NW stock contest 2004 Now through Dec. 31, sign up to play in our annual stock-picking contest. Winner gets lunch on us.			Boeing Digest Sign up for our Boeing e-mail newsletter.

Weekly interest and loan rates | Northwest stock contest 2003 Tax tips | Consumer affairs | Home values

Getting Started / Linda Knapp
Cheaper Chiba holds its own against cute iPod

	JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES Apple's iPod portable music player looks appealing and supplies high-quality sound, but some operational quirks can make it sometimes awkward to use.
	E-mail this article Print this article Search archive

From the black cube it comes in to the silky belt-carrier that keeps it close, the iPod portable music player is high-class — and high-tech — with superb sound quality and the capacity to store 2,500 to 7,500 songs, depending on the model.

Besides supporting the usual MP3, AIFF and WAV audio formats, the iPod features the AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format, which Apple reports encodes music files that are smaller and better-quality than the standard MP3 format.

Judging by its specifications and enthusiastic endorsement of Apple loyalists, the iPod is hard to fault. I'll simply report my experience using it and one other portable player, the Rio Audio Chiba.

Truth be told, I have a few issues with how the iPod works, at least the one I've been using.

For example, when I turn it on and press the Menu button, it jumps to a playlist and begins playing music before I've had a chance to tell it to play something else. I have to press buttons several times to bring back the Menu and direct it to the list I want to play.

Turning it off is also a trick because it keeps switching back on again. To keep it off, I have to slide it on Hold (which freezes the current settings).

I want to use it in the dark, but the latest model has a flat front, making it harder to operate blind. There's a backlight, but it's not easy to turn it on without touching other buttons that make unwanted changes.

Rio Audio Chiba Audio playback • Storage: 256MB on removable card (expands to 512MB) • Weight: 1.8 ounces • Supports: MP3, WMA, also features FM tuner. • Connection: USB 1.1 (PC, Mac) • Battery: AAA alkaline for 18 hours of play time. • Cost: $199 (256MG).

The iPod is supposed to play for eight hours between charges, but I get five to six hours before it shuts down.

Finally, the ear buds. The latest ones reportedly provide better-quality sound and are supposed to fit better, but even these keep falling out of my ears. I've had to use an old Walkman headset instead.

Notably, other companies offer high-quality earphones that come in smaller sizes. I tried two sets from Shure, for instance, that fit my ears better and provide excellent sound quality. The E2c costs $99, but the E5c, which renders exceptional sound with different drivers for high and low frequencies, costs $499.

There are three things that keep me attached to this iPod: its superior sound, its capacity to hold all my digital music and automatically update additions and revisions when connected to the computer, and, finally, the aesthetics.

But I'm not entirely faithful. Lately, I've been seen with a Rio Audio Chiba, which is a different kind of portable music player with its own special qualities.

For example, the Chiba is lighter (1.8 ounces compared with the iPod's 5.6 ounces, which makes a difference when exercising), has a built-in FM tuner, and, if the battery runs out during an exercise session, I can quickly pop in one AAA rather than wait three hours for a recharge. Plus, the Rio battery lasts 18 hours (no exaggeration) compared with five to eight on the iPod.

The Chiba is a flash-memory player, meaning the music is stored on a removable card rather than a hard disk. This model has 256MB of memory, which holds about four hours of music in MP3 format and up to eight hours in WMA. Add a 512MB card and get eight to 16 more hours.

Apple iPod Audio playback. • Storage: 10GB, 20GB or 40GB. • Weight: 5.6 ounces (10, 20GB), 6.2 ounces (40GB) • Supports: MP3, AIFF, AAC, WAV • Connection: FireWire 400, USB 2.0 (PC, Mac) • Battery: Lithium ion for eight hours of play time. • Cost: $299 (10GB), $399 (20GB), $499 (40GB)

The ear buds on the Chiba "almost" fit, but I still have to wear an over-the-head set while exercising. I can operate this player in the dark because the protruding buttons are easy to find and, happily, nothing happens until I press them.

This player fits easily in the palm of my hand, is lighter than an energy bar, and the music sounds very good.

The Chiba connects to a PC or Mac with a USB cable and can use Rio Music Manager, Windows Media Player, RealOne, Musicmatch or iTunes to organize music on the computer and transfer it to the Chiba.

I also can buy downloadable songs and transfer them to the Chiba from Musicmatch, Emusic, Napster and other online stores, except the iTunes Music Store. That music (in the AAC format) can only be downloaded to an iPod.

In comparison, the iPod also connects to a PC or Mac, which can use iTunes, Musicmatch or other software to organize music and download purchased songs.

However, Musicmatch has reported that installing iTunes prevents Musicmatch from working with the iPod, so don't install iTunes unless you plan to use it for all music tasks.

Pricing for the iPod and Chiba: The 10GB iPod costs $299, the 20GB is $399 and the 40GB is $499. The 128MB Chiba costs $169 and the 256MB is $199.

Both portable players are reasonably small and light, and both play good-quality music. Plus, both are designed for music lovers of all ages with or without technology expertise.

Comparing them may be unfair because it's like comparing a BMW to a Geo. Both do the job, but they're in different price ranges.

When choosing a portable music player, consider your intended uses for the player and your pocketbook. Then, relax and enjoy the one you pick.

Write Linda Knapp at lknapp@seattletimes.com. To read other Getting Started columns, go to: www.seattletimes.com/gettingstarted.

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company