1 My first mp3 and it SUCKS!!!
I got this for christmas last year, but i didnt use it that much but Now, i love kroq, but this piece of crap doesnt take in some of my songs. I put on 8 songs from Red Hot Chili Peppers, and only four of them work, and it skips the others. I have to go backwards to find the song, and it still skips them. ????
Now im getting a zen micro and i already know itll be better than this one even [...]
2 Software required?
I am a digital music enthusiast and have owned several MP3 players like this one; this was perhaps the most dissatisfying MP3 player I have ever purchased. Unlike most every other player I've owned, Rio requires that you install a program in order to transfer music to the device (most MP3 players simply show up as an extra drive under "my computer" allowing you to drag and drop files onto them). First of all, I hate installing vendor software like this, because these programs tend to be fairly invasive (changing file type settings, installing 3rd party "bonus" software, and they take up too much hard drive space given how minimally useful they are). My second complaint (which ties in with the 1st) is that the device was not plug-and-play compatible. This means that I can't download music to it from school computers or friends' computers either (because odds are they won't have the Rio software either).
As you can tell, I never actually got to listen to any music on it, because I could never download anything to it.
Anyway, these complaints may seem minor, but they make this device look kind of bush-league compared to equably priced models by other companies. I guess I had just expected more from such a popular brand of MP3 player.
3 Don't buy Rio
I have had continious problems with Rio, the same goes to many other people. Many things have broken on many peoples players. ave your money and be confident in your purchase. DON'T BUY RIO!!
Problems with my Rio
3 months - screen started to blank out in lines
5 months - keeps losing songs (you have to pull out battery to get them back I found - YAY)
8 months - won't start when I hit the 'on' button, but if I keep pulling the battery out and trying to start it, then it will come on after I do that a while)
DON'T BUY RIO - more bad reviews with other Rio players - read them before you buy
4 juggle - stick will malfunction
The juggle will break after few mounths (bought two of them, on one the backward stopped working, on the second the play stopped working), otherwise it would have been a great mp3 player
5 memory problem
I bought this player 4 months back. I am having a serious problem for the past 1 month. Although the player has 128Mb of internal memory, I have been able to use only half of it, whenever I try to copy music files beyond 60 Mb I get "copy" error. I tried copying different files but even then I got the same error, then I reinstalled the software and the online updates. Even that didn't work. Now I am using it as a 64 Mb player. Unlike most of the MP3 players, it cannot be used as an USB drive. Average sound quality and good battery life.
6 Its reliable but
A couple things I noticed were that when I took it out of the packagethe joystick was bent to the left a bit down at the stem so fixing it is impossible. Folks at rio said they wouldnt replace it because it was "customer abuse" and as others have said it interpheres with other cables although i can just barely slip it in. Updates via Rio Music Manager are ongoing which is great, and transfers are fast. Although I dont go for the quality of music i go for quantity. If you use Windows Media Player Sync for transfering your mp3s you can fit well over 70 songs on this thing. Ive owned this for about 7 months now, dirt and dust gets underneath the screen but you can crack oopen the bottom and blow it out, also the screen gets very scratched for me just get some plastik sandpaper (about 2000 grit) and some toothpaste and sand it down. I keep mine fairly glassy. Another Con about the fuse is its inability to accept external memory, but doesnt bother me as much as other people i know that owns it. 70 songs is good enough for me. Other than what I have said I would probably get a Rio Nitrus if I was put back into the place of buying it. about 10 times the space and just over 150 dollars makes it a great competitor with the overly expensive Apple Ipod Besides who has 40 gigs of music except a radio station...Nobody thats who
7 An excellent player, BUT
Make sure you have an easily accessible USB port before choosing this player -- its size requires me to unplug my mouse when using it with my laptop, or climb under my table to plug it into the back of my computer case when using my desktop (the front-facing ports are at an angle that won't accommodate the Fuse's size).
This isn't to say that this player doesn't function well -- in all aspects, including battery life, sound quality, and user interface, I really like it. My Fuse has been a solid performer for about 6 months now, and has stood up to a lot of abuse already.
A Better choice would most likely be a Rio Cali (slightly larger, but has an FM radio and is available in 256mb for only slightly more money).
8 Nice, cool, and made from Rio!
This player may not have FM radio, but it does have nice clarity, sleek design, and reliability knowing that it comes from the best, Rio. There is no way I'm ever owning a heavy, bulky cd player again.
It holds about 2.5 cds at a time(30 songs)and comes with updated software, which is neat and easy to use. It has a great price and holds all the music you will need. The earphones are "buds" with 4/5 rating on comfort and clarity. Holds right in your pocket for on the go travel. It has a nice joystick, and seems will last a good while. And if you want to change the music,put it in the USB port and put more on! It's that easy. So if youre looking for an affordable Mp3 player, this is the one to get!
9 BEWARE OF RIO
BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING FROM RIO, do your research -- I'm an adult who purchased 2 of their MP3 players to listen to while using the treadmill at the gym. Aside from the complaints that come with many electronic gadgets (eats batteries, controls difficult to use, etc.), BEWARE THAT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ESPECIALLY UNHELPFUL. By checking online, you'll see that many individuals (myself included) have gone through numerous devices to find that the quality is poor, replacement or repair is grudgingly, if at all. LOOK AT ANOTHER BRAND BEFORE YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY.
10 I'd Say 5 stars but....
A great product - powerful yet tiny. 2 problems though....the first is no belt clip. This is easily solved by buying a 3rd party do-it-yourselfer. The 2nd problem is the access to your computer's USB. As many owners ascertained, other wires get in the way. What happens when the wires you must pull out that block its entry are the mouse and keyboard? That is the case on my Sony Vaio. Owners of this computer also know there are an additional 2 USB ports on the front for easy access. What you may not know is the plastic frame which makes up part of the tower casing prevents the Fuse from fully connecting with the USB port...Nice....
Why the geniuses at Rio couldn't forsee this hassle is beyond me. I am now forced to export MP3's to my laptop so I can transfer them to my Fuse. What A pain...
11 Great for the lightweight user
If you only need music for brief workout spells this player is perfect. It's so small it's easy to stick in your pocket (provided you aren't wearing skin-tight jeans!) It doesn't have a clip but carrying cases are easy to find.
It's definitely not the right player for people who want to use it for extended periods or want to have lots of major features. But if you're like me and just want music for the 1 hour or so that you're out rollerblading or biking, it's ideal. It also helps if you have a USB port on the front of your PC, as I do ;)
12 Unreliable
1) juggle - stick is extemely inconvinient
2) if you have mp3 file bigger than 7 min - player resets itself !!! what's up with that - buffer overflow ?!
3) takes forever to boot up or shutdown
4) no belt or pocket clip - so you have to carry it in your pocket all the time - AND IT"S NOT THAT SLIM !!!
5) no option to add more memory
6) not compatible with iTunes (which i use for MP3 purchase),
so I have to have 2 types of software installed on my PC.
Going back to the store...
13 This is a great little player
this player is a wonderful little thing. weighing at 1.2 ounces (i'm not sure if this is with the battery or not) this is truly a player powerful for it's size. It includes a backlight, bookmarks, even a clock/date and stopwatch with laps, this is a remarkable buy for it's price. This also has a Taxi function, so you can transport files between computers. Another good thing is it's compatibility with PC's and Mac's, unlike many mp3 players that are only compatible with PC's.I only have two bad things to say about it : on some computers, you have to take out the keyboard plug to fit in the direct plug in. Two, sometimes it randomly turns off, but doesn't delete the songs or information, luckily. I hope this helps you make your decision. This is a great buy.
14 Fuse
This is a great player, but if you are one of those intend to go to the gym or run with it, you might want the rio cali instead. The fuse is small and compact with great sound. But it doesn't come with a belt clip or arm band. i love it though, was worth its price.
15 so tiny, yet it's so powerful........
After waiting so long for the Rio Fuse to arrive (it had been on backorder for a while), I was pleased. This is the second Rio product that I've owned, the first being the Rio 800.
It is so small and so tiny and if you have very good eyesight, then good luck. The font is so small and the buttons even smaller. The Rio Music Manager program is not that difficult. Anyone can transfer music onto this player and there are no cables and wires to fuss over.
The only problems that you may run into is the menu on the Rio Fuse player itself. Again, I said the font is small and the buttons are even smaller. It might take getting used to. The other problem that I had was plugging it in the USB port. There were other wires that were in the way so I couldn't get to the USB port and when I did manage to plug it in, my keyboard lost its connection. So you might have to make some connection sacrifices like I did.
Other than that, I just love the Rio Fuse. It's not a big and bulky player like a CD walkman and you can slip it in your purse. You might also want to get some rechargable batteries, because although it comes with an Energizer AAA battery, it will run out really fast.
