MP3 players with Bluetooth
Samsung T10
No doubt about it: the newest trend in MP3 players is wireless. But there are variations in this functionality. Some players communicate wirelessly with each other (Zune), others stream music (Sansa Connect), some allow access to the Internet (iPod Touch, Archos 605 WiFi), and still more allow users to cut the cord between themselves and their music device. It is this last category that interests me the most at the moment, and that is simply because it affects the largest group of people. I mean, who hasn't been annoyed by the headphone wire in some way or another?
My personal experience: working out at the gym and going crazy on some cardio machine, when my arms suddenly take on a mind of their own and flail about ridiculously. One of them inevitably comes down upon my headphone cable, either ripping the earbud straight out of my ear, or--if I have a really good fit in my ear--tearing my MP3 player right off of the machine and onto the hard ground. At best, this experience is annoying; at worst, it actually damages the player. And while I've since learned that an armband is the best option, I realize this is not always feasible. So I'm convinced there is a significant and pressing argument for wireless headphone capability, and that is where Bluetooth comes in. I've rounded up six players that offer it as a built-in feature--check 'em out.
For more than five years, Jasmine France has covered a variety of tech products for CNET--from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices--but she's happiest where she is now: sitting atop a pile of MP3 players, "testing" every music service known to man, and jamming a variety of earbuds in every shape and color into her absurdly small ears. E-mail Jasmine.
Scott
BlueTomorrow.com
Your review makes that even more apparent. Where is Apple, Sansa, Zune, Creative?
I know A2DP is flawed, and the use of Bluetooth negatively impacts battery life and usability on airlines, but it is so nice to use a wireless approach.