I Finally Found the PERFECT MP3 Player

Well, after using various mp3 players the past few years (archos, ipod, creative zen sleek photo, sansa), I FINALLY found the perfect mp3 player. My creative player finally gave it up 2 weeks ago, so i began the search to replace it. Because I have a Rhapsody To Go subscription, i have to own a PlaysForSure compatible device, which rules out the ipod and the zune. I was left with iriver, creative, or sansa...or so i thought. I happened to be browsing the best buy site and ran across this new player, the Insignia Pilot 8GB, which just came out a couple of weeks ago.

I believe this player is somehow a best buy brand, and can only be purchased at Best Buy. Normally, that would scare me off, but the list of features was too good to be ignored. Here is a list of some of the things I like:

-Plays a wide variety of formats, including ogg
-expandable SDHC memory..meaning it will work with the 32GB SDHC cards when available..providing a ton of storage.
-2 headphone out jacks..one of which doubles as a video out.
-video
-nice screen...easily visible outside in the direct sun
-tons of cusomizable features in the player settings menu
-FM radio with RDS (and fm recording)
-it can read txt files, so you can use it as a primitive ebook reader.
-rechargeable battery is also removable, which means it can be replaced easily.
-Bluetooth support (for wireless headphone listening)
-Custom features for Rhapsody users

The Rhapsody features are what I am really digging after my first 10 days with the player. First, you can drag Rhapsody Channels (radio stations) to your player. This gives you a random assortment of 4 hours of music. I have the 80s, new wave, indie now, and the lite alternative on my player now. Each 4 hours of music takes up around 300MB, not too bad. As i listen to songs on the player, i can rate them, and when i synch up with rhapsody, my ratings are uploaded to rhapsody so that it learns what i like and dont like. So, when i update the songs on a channel, it will gradually give me more and more stuff i like based on my ratings. I can also create my own radio stations (like my Ryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen channels) and transfer them to my player. Its an awesome way to get a good mix of music on your player with almost no work. And the more you rate, the better selections you will get.

The menu system is pretty smart, too. It knows not to clutter the album view with all the Rhapsody Channel stuff. So you dont have to worry about 100s of albums showing in your album view due to each channel song you have downloaded. they are kept in seperate areas of the menu. Only albums you have transferred show up in the album view, keeping each menu item uncluttered and on-topic.

After owning the player for 10 days now, I am very happy with my purchase, and would highly recommend it. I can't think of a single feature this player is missing. Its highly configurable and expandable...exactly what i want in all of my tech gadgets.

If you have any specific questions..feel free to ask and i'll post answers (based on my experience with the player).