MiniJam - Hardware Review - Evaluation

Industry Standard, The, Oct 9, 2000 by David Pescovitz

InnoGear

www.innogear.com

I'm experiencing a mobile-computing convergence quandary. On the one hand (or, in one hand), it's convenient to tote around a single device that combines a PDA with an [MP.sub.3] player (and eventually a cell phone). On the other hand, I don't need everything at all times.

That's why the Handspring Visor's Springboard Module system is an alluring device. Each plug-and-play module offers specific functionality (like paging or a digital camera). The drawback is that only a few Springboard modules have seen the light of day. By far the most fun is InnoGear's Minijam, an [MP.sub.3]-playing module complete with earbuds and MusicMatch desktop [MP.sub.3] software. But first, let's discuss sound quality: The Minijam, like nearly all [MP.sub.3] players, sounds great.

The device comes in two hardware configurations - 32MB or 64MB of memory. (Two slots support additional multimedia cards to max out the memory at 128MB.) Once you insert the Minijam into your Visor and drag and drop tunes into it from your PC via your Handspring dock, you're ready to rock 'n' roll.

A welcome feature of the Minijam is its capability to multitask. Your music plays while you take care of other business on your Visor (until you drain its battery). The main design drawback of the Minijam is its size. The device bulges from the bottom and back of the Visor like a bloated Game Boy cartridge. Not a huge deal, but you may need a roomier carrying case for your Visor (like the one InnoGear sells).

Right now, the Minijam's only direct rival is Good Technology's SoundsGood. The Minijam kills its competition with twice the maximum song storage space, and it's compatible with Macintosh. Still, SoundsGood's 10 hours of promised battery life - twice the max for the Minijam - sounds pretty damn good. Then again, there's always the standalone Rio or Nomad players that come with the same features for about the same price.

THE DETAILS

SCORE (1-5): Utility: 4-5; Design: 3

EST. LIFESPAN: One year (let's see Creative get creative with a Nomad Springboard Module)

PRICE: $199 (32MB), $259 (64MB)

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Handspring Visor, Macintosh or Windows PC with CD-ROM