CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 12/14/2006
At 3.9 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches, the Insignia is on the hefty side, but it should still fit in most pockets. The unit is all black, with a shiny plastic face and a nicely textured backside. An ample 2.2-inch color screen takes up about two-thirds of the front, while playback controls take up the other third. Two tactile buttons--power and menu--rest above a five-way control wheel: a play/pause key is surrounded by a mechanical scroll wheel that can also be pressed down in four directions to shuttle through tracks or display options. The top of the device houses the hold switch and a MicroSD card slot (for adding more memory), while the right side offers standard headphone and mini USB ports. Along the bottom, you'll find a reset hole and a line-in jack, which can also be used for a second set of headphones--hurrah for shared listening! The Insignia's overall design is pretty blah, but it gets the job done. We are pleased to note a user-replaceable and rechargeable battery rests under a cover in the back.
For a budget player, the Insignia's interface and screen are surprisingly pleasant and bright--unlike a certain Sansa's we can think of. The top menu is driven by a series of icons indicating the various selections. The one odd thing is that they're arranged in an oblong orientation that runs in two directions off the screen, so navigating through them can take a bit of practice. Entering the music submenu takes you to a tabbed screen (which reminds us of the Media Center interface) with various selections across the top such as Now Playing, Artist, Album, Playlist, and so on. You can scroll through these, then select one and scroll down the contextual lists. The Insignia had no problem recognizing playlists that we transferred from Windows Media Player, and it mounted as an MTP device on our Windows XP machine with no software required.
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