Nextar MA206-5R 512 MB MP3 Player DRM Function Red

Nextar MA206-5R 512 MB MP3 Player DRM Function Red

Nextar MA206-5R 512 MB MP3 Player DRM Function Red
Manufacturer: Nextar
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
Nextar is a leader in the design and manufacturing of consumer mobile audio and video systems. This includes mobile and personal video and audio systems, personal digital audio and personal navigation products, and much more.PRODUCT FEATURES:Supports MTV format;Supports MP3/WMA/ASF digital music;Built-in rechargeable LI-ION battery;7 Bands mode EQ system;Multi play mode (Folder Repeat, Repeat One, Repeat All, Random, Intro);OLED with true color display;A-B repeat playing and recording;Direct USB2.0 full-speed plug;JPEG Picture Viewer;E-book feature;DRM10;Synchronic Lyric during playing.

Average customer rating: 4.0

ADDICTED!!!!!
Longtime SideKick User
Extremely Good! But with flaws.
Best Multi-purpose Gadget for under 200 Bucks!
Good Phone

T-Mobile Sidekick 3 Phone (T-Mobile)

Manufacturer: T-Mobile
Product Group: Wireless
Binding: Wireless Phone
ASIN: B000HKKPQM

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Amazon.com Hands-On Review

The third iteration of the T-Mobile Sidekick shows that the device has finally come of age and is ready to compete on both the voice and data fronts. It receives a number of physical and software upgrades over prior models.</p>

<table align=right width=105 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="left"> <img height= 200 width= 104 src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/wireless/detail-page/sidekick-III-blog.jpg" border=0 align=top>
<small><b>The Sidekick has come of age.</b></small> </font></td></tr> </table> While it weighs pretty much the same as the prior Sidekick, the 6.4oz Sidekick 3 feels much more phone like and pocket friendly now that it a bit more narrow. As always, the d-pad controller on the left/top of the device functions as the ear speaker for voice calls. A better control option is the new trackball controller, which lets users effortlessly and quickly spin through menus and select items with a quick press. The flip out display mechanism, and quite possibly the 65k color display itself, appear to be unchanged from prior models. A simple push of the thumb on the corner of the display housing sends it flipping out of the way to expose a totally redesigned QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard is vastly superior to the one found in the Sidekick 2, and possibly better than any other QWERTY keyboard found on a phone today.</p>

The new Sidekick 3 also gets an upgrade in terms of multimedia capabilities. The old VGA camera has been replaced with a 1.3 megapixel unit that takes reasonable photos as long as there is enough light. Musically, the Sidekick 3 now sports a capable MP3 application that comes complete with playlist creation support and the ability to sort your music. Stereo earbud headphones are included. MP3 players and megapixel cameras are of little use if you don't have enough storage space, and to that end the Sidekick 3 offers a miniSD memory card slot that accepts cards of up to 2GB in size.</p>

<table align=left width=225 cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5> <tr> <td align="left"> <img height= 188 width= 225 src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/wireless/detail-page/sidekick3-open.jpg" border=0 align=top>
<small><b>Enjoy super-fast IM, email and web browsing.</b></small> </font></td></tr> </table> One of the things that I have always liked about the Sidekick family was its user interface, which has been made even better by the trackball. The main menu of the Sidekick 3 is organized as icons on a circular arc. The trackball and d-pad can be used to move up and down the arc to select the designed icon, which then can be selected to enter the sub-menu or application. From most anywhere in the system the dedicated "jump" key will take you back to that main menu, and similar dedicated buttons can be used to bring up an application specific menu, cancel the current operation, or accept/save any changes made in the app. Combinations of these keys with each other or the alphabetic keys can be defined to load various applications or bring up certain functions, such as the screen brightness applet.</p>

The Sidekick 3's triband GSM support means that roaming into Europe and other parts of the world is possible, and the addition of EDGE data support means that the device's connection to the T-Mobile servers for email and web browsing and such is significantly faster than before. Added Bluetooth support means that wireless headsets can now be used, too. Our Sidekick managed 6 hours of talk time on a full charge.</p>

Messaging support includes a fine email system, SMS, as well as AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! instant messaging. Email can be linked up to an existing account, and like the fine calendar and contacts systems, is accessible both on the device and on T-Mobile's Sidekick Desktop Interface website. An optional application can be bought that will keep the Sidekick in synch with a desktop PC's copy of Microsoft Outlook. Other on-device apps, such as games, can be purchased from T-Mobile through catalogs accessible on the Sidekick itself.</p>

<strong>Pros:</strong> <ul>

Fine keyboard</li>

EDGE data</li>

Bluetooth</li>

MP3 player</li> </ul></p>

<strong>Cons:</strong> <ul>

Big, heavy</li>

Low-res display</li> </ul> </p>

Overall the new Sidekick 3 has proven that it can take on the current crop of QWERTY keyboard equipped smartphones while still remaining a Sidekick at heart. It is a fun, capable device that is sure to please die hard Sidekick fans and new users alike.</p>

--Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com </p>

Customer Reviews:

ADDICTED!!!!!.......2007-04-08

ADDICTED is the word I use 2 describe this wonderful TOY! The web browser could be FASTER since it's listed as 3G but its ok for a cell phone. Checking website is like checking website back in the 90's when you check sites with a dial up phone connection to your computer. I got a LG ENV as a gift and the LG ENV is a knock off of the SK3 and after only a few days with the LG I realized how much I missed my SK3 heavily. So I got rid of it & went back to my Sidekick. 1st off the LG ENV web browser can't log in to MySpace.com the way the SK3 can. Verizon Wireless doesn't have the good data packages that T-Mobile has. Cause for 29.99 I get unlimited Text, Unlimited IM, Unlimited Web Browsing, and unlimited email. So that's a bargain enough for the most part. I don't use this device as a phone because T-Mobile just can't compete signal wise with the other phone carriers. T-Mobile has its work cut out for them if they intend on beating the competition. But I am so pleased with the SK3. Here are the negatives: Poor battery life, poor camera. For 1.3 mega pixel it sure doesn't show. The camera looks like an old RCA TV from the 1970's. You can only have 4 email accounts linked up to your SK3 and I think on the T-Mobile website it lists 8 email accounts attachable. You can't sync MSN or Yahoo mail only AOL. That's really about it those flaws are what keeps this phone from getting a 5 star rating.

Longtime SideKick User .......2007-03-12

I just bought the SK3 a week ago and have to say that although the internet connection of the device could be better, this device is perfect for those who have problems typing on tinier phones. I am not a teen and I still love this phone and previous models before it.

I have been using SideKicks off and on since the Color SideKick. I somehow missed owning the original Black and White SK.

I waited almost a year to purchase it (it was originally released in 2003), to give it time to get all the kinks out. I did the same with the SideKick 2 which I think is the main reason everyone complains about it. I did use 2 SK2's however (the first one got fried somehow. I turned it off and it never turned back on). Same process repeated with the SK3.

Back on topic now. Here's my analysis of the phone compared to older SK's.

Phone/Speakerphone/BlueTooth: I have used almost every feature on the phone except the phone itself. I have a smaller phone for voice calls. However, I plan on using the SK3 at least once as a phone to find out the quality of the phone. Once I finally figured it out, pairing my BT headsets was a breeze. I have already paired 2 headsets with it.

Swivel Screen: I absolutely love this feature. This protects the keypad from unintentional key presses while in a case or whatever you put it in. The resolution could be better but I won't complain about it.

Keypad: The full QWERTY keypad and the row of numbers on the top make typing messages much easier. The keys are spaced a little more now which makes typing easier than it is on my BlackBerry Pearl. I also love the feel of the glossy plastic keys better than the rubber keys of the SK2. I have not had any problems with my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome flaring up.

Device OS: Although I still experience times where I cannot access a site, this is much better than on my previous SK's. The software OTA upgrades have fixed a few issues.

Size/Weight: When stacked on top of my SK2, the SK3 is a few inches shorter and thinner. The tapered end makes grabbing the SK3 a little easier than the 2.

Phone Exterior: I absolutely LOVE the new chrome (or silver) and black colors on the SK3. This was much needed as I got a little tired of the grey on previous models.

Device Control Buttons: The exterior keys for the Menu, Jump, Cancel and Done buttons could be better but they are integrated into the rest of the phone's exterior.

Navigation: The SK3 continues to have the ring of applications users have grown to love. I love the new trackball on the device (much like the trackball on my BlackBerry Pearl). This makes navigating the device much easier than the trackwheel and D-Pad on previous 'Kicks although the new black D-Pad on the SK3 is much smaller than the other devices. It is is now enclosed in a silver/chrome lining. The color has been changed to black instead of the grey button with a clear plastic covering.

Applications: Every app I used on my SK2 is still available on the SK3 except my favorite game, Anagrammed. I wish the prices of the games/ringtones/other apps was a little cheaper but I still got 2 of my other favorite games.

Also as a sign language interpreting student, I installed and love i711 (I installed Sprint's IP-Relay but didn't like its user interface and promptly removed it). Haven't used it yet but I feel like I will in the future.

Camera: Have not tested this yet as I use disposable cameras more than a cell phone camera.

MP3 player: My new favorite feature of the SK3. Plays clearly and has a playlist you can choose songs from.

Organizer: Notes, To Do and Calendar now have their own section on the SK3 instead of being separated on previous models.

Instant Messaging: I was so happy to find out I didn't have to download Yahoo from the catalog anymore, and was REALLY happy to discover this thing has MSN Messenger. Now if it only had Google Talk. I'd be in Heaven.

Text Messaging: Same as previous SK's.

MMS Messaging: Missing from US models but included in overseas models.

Battery Life: This STINKS. I'm already looking for an extended battery but will either: 1) carry my SK2 or other phone as a backup; 2) buy another stock battery; or 3) use a charger, which I have 2 now, a car and wall charger. The SK3 only lasts 1 day compared to my BlackBerry which lasts 4 days with an extended battery. I think I remember getting 2 or more days out of previous SK's but the USB charging ports are loose on them now rendering them almost useless.

Accessories: I am looking for a case I can put on the phone and not have to take it out of to use the keypad. Have found a few that come close but nothing exactly like what I want.

Data Outages: If you really love this phone as much as I do, you will learn to become familiar with this and put up with it.

Decice Durability: I have only used 4 of them (compare this to 9 BlackBerry devices). I have dropped all of my other SK's but have yet to drop the SK3. I really hope I don't, regardless of how flimsy others think it is. That's what insurance and equipment protection are for.

I gave the SK3 5 stars because of my history of using the SK, despite the flaws with it. Like I said, if you really love the phone, you will do your best to get over the flaws with it.

Extremely Good! But with flaws........2007-03-10

The Sidekcik 3 smartphone is amazing! The UI is so clean, so fluid, and so quick, that finding what you're looking for is a snap. The keyboard is amazing. The keys are separated just enough to where you wont accidentally hit two keys at once, and all the keys are where you would expect them on a QWERTY keyboard. The camera is absolutely the BEST camera I have ever seen on a phone. The picture, for a phone, are AMAZINGLY high quality, scanning through the pictures is blazingly fast and doesnt require the "please wait while loading" for each image like other phones do. Simply scroll the trackball, and you're scrolling through your pictures instantly. The MP3 player is great. While I would have liked to see a larger built-in capacity for such an expensive phone, I can't complain with the quality. The playlist system is great, the sound is amazing both with the headphones and when just listening to it on the speaker.

But, there ARE bad things. Things bad enough to, despite all the wonderful things i just listed, caused me to return the phone within four hours of having it delivered. Most cell phones have AIM capability. All the ones I've ever run across treat AIM messages like text-messages. If you load your buddy list, or add a buddy, or just send an IM, it all counts as a text message. So, for people like me who have unlimited text messages in their plan, that system works great. The Sidekick 3, however, actually logs into the AIM service. It updates your list as people log in and log off. It is actually online. So while this is really great, you have to be online to do it. And to be online, you have to have the special Sidekick 3 data plan. Normal tWebs (or whatever the T-Mobile internet plan is) will not work. For an extra 20 dollars a month, (30 dollars/mo gets you Unlimited data, texts, and minutes are 20 cents per.) you get access to the web including AIM. Without this extra service, you CANNOT access AIM. Without the Sidekick 3 data package, you CANNOT send or recieve e-mail. Without the Sidekick 3 data package, you can ONLY make calls, and send text messages. Second, you can expand the mini-SD card up to 2 gigs. 2 gigs is a lot of MP3s. But, you cannot set your MP3s are ringtones. There is actually code in the OS to BLOCK that. The only way to get new ringtones is to buy them for 2 dollars off of the catalog on the main screen, and if you don't have the Sidekick 3 data plan to get you on the internet to get to that catalog, then you can't even do that!!!

The features of the Sidekick 3 truely are amazing. It is the slickest phone I've seen on the market. But the added cost of getting on to AIM when I don't need unlimited internet access to my phone makes it pointless. And I certainly don't want to spend 30+ dollars just for a single ringtone.

Bottom line:
If you will buy buying the phone with the Sidekick 3 data plan, then you will be VERY VERY happy. It is an amazing phone.
If, however, you cannot afford the Sidekick 3 data plan, then you should be forewarned that you will only be able to place calls, and text. Period.

Best Multi-purpose Gadget for under 200 Bucks!.......2007-02-06

I had the Sidekick I (Color) for years and years. I skipped the upgrade to the Sidekick II a while back because I just didn't much see the point of it new-features-wise, and thought its recessed keyboard and re-designed scroll wheel just wasn't as comfy as the old model in my mitts...And besides, I just liked that rounded "prototypey" look of the original model, resembling as it did maybe some sort of Romulan Marital Aid. Compared to it, the Sidekick II sort of looked like it could have been designed by out of work American Motors engineers, the same guys who gave us the AMC Matador and Concord...You know: squarish and sort of clunky and 'craptastic' looking--the opposite of suave and sexy. So, instead of a Sidekick II, once the old free-replacement warranty had run out on the Sidekick I, I'd just get used replacements as needed off eBay whenever the one I had fritzed out on me. I think I went through maybe three in about five years of hard daily use. But finally, a few weeks ago when my latest old Sidekick I (Color) started giving up the ghost and stopped charging properly, I went by the T-Mobile store and took a good long look at the sleek new Sidekick 3, liked what I saw and got one. It's definitely a vast improvement in form factor and features over its predecessor the Sidekick II, and finally offers enough new real enticements for even longtime Sidekick I holdouts like me to finally upgrade, Here's what I like:

-- The built-in 1.3 Megapixel camera takes fairly worthwhile shots...much clearer than the low-res fuzzaroids one usually sees coaxed out of phone cameras. Sure, Ansel Adams might have qualms using it, but the shots are certainly good enough for use in auctions, craigslistings, most webpages or blogs or for pix of (or by) the kids sent directly to Grandma's email. It's very easy to use too, but I do wish there were a digital zoom feature. Still, the convenience of taking respectably high quality pix and then being able to simply email them to a desktop rig means that online auctioners and others may start letting the dust gather on their higher-end digital cameras when it comes to such workaday pix.

-- The new scrollball thingy (which replaces both the scrollwheel and the multi-directional wobbly-toggly thing to the right of the keyboard on the old models) is really a superb improvement to the breed once one gets used to it. Now, instead of just scrolling up and down, you can move side-to-side too...much quicker when browsing "link-rich" webpages and makes the included Notepad program a lot snappier to use as a real word processor too. The addition of a couple of small page-up and page-down buttons just above and below the scrollball means you can also scoot through webpages at leaps and bounds without opening up the keyboard for the spacebar that used to perform this function (and still does).

-- I could never understand why the old model didn't have an MP3 Player built into it. I'd guess it was probably a memory cost issue back when it was designed, but the Sidekick 3 uses a removable-upgradeable MiniSD memory card. The Sidekick 3 comes with a truly inadequate little pissant 64 Megabyte card out of the box, enough to tote maybe about a dozen songs with some room for about a dozen hi-res pix too, but half- and 1 GB cards can be had for less than $30 on line, with 2 GB cards running about $50 last I checked, and with prices falling every day. Since the device's MP3 player and camera share and rely on this memory, it would have been nice if the manufacturer had cut a better deal with the memory card manufacturer to supply a more adequately-sized card with each unit. In fact, I am not even sure if one can even purchase a card as small as 64 Megabytes nowadays! But all in all, it's nice to have a camera and tunes handy.

-- The QWERTY keyboard is easy to acclimate to and is nicely backlit. Yes, I sort of miss the "grippier" feel of the old flush-mounted Sidekick I white rubbery keyboard, but I'll get over it...And besides, that new scrollball thingy really does makes the whole plot much easier to use overall.

-- The phone and data reception of the Sidekick 3 really is better than its predecessor. I was almost NEVER able to get any signal at all in my home with the old Sidekick I (Color), despite the fact that according to the T-Mobile website's service area maps I allegedly live smack in the middle of what they call an 'optimal service area', 15 miles south of the Nation's Capital and within earshot, if the wind's right, of perhaps the single most traveled Interstate highway in North America. In spite of all that, I might just as well have been rooming with that banjo-playing guy in 'Deliverance' in a lead-lined double-wide trailer buried twenty feet under the rocky soils of Buttfondle County somewhere off the Appalachian Trail. At least with the Sidekick 3 I can occasionally coax a bar or two's worth of signal out of the aether if I'm in the right spot on the sofa. Not brilliant, but an improvement, for sure. Of course, by now I've gotten quite used to the idea of my Sidekick being strictly a "mobile phone" anyhow, for when I go out...Besides which, I don't get or make but maybe a dozen calls a month tops most months anyhow, and three or four of those might be folks looking for someone named Rashonda. Yeah, I'm a real popular guy...

Now here's what I DON'T like about the Sidekick 3 upgrade, feelings which I expect other users of previous Sidekick models will share:

-- You lose all your programs and ringtones!!! That's right folks: all of those swell little helper programs and stuff you purchased or downloaded with your previous Sidekick, you will now have to purchase them all...over...again. Even some programs like the "Time Traveler" and "Terminal" that were freebies in the old model, or the free programs and games that were offered as concessions and gifts of appreciation by T-Mobile to Sidekick users for sticking with them again and again when their network would go goofy or AWOL for days at a time. Frankly, it should be said that that's some awfully scabby lowdown shiat to pull on a longtime loyal customer base. So there. I said it.

Bottom Line: For the money, I seriously doubt you will find more bang for your buck in a multi-function device that keeps you connected, on time and amused in even the most torporous DMV waiting room.

Good Phone.......2007-02-06

My Personal thoughts are this phone is great.. you can Download themes off the internet customize it.. and the Mp3 player for anyone complaining it isnt loud enough.... either you are deaf... or you didn't turn the vol up... Remember this isnt an ipod or zune it is a "phone" not sold for the "Mp3 player" but... its works great for me and I take a bus in the city and can hear it fine over talking people and track noises..

my only compaint I had a sidekick 2 and had ringtones on it... and they wont allow the trasport over to the sidekick 3 my new phone so i had to pay and re download all my stuff.. (THAT) I think is rotton being I paid for them..

and im getting used to the new rollerball my suggestion to anyone (get a can of compressed air and clean it once in a while to keep dust from building up around the ball and under any pads.. this happened with my sidekick 2 and it does help to keep it clean

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