06-30-2004, 05:00 PM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 749
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Listenin' to the Music!--PocketMusic 3.0 Reviewed
Product Category: Audio Media Player
Manufacturer: Pocket Mind
Where to Buy: PocketMusic 3 is free! from Pocket Mind. The Player Bundle is available from Handango .[Affiliate]
Price: $19.95 USD for the Player Bundle or $9.95 USD to upgrade existing PocketMusic Player Bundle users).
System Requirements: Pocket PC, Pocket PC 2002 or Pocket Mobile 2003. The freeware version requires approximately 1.3 mb of memory. The full bundle takes 3.67 mb of memory.
Specifications: Supports MP1, MP2, MP3, OGG, WMA, AA, FLC, M3U, ASF, ASX, PLS, WAL, and WSZ file types (See the review for explanations. I didn�t recognize them either).
Pros:- Freeware version is available (MP3 audio only);
- Support for the most popular audio, playlist and Audible file formats (in the 'bundle' version);
- Support for portrait and landscape modes with buttons for big fingers;
- Playlist and tag management available (in bundle version).
Cons:- Some controls on the default skin are still too small and/or don�t work;
- Equalizer is good, especially with the presets, but still needs some work;
- Running in background can interfere with stroke recognition in Letter recognizer.
Summary: Well, it�s been awhile since we last took a look at Pocket Music , and Pocket Mind released a new version just a couple of months ago. Yes, it looks quite a bit different, there are more formats supported, new features for playlist management and streaming audio, and some of the features that were originally part of the registered bundle have now been included in the freeware version. But does it sound any different???
Read on for the full review!
Welcome to Version 3 of PocketMusic!
The last time we took an extended look at PocketMusic, it was March of 2003 and version 1.2 had just been released. Well, here we are about 15 months later and up to version 3, with many new features and a whole new look! Since last the last review focused on the �freeware� portion of PocketMusic, this time I�ll look more at the features of the added bundle.
Installation
Installation of PocketMusic has always been pretty straight forward, using the ActiveSync Add/Remove Programs function, and version 3 is no exception. Whether you opt for the freeware version or the bundle, you get a Microsoft installer file downloaded to your PC, which, after connecting to your Pocket PC via ActiveSync, you execute to complete the installation process. After installation, the freeware version of PocketMusic 3 takes about 1.3 mb of memory, while the bundle will require about 3.67 mb. PocketMusic will run just fine if it is installed to a CF or SD card.
One of the added bonuses in version 3 of PocketMusic is the addition of a Today screen plug in, which you can use to start up and run most of basic functionality. After installation, the default has this added to the Today screen. To turn it off, or configure its options (whether you want the background to be transparent or not), tap Start/Settings/Today/Items.
Figure 1: PocketMusic 3 is automatically configured with a Today screen plug-in.
You can also configure PocketMusic so that it becomes the default player for any or all of the formats it supports.
Figure 2: Configuring PocketMusic 3�s association with file types.
This screen and the other configuration tabs are available from the Options button on the left side of the new default skin.
The first time you run PocketMusic 3, you may be a bit surprised by the new look (see the top of the review), especially if you have seen or used older versions. This new look is a �big button� version of the player which, according to Pocket Mind is appropriate for use where you can�t get at the stylus � like when you�re playing music in the car. I really like this new interface, since it addresses one of my annoyances with the earlier versions of PocketMusic.
Feature Sets
Pocket Music has come a long way from what we saw last year, and a lot of features have been added to the freeware version. The basic version of PocketMusic now includes:- A new skinnable interface (portrait and landscape!) with big controls;
- Winamp 2.x support;
- Skin selection dialog with preview;
- Equalizer presets;
- Multi-lingual interface (German, French, Italian, Spanish or English).
With the bundle you add:- MP1, MP2, OGG, and WMA file types support for audio;
- M3U, ASF, ASX, and PLS format support for playlists;
- WSZ and WAL formats for Winamp skin files ;
- HTTP Streaming audio for MPS and OGG Internet radio broadcasts;
- Audible audio books support (through AA and FLC file formats).
Look and Feel stuff (Interface)
With PocketMusic 3, the overall colour scheme of the default skin has been softened and makes use of more pastel shades. The �big button� version is shown at the top of this review. Here�s the Winamp version, which is similar to the original interface from earlier versions.
Figure 3:The new default Winamp skin for PocketMusic 3.0
If you want to access the menu system associated with PocketMusic (with the Configuration Options) on the Winamp skin, you need to tap on an �inactive� part of the screen, where there aren�t any other buttons or controls. I usually use the middle top left of the screen � just to the left of the Previous Track button.
I was glad to see they�ve reduced the size of the spectrum analyzer display and changed its colour to monochrome. In fact, you might not know it�s even there from this screenshot, but it�s located in the top left, just under the run time. I don�t believe it really works anyway, since I�ve noticed that there are bass notes being shown when the music is definitely playing high-range flutes and clarinets.
Some of the controls on the default skin are still way too small for my liking � as in the window controls in the top right. But they�ve done a good job of addressing this in the �big button� versions and in the Today screen plug in. Sorry, I don�t have access to a VGA-screen unit, so I can�t tell you if PocketMusic�s new interface supports that resolution.
The Winamp skins provided on the PocketMind Web site are the same as before, although they do state that there are thousands to be found on the Internet. A quick Google search on �winamp skins� produced about a million hits, so you shouldn�t have too much trouble finding one that suits your mood. (Wouldn�t it be cool to be able to have the skins cycle like we do our Today Themes???)
The same pastel colour scheme for the Landscape Mode version of the interface.
Figure 4 efault Landscape Mode interface.
They�ve even added an Alarm Clock and Sleep Timer to this version, so you can get the same functionality as PtravelAlarm to have music lull you to sleep and/or wake you in the morning(but I like PtravelAlarm�s time display better ;-)
Figure 5: Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock screens.
Sound Quality
There have been lots of articles, news groups and discussion forums regarding the relative quality of the various recording formats (mp3 vs. wma vs. ogg, etc.). Since I�m by no means an expert in this area, all I will say is that I find PocketMusic to be as good as, and in some cases much better than, most of the other music players when it comes to reproduction of the originally recorded material. The other general note of consensus is that if you�re looking for faithful reproduction of the original, a higher sampling rate is always better. But, you need to trade this off against the amount of disk space you want to use up.
Suffice it to say that PocketMusic 3 had no difficulty dealing with any of the formats I was able to produce (mp3, wma, ogg) and any of the sampling rates. I have to admit though, that I couldn�t really tell the difference in music quality between many of them. I�ll leave that up to your personal preferences.
What I will talk about is the equalizer, since this is one of the earliest features of PocketMusic which, at first, separated it from the rest of the pack. Originally when I reviewed PocketMusic, I mentioned that the equalizer really wasn�t doing what I expected a multi-band equalizer to do � enhance or reduce sounds produced within the band selected. I also noted that at some point, the equalizer would appear to get confused and everything started sounding like it was coming from the inside of a large tin can. The equalizer is a 10-band affair and Pocket Mind provides a significant number of presets, which provide simulate various listening environments (large hall, night club, headphones, etc.)
Figure 6: PocketMusic 3�s 10-band equalizer.
Generally, the equalizer works OK, and it�s much better than it has been in previous versions of PocketMusic. When you adjust the lower range sliders, bass notes get stronger and the same thing happens at the upper range. However, I guess I�ve been spoiled by working with analog, active equalizer boards in my earlier recording studio days. PocketMusic�s equalizer still doesn�t work the way I would expect it to on all bands. To give it fair due, I haven�t found any player with an equalizer that works properly (to my ear). The point of a multi-band equalizer is that it should only affect sounds within the frequency range of the band being adjusted � not other notes in other bands. With PocketMusic�s equalizer, I found that especially in the mid-range bands, other frequencies were being altered that should have been left alone. Thus, trying to adjust for known situations (like needing to tweak the upper range a bit for clearer voices) meant having to play with all the sliders and interpret the interactions. And yes, I did manage to get the �playing in a tin can� effect again, and since there is no �reset� button to put the equalizer back to 0 (flat) on all bands, I had to turn off the equalizer to clear it.
On the positive side, the presets work pretty well, and generally simulate the effects they describe. (I�d like a bit more reverb in the Large Hall setting, though). Maybe my headphones aren�t sensitive enough, but there were a number of presets I couldn�t hear any noticeable difference.
Figure 7: There�s quite a range of presets available for the equalizer.
The other change in sound included in this version is the ability for PocketMusic to eliminate blank sound at the beginning and end of tracks and to create a cross-fade effect between subsequent songs. Now, you can make your music sound like you have your own personal DJ creating the set. I have to admit it was a bit unnerving the first time I heard it between tracks (since I�m used to the old days of records and tapes), and having the music fade out when I tap the close button still catches me every now and then.
Figure 8: Telling PocketMusic to crossfade and eliminate gaps.
Streaming Audio
Now this was something new for me � I had never hooked up my Pocket PC to an Internet radio station before. Fortunately, Pocket Mind provided excellent �how to� instructions in their documentation, and everything went without a hitch. After connecting my Pocket PC through to the Internet through a Bluetooth connection to my laptop, I was able to download the playlist files worked a jazz station from Seattle, open it up and listen quite contentedly for the next 3 or 4 hours. It was really quite cool. Unfortunately, I can�t do this at work, since tying up of bandwidth with streaming video or audio is frowned upon, corporately.
Figure 9: Listening to Steaming Audio.
I also wasn�t able to test out accessing any Audible book material, since I don�t have access to any of these files. But the documentation gives a good description of how to access these. I�ve also heard through the grapevine of some problems with Audible.com�s Pocket PC version of their player, so maybe this would be a workable alternative.
Documentation
One of my complaints with the 1.2 version of PocketMusic was the lack of documentation supplied with the freeware version. Well, Pocket Mind has addressed this with a short 3 or 4 page document which is included in the distribution package. It describes the basic functions of PocketMusic.
With the PocketMusic �bundle� however, comes a more extensive document (about 27 pages!) which describes all the available functionality and even provides guidelines for developing your own WinAmp skins for PocketMusic. And it�s written in a straight-forward, friendly fashion, without a lot of jargon included. As I mentioned above, I was able to follow the instructions to get streaming audio to work through PocketMusic the first time!
Key Mapping
The ability to map hardware keys on the PocketPC to various functions within PocketMusic (such as volume up/down, next/previous track, etc.) has been around since version 1.0, but there were problems with the earlier versions. Most notably, when you mapped any PocketMusic function to a hardware key, all other hardware key functions were disabled while PocketMusic was running.
I�m very happy to report that this is no longer a problem with PocketMusic 3.0, as I have been able to use the joystick button for volume and track selection, while retaining my application buttons for initiating the screenshot capture software to get pictures of PocketMusic in action.
Figure 10: Key Mapping Options in PocketMusic 3.
Conclusions
Of course, there just isn�t the space to address all of the options in PocketMusic within the space available for a review like this. But it�s really great to see Pocket Mind continuing to upgrade this product � especially since it�s freeware. So many times, I�ve watched good applications start their life as freeware with some of the basic essentials, then quickly become next to useless as the �enhanced� version (read as �The version with the bugs fixed and all the stuff you really need�) is released with a sometimes significant price tag. Thank you, PocketMind, for continuing to enhance the basic PocketMusic application, and provide us with a package of useful extra goodies at a reasonable price.
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06-30-2004, 05:57 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 137
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I just upgraded a couple weeks ago. I play mostly mp3's and they seem to sound better to me on the new version. Maybe it's just me.
I like the new interface. It's a lot easier to use in the car.
Nice review.
dart
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06-30-2004, 07:06 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 162
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If I can't test it with WMA files, I'm not interested. 8O
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06-30-2004, 07:22 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 28
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Perk
If I can't test it with WMA files, I'm not interested. 8O
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There is a trial of the full version.
WMA's seem to work great.
craig
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06-30-2004, 07:38 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 315
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hmm, I see a low cpu utilization mode, and a seperate bass booster, anyone else see anything "new" in this release?
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06-30-2004, 09:13 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 162
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Thanks,
I'm heading over to try it now. The article said the trial only supports mp3.
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06-30-2004, 11:16 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 162
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As much as I'd LOVE to own this software, I still find it unstable. I tried the last version on my old H3835 and found that it wouldn't always move to the next song and might keep playing after a system notification but it would loose the sound. Other times, it would lock up the device altogether. Well, version 3.0 does it the same on my H2215. The only common hardware is the SanDisk 256mb SD card which works flawlessly otherwise.
Any ideas?
Mike
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07-01-2004, 02:22 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 315
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shrug, aside from shoutcast, pocket player has been my choice of player. It's stable on my dell, good skin support, sounds good, crossfade.
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07-01-2004, 03:26 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 17
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Great for audio books
I bought this software pretty much for one reason, the Audible support.
I've had so much trouble with Audible's software over the years, PocketMusic was a breath of fresh air. It's stable (on my Viewsonic), doesn't have a memory leak (like the Audible player), doesn't magically turn on and run down my battery so I have to reinstall everything (like the Audible player), and is easy to use with only the hardware buttons (Great for in-car operation). The bookmark feature and automatic continue features make it great for audiobooks, Audible or otherwise.
All in all, it turned out to be a good investment for me.
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07-01-2004, 09:33 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 17
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Anyone has this PocketMusic Notification Dup Problem?
Dear All,
Having been using WMP since I got my first PPC. Just loaded PocketMusic and wanna give it a try. It works okay (not that great IMO), and I found out it has this notification dup problem.
PocketMusic has this sleep time and wake up (as an alarm) feature, but I'm not using it. Well, it still add a notification event in the notification que database everytime I start it. Please check pic in following url for detail (sorry, couldn't get the IMG stuff work here.
http://discussion.brighthand.com/sho...hreadid=107001
Anybody else has this problem too? Care to check it out and share the info?
BTW, I'm using iPaq 4150 with the latest ROM (v1.00.14) update. I don't have any other notification dup problem after this update.
Thanks and cheers!
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Linear Mode
