By
Graig Uhlin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Rio 600 digital audio player allows mp3 fans to carry favorite music with them
The music industry is scared for its life.
The technological advent of the mp3, a compressed music file, has allowed listeners to bypass typical CDs without sacrificing sound quality. Internet music file sharing service providers, such as Gnutella and Napster - pending the outcome of its appeal following a court order to shut down the site - have given record executives every reason to be frightened.
And now, S3 Inc. has given them yet another reason with the release of its third generation of portable digital audio players, the Rio 600.
The lightweight player represents the most significant advantage that digital technology and all its offspring maintain over traditional music devices - versatility. Portable CD players, unless one has access to a CD burner, are limited to one CD by one artist. They skip. They are large and clunky.
The Rio player, on the other hand, allows its users to mix and match songs that have been downloaded from their computers to the device. Although it only holds 32 MB of memory (eight to 10 songs), which can cause some option paralysis for those mp3 fiends who have hundreds of files, the Rio company does offer additional memory for the device - at the price of about $100 for each 32 MB memory card.
The Rio 600 can also play spoken word files, provided that they are in the proper format, so listeners can listen to the new Stephen King book on the same device that plays the new U2 album.
The way the device works is that one receives the player, a USB cable that transfers files from the computer to the device and software - not bug-free but otherwise commendable - that lets the user run the whole show of burning, downloading and organizing.
This player has a huge list of enviable characteristics that would make any technophile drool, but it does have its drawbacks - the high price tag ($169) makes it a great item if one can afford it.
The Rio 600 represents the future of music technology with its versatility, user-friendly components and obvious superiority over contemporary technology. Although this third version is supposed to be targeted at college audiences, it is doubtful how many college students can afford this luxury item. Still, if you can, the Rio 600 is truly a cool toy.
