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When I set my eyes upon the Rio Carbon Pearl addition I remember the first words coming out of my mouth were 'how cute is that?!'. In danger of sounding like Jessica Simpson from Newlyweds, I changed my choice of words to gorgeous, a little far fetched for an MP3 player, even in my weird ... Read review
Advantages: Very cute and tiny, great for a first MP3 player Disadvantages: Low volume, can get scratched easily
...set my eyes upon the Rio Carbon Pearl addition I remember the first words coming out of my mouth were 'how cute is that?!'. In danger of sounding like Jessica Simpson from Newlyweds, I changed my choice of words to gorgeous, a little far fetched for an MP3 player, even in my weird mind. But I felt that he was and, from the specification, he sounded like a good little player, perfect for a novice like myself.
So would the Rio Carbon ... ...from your computer to your Rio is simple and easy. All you do is plug the USB cable into your computer and click a few buttons, ready for your listening pleasures within a matter of seconds!
Using the MP3 is great and very basic, perfect if this is your first time with one. There are so many different categories in which you can pick your poison with, including album name, artist name, year and genre, all of which you define on the ... more
When I was first scrolling through the list of MP3 players available to me on various websites, I have to say I know very little about them. Sure, I know the basics, but have no desire for it to be the most up to date or ground breaking piece of technology known to man.
Because of my technology brain fart, I usually base my decisions on how 'cute' a product looks. You don't need to tell me that's terrible, believe me, I know. Despite some of my mates trying to 'educate' me, it still has little impact; if I think something's cute, and I like it and feel that I need it (again, another terrible thing to say in the world of technology - do we need any of it? I digress...), then that is that.
When I set my eyes upon the Rio Carbon Pearl addition I remember the first words coming out of my mouth were 'how cute is that?!'. In danger of sounding like Jessica Simpson from Newlyweds, I changed my choice of words to gorgeous, a little far fetched for an MP3 player, even in my weird mind. But I felt that he was and, from the specification, he sounded like a good little player, perfect for a novice like myself.
So would the Rio Carbon live up to my expectations?
Upon getting my little baby for Christmas 2005 (yes, I do call all of my new little devices 'baby'), I was surprised at how light weight and small he was. It amazed me that you could fit 6GB of memory on there too. All of this for a price significantly lower than an I-Pod - not bad.
Everything was well packed in the box, meaning that nothing was broken or damaged before I could get my grubby little mitts on it. So far, so good...
Like I said earlier, I am a bit of a novice at times with technology but the charger was a little confusing to know how to use it. Thankfully, it didn't take too long to get it sorted.
Uploading the disk onto the computer was a quick and easy process with simple instructions provided in the instruction manual and on screen. To upload the WMA and MP3 files is simple, even if it is a little bit of a trial; you have to write in every last detail yourself, including the band and album names over and over again. Hey, what can I say? It's what you get for being a cheap-o and not getting an I-Pod! It isn't too big a deal but you do need at least an hour to upload five albums at a time if you are like myself and can touch type well.
Then, all of your music is stored under the 'Rio Music Manager'. Getting the music from your computer to your Rio is simple and easy. All you do is plug the USB cable into your computer and click a few buttons, ready for your listening pleasures within a matter of seconds!
Using the MP3 is great and very basic, perfect if this is your first time with one. There are so many different categories in which you can pick your poison with, including album name, artist name, year and genre, all of which you define on the computer.
The screen itself is a good size. However, without the case that was included in the package, I have a feeling that by now I would have needed a new player as it is a little delicate.
The sound quality, all though good, is a little too quiet. If you are in the car and someone is listening to the radio, you may need to turn it up to at least 23 out of 30 to get a good sound volume.
You can also record your own voice onto the player which I have not done yet for fear of breaking it with my 'vocal talents'.
All in all, my Rio has stood the drastic test of time; 12 months. It's been a great first MP3 player for myself and - if Rio hadn't demised in August 2005 - would seriously consider getting another model by them.
Never the less, if you can get it for cheap enough, I would say go for it. Just remember to be careful with it or it can get scratched easily.
A great MP3 player for any beginner hoping to take their music anywhere and everywhere with them!
Advantages: Easy to use and load/retrieve music- good value for money. Disadvantages: Im on my 3rd !
My history with my Rio :
This was my 1st `proper` large storage MP3 player having had a very basic low storage capacity one for years that I used for at the gym and going running. The Rio came up trumps with 6MG storage plus a very good price compared with IPODS. Looks:
It arrived nicely packaged and I was impressed that you can charge either from mains or via your computer. The bonus of not being battery driven ! Also the plug socket comes with ... ...disc that gives you the Rio link for downloading music plus it provides you with extra instruction and support should you need it.I liked this as I always seem to lose the instruction books and curse when I need them !
It is very easy to transfer music using the Rio link. I currently have 44 CD albums on my Rio and still have 3GB of space left.You just plug the lead into your PC and load onto the Rio. I have also used Media player as well as the ...
garageroom 19.11.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rio Carbon Pearl 6 GB
Advantages: Small, light, faily durable, large capacity considering the size and has an intuitive and easy-to-use menu system Disadvantages: Danger of screen damage, small screen
...with capacities over 5gb, the Rio Carbon will inevitably be compared to its more popular counterpart, the Ipod Mini. Having owned both, i have to say that there is absolutely no doubt as to which player should come out on top. The Carbon is smaller, lighter, more robust, easier to use and in my opinion, contrary to the millions of fashionable accessorizers out there, far more stylish. Not to mention the obvious price difference.
Starting with the ... ...fiddly little joystick of previous Rio models, replaced by a standard but far more effective button layout consisting of the usual play/pause, stop, skip and select commandswith the addition of a menu button on the side of the player. It is also relevant perhaps to mention that this is far simpler than the ipods 'Touch Pad', which is more for novelty value than practicality.
The screen is backlit in pale white, and while playing manages to display ...
CombiChrist 04.09.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rio Carbon Pearl 6 GB
...it would seem that the rio carbon was more reliable.
With similar controls to the i-pod, the Carbon is easy to navigate and the software provided for transferring music is very helpful and makes the process very quick and easy.
With a 6GB Capacity, the Carbon offers a larger memory than most competitive players whose limit tends to be 5GB. This was the main attraction for me since i was looking for a reasonably cheap player with a large memory.
... ...disadvantages i have found my Rio Carbon a delight to have for this short time, however would not rush out and buy another Rio product unless it was particularly mind-blowing.
If you're looking for a cheap player of reasonable quality, or if your not looking for anything special, then this is the one for you.
However if you want something more reliable, then keep looking!
When i first bout the player it cost about £99.99
but now you can pick ...
x_nic_x 11.10.2006 (13.10.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Rio Carbon Pearl 6 GB
Advantages: Great Price, Good features, low noise Disadvantages: Easily Scratched
The rio carbon is a fantastic player with many features and is "playforsure" compatible giving you a wide range of shops to buy music from.
The player itself is nice with a cool red glowing "Rio" however the navigation is a bit tricky
::Features::
The features list is completely dependent on the firmware that you are running. They can include: Play for sure compatibility, 6GB storage, long battery life, compact wall charger, Generic USB connection ... ...::Navigation::
. If you have friends who like to fiddle with your mp3 player, then be prepared to have to explain how to use it.
One main problem with the navigation is that you cannot go directly back to the track list when playing a track- meaning you have to find the artist again from the main screen. Small problem but an annoyance.
One more issue with navigation is selecting a specific track. If you want to start from a certain track and carry ...
Lewby 25.05.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Rio Carbon Pearl 6 GB
Windows 2000/XP - Pentium II - 233 MHz - RAM 64 MB - HD 35 MB
Manufacturer's product description
Sporting an ultra-thin and tapered design, and with 25 percent more memory than iPod mini, this tiny MP3 player, about the size of a business card, will slide into any pocket virtually unnoticeable. The Rio Carbon Pearl is capable of holding up to 80 hours of MP3 (160 hours WMA) music, and with up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge, music lovers need not worry about running out of juice. Supporting USB 2.0 and a host of file formats; users can download music efficiently and easily from most of their favorite online music sites. The Rio Carbon Pearl also includes voice recording and provides seamless integration and support of both the PC and Mac platforms.
