Cowon S9 vs Cowon O2 interface

[barryem]

The S9 and O2 are different enough that comparing them doesn't make a lot of sense but there has been a lot of talk about how great the interface is and there was a lot of talk about how bad the interface on the O2 is, so now that I've used both for a while I'd like to say that I think the O2 interface is a lot easier to use.

The S9 interface has a million ways to tinker with it and customize it to the way you like and that's just fine, but it's a rather confusing interface no matter what you do. It's fairly complex to use. Nothing that can't be handled, but you do have to think about it a lot.

The O2 interface just works. It's much easier to find the file I want to play. It's easier to get back to that file where I left off in the last session. It doesn't need a lot of tinkering. I don't have to think about it.

Granted the S9 has a better, if smaller, screen. It has some really nice features. It's worth the extra effort that it takes to use it. But I wish it had an interface more like the O2.

Barry

[jjin]

The interface for the O2 is too basic ;(
There is a difference between EASIER and BETTER. Of course the O2 is going to be easier. It has like 5 basic applications that pop up at a time.

It reminds me of a primitive computer or some nature close to it. With a handful of applications taking up the screen. Music, Video etc. I think the S9 UI is more complex but worth the extra time figuring out.
The O2's screen resolution for the size is not amazing for it either =(.

IMO =P

[Curiouss]

Well, there is the Claw UI, which from hearing from a lot of people, I guess it's safe to say the Cowon S9 is definitely better.....

[aki]

Yes but that makes the S9 too slow, I think around 35-40% general performance loss. But there are many UCI's that don't make it slower. I am hoping that in a few years Cowon comes with an O2/S9 hybrid, offering best of both worlds + phone + camera, then I can throw my samsung pixon away.

[The DarkSide]

FWIW the O2 (I own it, and I had the S9 as well) is slow as hell. The S9's speed was much better.

[iPoo]

Originally Posted by aki

best of both worlds + phone + camera

+ unicorn + eternal happiness etc.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by jjin

The interface for the O2 is too basic ;(
There is a difference between EASIER and BETTER. Of course the O2 is going to be easier. It has like 5 basic applications that pop up at a time.

It reminds me of a primitive computer or some nature close to it. With a handful of applications taking up the screen. Music, Video etc. I think the S9 UI is more complex but worth the extra time figuring out.
The O2's screen resolution for the size is not amazing for it either =(.

IMO =P

I use the S9 some for videos and a lot for audiobooks and other audio files. It's pretty much the same with the O2 except a lot more videos.

All I want to do with any PMP is play books, music and videos. The O2 makes that simple. The S9 makes the a lot less simple. To me that makes the O2 better.

I agree that the S9 screen is better but the O2 screen is just fine. The S9 is better for ebooks. I have downloaded a much improved ebook reader for the O2 but the one in the S9 is still better and I use it.

But for watching downloaded TV shows the O2 is much easier. The S9 isn't particularly difficult but I do have to think about it. The same is true for audiobooks and old time radio shows.

Folder browsing on the O2 makes it easy to find things. It's organized like a computer hard drive is organized and I know where everything is. The S9 has folder browsing and I use it but I have to go to it and it's far less intuititve. It's also irritating that I can delete files on the S9 while doing one kind of browsing and not the other.

I'm glad I have the S9. It fits well in a shirt pocket and I don't have to worry about it. When I'm on the go the O2 is too big. But most of my use is around the house. I'm retired.

Barry

[scowl]

Originally Posted by barryem

The S9 is better for ebooks. I have downloaded a much improved ebook reader for the O2 but the one in the S9 is still better and I use it.

There's an S9 ebook reader? I thought you had to convert them to text files.

[jjin]

Originally Posted by barryem

I agree that the S9 screen is better but the O2 screen is just fine. The S9 is better for ebooks. I have downloaded a much improved ebook reader for the O2 but the one in the S9 is still better and I use it.

But for watching downloaded TV shows the O2 is much easier. The S9 isn't particularly difficult but I do have to think about it. The same is true for audiobooks and old time radio shows.

Folder browsing on the O2 makes it easy to find things. It's organized like a computer hard drive is organized and I know where everything is. The S9 has folder browsing and I use it but I have to go to it and it's far less intuitive. It's also irritating that I can delete files on the S9 while doing one kind of browsing and not the other.


Barry

I have read a lot of comments about the S9 being difficult for beginning users to operate. I agree, as I stated the S9 is more complex, but as things go awhile, you get used to it.

O2 should of come with a better screen resolution,being a big video/tv player COWON should of put the A3 screen on the O2.

It suits your purpose, =). If you are more suited watching tv shows/video, O2 is better.

But I'm Music > Video and not retired lol, So I am always on the run and need a slimmed down PMP on the go.

[scowl]

Originally Posted by jjin

I have read a lot of comments about the S9 being difficult for beginning users to operate. I agree, as I stated the S9 is more complex, but as things go awhile, you get used to it.

It can get tricky if you use more than one MP3 player. I still use my Creative Zen in situations where the S9 simply can't do what the Zen does (usually dynamic playlists). When I go back to the S9, once again I'm lost in the strange user interface, trying to remember how I did some of the simplest things that are in English on the Zen.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by scowl

There's an S9 ebook reader? I thought you had to convert them to text files.

You do but I don't really mind that. Most of my ebooks are formatted for my Palm E2 in Palm Doc format and converting them to text is trivial. I've been reading on the Palm for years so I'm used to not having the various format styles in the text I read. It's never mattered to anything I've read so far.

Barry

[barryem]

Originally Posted by jjin

I have read a lot of comments about the S9 being difficult for beginning users to operate.

Cute.

My first MP3 player was a Rio 500 with 64 meg ram when they sold for $269. I'm not sure how many MP3 players I've used over the years since then but I've given probably 3/4 of them away as they got older and I still have 20 or 30 of them.

But I plan to keep learning and eventually outgrow my beginner status.

Barry

[scowl]

The drawbacks with the UI fall in three groups.

1. How do you do that? How do you play music in shuffle mode? On all other MP3 players you set shuffle mode and hit play (some automatically start playing). With the S9 you have to pick a song first to get it going. Why can't I delete this video? On other MP3 players you can delete a video while playing it. With the S9 you see the delete X grayed out which makes you think it's impossible to delete. Oh, you just have to delete it from another less intuitive place.

2. Stuff that Claw and other add-ons fix. How do you have multiple play lists? Cowon decided that no one would want such a useful common feature and just has a single "Favorites" button. Claw works around that by filling up the Favorites list with other lists when you want.

3. Stuff that is impossible. Dynamic play lists will never happen. You'll never know the size of a file without plugging it into a PC. There are none of the clever and fun automatic DJing tools like a star system to get favored songs to play more often in shuffle mode. There's no advanced selection system like "Songs Not Heard Often" (the Zen actually tracks how many times it has played a song as a selection criteria). All you have with the S9 is a flat shuffle mode or a single play list (sans Claw).