iRiver Clix (2 GB) Digital Media Player

Generally I'd like to consider myself a rather thrifty individual, but once in a while I'll spend a hundred plus on a 'gizmo'. I've recently gone back to college, and decided the sometimes endless walks from the parking lot to class could use a little pep.

When I first started looking around for an mp3 player, I started first browsing through CNET.com's top rated mp3 players for the cheapest unit in the 1-2 gig range. Thankfully, CNET isn't a blind iPod supporter, and had various other devices, often rated higher than iPod, that I could browse. Still, my friend has a nano, and the allure of that thin little glorified piece of gum almost had me.

But the iRiver Clix had an editors choice on CNET.com. I currently have an iRiver PMP 120, and was worried that the Clix would have the time-consuming, overly detailed user interface the PMP does. Thankfully, once I received my Clix, I was pleasantly surprised.

The Clix interface is flawless as far as I'm concerned. The four way 'click' buttons on the top, bottom, left and right side of the device is simple to use, even one handed (though I am a girl, this may not be true for some of the larger handed males).

The screen is massive compared to the device of it's size, and stunning. I didn't think it possible to have such a tiny screen so crisp. I've watched tv shows on my Clix now (check out iriver.com for the Clix video converter, worth the short download for sure), and it's wonderful.

Thankfully, there are oodles of audio-tweaking functions on the Clix. I believe it's referred to as a custom equalizer. Personally, the default settings, with the stock earphones, is the best sound I've heard from an mp3 player.

Also, very surprisingly, the am/fm feature is stunning. FM signals, with the exception of only a few stations (I'm in Albuquerque), sound CD quality. I'm sure this will vary city to city.

I did go out and purchase white-noise-eliminating ear buds to replace the somewhat 'cheap' stock earphones, which I do recommend to all who are planning on wearing their Clix for more than half an hour at a time.
Though the Clix is about twice as thick as the iPod Nano, it is shorter, and for about the same price, you are drenched in features. iRiver's website has flash games you can put on the Clix (it comes with a few preloaded) that are fun, though inevitably simple. The Clix can also display text formats, which work well, once you change the layout to portrait from landscape.

I do have a few complaints. The charge-via-usb is one. I know you can buy another charging device for typical wall-outlets, but still. And, though you can drag-and-drop, the Clix is intended to use Windows Media player. I found this a little frustrating, though honestly it's quite easy, I'm just a tad stubborn. :) At one point I did have to do a factor reset on the device, but I consider it no fault of the unit. My computer crashed while I had my Clix connected and transferring, and it seemed to take the Clix down with it. Thankfully, there is an easy factor reset, and I've had no problems since.

The iRiver support is slow. I had heard negative feedback regarding the support staff, mostly about response time, so I decided to test it and sent a simple question to them regarding the various ways to shuffle songs on the Clix. It took, literally, four weeks to get an e-mail response.


All and all, fantastic device if you're looking for something in 2 gig's!


Ann