Pros:
-affordable, but not cheap-feeling
-weighty aluminum body accented with brushed steel back and matted plastic buttons
-buttons do not have those hollow, springy clicks
-very good video playback: plays AVI (not MP4) files using the XVID and MP2 codecs; max framerate of 24 fps and video bitrate can be as high as 512 Kbps; 2.4” screen has high pixel density (320x240); no sync issues
-fast-forward can breeze through full-length movies, just don't expect to pinpoint exact scenes
-video converter is simple, a plus for beginners
-good audio playback; there's even a 5 band customizable equalizer
-supports drag and drop
-supports file tree browsing at least 3 folders deep
-uses standard USB cable
-holding M button automatically switches to main menu which can make navigation faster
-can be used when chargi ng through an outlet
-bookmark and resume function for text files
-colorful main menu and lively now playing screen

Cons:
-slow scrolling—do not buy if you have hundreds of songs and like to skip from track to track
-no bookmark/search/resume function for videos and audio—only a problem for audio
-slow fast-forward for audio files
-scroll wheel is clunky and inelegant and hardly stylish; only useful for adjusting volume
-24 character max; file or folder names longer than 24 characters will be cut off
-no dedicated volume button; can adjust volume using scroll wheel only when in now playing screen
-no dedicated hold switch; you have to press the circle button and the M button for 3 seconds to activate/deactivate the hold function
-crummy earphones and weak speakers
-dust can settle under lens and screws can come loose
-software is Windows only and comes in a mini CD so it may not fit all CD drives
-video converter doesn't allow for more in-depth tweaking
-considerable color banding and artifacts in scenes with lots of black
-no ID3 tag browsing so you can't browse by album, artist, or genre
-no MTP, DRM, SDHC, or playlist support
-external memory doesn't seamlessly integrate with internal memory meaning whatever is in a memory card is strictly separate from whatever is in the player
-short battery life: 8 hours for audio, 4 hours for video
-a bit girly with its bright oranges and cherry reds
-no technical support; there's no help number to call, so if any problems show up, you have to do your own research
-mine came with incorrect manual that referred to a completely different player
-no specially made cases

I had a bit of trouble finding a video converter since I don't mainly use Windows. Fortunately, you can use the command line with Mencoder with a script such as this:

mencoder -noodml INPUT -of avi -o OUTPUT -ofps 20 -vf-add scale=320:-2,expand=320:240 $3 -srate 44100 -ovc xvid -xvidencopts bitrate=384:max_bframes=0:quant_type=h263 -oac lavc -lavcopts acodec=mp2:abitrate=96

I have only about 160 audio files that are no more than 5 minutes long each—the rest of the memory is taken up by movies and TV shows, so the cons don't affect me too much, especially considering the low $42 price point. Just keep in mind it's still FAR outclassed by name brand players especially when it comes to user interface and official or community support (whatever anyone says, generic, no-name players are never a match for an iPod, Zune, Meizu, Zen, Sony, iriver, or Sansa). Personally, I use it whenever I don't feel safe bringing my Insignia Pilot around. People who enjoy hour long audiobooks, podcasts, symphonies, or concerts will also have to look elsewhere. E-books are OK since you can bookmark text files, but scrolling is still really slow. All in all, this is a simple portable media player that's good for basic audio and video playback that I wouldn't mind getting broken, stolen, or lost in a year.... [ Read more ]