Philips GoGear SA2825 user reviews (2GB)

3.5 stars

"Positive 1st impression" on June 11, 2008 by Not_Tattooed_Not_Pierced

Pros: Clean look, intuitive controls

Cons: Shows smudges, no clip

Summary: Wanted an inexpensive easy to use MP3 player for my 8yr old son. He wanted video capability. This fit the bill.

I'm guessing these just came out since there were no online reviews and no discounts anywhere from the 49.99 I paid at Target. But with 2gig of memory and a color screen that does video and jpegs it was a no brainer vs the Apple Shuffle.

After two days I can report the quality is solid (expected with Philips), the controls simple, and the sound good. The all black case and screen (when off) have a neat,minimalist look. Windows XP immediately recognizes the Go SA3025 as a drive for drag and drop loading of music and pictures.

Loading videos requires the included software that ONLY converts WMV files to SMV files - the only supported video format. This is clear on the packaging. The instructions direct you to the web for instructions on converting other types of files. I was able to use an online service to convert a Youtube video to AVI file. Then downloaded a free program to convert the AVI to WMV. Finally the included software converted the WMV to SMV and installed it on the Go. Somewhat convoluted but the resulting video was surprisingly watchable on the small screen and the sound was good. The screen is viewable in very bright light when angled to prevent glare.

I recommend the Go especially for the price with these caveats:

It looks great but shows smudges. Any handling produces finger prints on case, screen, and controls.

The highest volume is probably less than most people want with the included headphones. My guess is more efficient headphones would solve this. I also tested this with only a couple of files - I know volume varies.

The volume control on the side is not as convenient as being integrated with the main control on front. Also the controls are nowhere near as cool as an iPods.

Finally, there is no clip, strap, or case included. The absence of a detachable clip is a major oversight as one of the main pluses of a small, solid state MP3 player is using it while active.