RipFlash PLUS 128MB Digital MP3 Player with Voice Recorder

Comment: I bought this gadget to record school talks. I'd bet Pogo
is full of good sound engineers, but not-so-good software
ones.

Pros:
- good voice recording quality, even in bad environments
- relatively nice user interface, once you learn it.
- resistant (I don't use it that much, though)

Cons:
- it's Windows only. I don't really understand Pogo's decision
to make their own driver. The only interaction the gadget
needs from a computer is uploading/downloading files. The
evident solution is to make the device an USB drive. Instead,
the RipFlash obligues you to install (faulty) software,
while precluding its usage from Macs or open-sourced OS.
- software is faulty: when installing the driver, you should
expect your PC to crash. Reboot and things typically will
work, curiously.
- AAA batteries is the wrong solution. I'd love to be able to
recharge this gadget from an USB plug.
- when running out of batteries, it should alarm you. Losing
part of an important talk because you didn't realize the
batteries have just died is a terrible experience.

Comment: Functioning as it was intended, as a recorder and player, this product is OUTSTANDING. When recording, one has to remember that the sound level that one is putting in is the one that one gets out: so when using a microphone in the "line-in" -- one has to make certain that one is using a mic (which PoGo sells -- an excellent one at that) which has an adjustable sound sensitivity function. I used RipFlash Plus, with the mic, to record speeches and the sound quality and clarity is really astounding.

Where this product loses a star is in its user-friendliness: it is not a product which shines as something which is either elegant or intuitive (much like a Mercedes motor in a Model T Ford). And with a little bit of patience and ingenuity (such as renaming files using Windows, outside of the software interface), it is definitely a product which one can work with. I highly recommend it for someone who wants to do what it really shines at: recording into Mp3.

There was one reviewer who spoke about converting the Mp3 files to WMA files for saving space -- but at equal bit rates, the WMA were actually LARGER -- besides which, most techies will tell you that when converting from one compressed format to another, one is going to lose quality

BTW, have a look at PoGo's site and you will be surprised at the pricing advantage there

Comment: I received this product as a Christmas gift. Less than 6 months later, the case began to crumble. The device was never dropped or abused in any way - quite frankly it was only used 2 or 3 times to record attached via line in to a sound board. I had been really impressed with the product until having to deal with Pogo Tech support regarding replacing the item. I was basically told I was a liar and the damage would only occur if the device was abused. I was talked down to, demeaned and they refused to budge on a $15 repair charge. I do not recommend purchasing a product from Pogo unless you consider it a disposable product, not an investment.

Comment: I purchased a RipFlash Plus 256 MP3 player/recorder in June 2004 to record voice interviews. Major flaws in its construction and in its download software mean you are very likely to lose your recordings. To make matters worse, customer support is very resistant to issuing refunds for faulty equipment.

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It produces decent sound quality, though the recordings have a constant low-level hum in the background.

Two main problems with the unit make it very problematic for capturing recordings:

1) The software provided (and required) to download the sound files to computer over USB is very flakey - sometimes it works, sometimes does not connect, sometimes downloads only part of the sound file but indicates it is "done." This happens on both of the newer Dell computers that I've tried it on. By contrast, all other devices I attach to the USB ports on these same computers exchange files flawlessly.

2) The RipFlash Plus is able to hold a SmartMedia card and record to it. This would seem to be an alternative to downloading through the USB connection - just remove the SmartMedia card, insert it into your computers card reader, and copy off the files. BUT . . . the ejector button on the RipFlash broke the second time I ejected a card, and appears likely to break on any unit. The ejector button pushes the card out with two very tiny brittle plastic tabs. It takes almost nothing to break one (in my case, just ejecting the card did it.) Then, you can't get the card out, or if you do fish it out, you can no longer position it in correctly without the button in place.

Regarding customer support . . . when the unit arrived in the mail, I discovered that they had thrown in a "voice activated TV remote" - at no charge, and without any advance notice - a device they don't sell on their site. I can't imagine anything more useless than that so I tossed it immediately. After obtaining an RMA from them and returning the broken RipFlash, they at first tried to charge me a "restocking" fee for the useless recorder. After I put my credit card company on their case, they finally refunded the full amount. Then, they decided they needed to charge me $40 for the throw-away remote that they had sent unsolicited, so they made a new charge on my card for it.

You might want to consider the options before you decide to try the RipFlash Plus.

Rob

Comment: I loved my player/recorder. It sounded great, recorded well, and had good expandable memory with the SM slot. It even looked slick. A friend bought one, seeing mine.
Only downsides: First, no recording level, so you have to experiment with the external source for line-in and use the built-in (very capable) mic for voice. (and you can adjust the recording quality setting beforehand. Second, the order of the songs are unchangeable, playing in the order that they were downloaded using the software designed to use with the player. Third, relating to the second, it cannot be used for an external flashdrive as it does not have a drag-and-drop feature.
Those faults were minor for the price and quality I experienced while I had mine. Alas, after many months of happy use, mine was stolen. I've tried two other players from other companies since (one a flash-drive, one a hard-drive, both with the external drive feature and fm radio, but both exhibiting poor quality). I should have just bought this one again.
So, consider buying the Ripflash Plus for its AAA battery freedom and $100 price (IPODs are a problem for both these reasons). Once you buy it, enjoy its rich feature set and good sound. And now Pogo! has added a a theft protection service. That doesn't mean you'd get it back if it got stolen, but nice thought anyway, Pogo!