Written for the beginner or intermediate in the MP3 world

Details of purchase: I paid $120 for the K3 at Best Buy. My son works at the Geek Squad and usually says the service plans aren't worth it (that is how Best Buy receives much of their profit). In this case though he strongly encouraged me to get the 2 year plan. The battery cannot be removed without sending it off to the factory, so, at the very least 1 year and 11 months into the plan you can bring it back and tell them the battery does not hold its charge: battery replacement is covered.

Even the K3 packaging is impressive. From the start of opening it you feel like you've bought quality. In the package you find the quick start guide, charger/USB Cable, ear buds and install disc. After the experience I've had with Sony I didn't even load up their software. I'm content with using WMP (windows media player) and had no troubles moving songs over (drag and drop) and syncing up the player. I just plugged in the player with the USB Cable and WMP sensed the device automatically. The cable is proprietary to the device so don't lose it. You need the cable to transfer music or charge it. When it's plugged in to the computer that also charges the device.

The ear buds sound great but I decided to purchase some Phillips ear buds that have the soft, rubbery like inserts. The Phillips are much easier on the ears if you don't mind the feeling of something in the ear. Samsung's ear buds on the other hand fit snugly, slightly in the ear. If it's your first MP3 player try out the ear buds that come with it first but be patient with getting the little foam covers on the buds, it took me several minutes. I chose the black model although I've heard there's a red version.

As for battery life I timed its play and got about 18 hours. Not quite what the brochure claims but when you use it off and on it seems like forever. Every month I'll be monitoring the batter life so I can keep you posted on how it fairs. The first thing I did was to use it until the battery was drained and then charged it full. I've actually done that twice so was surprised that it is less than the 20 hours promised. If I had to do it over again I’d charge it full first and then drain it. Not sure if that would make any difference though.

Compared to a Sony: The first player I purchased was a Sony at about $90 late last year. Initial impressions were favorable until such time that I tried to use their proprietary software. What a pain! Clunky software, slow downloads and tiny controls on the device make it less than desirable. In laymen's term proprietary software means you can only use Sony's software to load up music on the player. You cannot use WMP or any thing else. In contrast the K3 is more than just a breath of fresh air, it is impressive. You feel like you're holding a piece of art.

Interface, in particular Music Option: In a word, COOL. In a few more words, simple and thoughtful. First a brief word on the controls themselves. All the controls are touch sensitive. The up/down let's you adjust volume when you're playing music while the left/right permit you to fast forward through a song or skip to the next / previous song with a quick tap. The controls are sensitive and DO NOT require force. It took me a little while to get used to just how gentle / very little effort is required to activate them.

When you turn it on there are 4 main menu items: FM Radio, settings, photo, music. Perhaps the only aspect I couldn't figure out initially was how to turn it on, thank goodness the sales clerk showed me. The switch on the side has essentially three positions: hold down, normal / not touching it, push up. When you hold it down that either turns the device on or off. Once you let go then it's on and in a normal operating position. If you push it up you lock the device, which can be very handy if you're moving around. Locking it prevents an accidental touch of the touch sensitive controls; in other words, with the lock on all you can do is hear the music play.

The first thing I did was connect it to my computer to load up music. Then I went to the music tab. Next you can choose what music to hear: a specific album, specific tracks, specific genres; in all cases you can just select the top selection and hear everything. So, if for example you selected “Artists” and then “All Albums” (or you could just pick the artist desired), “All tracks” and then the first song listed the player would then go through each song until the end. The ‘circle arrow’, one of the touch options, lets you back up one level in the menu selection and the “little box” with two lines provides some options specific to what you're doing. In the music option the "little box" lets you change the display show either a ‘graphic equalizer’ view or just the ‘art work’, little blue bubbles; or you can change the play mode to repeat songs or shuffle; or you can alter the sound effects such as a studio, rock, classical, jazz or about 10 options in total. The sound effects play the song with the effect selected. Should you choose the “User” effect that’s where you manually use the equalizer or alternatively boost the bass.

Support: The device comes with some pictures and some music already installed. For the life of me I could not figure out how to remove the pre-installed stuff so I figured I’d call up the support line (800 #). I called on a Saturday and was pleasantly surprised. I waited for a few minutes and then an individual answered. He walked me through how to get into the device (like using a jump drive or external drive through Explorer). From there he told me the folders to go to and delete the stuff I didn’t need. Surprising their added music/photos took up around 20 – 30 megabytes, not much. While it was only one call I was surprised at the quality and knowledge of the support person I had.

Other features / interface: Also available on the system is the ability to load pictures. The quality of the screen is ok. If you’re looking for a high quality viewer this is not for you. Also available is the FM tuner that is much simpler to use then I expected. You can either change the channel one number at a time or just hold down the right arrow for a second or two for it to scan. The tuner picked up the channels I liked and had great sound. The you can depress that “little box” to preset stations.

Finally the Settings menu let’s you change some basic options such as: how long the clock shows, turn off the display, set the sleep timer (have it run for an hour only so you don’t fall asleep and drain the battery), set the clock, set the language, set the volume limit (prevents you from turning up the volume too loud), see the “About” section so you know how much memory is used and what’s available. If you’re buying an MP3 player then your focus should be on the music and interface. While the photos and FM Radio are nice I wouldn’t buy this device for those features.

One final note. At the time I purchased this there were few accessories available, one jacket only is what Best Buy sold. If you are active then you really do need a jacket so you can strap it on your arm or belt. Perhaps over the next year more accessories will become available. A jacket also significantly minimizes scratches and dings. I use my K3 only when I’m at a desk or relaxing so haven’t bothered with one. Should I decide to walk around, exercise at a gym or any other activity then I’d definitely get the jacket for it.

You will definitely be pleased with your decision to purchase a K3, I certainly am!