iBiz PocketRadio

[Prevost]

I've found this one that allows to tune and listen to FM stations in stereo.

What is strange is, it consist in a CF card (the device) for Pocket PC, or if one owns a Palm based PDA, it is in SD format.

Why should they make it in CF knowing that most PPCs do NOT have a CF slot???

Hopefully, this is to change soon as the SD one is relatively new.

[CTSLICK]

Has anyone used one of these? Since my X5 has a CF slot I was kinda interested in picking one up...just have not seen any comments on one.

[Thinkingmandavid]

I emailed them about a week ago, and they sent me an email stating they were working on making it available for the ppc in sd format. Supposedly when they have it available they are going to email that it is ready for viewing and purchasing. Whether it turns out to actually be that way we will find out. :roll:

[buckyg]

Here is my experience with this card...

I tried it twice on an iPAQ 5455 w/ PPC2002.

First time: I saw one of these at the local Compusa. The package specifically stated that it worked on a 5455, so I bought it. Would not work, no matter what I tried. I tried it using both a CF+ Expansion Pack Sleeve and also a Nexipak Dual CF sleeve. No luck.

So I checked their Web page. It said that the iPAQ 54xx series was not supported due to some difference in that series. However, they were working on a fix. I had spent $50, so I got my money back.

Second time: Some time later, I checked back on their website. They had a patch that allowed it to work on the 54xx series. So I bought another one and downloaded the patch. It still didn't work. Back it went.

I do also have a Casio E-125, couldn't get it work on there either. I believe it also needed a patch or different driver, which I could not get to work either.

Here's the page on this radio.
http://www.ibizcorp.com/pocketradio.html

Some things to note there:
- They show it on either a 54xx or 55xx iPAQ, so it must work for them.
- Appears to be another version or driver for the Dell Axim X5?

That's my 2 cents, you may fare better.

Best regards,
buckyg

[Sven Johannsen]

For what it does you can by a similarly sized radio for less. If you counter with "I don't want two devices", velcro the radio to the PPC. The key drawback/downfall, whatever you want to call it, is that it does not use the PPC audio system. It has it's own audio output in the form of a headphone jack on the CF card. So it is really just using the screen as a UI and the PPC battery. You can't be listening to the radio and have reminders come through the headphones and there is no provision, or possibility, that you could record radio, since the audio doesn't ever go through the PPC.

[Thinkingmandavid]

Some good arguments in either case. it does make a difference having to carry less in the long run to me, but to each their own :wink:
If I were having trouble I would be contacting them concerning the device and find out how they can help. If their customer service and tech support cannot get the gliches fixed, then there is no sense in owning it.
Maybe they have a list of satisfied customers that have agreed to being contacted.

[buckyg]

Yes, normally, I would have contacted the company to get help. It came down to this not working as advertised, cost and the arguments Sven makes about what it does.

Ultimately, I decided to get my money back, buy a cheaper, small radio and be done with it.

I thought it would be neat to have a small radio as part of my PPC. The radio I got was much cheaper, not that much bigger and most importantly, it worked.
I just want to make it clear, I'm not trying to trash this product or company, just relating my experiences and opinion, whatever that is worth.