INTRODUCTION
Since late 2002, NormSoft has been providing Pocket Tunes as a media
player for Palm devices. With version 4.1, released the day that we publish this review, they’ve expanded into the Windows Mobile
market. We’ll take a look at this new offering and see how it stands up as an alternative to
Windows Media Player.
Here are the key features of Pocket Tunes for Windows Mobile:
WHAT’S HOT
- Support for MP3, WMA, AAC, and aacPlus audio formats
- Internet radio playback
- iTunes synchronization
- Windows Media DRM support
Pocket Tunes can be installed to any desktop PC. The installer will use
SETUP
ActiveSync to install the application to your device and Pocket Tunes Sync for iTunes will
be installed on your desktop computer.
If you’re going to replace Windows Media Player, obviously, its successor
PRODUCT FEATURES
should be able to quickly and easily handle your media files. Pocket Tunes automatically
scans your device and categorizes the audio files it finds.
Files are grouped by artist, album and genre. Custom playlists are available
for a mixed selection of files.
After selecting your audio files, Pocket Tunes displays a custom interface for
playback and navigation of the current playlist. Buttons to the lower left of the playlist allow
repeat and random playback. The volume control allows you to adjust the volume independent of
the Windows Mobile volume setting.
Tapping the radio tower icon presents a list of internet radio stations that
are available for playback. Stations are grouped into a variety of categories and you can add
your own stations by entering the URL for the broadcast.
Once you select a station, Pocket Tunes will list the other stations from
the same category so you can easily switch between them. If you create your own category,
you can simply add all your favorite stations to have them quickly available in the playlist.
Pocket Tunes offers a variety of preference settings for customizing your
playback experience. Notable among the preference settings are volume boost, bookmarking, and
crossfade. Volume boost will attempt to squeeze out a bit more volume from your files even when
the volume setting on the device is at its maximum. If you’re listening to a podcast where the
volume of the speakers tends to drift up and down, you may find that volume boost is able to
level things out a bit. Bookmarking enables Pocket Tunes to remember the playback location of
an audio file. You can manually create a bookmark, but if you decide to auto-bookmark, Pocket
Tunes will automatically remember where you left off in an audio file when it is paused. Finally, the
crossfade feature allows you to adjust the gap between tracks from 0 to 10 seconds.
A five-band equalizer allows you to adjust the frequency levels of your audio.
The eight presets provide plenty of room to customize the equalizer for different types of audio.
For those who like to personalize their music player, Pocket Tunes can be skinned
to suit a variety of tastes. Though the Windows Mobile version of Pocket Tunes only has two skins
currently available, the large library of skins for the Palm version should be made available in due
time.
HELP SUPPORT
NormSoft offers support through an online
knowledge base, or
e-mail.
The knowledge base for Pocket Tunes will largely cover the older Palm
versions at this time, but many general questions can still be answered
here. NormSoft attempts to respond to any e-mail support issues within
48 hours.
OPTIONS
For those individuals who use iTunes to manage their audio library,
Pocket Tunes Sync for iTunes provides a simple way to sync iTunes playlists with Pocket
Tunes on your Windows Mobile device.
You can select desired playlists and sync them automatically or manually with your device.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Pocket Tunes for Windows Mobile should work on any Windows Mobile 5.0 or 6
device with a screen resolution of 240×240, 320×240, or 240×320. Installation requires
1.53MB of storage memory, plus any additional space you may use for skins. Vie the NormSoft website for a complete list of compatible devices.
Components installed on a desktop PC require just under 1MB of hard drive
space. Pocket Tunes Sync for iTunes is compatible with any recent version of iTunes software.
BUGS AND WISHES
Although the bookmarking feature in Pocket Tunes is nice, I’d prefer to see it become
even more automatic. Any time I leave a track, I’d like to have an automatic bookmark created. When I
later return to the track, I’d like to automatically resume playback at the bookmark location. Currently, Pocket Tunes
can automatically generate a bookmark after pausing playback, but I must manually resume
playback at the bookmark. If I just begin playing the track, it will begin at the start of the track.
A useful feature for playback of podcasts and audiobooks would be the ability to jump through
the audio by fixed amounts. For example, if I become distracted while listening to an audiobook, I might want to jump back
5 minutes, listen for a few seconds, and begin jumping forward at 1 minute intervals until I figure out
where I stopped listening. Until I find my place, I’d like to jump forward or backward at increasingly
smaller intervals.
I would like to see Pocket Tunes support a few more audio formats. Particularly,
I’d like to playback Audible’s audiobook files and protected iTunes tracks.
Though Pocket Tunes will stream internet radio, it doesn’t support streaming
of podcasts over the internet. I’d like to give Pocket Tunes a list of podcast feeds and be able to
either stream them over my data connection or download them to my device for later playback.
Finally, I’d like to see the price on Pocket Tunes drop from its current $37.95. Competing
products with more functionality are available for almost half the price (for example,
Conduits’ Pocket Player). A more
reasonable price would be $14.95 to $19.95.
Pocket Tunes for Windows Mobile is available for $37.95 from the
PURCHASING
NormSoft website.
A trial is available. All NormSoft products come with a 15-day money back guarantee.
PROS
Attractive interface
- Works with both versions of Windows Mobile
Internet radio
iTunes playlist synchronization
Volume boost and graphic equalizer
Bookmarks for audiobooks and podcasts
CONS
Hefty price tag
Lacks support for Audible audiobooks
Streams internet radio, but not podcasts
| Value |  |
| Ease of Use |
 |
| Features |  |
Overall |
|
OVERALL IMPRESSION
Pocket Tunes for Windows Mobile is a decent alternative to Windows Media Player.
Its automatic bookmarking is especially useful for listening to lengthy podcasts or audiobooks and
the inclusion of internet radio is great for those with unlimited data plans. Volume boost, crossfade,
and the graphic equalizer are all items missing from Windows Media Player. The most serious obstacle
I see for Pocket Tunes is its price tag. At $37.95 Pocket Tunes is a bit on the expensive side.
Before making a purchase, you may want to look around at other options, such as
Conduits’ Pocket Player.
It offers more features than Pocket Tunes, but at a much lower price.
Want to get the most out of Windows Media player, without buying software? Read our article: Windows Media Player Mobile Tips and Tricks.
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