Print
Email
Comment
Facebook
Digg this
September 26, 2005 at 12:00:00 AM | more stories by this author
This one was hunted and found as low as $100. Find out if it's worth the money.
Black is the new black
It's a shame Rio went out of business, because it made some quality MP3 players. We'll miss top-rated models such as the Carbon, with its svelte pocket size, silver chrome back, and user-friendly menu system. One Rio player that we won't miss is the larger-capacity Rio Karma--that player was doomed from day one with its known crashing problems (the people at Rio actually told us to slap it to get it running again!).
On the bright side, you can now find Rio players for real cheap online. For instance, the ce2100 is currently posting on CNET for $100. That's the same price as the 512MB Shuffle, and if you do the math, it holds five times the amount of music. Plus, it has a screen, and it's compatible with subscription services. Rio's parent company, D&M Holdings, will continue to offer support for Rio products despite its going out of business.
What it costs: $100 (as of September 26, 2005)
What it does: Plays MP3, WMA, and WMA DMR; has a 20-hour rechargeable battery; and fits about 600 songs encoded at 128kbps (350 tracks at 192kbps).
Who it's for: Music fans looking for an affordable iPod alternative and who purchase music from WMA DRM stores such as Napster and Rhapsody (it's also compatible with Audible audiobooks). Also, those who don't mind a little extra bulk on a smaller-capacity player (the iPod Nano is half the weight of the Rio ce2100 but twice as expensive).
