Diamond Rio PMP300

Once you have your MP3 tracks, it's a simple matter of dragging and dropping them into the Track Manager program. File transfer is quick at 115Kbits/sec via the parallel port interface and tracks can be moved around with ease, but it's still far short of the advanced editing facilities offered by most MiniDisc decks.

Another limiting factor is the Rio's 32Mb of on-board memory. I managed to squeeze in nine tracks, which is a rather small repertoire to choose from. A SmartMedia slot is present, but at around £40 for a mere 8Mb it's an expensive way of expanding space, especially when blank MDs can be picked up for as little as £1.50 apiece.

So is the Rio a winner? If you haven't bought an MD player yet it might be worth considering. However, at £169 it's quite expensive and, as an MD owner myself, it has yet to convince me to swap. The Rio wins on the technological front, MD on the practical. However, as followers of the PC industry know, technology has a way of breaking down barriers. Watch this space.

Author: Benny Har-Even