It is without a doubt that the Clik! line of products isn't doing too well. The idea of a digital camera storage system never quite took off with the users. And the idea of having a small removable media drive in your notebook didn't quite take off as well. Therefore, Iomega decided to throw the Clik! into the fire! And from the ashes rose... Pocket Zip!

Attempting to cash in on the Zip brand name, Iomega decided to rename the Clik! range to Pocket Zip (although it'll always be Clik! to me!). And along with the cool new name, Iomega released a cool new device that would hopefully appeal to users, the beauty that is Pocket Zip... The HipZip MP3 Player!

The Iomega HipZip is a MP3 and WMA playing device that uses the Pocket Zip disk. It is roughly the same size as the PC Card Clik! drive so I'm betting if you open one up, you'll probably see a PC Card inside as well. :)

The HipZip box came with two Pocket Zip disks preloaded with music for your enjoyment. It also came with a pair of Koss earphones, a USB cable and, of course, an AC/DC adapter.

I can't really be the judge of sound quality because I don't know how to differentiate the subtle differences of two audio clips but other reviews on the Net seemed to say that the HipZip has very clear audio and the only thing that stops it from attaining greatness is that you cannot adjust the equalizer settings yourself. You can only adjust the bass and treble levels.

The HipZip has a rechargable Lithium-Ion battery. Battery life according to Iomega is 12 hours. I have yet to run a full battery stress test but web reports say that it actually lasts about 9 hours. That is still quite good for most people, I guess...

As the media is not solid state like other MP3 players that uses CF cards or MMCs, most people are worried that their music would skip if they shake the device too much. Well, there's not much to worry here. The HipZip just does what all MiniDisc and DiscMans do - buffer ahead. And it seems that the HipZip can buffer ahead quite a bit. The first read happens when the HipZip changes from one file to another, the second about 48 seconds into the song... I have yet to hear a 3rd read on even my 5-minute songs.

The device display shows you all the necessary info - battery remaining, time remaining, song currently playing, play mode (shuffle, repeat, normal, etc...), whether it is paused or not and current track number being played. What it does not show are - tracks remaining and play time remaining, two quite important things for some people, I gather. The display is backlighted so you can use it in the dark. Surprisingly, my HipZip's backlight is off by default. Strange, wouldn't you say?

The 4 buttons on the front of the device are the usual play/pause, forward/next track & seek back/forward combo buttons and the stop button. The volume buttons are located on the right of the system.

More importantly is the mini USB jack on the side of the HipZip. This is the reason why you should get a HipZip instead of the USB Clik! drive if you have the choice. When you connect the HipZip to your system's USB port, it functions exactly like the USB Clik! drive reviewed just now. That means DRIVERLESS operation in Win2k & WinME! There is one difference though... and this might prove to be dangerous in some situations.

The HipZip will never draw power from the USB port. It will always run on its own power. Its power source can be from the adapter or its own internal battery. I wouldn't want to run out of juice in the middle of an important file transfer... so you've been warned! :)

So, there you have it - the ultimate Clik!, I mean, Pocket Zip drive. All the features of the USB Clik! drive plus MP3/WMA capability plus it comes in that great Body Glove (that is the Body Glove logo on the lower, right, right??) designed pouch, which comes with a belt clip so you can show it off to all your buddies! And the price? Only RM1099.

And an interesting point to note, the new Pocket Zip cases do not have the Iomega logo on them.... curious....