iamme
Lifer
Pics!!
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj001.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj002.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj003.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj004.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj005.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj006.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj007.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj008.jpg
My mini-review:
Well, i've had the 15GB Dell DJ for a few days and here are my thoughts. I originally wanted an iPod, but the price was too high, and there was a $180 deal that was too tempting.
Size, weight, and form factor
The size of the DJ impressed me. I've played with the 3rd gen iPod many times at the nearby Apple store. I excepted that I would have to sacrifice size, if I was going to buy anything other than an iPod. Once I unwrapped the DJ and held it, I was immediately pleased. The edges are rounded, much like the iPod. This makes it very pleasant to hold. I had a Creative Zen in the past, and the "sharper" edges were kind of fatiguing to hold after a while.
The weight is 7.61 ounces for the DJ, compared to 5.6 ounces for the iPod. i'd say the difference is negligible. i won't notice the two ounces in my bag or even in my pocket. i carried the DJ in my pocket the other day and it was fine. if 2 ounces is too much for you, you should invest in some weights instead of an mp3 player 😛
The back of the DJ has 4 very small rubber "feet", that support it when you put it on a table. Very nice touch, imo. I can place it on a table without placing it down gently, worrying about scratching the finish. Also, I hear that behind the rubber feet there are small screws that, when removed, reveal the battery. There are sites that sell replacement batteries for the DJ at around $50.
Size is a funny thing when talking about mp3 players. People seem to worry about the size of a player compared to an iPod. Funny thing is, iPod owners will carry their iPod in some sort of case. From what I gathered, the iPod plastic case and metal finish back are prone to scratches and "swirl" marks. So, they buy a case adding millimeters to the overall size. *shrug* Bottom line is, i consider the DJ a small mp3 player. Of course, not as small as an iPod, but definitely not that much bigger.
Usability
The UI on the DJ is the same as Creative's. I used a Zen in the past, so I was instantly familiar with it. The scroll wheel is nice and easy to use. However, I think the larger wheel on the iPod is better for scrolling through long lists. Imagine scrolling through 20 pages of a Word document with your mouse's scroll wheel. But, it's far more efficient to use the DJ's feature that allows you to skip to first letter of the trackname/artist/album. So, if you are trying to scroll through 1,000 songs, you're doing it inefficiently anyways.
The buttons have a nice feel to them. Kind of a "soft" click. They've got a cool blue light behind them. Dedicated volume controls are nice, imo. I dislike how the iPod doesn't have those. There is a Back button to go back one menu level and a Home button to go back to the main menu. The hold button on the top is a little hard to toggle, but I'm sure that's the point. You don't want a hold button that toggles by accident in your pocket.
Unfortunately, the DJ doesn't get recognized as a generic drive in Windows. That would have been nice. You need to install drivers and of course you should check out Dell.com for the latest ones.
The newest software is called Dell DJ Explorer. Installation was painless and it worked flawlessly (XP Pro SP1). The interface is like Windows explorer and can just drag and drop your music collection. Transferring was quick at around a 1 second per song. I believe there is some rudimentary tag editting, but i didn't try it out. The newest firmware add some good functionality. Most notably, imo, is the ability to just play all of your tracks. I remember with my older Zen, you had to make a playlist on your PC with all your songs. Not complicated, but a pain nonetheless.
I haven't tried the voice recording, so I can't comment on that. There is a small mic on the top.
The LCD is shares the same blue backlight. Easy to read and good contrast (which is adjustable).
Battery life
iPods are rated at 8 hours and the DJ is rated at 16 hours. Some indivduals have tested the DJ to show the claim to be right on. I believe the DJ uses a higher milliamp per hour battery, so that obviously helps. Like I mentioned above, the battery is user replaceable.
Sound
Now, I didn't even bother opening up the included earbuds. I used my Sennheiser MX400's (only $15 shipped). I highly recommend getting nicer headphones/earbuds to hear the best the DJ has to offer.
I'm not an audiophile, so I can't really comment on the technical aspects of the sound quality. All I know is that is sounds great and is able to play pretty loud. There is a 4 band customizable equalizer. There are a bunch of presets, like Jazz, Pop, Classical, etc.
Conclusion
This was just a mini-review, so if anyone has more questions, feel free to ask. Overall, I'm very happy with my Dell DJ. I thought I was "settling" for it, since I wasn't getting an iPod. I don't feel that way at all after playing with it for a little bit. Size is very nice and the overall feel is great. When factor in the price ($199 vs $299) I'm glad I decided to get the DJ. To me, an iPod isn't $100 better than the DJ.
LMK if you have any questions! :beer:😀
DellDJSite.com is a great site with forums. Definitely check them out if you're interested in a DJ.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i really wanted an iPod, but alas, i couldn't justify the price. especially when the 15GB Dell DJ was on sale for $180 shipped. One thing i dislike about iPods is that they seem to get scratched up pretty fast. of course you could buy a case, but then the small size advantage is negated. also, the Dell DJ seems to get amazing battery life compared to the iPod.
any other Dell DJ owners here?
if anyone's interested, i'll post pics and a mini-review. lmk.
that is all.
:beer:😀
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj001.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj002.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj003.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj004.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj005.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj006.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj007.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/delldj008.jpg
My mini-review:
Well, i've had the 15GB Dell DJ for a few days and here are my thoughts. I originally wanted an iPod, but the price was too high, and there was a $180 deal that was too tempting.
Size, weight, and form factor
The size of the DJ impressed me. I've played with the 3rd gen iPod many times at the nearby Apple store. I excepted that I would have to sacrifice size, if I was going to buy anything other than an iPod. Once I unwrapped the DJ and held it, I was immediately pleased. The edges are rounded, much like the iPod. This makes it very pleasant to hold. I had a Creative Zen in the past, and the "sharper" edges were kind of fatiguing to hold after a while.
The weight is 7.61 ounces for the DJ, compared to 5.6 ounces for the iPod. i'd say the difference is negligible. i won't notice the two ounces in my bag or even in my pocket. i carried the DJ in my pocket the other day and it was fine. if 2 ounces is too much for you, you should invest in some weights instead of an mp3 player 😛
The back of the DJ has 4 very small rubber "feet", that support it when you put it on a table. Very nice touch, imo. I can place it on a table without placing it down gently, worrying about scratching the finish. Also, I hear that behind the rubber feet there are small screws that, when removed, reveal the battery. There are sites that sell replacement batteries for the DJ at around $50.
Size is a funny thing when talking about mp3 players. People seem to worry about the size of a player compared to an iPod. Funny thing is, iPod owners will carry their iPod in some sort of case. From what I gathered, the iPod plastic case and metal finish back are prone to scratches and "swirl" marks. So, they buy a case adding millimeters to the overall size. *shrug* Bottom line is, i consider the DJ a small mp3 player. Of course, not as small as an iPod, but definitely not that much bigger.
Usability
The UI on the DJ is the same as Creative's. I used a Zen in the past, so I was instantly familiar with it. The scroll wheel is nice and easy to use. However, I think the larger wheel on the iPod is better for scrolling through long lists. Imagine scrolling through 20 pages of a Word document with your mouse's scroll wheel. But, it's far more efficient to use the DJ's feature that allows you to skip to first letter of the trackname/artist/album. So, if you are trying to scroll through 1,000 songs, you're doing it inefficiently anyways.
The buttons have a nice feel to them. Kind of a "soft" click. They've got a cool blue light behind them. Dedicated volume controls are nice, imo. I dislike how the iPod doesn't have those. There is a Back button to go back one menu level and a Home button to go back to the main menu. The hold button on the top is a little hard to toggle, but I'm sure that's the point. You don't want a hold button that toggles by accident in your pocket.
Unfortunately, the DJ doesn't get recognized as a generic drive in Windows. That would have been nice. You need to install drivers and of course you should check out Dell.com for the latest ones.
The newest software is called Dell DJ Explorer. Installation was painless and it worked flawlessly (XP Pro SP1). The interface is like Windows explorer and can just drag and drop your music collection. Transferring was quick at around a 1 second per song. I believe there is some rudimentary tag editting, but i didn't try it out. The newest firmware add some good functionality. Most notably, imo, is the ability to just play all of your tracks. I remember with my older Zen, you had to make a playlist on your PC with all your songs. Not complicated, but a pain nonetheless.
I haven't tried the voice recording, so I can't comment on that. There is a small mic on the top.
The LCD is shares the same blue backlight. Easy to read and good contrast (which is adjustable).
Battery life
iPods are rated at 8 hours and the DJ is rated at 16 hours. Some indivduals have tested the DJ to show the claim to be right on. I believe the DJ uses a higher milliamp per hour battery, so that obviously helps. Like I mentioned above, the battery is user replaceable.
Sound
Now, I didn't even bother opening up the included earbuds. I used my Sennheiser MX400's (only $15 shipped). I highly recommend getting nicer headphones/earbuds to hear the best the DJ has to offer.
I'm not an audiophile, so I can't really comment on the technical aspects of the sound quality. All I know is that is sounds great and is able to play pretty loud. There is a 4 band customizable equalizer. There are a bunch of presets, like Jazz, Pop, Classical, etc.
Conclusion
This was just a mini-review, so if anyone has more questions, feel free to ask. Overall, I'm very happy with my Dell DJ. I thought I was "settling" for it, since I wasn't getting an iPod. I don't feel that way at all after playing with it for a little bit. Size is very nice and the overall feel is great. When factor in the price ($199 vs $299) I'm glad I decided to get the DJ. To me, an iPod isn't $100 better than the DJ.
LMK if you have any questions! :beer:😀
DellDJSite.com is a great site with forums. Definitely check them out if you're interested in a DJ.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i really wanted an iPod, but alas, i couldn't justify the price. especially when the 15GB Dell DJ was on sale for $180 shipped. One thing i dislike about iPods is that they seem to get scratched up pretty fast. of course you could buy a case, but then the small size advantage is negated. also, the Dell DJ seems to get amazing battery life compared to the iPod.
any other Dell DJ owners here?
if anyone's interested, i'll post pics and a mini-review. lmk.
that is all.
:beer:😀
