2. Mini CDR/CDRW Madness - Evolution Or Revolution? Continued

When talking about the total capacity that a mini CDR/ CDRW can hold, it is important to qualify some of the claims that are bening made. Yes, it is possible for a mini CDR/ CDRW to hold six hours of music, but this is dependent on the sample rate that is used to encode the music. While a sample rate of 128 kbps is close to CD-quality, it also makes the MP3 files larger in size. Reducing the sampling rate will allow for the greater compression that is required in order to meet the claim of six hours on a mini CDR/ CDRW. We found that a sampling rate of 128 kbps will only yield about three hours and twenty minutes of music, on average.

When evaluating any portable music device, you must take a look at the available options and find out which device fits you and your lifestyle best. Portable music devices come in all shapes and sizes - a fact that has caused a large amount of confusion in this product arena. The mini CDR may or may not be a good product fit for you. This article does not attempt to look at all of the differences between varying formats and technologies; the focus is more a look at the new mini CDR technology than it is a look at portable music players in general.

Radically Different Approches To Using The Mini CDR Technology

As we explained above, portable music devices come in all shapes and sizes. The mini CDR players that we looked at were no exception. We took a look at two different devices: one from Imation, the other from Compaq. The Imation RipGO! and the Compaq PM-1 are radically different in both features and design. We don't really think that either company is well-known for their efforts in portable music player technology yet, and we believe that this allowed each company to design its respective device from a fresh perspective.

The Imation RipGO! comes in a colorful box while the Compaq PM-1 comes in the cheaper "blister pack" packaging. We have never been fans of this type of packaging, because it makes it difficult to remove the product. We found more detail on the specifications and limitations of the unit on the RipGO!'s box, which is helpful for the consumer, but neither of the packages does a very good job of describing what the mini CD format is. This could lead to some confusion for the consumer, but, apparently, neither Imation nor Compaq gave this issue too much consideration.

A fresh perspective from which to design these new products does not necessarily equal success. During the use and testing of these devices, we found that their designs have both positive and negative implications. As the Mini CDR/ CDRW format matures, we feel sure that some of these issues will be addressed in the future development of these products.