Entered CNET Catalog: 10/05/2004
SKU: 14003
Manufacturer: ROC Digital
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/05/2004
Upside: Style is a priority here, as evidenced by the shiny-black chrome face that's one part minimal, two parts bling; it looks like a Klingon's version of the third-generation iPod, minus the scrollwheel. A 2-inch blue-backlit display, tactile buttons that glow blue, and a rubberized backside round out the notable physical features. The Roc Digital Rocbox is compatible with MP3, WMA (including protected files), and WAV formats; includes 25 preset EQ modes; and supports MTP (Media Transfer Protocol), which allows autosynchronization with Windows Media Player. The USB 2.0 Rocbox ships with a USB cable, a travel charger, a custom belt clip, and "exclusive" Roc Digital earbuds--we can't wait to listen through these.
Downside: We're disappointed that Roc Digital doesn't add any amenities to differentiate itself from the current MP3 king. Like the iPod, the Rocbox doesn't have extra features such as FM and recording abilities. And at $299, it had better be a good-quality, easy-to-use player in order to compete since looks alone don't succeed in the technology market. Speaking of looks, the empty space under the buttons doesn't mean you can't navigate the Rocbox; instead, the device includes a BlackBerry-style thumbwheel on its side. Also, at 4.4 by 2.9 by 0.7 inches, the Rocbox is definitely bigger than the svelte iPod. Then again, next to a chromed-out Hummer, the Rocbox will look tiny (and appropriate). Finally, the Roc Digital Rocbox mirrors the iPod's rated battery life with a less than stellar 13 hours.
Outlook: Any new high-profile player designed to shake up a still-young market is welcome, and any unit set to compete directly with the iPod (using a hip-hop-infused marketing blitz) is, at the very least, amusing. Given its strategic retail approach--you'll be able to snag one of these at CompUSA and Macy's in November--Roc Digital might be onto something. Check back soon for our full review to see if this player's legit.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50out of 50 user reviews
Great for the price, but could use some improvement
Pros: Price! and chicks dig shiny things...
Cons: Playlist is a hassle to setup. OS is a little buggy
out of 50 user reviews
There are better ones out there
Pros: Good sound, large HD
Cons: No resume, hard to make playlists, short battery life
It does sound good in the car using a cass. adapter, but at home through the stereo you can't get a lot of volume.
out of 50 user reviews
every ones so shocked this thing is good quality
Pros: no additional circutry, cleaner sound, lighter, bigger display screen
Cons: takes a bit of computer and windows 10 knowledge to get around.
out of 50 user reviews
Sharp learning curve
Pros: Price value
Cons: Poor documentation
out of 50 user reviews
Sounds great, but it doesn't have a brain...
Pros: Besides playing music it makes a great battery-powered hard drive.
Cons: The ROCBOX looses it's mind when you turn it off and always starts at the default menu.
The charger connector is the same as my iPAQ 3955 so I already had a car and USB charger.
Now it's not my commute MP3 player, I inherited a RCA Lyra 128(rd1080b) w/1G card. The ROCBOX now is a little heavy compared to the Lyra and feels more delicate. I still keep my ROCBOX in my backpack if I need to carry a large file and I use it at my desk, nothing like shuffling Gigs of music.
out of 50 user reviews
check out my new rocbox blog
Pros: user support
Cons: none!
out of 50 user reviews
Its tha bomb!!!
Pros: It's great, holds as much songs as an iPod, same battery life, really competitive, weighs less than an iPod
Cons: Bigger than an iPod, too much like it, u have 2 know have to use WMP10 to use it
1st email was answered extra fast, never helped me anymore after that one... Reccomend an iPod
out of 50 user reviews
horrible, shouldve bought an Ipod or a Creative Zen
Pros: price, sound, size
Cons: website, firmware
out of 50 user reviews
Very nice player. Hopefully good competition.
Pros: Light for size. Great sound. Price. Buy one.
Cons: Shiny is nice to look at, but not for fingerprints.
out of 50 user reviews
Good for the price
Pros: Value, Looks, Reliable, Ease of use
Cons: no tech support
I also discovered that musicmatch 10 detects the player and can sync to it without a hitch. I'd encountered some of the same album/artist problems as RalphBe while using WMP10 but now that I've switched everything has synced perfectly allbeit a bit slow.
Musicmatch doesn't support on the fly reencoding to .wma (if that's your preferance), just mp3 but, on the fly reencoding while syncing isn't something that interests me anyway.
On the down side, it's impossible to delete a track from the device directly. The manual says you have to highlight the track you wish to delete then press and hold in the selection wheel for a few seconds in order to delete that track. However, it also discribes the same method for entering a track to the "current playlist". If you want to delete a track/s you'll have to use MMJB or WMP to do it. Also, the unit doesn't feature drag and drop support for music files. That is to say, that all updates to the device (deleting or adding music) must be done through the above named apps or the unit simply won't detect the changes.
As for the company, their e-mail support department seems to have shut down,as all my emails to them have been returned with an "unable to reach recipient" message. I havn't tried the live support number yet but, I expect I'll get the same results.
On the whole I'd say this unit suits my needs at a price I just couldn't resist. And, now that I can use MMJB rather than WMP I'm all the more happy with it.
Of course I'm the type of person who fiddles with hardware and violates warrenty's the moment I get my hands on em. If you want the peace of mind a warrenty will grant you (and really , aside from a few of us, who wouldn't) than don't buy this. However, if you want a good barebones mp3 player/removable disc then spend the 150 for it. It's a good deal for the price.
out of 50 user reviews
Perfect, I love IT Aaaauchh!!!
Pros: Everything is a pro, very easy to use, don't even have to look at it.
Cons: it doesn't have enything bad, believe me
out of 50 user reviews
Super stylish, very functional, great sound quality and the best value mp3 player
Pros: Sound quality, battery Life, looks fantastic, easy to use, display is bright and clear
Cons: No option for off backlight when using controls
out of 50 user reviews
Better than Ipod, It's $149.00
Pros: Its look it's super super hip hop, it's like something of your own, if you like hip hop like "goodies" and if you listen to Hip Hop radio stations, you are going to love it...
Cons: It's too extremely cool, that could be bad...
out of 50 user reviews
Very very difficult to use
Pros: Cheap, only half the price of the iPod
Cons: Very very difficult to use
Other minor things, the song display has no support for other charactor sets. If you have songs with ID3 tags in another language, good luck trying to figure out what you are listening to. Also, this thing is only compatible with Windows Media Player's device management. I really can't tell what's less usable, the Roc Box or WMP.
I also own a Creative Nomax Zen NX. And I thought you really can't make a worse user interface than that. Well.. you can.
out of 50 user reviews
Great for first time mp3 owners - But doesn't quite compete with the reigning king of mp3's (Ipod).
Pros: Cheap price (got it on ebay for $190.00) - Very attractive look to it with its chrome exterior and blue LCD screen. Lightning fast speed for music downloads.
Cons: Freezes often, no extra features other than music. Hard drive version way too big. Site doesn't offer much help. Confused about how to organize music (had it for 2months & still dont know).
The rocbox is a great player, in my opnion, second to the ipod. I have two rocbox players. One for me, and one a friend of mine is selling to save up for a car. I'm selling his on ebay if anyone is interested, its like new and definitely worth the price. Type in the item number "5755360695" in the search box to see my item. Mention this and get free shipping!
out of 50 user reviews
Looks good, very good sound, sturdy
Pros: Easy to work and the price I paid was less that $200., Lots of haggling with dealer I have dropped this thing three times from waist high and it didn't skip a beat, although my heart did. Great looking case. A prime feature of this gadget.
Cons: No case, holder clip needs to be redesigned. Software should be updated for more user friendly features. Needs an FM receiver
out of 50 user reviews
its just okay
Pros: the pros are the the visual appeal. (because everyone has the same generic iPod) you also dont have to have new software just windows media player, battery life is also gooed
Cons: the size, and the price
out of 50 user reviews
I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE OF THESE!
Pros: They are extremly nice lookin they have as much if not more style as ipd but the black is extremely sexual plus extremly functional and easy to use
Cons: not enough marketing ..no one knows it exists!
out of 50 user reviews
I ACTUALLY ONE own, and i love it too death!
Pros: It is very sleek and futuristic. I love the black chrome, pictures do not do it justice! Also for the price i paid ($120-I know a guy that knows a guy at roc-digital), it was an excellent buy. I get around 14 hours of battery life, which surpasses ipod.
Cons: A little too "boxy" for my taste, if they had curved it and made it a little bit more thin, it would be perfect. Minor complaints: headphone port on side needs getting used to, but it is there so the "L" shaped headphones done bend (like then do on the t
out of 50 user reviews
ROC-LA-FAMILIA
Pros: The RocBox is BANGIN! Love the whole total design. Can't wait to see what RocDigital comes out with next. This is only the beginning people. IT'S THE TAKEOVER!
Cons: NONE!
out of 50 user reviews
For $200 Dollars, cant beat it compared to the Ipod price
Pros: Love the total design of it. Plus the total 18+ GB's. I was able to upload alot of my songs on it. The sound quality is excellent.
Cons: The Playlist is hard to configure. As a matter of fact, I still havent been able to configure it.
out of 50 user reviews
ROC TAKEOVER
Pros: FORGET THAT STUPID APPLE IPOD THIS IS THE REAL! THAT DUMB WHEEL HAS PPL PULLING OUT THEIR HAIRS THIS ROCBOX IS NEW AND HOTTER THAN THAT DUMB WHITE THING. SOUND QUALITY IS ALSO WAY BETTER.
Cons: NOT EVEN THE PRICE IS BAD!
out of 50 user reviews
Impossible to use, no extra features
Pros: Cool styling (chrome), simple button outlay; keep in a clear case to avoid finger smudges.
Cons: Heavy; no FM tuner or voice recorder; Support website is weak; Worst interface out there. It's even worse than the old Rio Riot or Creative Zen NX.
out of 50 user reviews
Something Different...
Pros: Stylish and sleek. Buttons have a good feel to them, sound quality is good even through the included headphones. More competition will push Apple to make their over-priced, over-hyped, and under-featured iPods better.
Cons: Navigation system is clunky. Over-priced, even with prices now at $250. Size is a slight issue, no pun intended. Its bigger than you think.
out of 50 user reviews
Quite a Few Glitches
Pros: I bought the RocBox because the price was right and it has all the basic features one really needs for an MP3 player, but...
Cons: ...it fails to sync properly with WMP. So far I can't fix it, so I'll probably take it back and get a Zen instead.
out of 50 user reviews
Rocbox is sleek
Pros: Smooth design not an IPOD clone. Easy to use, softwear downloaded with ease. I take it every where. Great product.
Cons: Need accessories.
out of 50 user reviews
IT WAS THE BEST
Pros: THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE IPOD. IPOD LOOK SO BAD THE SOUND QUALITY ROCKS IPODS IS REALLY REALLY BAD.
Cons: NONE ITS TOO GOOD
out of 50 user reviews
I work for CompUSA and...
Pros: have played with this thing for along time and absolutely love it. The ipod makes you go to hastles to purcase music for it. Who wants to purchase music? The ROCBOX works as a flash drive and I had no problem dragging 20 gigs of illegally downloiaded musi
Cons: The build quality is not as solid as an ipod. The wheel to change volume and scroll seems a tad to flimsy. My fingerprints were all over the metal body making it look dirty.
out of 50 user reviews
The New Generation
Pros: This item is one of the best i have seen so far....im not a big fan of the "apple ipod"...but i am a big fan of the roc..and this new project is gonna be a hit on the streetz......
Cons: The only con that i could think of is the price.....haha
out of 50 user reviews
Cannot compete in this market
Pros: simple; looks awesome, one of the best; probably a clean, simple interface
Cons: not nearly enough features to compete; revolutionary new features are a necessity (eg. wi-fi support, colour image viewer, etc.); price shouldnt be so high with so few features
out of 50 user reviews
Calm down pod users, and get a life too
Pros: First off I hear people slamming this player before release! What's even worst? It's what's said about their players! "Oh, I bet it won't have more then 2 hours of play" from an Ipod user! I didn't think battery meant anything to them! I gave it a th
Cons: None yet, although it could have been better styled. I'm still looking at a 5GB Zen or 4GB MuVo2, but this doesn't look the worse...
out of 50 user reviews
Carbon Copy....Why not go with original
Pros: It is not white....if it matters
Cons: It brings nothing new to the table. Software is unstable, typical for windows apps.
out of 50 user reviews
Worst parts of the iPod
Pros: It plays MP3s. No ATRAC. Marketing. Kids are easily influenced.
Cons: I thought the 3G iPod buttons were horrible in terms of placement compared to every other iPod. Also the Rocbox took the weak battery life of the iPod. Cheessy design, lame logo, the list goes on.
out of 50 user reviews
Not too thrilling
Pros: It works well with windows media player.
Cons: Nothing better than the iPod. Ugly. I wouldnt be caught with it.
out of 50 user reviews
Competition is Good, Relax Ipod-ers
Pros: iPod users need to relax. If this really is going to be *the* ipod competitior, then they both will strive to make a better product (more features for us) ,and maybe we'll see lower prices because someone might improve the production costs of each. Laws
Cons: None, the iPod needs a worthy competitor.
out of 50 user reviews
Some Apple Ipod Users are so Banal
Pros: Competition is good, even if the competition isn't so creative. Don't listen to the uneducated tripe from few lame Apple fans that jump to criticize before a product even comes out. "Apple's simplicity?" "Windows-oriented... glitchy and inconsistent?" Pf
Cons: Essentially a different casing for an Ipod. It even accurately recreates the Ipod's outdated list of features. I'd get a Cowon
out of 50 user reviews
welcome the competition!
Pros: Looks like apple employees are being paid o/t to talk bad about a product they haven't even seen!!! too funny. Hope cnet deletes these obviously meaningless reviews!!!!!
Cons:
out of 50 user reviews
ipod still rules
Pros: "Bling" effect. Nice blue light. easy to use.
Cons: Size,(larger). lack of accessories. Had mine for 1 week and it froze on me 3 times. went out and got an ipod.
out of 50 user reviews
u2 has the ipod but jay z has the rocbox
Pros: looks better and has a formitable hip hop backround
Cons: a little big and somewhat fragile
out of 50 user reviews
Great little box
Pros: Does the same thing as the IPOD for a lot less. Great. Looks better than the IPOD
Cons: You can get a lot of finger prints on the cover, its made out of som type of shiny pastic. The side controls are a bit of a pain.
out of 50 user reviews
very interesting
Pros: battery lasts long, superb customer support, made for the urban hip hop culture, comes with an intro by damon dash and 2 preloaded mp3s by Cam'ron from his Purple Haze single, theres a scroll wheel on the side which is easy to use....I GOT THE SHINEY BLAC
Cons: only compatible with a windows xp or newer and with WMP9 or newer....which i have...so it kinda sucks for them apple and linux users
out of 50 user reviews
This is very good for the average teenagers
Pros: It looks like the iPod and it is black or chrome, good choices
Cons: The buttons on top seem outdated
out of 50 user reviews
ipod is still better by far
Pros: It is another music player which may be a rival for some music people who are looking around.
Cons: The review says "Like the iPod, the Rocbox doesn't have extra features such as FM and recording abilities." but they don't mention that there are other ad ons that do provide fm, digital recording and much more for the ipods which gives the ipod more flex
out of 50 user reviews
yeah common cnet, "look out ipod"?! no way, this thing is not nearly as good as an ipod
Pros: get an ipod! its truly the musical dream. you will LOVE it. i do
Cons:
out of 50 user reviews
Copy Cat
Pros: None
Cons: IPod copycat. Dull and ugly looking. This product should not be release at all. Sent it to the grave yard.
out of 50 user reviews
Gotta luv competition
Pros: It tries to beat my iPOD and everybody else but i would like to see the ratin of this mp3. there is always a mp3 player co that tries to beat the iPOD
Cons: Its an imposter like Marcel Duchamp( the guy who put a mustache and beard on Mona Lisa) GET AN iPOD 20GB I bet this thing has 2 hours of playback
out of 50 user reviews
Relax iPOD users
Pros: It's nice to see other music players besides the iPOD. It actually looks cooler.
Cons: none yet. To all you iPOD users, relax, sheesh, you guys are so biased in your reviews. Apple is not the end all you know. Go outside and enjoy life and get away from your "simple and perfect" Macs. There is a world out there besides iPODS.
out of 50 user reviews
The Roc is in the building
Pros: It has saved my life several times. Nifty look and easy interface
Cons: Not as trendy as Ipod
out of 50 user reviews
Not a review, but...
Pros: Not a review, but I find it amusing that CNet markets this article as "Look out, iPod, here comes Rocbox". Why should the iPod look out? There's nothing new or staggering about this product. That being said, healthy competition is good. We'll see if t
Cons:
out of 50 user reviews
IPOD is the trendy way to go for its name
Pros: Works just as well as IPOD
Cons: No fancy white earplugs to let people know that you have an IPOD
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