Rio 600 Specifications
Weight	2.4 ounces
Memory	32MB built-in flash memory, expandable to 372MB
Battery Life	Up to 10 hours continuous playback on 1 AA alkaline battery
Audio Formats	Supports MP3 and Windows Media (WMA)
Connection	USB
Player Playback	Repeats one track, all tracks, or random
OS Support	Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Mac OS 8.51 or later

 

Looks like S3 has taken over the legacy of the Rio MP3 player from Diamond since they bought Diamond's business by coming out with a follow-on Rio product. This time round the Rio 600 looks like a distinct departure from the original Rio look and has taken a brand new, retro kind of look. It now looks curvy as well as having a different texture on the body of the product. The design also looks simpler and somehow less high tech or more toy like compared to the transparent body of the Rio 500.

The Rio 600 with the earphones.

This is what you see when you power up this baby.

 

The retail package contains the Rio, a pair of headphones, an AA size battery, a USB cable, the Rio Audio Manager software and a manual. The Rio Audio Manager hasn't changed much from the previous version except that the previous version was called the RioPort Manager. The Rio Audio Manager allows the user to create and organize audio content on the PC as well as organize audio content on the Rio. It also has the ability to write audio CDs if you have a CD recorder drive. The software only allows you to create 50 MP3 tracks from your CD prior to registration though. There is also a built-in web browser to search and download digital audio from the Internet. The software is easy to install and includes a USB driver for the Rio 600. I did encounter a problem with the installation when I had the previous version of the RioPort Manager and Rio 500 driver in my PC although I'm not exactly sure if that's the main problem since I do have a lot of other USB drivers present. I had to do a major uninstallation job on my PC before the new version installed and ran properly. Other than that, the Rio Audio Manager worked like a charm and is easy to use. The Rio 600 also seems to be the first device on the market to support the WMA format. WMA does sound a little smoother and cleaner than MP3 but also seems to chew up a little more memory than MP3 does.

The Rio Audio Manager.

 

The package also includes software for the Macintosh in the form of SoundJam MP. The SoundJam MP also requires registration before you can convert more than 50 audio tracks from audio CDs. The SoundJam MP will allow the user to convert form a wide variety of audio formats on the Mac like Sound Designer, AIFF, WAV, QuickTime, MP2 and SMD. As with most Macintosh software, the user interface is intuitive. Compared to the Rio Audio Manager, it also seems a lot easier to use. Management of audio content on the Mac and between the Mac and Rio is also easier. Audio is converted at the Converter window while audio is transferred to the Rio at the Connector window. Audio files can be dragged from the Converter to the Connector window. Somehow WMA files appears as MP3 files when the Rio is connected to the Mac.

SoundJam MP on the Macintosh.

The Converter Window for converting various audio formats into MP3.

 

File transfers between the PC or Mac to the Rio is also real zippy. The 32MB of built-in memory seems a little small as I could only accomodate about 1 hour of 64kb audio. There is a backpack expansion accessory which you can buy to increase the capacity as well as a built-in rechargeable battery. The backpack comes in 2 capacities a 32MB and a 64MB version. S3 has a whole bunch of accessories for the Rio 600, they include an FM tuner, car cassette adapter, different color faceplates and the backpacks which I mentioned earlier. I don't have all the details for the accessories but they can be found at the Rio website. The one thing which I did not like about the Rio 600 is the way the battery is attached to the back cover. To the non-initiated gadget savvy user, the battery cover is not-obvious. The battery cover also seems flimsy and it is also not easy to snap the cover back on especially if you have long finger nails or stubby fingers. I missed the jog dial which I found very convenient and useful on the Rio 500.

The controls and menu on the Rio 600 is also simplified. Playback controls are laid out in a 4 directional joy pad manner while the centre button activates the backlight. As with the previous Rio, the backlighting employs the organic blue EL light common to the Casio and Timex digital watches. Most of the functionality remained pretty much the same as the Rio 500. The headphones supplied has funny looking loops for resting the earphones on the ear. The quality of sound from the heaphones are quite typical of headphones this size, tiny, bright and lacks bass. In order to get better sound from the Rio a better pair of headphones is highly recommended. The choice of headphones is a subjectve matter and is best left to the judgement of the user.

The display format with the blue EL backlighting.

 

The Rio 600 seems like a product targeted as an entry level MP3 player designed for the trendy and young at heart. At least the industrial design seems to suggest that. It is light and has the curves to fit right into the palm of your hands. The interchangeable faceplate also reinforces the fact that the young and trendy is more likely to want to customize their gadgets. The cost of the basic product also makes it attractive for the budget conscious. I think this is a good product to start with if one is exploring the idea of a solid state portable audio device using MP3.