Hey, anyone have an Archos Jukebox 20? I just got one and I’m wondering if I need to have the battery go completely dead before I recharge it, or whether this is the kind of battery that can be charged midway without causing charge-memory damage to the battery?
Thanks!
Kev
Hey dude, really, you should exhange it for a iRiver 20! 
I think that if your battery is a lithium [with a few extra technical names] you don’t need to deplete it before using it again, as it doesnt have a recharge memory. But it’s not really helpful as I’m not sure which lithium requires you to do that.
If it’s lithium, then you’re better off not letting it drain all the way (i.e.: recharge often).
Of course i’m not a doctor nor play a lawyer on TV, so YMMV.
Hmmmmm
Ye Olde Instruction Manual (who ever reads those, right?) says “Flat Lithium-Ion Battery”.
I guess I’ll throw caution to the wind and try charging midway. Seems like it SHOULD be ok, expecially since the manual also says “this battery will last for the life of the product (need not be changed)”. More like CANNOT be changed, since you cant open the thing without breaking the warranty seal.
Overall I’m satisfied with the recording feature for what Im using it for (session tune grabbing) but the motor noise is very noticeable. I’ve never had a MiniDisc player before, but I suspect recording quality is much higher on MiniDisc for this reason.
I’ve ready in several places that lithium batteries “prefer” not to be discharged all the way. Depending on the device you’ll still want to do a near-full discharge from time to time, just so the device “knows” how long the battery lasts. Here’s from a quick Google search:
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm
I’ve also read in several places that lithium batteries age; they’ll usually live 2-5 years, then need to be replaced.
g
Thanks for the Info! I guess there are all sorts of tradeoffs in the MP3/MiniDisc world. I’m not happy with the apparent reality that this “irreplaceable” battery will die in a few years, rendering the unit useless (I’m sure that in 5 years it wont be possible to get the battery replaced, or if so, for a reasonable cost). Oh well.
Sometimes these “irrepleaceable” batteries are actually replaceable by them for a fee, or by an adventurous user with a screwdriver. Same thing happened to the Apple iPod.
An external mic will help get away from the motor. With the line-in on the Archos (not mic-in), a pre-amp is a good idea. Archos sells a mic with a built in pre-amp for about $50. I took a long look at the Archos when it went on sale at Amazon.com, but some negatives mentioned by reviewers were too much for me to overlook.
MiniDisc is excellent for recording. The non-starter for me is the clumsy, slow and often low quality transfer to computer thru the computer line-in port. If someone is going to only record and playback the MiniDiscs it is fine, but I want to convert to MP3 files for possible upload and burning of CDs.
With these competing options, I went with a Sony Voice Recorder:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=18964
Advantages are tiny size, light weight, quick USB transfer, and a built in slow-down option (this last bit is huge for session musicians). Disadvantages include limited memory with 2 hours mono recording on the unit I chose, though for double the price there is a unit that takes memory sticks. Other pluses include no moving parts (usually translates into higher reliability), and standard AAA batteries allowing a NIMH option for heavy use or plain alkalines for light duty.
NiCad batteries are the only batteries that need to be discharged. Even that is controversial. Other batteries will last longer if you don’t discharge them all the way.
Dwight
I resisted Minidisc for a long time, for the same reasons. I also looked at the Archos, and decided it had too many negative reviews for comfort, at the price. A friend of mine has the Archos and confirmed a lot of the negatives.
So i gave up. Bought a Sharp 190 minidisc for less than $200 (i think it’s called 200 now, they added some features). I thought i’d just consider it a fancy cassette recorder. And as such, it works wonderfully, with the added bonus that you don’t have to position the tape. The Sharp is very easy to use, allows me to easily control the recording volume, records for 3-4 hours with the internal battery (replaceable), but allows me to use an external AA battery for even more recording time.
Yes, i hate transferring stuff to the PC, but that’s life. I think in a couple of years there will be a few real good and not-too-expensive hi-fi stereo digital recorders in the market, and getting the Sharp MD allows me to wait for the technology to catch up.