Ask Engadget: best rugged PMP out there?
By Darren Murph 
posted April 1st 2010 11:00PM
posted April 1st 2010 11:00PM
So, dear readers -- what would fit the bill here? And remember, we're not looking for a PMP with a tough coat of plastic. We're looking for something to last on the battlefield. Oorah! (And Godspeed.)"My brother is about to leave for the Marines, and I (the geeky brother) want to send something with him to keep him busy. What is a very rugged PMP or similar, with WiFi and a nice UI? A camera is definitely a plus."
I wanna say smakit s7 from huawei second Dell mini
@cocopuffs O I forgot to mention archios 7 I think that's how u spell the name
@cocopuffs I think a 7 inch screen is just a tad bit to big.
@cocopuffs I'm the best rugged PMP out there. Ask my bottom bitch.
iTouch is teh stufzz is teh bestest PMP EVERZ extra Rgd and durrrable!
Ok, I honestly can't think of any PMP thats rugged, but anything is more rugged than an iPod touch :D.
@The Shadow
If you throw an otterbox case in with the ipod touch your brother will a nearly indestructible PMP.
@New Reformation music and video, get emails for those messages from home and solid state drive. I was say that those is a good checklist no matter what company it comes from.
@The Shadow
An iPod Touch is probably the best choice. Accessory support is better than any other PMP out there because they're so ubiquitous.
It's got WiFi, Bluetooth, fantastic browser/email that blows anything else on a PMP out of the water (so to speak...). It's also got fantastic apps and games, and since they're everywhere, they're great to play multiplayer with against other people.
The shells themselves are pretty strong, but the strongest accessory support in the market means you should be able to find a good strong case pretty easily.
It doesn't matter if you hate Apple or whatever: iPod touches are remarkably versatile gadgets with accessory support so broad you can use them in pretty much any situation.
@KarlW
You may also want to consider Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic or Nokia X6 now. I know it's a phone, but it's also a PMP. 5800 was awarded as UK's best selling "music player" in 2009. You get everything in it with half the price of any comparable device out there.
It is very rugged, without any cover.
Has everything: 3.2 MP camera with flash, video recording, bluetooth, TV-out functionality, wifi along with Music player ofcz. Plus, you can install songs from anywhere in numerous formats. don't need to get tied to any particular program like iTunes,etc. Can even transfer songs from your friend's phone through bluetooth.
Similarly, thousands of apps also available, ofcz, not as much as ipod touch, but more than enough for a PMP atleast.
Plus it has GPS which works offline, no data needed.
Also support upto 32GB micro-SD card.
I can't think of having any other PMP that can do so many things at such a cheap price.
really, do you have to ask? There is only one.. iTouch.
This is a silly post.
@captnred lawl. Never heard of an iTouch, sounds like an iPod touch rip off. And we all know those are far from rugged
@captnred
I'm just hoping that your post is full of sarcasm my friend.
Just saying it for your own good.
@Weber 09 In fact it does turn out to be a kirf: http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/26/keepin-it-real-fake-part-lxvii-the-pasen-itouch/
@MegaJapan Do we? I treat my appliances like shit. I accidentally drop my iPod touch at least once a day, occasionally on the screen. I SLIGHTLY CRACKED THE SHELL OF A THINKPAD for crying out loud.
Yet my ~2-year old touch works completely fine. Scratched? yes (including the front. don't buy into the whole scratch resistance bullshit). But the hardware works perfectly.
How about a Zune HD with 32GB, it has a aluminum cover, I have onee, but it doesn't have much games at all, it has WiFi, that's my answer, oh no camera....
@zerotheloner
The Zune? Lol
I got an equally good idea... Sony walkman!
I'm kidding, I personally never tried the Zune, but in all seriousness, I would suggest an iPod Touch w/ case, or a Droid (I am aware it's a phone, but it can play music on it).
@Neotyguy40
Well the Zune is a better PMP, the IPT has an advatage in the apps-section, but apps is not a part of a PMP imo.
@zerotheloner
I agree. I have one, it is an EXTREMELY solid device.
@Nolano My zune hd landed on a street one time while I was running across it. Aside from a small chip in the metal shell on the corner, the thing is perfectly fine.
@joebob
Yep. I've stabbed my screen with a knife to demonstrate it to someone. And the whole thing is built around an aluminum "skeleton", which is what makes it so solid. Especially the headphone jack. My Zune 30 died there, finally after 2 years(Note, not a big loss, it was free, complements of Microsoft). I replaced it with a Zune HD because the headphone jack is securely anchored to the skeleton.
Zune HD best genuine MUSIC PLAYER out there.
@Snarf101
As a Zune owner I tend to agree, but in terms of ruggedness can a Zune beat an iPod with a nice case?
@Walker
Not really. Now, the 2nd Gen Zune 80 and 120 can survive almost anything.
But again, no camera.
@PBB
I've had trouble with the Zune 80 when I would go running. Since it has an actual HDD in it with moving parts I killed it by dropping it and it bouncing around as I jogged. The case was crazy durable though.
@Snarf101
A "music" player that doesn't even play FLAC?
And before someone pops up saying what I need on my PMP.. it's not even about quality. It's about CONVENIENCE of not having to waste even a second for converting media for the PMP.
@Endadget So that's a vote for Archos?
Hard to beat the ipod touch. get a case and youre set.
Something with a good case.
ipod touch has a screen that breaks easy. get a zune hd. no camera, but aluminum body, gorilla glass, and great ui.
@iamlilysdad
Best hope he doesn't need to read the screen in direct sunlight...
@KarlW this is true. that's the biggest downside to the zune hd. indoors the screen is amazing, but outdoors not so much. (more specifically it washes out in direct sunlight. and to be fair it's a fault of every OLED screen except super AMOLED)
every player has it's downsides, and i still think for what he's looking for the zune hd is the best choice.
@KarlW If he's going to be in the marines, I'd say not the Zune HD. Even though it is a very good device.
is there any reason why you don't just want to try a rugged phone? there are plenty of them out there.. and i can guarantee that they will last longer than an ipod touch, which many people here seem to be in favour of
In regards to the requested specifications, I think you can cut it in two. I agree with rugged and nice UI, but I doubt the WiFi will be very useful overseas where the network is encrypted and intended for military use. The camera may also violate security protocol in some circumstances.
Of course, I don't know what part of the Marines he's destined for, so my thoughts may be off base, in which case please just ignore them.
You may also want to consider battery life too, because you never know how often he'll be able to charge it.
ZUNE HD ALL THEY WAY!!!! it's so classy, has a GORGEOUS UI!! and it's pretty rugged looking, and actually VERY durable!
i had an ipod touch, and with just regular use it got scratched up pretty badly. i've had my zune hd a LOT longer than my ipod touch, and i only have 1 (ONE) nick on it. it's amazing! not a scratch on the screen.
@caleblargo I second this.
I purchased a 30gig Zune a couple of years ago. I would just toss it on my bed, and I dropped it a few times, The thing is like a tank. I upgraded to an 80gig Zune. I gave my 30 gig one to a friend who works in a machine shop. Sometimes he takes his heavy duty boom box to work, and the 30gig Zune is velcroed to it. My friend is known for destroying things. He has had the Zune for over 6 months, and it is still running smooth!
Cowon S9. ultra lightweight, is made of plastic but it's tough and the glass screen is gorilla glass. Supports just about any format known to man.
@ChaosGoat
The Cowon S9 DOESN'T even have WIFI. Cowon is still stuck in 2005.
@ChaosGoat If you want audio quality, then the S9 is for you. If you don't care as much, then don't buy it. Here is why:
-The UI Pretty much fails, but I knew that when I bought it
-It is NOT Rugged at ALL. Sure it may have gorilla glass, but that didn't stop my screen from cracking. I dropped i from about 3 feet off the ground, and since its insanely light, it landed face-down flat against the concrete and the screen cracked really bad. I have owned the Zune 80, Zune 120, Zune 30, Zune HD, iPod 2G + 5G, iPod Nano 1g + 2g + 4g, iPod Touch 1G + 2G, Creative Vision W, Zen, and Zen Microphoto just to name a few. I dropped those in the exact same situation all the time, and none of them broke.
In conclusion: the Cowon S9 has amazing sound quality, but its not rugged at all. If you want a rugged Cowon and can stand a small screen, go with a Cowon D2.. Its has a 2 day battery life, and will withstand pretty much anything.
@ChaosGoat continuing my post:
My S9's screen was cracked bad, but it still worked. Well, it worked until it fell out of my pocket in my driveway and I ran over it with my car. Im pretty hard on electronics.
PS: If you want a great cheap stand-alone MP3 player the sandisk sansa clip will withstand anything.
put a rugged case on itouch
Fairly expensive, but the Sony X Series Walkman is a little pocket sized brick. And brick is used as a compliment, unlike most engadget brick mentions.
@Smileosaur I would recommend the Zune HD its very rugged has a glass screen aluminum back which is impossible to scratch(unlike the ipod touch) has a Beautiful OLED touch screen, good web browser, Beautiful UI and he can have a Zune Pass and download unlimited songs on the player for 14.99 dollars a month, and it has flash so it wont overheat like a hard drive could. If you really want a brick get a Zune 30GB :)
First Generation Zune.
I'm gonna have to go with an iPod Nano 4th Generation. No, not just the iPod itself, but some "armor" added. What armor you ask?
http://www.otterbox.com/ipod-cases/ipod-nano/ipod-nano-4th-generation-cases/ipod-nano-4th-gen-armor-sport-package/
Otterbox is one of the top brands of cases and I myself have personal experience with not only their cases, but also their customer service. Both are phenomenal! I HIGHLY suggest you look into and iPod with an Otterbox case.
-Christian
@cf1k1 I just re-read the actual question. Didn't see he wanted WiFi, but the 4th gen nano has a video camera =D
@cf1k1 5th gen and you get a video camera.
@cf1k1 Do they even have wifi over there (yes, I'm aware this is probably a blatantly ignorant question)?
@engadgetcomexcludeengadget I'm not exactly sure. I just read the question and Caleb wants a PMP with WiFi. I have never been to Afghanistan let alone left the country :D.
I've never had more durability issues with a device then with my touch. Screen easily breaks, debris under screen, and my headphone jack quite working.. My Zune HD has held up much better, no issues so far. A Cowon S9 or Archos 5 would be a good choice and they play many formats.