XPlay Review

XPlay Review

Windows and iPod... perfect together.

June 28, 2002 - So everyone already knows that the iPod rocks ass. It's not a perfect piece of hardware, but there's really not much to bitch about in terms of the device itself. One of the only complaints has obviously been the lack of native Windows support. I understand Apple's position, especially given their recent barrage of PC-to-Mac switching advertisements, but leaving us PC users out in the cold seems like a strange ploy. Hell, there are a handful of folks here at IGN headquarters that would have purchased an iPod if it weren't for the Mac-only operation.

Enter Mediafour, whose XPlay software solves the PC compatibility issue. XPlay is based on the company's MacDrive program, which allows users to run general Mac software on a PC. I suppose XPlay was a natural extension of MacDrive once the iPod was released. XPlay has been available in beta form for months -- I've been running it since day one at home -- but the full version only came out a few days ago.

Available in a box at CompUSA or for download at the Mediafour site, the $29.95 program is a godsend for PC users. Lean, fast, and stable, I highly recommend XPlay, and an iPod, of course, to anyone looking for a hard drive-based MP3 portable.

While users are for the most part limited to first-party software with digital audio portables, XPlay is not the first such suite. Notmad Explorer, designed by Red Chair Software, is a third-party application that allows Nomad Jukebox 3 users to skip Creative's clunky PlayCenter. Even better, Notmad allows for more complete control than the original software.

	Tag edits from the software.

	Edit start and stop points and levels.

Performance Excellent operation. Fast and reliable. No crashes with XP, though i haven't tried weaker OSes. 9.0 Build Quality I don't know why you'd need it, but Mediafour offers full tech support with the full version. 8.0 Ease of Use If you're using Windows, then you already know as much as you need to. 8.5 Value For $30.00 you get to use one of the best MP3 portables with Windows. Hmm... 8.5 Features Pretty straightforward stuff. Drag and drop transfers are easy enough. The tag and song editing is nice, despite being very basic. A few more tools, a la Notmad would have been appreciated. 7.5 Overall Rating (Not an average) 8.75