Introduction
Frontier Lab’s NEX IIe is a great update of the original NEX II. The NEX IIe builds upon all of the great features of the original but is only ~$5 more expensive through Frontier Lab’s online store. As a result, it is feature rich, easy to operate, and a great MP3 player.
Appearance
The original NEX only came in a silver or pearly white color. Of course, you could switch the front panel cover with one of several “NEXKins” to spice up the color. The NEX IIe continues the changeable panel trend, but adds a new black version with matching headphones. Both versions have monochrome LCDs that will light up in blue depending on the user’s settings. The color choice won’t matter much though if you place the IIe in its in charcoal neoprene carrying case.
Overall, the IIe is an attractive little MP3 player that comfortably fits in your palm or pocket. If you’re planning on jogging or doing some other activity, the IIe will not skip because it has no moveable parts. The neoprene case also has a clip on the back so you won’t need to carry it.
The IIe is just as light as its predecessor given its plastic construction. The batteries are the heaviest component! The only minor complaint I have about the materials is that the back battery cover’s clips seem a little delicate.
(On a side note, Frontier Labs created a small edgereview.com logo that they placed on our review model! This is basically a small .gif file that any user could create for even more user customization.)
Setup
Frontier Labs does not include any memory with the IIe. This is good idea as a lot of people in the market for an MP3 player probably already have memory available from other MP3 players or digital cameras. Additionally, it saves money for both you and Frontier Labs. They don’t have to increase prices for memory and you can purchase the memory in a size that fits your needs rather than being stuck with a small memory card.
Installing the memory should not be a problem for anyone. All you need to do is align the memory in the right direction and push it in.
Anyone who has ever used a Zip or floppy drive should have no problem setting up and using the IIe. All it takes is to get up and running is to connect the IIe to your computer with the included USB cable. Your computer views the IIe as a removable driver so you can just drag-and-drop MP3 or other files onto the Compact Flash card or Microdrive. Alternatively, you can use the included software (Windows Media Player or Media Jukebox).
If you don’t have some form of large removable storage (ie. a Zip drive) the IIe would work well as a proxy because it doesn’t have any file type restriction on what can be stored on the memory cards.
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