The hottest new product in Internet and audio circles has hit SA. The Diamond Rio, distributed by leading component distributor AXiZ, is set to revolutionise music distribution, by taking MP3 audio files off the PC and making them available for portable, mainstream use.
The Rio PMP300 is a portable, lightweight digital music player which can mix and store up to sixty minutes of digital quality music and up to eight hours of voice quality audio, downloaded from the Internet to a PC. The device currently supports MP3 and features a simple interface for easily transferring files to Rio from the PC.
The Rio PMP300 is smaller than an audio cassette and has no moving parts so it won`t skip, even during extreme movement. It is powered by a single AA alkaline battery for up to 12 hours of continuous playback. 32 MB of onboard flash memory provides up to 60 minutes of continuous digital quality playback and up to eight hours of voice quality audio. An add-on flash memory upgrade card is also available in a16MB configuration and a 32MB.
"MP3 is set to revolutionise the music industry and the Rio is accelerating this process," says Clayton Porter, graphics product manager at AXiZ. "The uptake of this product in the US and Europe has been immense and we anticipate a similar trend in SA. With the rapid increase of the number of MP3 files available on the Internet, users can choose and create their own compilations of music, with just a click of a button. And now with the introduction of the Diamond Rio, they can take their Internet music with them."
The Rio has easy-to-operate controls and comes standard with headphones, a parallel connector and a parallel port adapter. The PC interface is simple to use, allowing the user to download, refresh and initialise options with an easy drag and drop interface. There are literally tens of thousands of authorised MP3 files available on the Internet ready for download, or the user can create personal compilations using the Rio software.
"This product is ideal for high-impact sports such as jogging, aerobics or cycling, as there is absolutely no skipping - the product has no movable parts," says Porter. "Other uses for the product include pure recreation - being able to take your MP3 music wherever you go, or even for audio-aided training that requires excellent quality sound in a system that is extremely robust."
The Diamond Rio is available through AXiZ-registered resellers, or by online ordering on www.mp3player.co.za.
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AXiZ
AXiZ is South Africa`s premier computer component distribution company, with offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria and a staff complement exceeding 150 professionals. Founded in 1989, AXiZ has evolved from a supplier of memory modules and processors to be the leading distributor of branded end-to-end PC components, from motherboards, processors and PC cards to networking products, storage products, and graphics cards. In addition, AXiZ provides services such as a PC and server configuration and assembly service, customer deliveries, and training and education.
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