Desktop Computer Review: RCA Lyra RD2840 - Digital player - HDD 40 GB - WMA, MP3

I bought the RD2840 40GB Lyra jukebox when it first went out sale as exclusive at Circuit City.I've been quite happy with it.
Pros:huge capacity (Windows reports 37.2GB total); low price; USB 2.0 High-Speed (=fast transfers!); drag-and-drop file transfers for both music and non-music; recognized by Windows as an external hard disk; graphic EQ plus a few presets; iPod-like interface; includes carrying case and car adapter; backlit LCD screen with adjustable backlight and contrast; good sound quality (after you replace the stock headphones); easy system software set-up (no reboot needed in XP); key lock via Menu button; line-out for hi-fi systems; ability to tag a song "Like" or "Dislike"; ability to import MusicMatch play lists; cute packaging box with handle.
Cons: bulky (but surprisingly lighter than I'd expected); too thick; buttons can be unresponsive at times; cannot remember last song played after power down (really stupid! Who designed this thing?); quality seems ok but not as solid-feel as electronics from Sony or other Japanese brands; not much of a printed manual; web support almost non-existent (although you can download the latest firmware update).
Overall I like the RD2840, a lot.I had iPod-envy but not any more.Sure it's bulkier and heavier than the iPod, but it's not really too heavy at under 10 oz., and comes with a decent carrying case, plus the value factor is just enormous.I'm not rich by any measure so I couldn't justify shelling out the iPod kind of money.Also, I wanted to use whatever jukebox I'd buy as an external hard drive, and the RCA products are the only ones that can function this way.(Nope, even the new Creative Labs Nomad NX can't double as an external drive.Besides, that product has a really brain-dead desktop program, and its internal drive breaks when you just walk.Avoid the Nomad NX!)
Software installation was fast and required no restart, a rarity these days.I skipped installing MusicMatch, since I encode mostly in WMA using Windows Media Player.With native drag-and-drop support via USB 2.0 High-Speed, it's so easy and fast to transfer all sorts of files between your PC and the RD2840.You can use the RD2840 as a back-up hard disk.What happens is after you transfer the files, you *must* do a profiling via the system tray.This is VERY IMPORTANT to keep the RD2840 happy.The profiling process is actually quite fast if you do it after you transfer the files, before you unplug it from the PC.(You can also do it from the RD2840 itself, but it takes longer and consumes battery power.)The profiling basically recognizes all the MP3, MP3Pro and WMA files on the RD2840's hard disk and builds a database.If you don't profile each time after you transfer files, you get unpredictable behavior, which eventually will require a soft reset.(Yep, it has a reset whole, on the left side.)
The player supports all MP3 tags, and the blue blacklit LCD screen shows you all the information about each music file.WMA support is flawless.(I don't have any MP3Pro files so I don't know how that works.)I encode all my music in bitrates from 64 kbps (for WMA) up to 192 kbps (for MP3), and the first time I set up the player, I transfered about 2GB of songs.The transfer process took about 5 minutes (I have USB 2.0 High-Speed ports on my laptop), and the profiling took less than a minute.I also copied some documents just to confirm that I could use the RD2840 as an external drive; again the transfer was fast over USB 2.0 High-Speed.
So that was tip #1: always profile the RD2840 after downloading files to it.Tip #2 is, be sure to download the latest firmware from RCA's website.There's some confusion as to whether the current update actually does anything for this particular model.You should still download and install it anyway.
Tip #3, to maximize battery life, you should always top off the charge by an hour or so.That's just the way LiIon batteries work.If you don't charge it fully, over time its performance will degrade.RCA says you can get 10 hours of play time out of this; I guess the actual battery life depends on how often you press the buttons, the encoding format and rate of your music, and other factors.I found that I get anywhere between 6 and 8 hours, more on the low end, though.Luckily, the AC adpater is pretty compact, and you get a car adapter in the package.
The biggest annoyance is that the player can't remember where you were before you shut it off.That's really stupid.On the other hand, the scroll button would scroll slowly first, but if you keep holding it down for 2 seconds, it starts scrolling by page, pausing a bit between pages, which is really nice.The overall interface reminds me of the iPod's, although slightly less refined, but still usable even if you don't read the electronic manual.
In summary, the RD2840 is a very capable MP3/WMA jukebox player as well as an external hard drive for Windows PCs.Mac support is rather limited, but Windows users will be happy especially if they heed my aforementioned suggestions.

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Product Description:
Plug into 40GB of storage in a package compact enough to hold in your hand or put in your pocket. 40GB of storage is enough to hold up to 1200 hours of mp3PRO music encoded at 64kbps and can also be used as a data storage device. This Lyra Jukebox is compatible with mp3, mp3PRO, and WMA files. Get hooked up with the high speed USB 2.0 Connection. This connection transfer files up to 40x faster than the original 1.1 USB connection. Never wonder what artist you are listening to again! The Backlit Multi-Line LCD Display lists the name of artist, song, elapsed time, volume level and battery level indicator when in playback mode. Internal Rechargeable Lithium Ion Polymer Battery provides up to 10 hours of playback. RCA included everything except the sneakers with this portable Lyra Jukebox. Take advantage of the full accessory kit to maximize the experience. Stay connected with this RCA Lyra Jukebox.