iriver Clix Rhapsody 4 GB Digital Music and Video Player (Black)

Player that has it all. This player does more that most any other. MP3, WMA music files I can drag and drop AND use Windows Media player AND use Rhapsody for subscription music (Napster subscription service works too, but doesn't have Rhapsody's awesome channels, which are like having a personal DJ) Just about any other music service out there will work, and you can still rip and copy your own files.

But wait, I'm just getting started. This thing plays videos on it's beautiful QVGA screen. If you think you can't stand a tiny screen, you haven't seen the Clix's OLED display. It's crisp, bright and easy on the eyes. Some of these small screens show pixels and ghost images, not so with the Clix2. I can watch for hours and not mind at all.

Okay, I'm not even close to done yet. We also have Audible capabilities. Audible is a great audiobook service that gets all the latest audiobooks and makes them available for download, these transfer over to the Clix2 in a snap and provide hours and hours of enjoyment for everyone who likes books but has trouble finding the time to read.

Want more? Sure! The built in FM radio is easy to use and picks up more stations than any of my portable players, it has something like 20 presets and will set them all in no time.

What's the catch? you must be thinking. Don't ask me, I'm still looking for one. Good volume output with buds or full size headphones, great equalizer presets, a manual EQ and SRS WOW magic stuff that makes headphones and speakers sound like they cost a bundle of cash.

Oh, wait! You want more? Really? OK, Clix delivers. You can look at pictures, browse through or see an automatic slide show (while listening to your tunes, of course) and if you got some time to kill, it comes with 4 great flash games you can play. If you look around you can find more on the web.

So, I must say that I'm really pleased with the HUGE array of features, the sound quality and overall operation of this player. It has NO equals in it's category.

The latest firmware isn't working well with Rhapsody V.4.0. The issues all relate to Rhapsody's Digital Rights Management (DRM). The Rhapsody player updates the subscription tracks but the player doesn't recognize the update. There is no good fix for the issue. This has been a big dissapontment.

I did extensive research to decide between this and the Sandisk e260R. I knew that I wanted a player that could take full advantage of Rhapsody channels, and at the time, these were the only two available. After comparing features, I went with the iRiver Clix2 (as seen on this page).

At first, it seemed fine. It is lighter than you might imagine, and quite small. Worked alright with my FM tuner (also iRiver branded). However, the battery life wasn't even close to what is advertised. They say it can get about 20-24 hours, and mine lasted barely 6. Perhaps it was because, using the channels, I was skipping songs often, which meant lighting up the screen, which drained battery life. But still, that's one of the main features it was made for. I tried it for two weeks, and all told got maybe 8 hours from a full charge, playing only music at moderate volume.

Second, and the final nail in the coffin. The batteries died on it while I was trying out the e260R (which I'm very pleased with). I had to recharge from scratch (3.5 hours), and found that all of my music had vanished from the player! This is a serious problem. Flash drives shouldn't wipe clean like that just from running out of batteries!

So, back it goes. A shame, lovely screen. I still give it 2 stars for the potential to be a great player. Perhaps mine was buggy, but I'm not willing to give it another chance with a new one. If it worked correctly, I'd give it 4 stars.

Good:
-Screen (it is quite nice)
-Very customizable (skins, wall paper, etc...)
-Size

Bad:
-No accessories for it. I had to use a generic camera case to keep it safe, and screen protectors cut down from a bit one meant for a PDA.
-Battery life (6-8 hours!)
-Buggy OS (I'm guessing)
-Very difficult to use one-handed (if you are driving, for instance).

I'm sticking with the Sandisk e260R.

NOTE : Amazon was excellent throughout this, and offered a full refund as well as paid for the shipping back since the product is faulty. I will absolutely buy from Amazon again, just not this product.

I must say, the Clix Rhapsody is awesome! I did tons of research before buying this player. My husband has a Creative Zen 30GB player and it is too big, and I find it difficult to operate when I use it every blue moon. I wanted something small for when I run, and wanted the flash games so my kids could use it on the airplane. The iriver Clix is so easy to operate, and the sound is awesome.

In addition, if you are wondering, I believe this is 2nd generation player. I couldn't find it mentioned in Amazon's detail except for "(1clix4b)" written in the description. I had assumed this was a 1st generation with that description, but after visiting the iriver website I think the 1st generation was much thicker. This confusion almost prevented me from buying the player, but I am so glad I did. Hope this helps!