these things myself! ( Hope he knows how to use the washing machine! ). So after glaring at it for a few days and finding that didn't work my stubborn side came into play and i actually opened the manual and gave it a go.
The user manual is very simple to read and gives good clear instructions. It firstly explains all the bits and pieces on the player, Then you insert the cd into your computer, This is actually very easy and you go through all the steps which includes installing Firmware and if you need them device drivers, If you have lost the cd you can download from Phillips. You also register the player with Phillips and you can get updates and enter competitions.
This player needs 1 AAA battery and on the display you get your battery level, As the battery level gets very low the player starts turning itself off. The battery lasts about 5 hours which can turn out expensive pending on how much you use it.

USING
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Next take the end of the played and connect to the usb port on the computer. If you have already ripped your cd's onto your computer then you just drag the file and drop it onto the new MP3 file. This then transfers the music onto your player, I couldn't believe it was that easy, And i have even since learnt how to rip my own tracks onto my computer ( Go me! ). This player supports WMA & WMV but not copy protected WMA.
The sound quality is good very clear not dull but quite crisp.Better models proberly sound better but it's good enough for me. You can set the volume to how loud you want it and yes it does play nice and loud! The earphones are quite good quality but are a bit hard and my ears do feel a bit sore if i have them in for to long.
When using you can skip tunes or whole folders, There is also a shuffle, repeat option and basic equalisers.
The other feature is voice recording my boys have had a play with this and it's not bad, It picks up voices quite clear but not brilliant but i don't really need this option anyway.
The display panel is ok, To switch on you just hold the on switch for a couple of seconds and then the menu comes up. You have a music symbol to go to your music or a thing that looks like a cactus for recordings and then a sun symbol for the settings. The only problem i find with the display is i listen to it a lot in bed, The display goes dark and i can't see what i'm pressing and normally turn it off by mistake! To switch off you just hold down the off button and it even says bye!

OTHER BITS & PIECES
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There is no radio or alarm option. It has 512MB of flash memory and holds up to 250 tracks pending on quality of download. Displays track & artist name, Has no clip to hold onto your clothes which is a bit awkward when out & about, Also no cover for the player so keep out of the rain! My sister payed about £30 from Argos but i have seen them cheaper now.


Overall i am really pleased with this player, Yes there are a lot better on the market that also do a lot more but if you just want to listen to your music without all the extra bits and pieces then this is perfect. My kids are now happy and i'm back to going deaf! And this old dog has finally learnt a new trick, That computers are not so scary but the other half still hasn't found the washing machine!
Property of Lisa8871 Ciao & Madmum71 Dooyoo

Summary: Good player if you just want to play music

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