More Than a Player
By Troy Dreier
October 29, 2003
Product: Samsung Napster YP-910GS
How did they fit all that in there? That's the first question you'll ask after checking out the new co-branded Samsung Napster YP-910GS player/recorder ($399 street). This latest addition to Samsung's YEPP line of digital-audio devices is roughly the same size as the Apple iPod, but the YP-910GS manages to cram in a lot of extras—features the iPod lacks, such as an FM tuner, an FM transmitter, and a voice recorder.
At 4.2 by 2.8 by 0.8 inches (HWD), the YP-910GS isn't as sleek as current iPods, which occupy just 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.7 inches, but at 6.0 ounces, it's lighter by 0.2 ounces. Its front houses a four-line display, a large button that controls volume and menu scrolling, and three smaller buttons—Record, Menu, and Select. On/off and music playback controls are on the right side of the device; hold and reset are on the left. Atop the YP-910GS, you'll find the earphone/remote-control jack as well as USB 2.0 and line-in ports hidden behind a stubborn panel we could only pry open with a fingernail. The controls, although easy to use, aren't nearly as well designed as the iPod's, which let you operate the player with your thumb alone.
The interesting feature collection is a first for a palm-size hard-drive audio device. Like the e.Digital Odyssey 1000, the YP-910GS has an FM tuner. Unlike its competitors though, it also has a built-in wireless transmitter, so you can broadcast to an FM radio without buying a separate device. All you have to do is plug the included antenna into the YP-910GS line-in port. The player broadcasts over four different frequencies. Its range is extremely short, though—it managed less than 1 foot in our testing.
The YP-910GS can take voice notes, but beyond that, it can record directly from the radio and lets you transfer those recordings to a PC via the included USB 2.0 cable. The process is wonderfully easy: Simply click the record button when a station is playing and the capture starts a second later. You can easily transfer the resulting WMA file from your player's library to your PC's hard drive the next time you connect. Plug the included audio cable into the line-in port, and you can record directly from a stereo or other source.
Battery life is good. We got 10 hours; slightly better than the 9 hours a 30GB Apple iPod gave when recently tested in our story "Let the Music Play."
The device is not without its faults, though. You can't create playlists on the YP-910GS itself, as you can with iPods. Thankfully, creating lists on a computer is simple—you select songs in your Napster 2.0 library, then drag them into a playlist. When you connect the YP-910GS to your PC, you drag the playlist to the player/recorder's library. Irritatingly, the songs list in alphabetical order rather than album order; you have to drag songs around in the library to reorder them, then transfer them back to the device.
You'll find just five equalizer settings on the YP-910GS versus the iPod's 22 and none of the games or time killers Apple's player has. You do get a wired remote, but the included headphones are subpar and the off-white leather case isn't too attractive.
The player's release coincides with the availability of Napster 2.0, Roxio's reincarnation of Napster as a pay service. As one might assume, the YP-910GS is the only hardware of its type that smoothly integrates with the Napster 2.0 software. Unfortunately, Roxio's software lacks a sync button, so you have to drag all tracks over manually. Other players will need Windows Media Player 9 to transfer Napster 2.0's songs.
At first glance, the YP-910GS looks like it might be an iPod-killer, especially considering that the devices are about the same size and available with 20GB hard drives for $399. But the iPod provides a satisfying user experience the new kid can't touch despite its interesting extras. While the Samsung Napster YP-910GS is a great machine, we think the iPod's top-dog status is safe for now.
AI
