The MP3RUN combines music and monitoring to allow athletes to track their progress over time.Using a wireless speed and distance sensor, data is stored on the player and later automatically uploaded to the nikerunning.com training log.Designed with athlete insights and technology innovations features audible feedback lets you hear time, distance and pace during your workout on-demand, a state-of-the-art illumination technology strobe light that enhances the users visibility in low light conditions.Featuring 125 songs of skip-free audio, and a FM radio with 10 station presets onboard, you'll never run out of new music to inspire your daily workouts.Nike + Philips introduces the first skip-free Wearable Sport Audio player to combine music, and wireless sensing to help fitness consumers reach their personal best through the motivation of music.
1 not recommended
I unfortunately bought this thing and have come to hate it. The buttons are mediocre and not easy to press. Whenever you do anything, like scroll through the menu or try to change radio stations, the menu/ backdrop are slow and the interface is stupid... for some reason, they decided to add in goofy little details to the user interface, such as making whatever choice you have selected "bold" and flash around like a little video game. This just slows the interface down and makes it hard/ annoying to scroll through the menu or change the station. The end result: every time I have to adjust this thing, it is slow and annoying. Moreover, the rest of it is mediocre at best... the entire thing is just lackluster. This thing is not a good seller and never will be... that is a good verification of what I am saying. I regret getting rid of my old (although it was quite junked after four years of use) Creative Labs Nomad (just the old basic model). It was fast to get through the menu, easy to adjust, small, and came with a belt clip, which is great for jogging or running. I am not a fan of the armband attachments and would not recommend them. The Phillips/ Nike has a belt band, but it is also stupid... rather than just a clip, it is a complete elastic belt. Overall: average/ poor product all around, do not buy. Take it back to the drawing board, Nike/ Phillips.
2 The absolute best mp3 player for runners!!!!
I got the mp3run in December, and it has been so great and easy to work with. Although initially it was hard to get set up, it is much easier now that I know how to work it. I believe the software is quite nice (I agree with others, however, that it is difficut to set up. I got this player because I had been looking for one for a while, and I was afraid about breaking an expensive iPod. When I came across this player, and saw it was designed for running, I immediately bought it. The pedometer is amazingly accurate, and it perfect for runners. The quality of music is also very nice, and so is the 'strobe light' feature for running at night. The armband is very comfortable to run with; you can barely notice it when it is on. I really enjoy the feature which you can touch one button, and a voice will tell you what distance you've run, for how long you've run, and what speed you are running. Although this is a bit expensive (especially for only 256Mb), I believe it is worth every penny. Ever since I've bought the Mp3run, I can't run without it. It's absolutely the best solution for athletes (especially runners), and I would definitely reccommend this to everyone.
3 Difficult but nifty
I purchased this for my wife for Christmas. She'd had her eye on it for a while and was thrilled to tell me that I would be the one who would program it and load the music. Oh Joy! This was my first foray into the world of digital music players and I can only hope that there are easier systems to load. It took me a few hours to get music files transferred over. But other than the set up problems, this has proven to be a neat little gadget. I'm very satisfied with the sound quality and my wife loves the combined funcionality of the MP3 player and the speed/disctance/pace monitor. I just don't look forward to the next time I have to load music or create a playlist...
4 Overpriced and overhyped
I'm sorry, but this is a piece of crap. A very expensive piece of crap at that. I have had this for two weeks now and have only used it once. I can't get anything on it to work properly. First - the radio doesn't work with the pedometer, since the pedometer communicates with the headset via radio waves, that was a big disappointment. Second, the music manager they supply is rediculously terrible. It won't download MP3s!!! I kid you not. The MP3 player doesn't play MP3s. Nice. It is also supposed to play WMAs and it won't do that either. It is possible there is a way to do this, I just haven't figured it out yet. Other music managers, Windows Media, RealPlayer, don't work with it either. It also won't download WMA's onto the player. It will only play songs ripped from CDs. So I have to burn all my WMA that I downloaded (LEGALLY) onto a new CD and transfer them to the player. That is WAY to much trouble. The media manager is so crappy, its "Help" won't even open. I sat down this morning to gear the player up and try to put more music on it, and the player was discharged. I used it once. I apparently discharged it while I was trying for HOURS to download music onto it. I have 10 miles to run today, and it looks like I'll be heading out with my good ol' Rio. Which was wise investment of money.
I give this two stars because, if I can ever get it to work properly it will have some neat features. BOOOOOO to Nike for creating such a hard to use product, and supplying it with SUCH terrible software. If you are thinking about buying this... Caveat Emptor.
5 THE BEST MP3 PLAYER FOR RUNNERS & ATHLETES
NIKE AND PHILIPS HAVE FINALLY MADE THE PERFECT MP3 PLAYER!!!
If you want an MP3 player that is more than just an MP3 player...than this is the player for you. Not only can you play 4+ hours worth of MP3 music, but you get FM radio, 12 hours of battery life (i wish my mini iPod would give me that, haha), a strobelight for when I run at night, and on top of all that...a SPEED/DISTANCE/PACE monitor that hooks onto your shoe and is 100% accurate!!! This device has taken the thinking out of my running. No more calculating in my head how fast I need to go to maintain my pace or wondering how far I have actually run, because this player tells me in my ear as I'm running. SO COOL! All this, and I haven't even mentioned the form-fitting headphones that connect around your ear COMFORTABLY, or the 100% shock proof (not my iPod either), cool design that fits onto your arm (and doesn't move) and only weighs 2 ounces!!! Only complaint is that it's USB 1.1 and not 2.0, but this is by far the best MP3 player on the market right now for athletes who run, BY FAR!!! EVERY RUNNER SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THESE TO RUN WITH!!!
