Yesterday, I’ve attended an an informal gathering for discussion for celebrating the launching of Samsung Yepp YP-T9 at Park Hyatt Seoul. There were many people from Samsung, reporters of different media, people from related communities and reviewers.

Since this industry is not very wide, most of people participated in this gathering were people who I’ve already seen before and people who I’ve met for the first time were very famous people who can be recognized with only their names.
I could not participate at such gatherings due to the lack of time, but after a long time, I was be able to meet many people that I’ve pleased to see.

After exchanging greetings with people, we had a simple (?) dinner. Curiously since Park Hyatt Seoul in Samsung-Dong is a hotel with many events related to IT, so I begin to get familiar to food of Hyatt.

Although opinion that the steak was too greasy was dominant, but for me, it was good enough, so I enjoyed it.

After the dinner, the regular order has started with PT about SMS (Samsung Media Studio).

As you might heard from many previous Yepp reviews, SMS is a program like iTunes of Apple that is created to use Yepp more conveniently. I’ve been using it already for long time and if I briefly state the advantages and disadvantages of SMS, for advantages, it can manage Yepp easily and can purchase songs directly from online shop, but the best one is that DNSe sound field effect can be used on PC. Detailed explanation is already mentioned before, so let’s move on to the next.

I will briefly mention the disadvantage of SMS. This is not only applied to SMS, but also to other music programs such as iTunes. It is that the SMS itself is created with too much of ‘device thought’.

Devices such as MP3 Player is used like the power is turned on and all jobs are carried out and the power is turned off. But programs like SMS is used by linked to Windows.

This could be a characteristic of domestic users, or it could be a characteristic of me alone. But if I think of the reason that people feel more friendly with Winamp rather than iTunes or people use AcdSee more even though Picasa is easier, it could be because of the fact that it can be easily opened, do the jobs and closed.

In other words, if MP3 file is double clicked on the window, there are big differences between loading all library that was previously registered while SMS is opened and Winamp is automatically playing the file. Of course the SMS as a managing tool is very good, but I think it is necessary to think of a way to operate faster by being linked to Windows.

I was be able to hear stories about T9 and the most impressive part was the ‘Story of people who have created T9’. Since there are too many MP3 Players produced by Samsung Electronics, I misunderstood that they are produced without any problems, but I’ve realized how many people are concerned and tried to produce one model.

For example, I’ve experiences many different kinds of MP3 Players before, but I had no idea that they make a ‘code name’ when planning MP3 Player. The code name for T9 was ‘Alice’. As a rabbit has given many experiences as gifts to Alice in ‘Alice in Wonderland’, people expected T9 to become that rabbit to give many experiences to users.

The words above are the clouds that have listed key values that T8 is going to provide that was derived through a brainstorming at the time of planning of T8. It could be a good example that could show how difficult it is to create one model.

This part was about the software architecture of T9, VxWorks is used as OS and all functions are organized as component bases, so it is designed in structure that function addition is easy.There are many other things that I would like to say about designs and functions of T9, but since I’ve received a T9 as a present, I will write more details in T9 review that I’m going to work on soon.

Progress and Harmony: a Delicate and Delightful Task
In this age of the advancement and corporate-led commercialization of new technologies, we are indeed surrounded by more technological benefits than in any time of human history. Technology, not limited to only new gadgets and gimmicks, has come to radically transform our lives, and now even makes us feel the dignity and limitlessness of humanity itself. The MP3 player, which has become an integral part of our lives, is a good example of such technological progress and advancement. MP3 players on the current market feature countless special functions that had never been expected with other conventional sound devices. Today’s corporate world is also marked by the competition to achieve more progress in the newer and pragmatic technologies. There is one big challenge to this corporate competition, though: that is, the question of how to harmonize radically new technologies with products and how to make such products appeal to the general consumers. As a result, we often find that products with only advanced technologies (and that fail to understand the consumer mindset) can never become the top of the market. YP-T9, the latest product from Samsung Electronics, definitely stands out of the crowd for its perfection in terms of combining the task of technological advancement with the task of harmonizing such technology to serve consumers better. We have reviewed T9 to see what kind of product it is, and of what specific technological and consumerist characteristics it can boast.

Slim and Simple Package and Components
The package of T9 is as slim and compact as the main product itself. The package, which includes the outer, sleeve-like cover and the inner sleeve surrounded by the former, has a dark color outside and a pure white inside. On the right side of the package are the accessories for T9. These accessories include the bundled earphones, leather strap (for wearing the device around the neck), a 24-pin cable, the user’s manual and the installation CD. The EP-370 bundled earphones have garnered acclaim and praise from many critics, and have satisfied users of various ranges. The cable and leather strap are also of high-quality, thereby enhancing the overall design theme of T9.

Match between Slimness and Luxuriousness
What makes T9 stand out is its definite slimness. It is the slimness of the device that thrills you even more than its sophisticated design or style. The officially measured thickness of T9 is 11mm. It is much slimmer than T8, the predecessor of T9 that was 15.5mm thick. T9 is so far the slimmest of the models of YEPP.

T9 comes in two colors: black and purple. Black is one of the most frequently used colors to decorate digital products, but purple is radically new and experimental. One of the recent trends in the high-end electronic devices is to choose purple as the new color code. Considering such concepts as ‘rarity’ and ‘luxury’ purple conveys, purple T9 looks much more luxurious than its predecessors. Purple is a difficult color to handle, since it can also look incredibly tacky and cheap. However, the designers of T9 have succeeded in expressing the richness of the color, and the purple T9, with its slim design and sophisticated color, can easily mix in as a new fashion item, going beyond its function as an MP3 player. The silver lining covering both the left and right sides of the device as well as its bottom acts to lighten up the overall look of T9, which may look darker without such a little detail.

When you look at T9, you may think of its shape as a non-special rectangle whose ends are rounded. T9, however, inherits the sophisticated sleekness and beautiful curves that were first experimented with T8 and D1, and thus, boasts of a delicate look. T9 is also composed of one case except the navigation part, which adds to its highly finished, luxurious look.

The overall theme that defines the design of T9 is its sleek texture. Sleekness in electronic products has often associated with scratches, as exemplified by Ipod Nano. T9, however, is made of a poly-carbonate material that is highly resistant to scratches. T9 is also designed with the in-molding technique often used to finish high-end cars or laptop computers. The result is the overall thoroughness in the device’s finish.

The user-friendly display screen that used to decorate T8 and D1 can still be found with T9 as well. T9 is equipped with a 1.8-inch, 262K QCIF TFT LCD screen. Its resolution is 220 x 176 pixels, which is significantly higher than the resolution of 176 x 132 pixels for Ipod Nano and Ipod Nano Second Generation. T9, thus, allows the user to use a variety of multi-media files as well as GUI.

The navigation part is installed in the lower part of T9. The concave button in the middle is designed to fit the thumb, making the usage by the user that more convenient. In the outer part is a ring-shaped key. The key, with four arrows indicating the left, right, up and down, is user-friendly. This navigation part is also designed with curves that are wider in the bottom part to match the curved beauty of T9.

A silver line is decorating the left side of T9, emphasizing its slimness and curvature. The ‘hold’ switch is also protruding from he left side, while a few buttons are decorating the right side. On the top of T9 is the button for recording and interval repetition. This is also where other buttons, such as the ‘Previous’, ‘Menu’, ‘Play’, ‘Pause’, and ‘Power’, are located. The ‘Back’ button serves an important function for T9 with its unique, convenient user interface. Although T9 can be operated with the navigation key on the control menu, this navigation key is used as a track tracer key once the device starts playing music. Here, using the ‘Back’ key, the user can trace back the channel he underwent until he started playing music on T9. In other words, the ‘Back’ key works like the ‘undo’ key found in graphic programs or word-processing programs. This is a key feature that makes T9 all the more convenient and easier to use.

The holes for the built-in microphone and the earphones are located on the upper part of T9. The earphone terminal is 3.5π, a common size for earphone terminals in electronic devices. There is nothing that sticks out around this earphone terminal, so any type of earphones can easily be installed here. Until T9 came along, thin and slim electronic devices required users to get used to the smaller 2.5π earphone terminals. T9, however, has effectively solved this problem. In the middle, there is a hook for connecting the leather strap for wearing around the neck. This hook is big enough so that the user can hang his leather strap more easily.

In the lower part of the device is a terminal for charging and data-sending devices. An intricately designed cover is decorating this terminal, making T9 look more finished and sophisticated. This terminal cover is automatically rolled into the terminal when the terminal is being used. When the terminal is not being used, the cover automatically rolls out of the terminal to protect it.

The back is composed of sleek lines and surface without functional keys. It is covered with the UV film, making the device look sharper and neater. The screw on the corner is also completely covered so as to add to the overall completeness of the product.

Match between Slimness and Luxuriousness
T9 is a highly powerful, convenient, fun, and refreshingly new product whose every bit is finished with a high degree of sophistication and efforts. The title of the project that resulted in this product was actually ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The product designers and planners have put their best efforts into creating a product that enables the user to experience a new and diverse world. Inspired by such confidence and competence of the T9 designers, we have reviewed what kind of new experience T9 offers us.

What makes T9 attractive is the wide range of diverse and exotic color display it offers. Set the color theme on the ‘Screen Setting’ menu as ‘random’, and you will see the desktop background turn in five colors every time you turn the device on. This is what makes T9 so much more colorful and diverse. If you do not like this random setting, you can choose one of blue, green, orange, pink, and purple as a constant color theme. Each vivid color makes the display screen of T9 more interesting. The color theme you have chosen is shown not only on the main menu, but also in the display effects for playing files and searching files. The flash-based screen display captures natural movements as well.

Another aspect of T9 that stands out in addition to its color themes is the GUI. Turn the device on, and you will see the GUI composed of colors either designated by the user or selected on a random basis. The navigation of T9, titled ‘Metaphor Navigation’, allows the user to move up or down the oval-shaped icons that visibly stand out, while the smaller oval shapes on the left of the icon the user has selected indicates on which menu the user is currently located and how many more icons (functions) are preceding and following that icon. The big icons, along with the white icons indicating the functions of the chosen icons, also indicate the names of the menus (functions) chosen. In particular, on the right side of the icons with submenus, another icon that looks as if cut in the middle is shown so that the user can see he can enter the submenu of the icon he has chosen. The user can click either the central button or the track key on the right side to enter the menu he wants. Once the user enters the menu, the color of that menu’s icon dissolves like an ink in water to show the list or functions of that menu. The dissolved color collects itself again to re-form the icon. The user can search for other files or use other functions by pressing the ‘Back button, even while he is listening to music or watching a video file. For instance, the user can press the ‘Back’ button or the previous-track key while listening to music which he has chosen on the menu when he was listening to the FM radio to trace back the steps he has taken to get to the current menu. What makes this Metaphor Navigation even more attractive is Adobe Flash Light, which was used as the basic engine to construct the screen. The dynamicity, speed, the vector-basis with which various video files and games are played on the Internet are also shown in the vivid and colorful screen display of T9.

T9 is designed in such a way that it emits various sound effects when the user is moving on about the menu or chooses a particular menu. Other MP3 players also play beep sounds, but what makes T9 special is the variation in the tones in which various beeps are played. These beeps also resonate deeply, making them sound much richer and refreshingly newer than beeps played by other MP3 players. These beeps are also designed to sound with different volumes when the user is moving on the menus while listening to music or radio on his T9 so that those beeps would not sound too obstructive or annoying to the user.

One of the most basic functions of T9 is to play music. Play a music file on T9, and you will see a dynamic display on your 1.8-inch screen. Thanks to the small size of the letters displayed on the upper corner of the screen, the middle part remains relatively large and wide even when the file name and the play status bar are indicated in the lower corner. This middle part is designed to indicate the display designated on the ‘Music Background Image’ under the ‘Screen Display Setting Menu’. The graphic images this particular model of T9 offers include: the spectrum analyzer that displays varying graphs based on the analysis of the levels and frequencies of the tones; the oval-shaped flash analyzer that express the data on the music being played in an image of raindrops; and another flash analyzer that makes the entire screen look like a speaker. These dynamic, lively images are activated by the flash-basis as in the case of the GUI, which makes each image flawless and active. There is a limit to re-constructing these dynamic moving messages with still photos. The only way to see how flawless, active, and dynamic these images are is to actually see the spectrum analyzer of T9. The user can also select his favorite album jacket or photograph as the background for playing music. T9 is an excellent music player, despite its wide screen and slimness, because it uses a built-in lithium polymer batter of 720mAh that affords up to 30 hours of music playing.

While listening to music, the user can press the ‘Menu’ button to see the submenus that allow the user to adjust the settings for playing music on T9. The user can choose from the menu: the ‘Street Mode’, which enhances the sound so that the user can listen to it without being annoyed while staying outside; the DNSE for the settings relating to playing music; and other various functions all on one screen. The originality of T9 can also be seen in that the ‘Music Background Image’ menu can be selected with a click of the Menu button on the ‘Settings -> Image Settings’. Under the Control section are more menus for more detailed options. These options allow the user to adjust the 3D and bass on the DNSE and the tone of the music using the 9-band user equalizer.

The 1.8-inch screen may seem a bit too wide to display the FM radio images. The graphic effects, however, allow for sophisticated mixture of colors and smooth movements downward, making the screen look neat and spacious. The page for the FM radio mode indicates the time, Bluetooth function, and the remaining battery in the upper corner. The user can adjust the frequency using the track keys on the left and the right when listening to the FM radio. The user can either search for a radio station using the ‘Manual’ mode, or preset the settings. The user can view the ‘Manual’ and the ‘Preset’ menu by clicking the ‘Menu’ button while listening to the FM radio and can add the current radio station to the preset list. The user can also search for a particular station and add it to his preset list. He can also select the region of the FM radio reception and the sensitivity with which to receive the signals. Where the user just wants to view the preset and the manual modes, he can click the central selection button on the navigation key. T9 receives quite many FM radio signals, and will keep a good company of the user who listens to the radio all the time.

T9, the latest MP3 player of Samsung, is basically equipped with Bluetooth function. Equipped with the latest Bluetooth version, V1.2, T9 offers reliable sound quality and performance, enabling the user to have fun while wireless-networking. If you have a home audio set equipped with Bluetooth, you can listen to the music through your home-audio speaker set after you return home from a brief trip outside during which you had left the music on. Car audio sets with Bluetooth also allow you to listen to music without wires. Although there are not that many car audio sets equipped with Bluetooth as of yet – except such models as Pioneer DEH-P9850MP headunit – more and more products will adopt the function as the number of users looking for updated Bluetooth increases.

It is not at all difficult to use Bluetooth function. Because T9 prides itself on having Bluetooth, the Bluetooth icon will appear, inactivated, on the upper corner of the screen constantly. Select ‘Bluetooth’ on the menu to activate it or to search for relevant devices. Once you turn the Bluetooth mode on, the Bluetooth icon will activate, allowing you to search for Bluetooth devices that can be connected to T9. Here, you need to enter a PIN. Do not forget to have all such devices under the ‘Pairing’ mode when connecting them to your T9.

Once T9 recognizes the connected device, the Bluetooth icon changes its shape to let the user know that the connected device can be used under the Bluetooth mode. I once connected icombi Bluetooth headset to T9 to listen to music without wires. As shown in the photo, a headset appeared around the Bluetooth icon and I was able to listen to music on T0 through the icombi headset. This process of pairing is recognized in a really short while. The Bluetooth function allows for a reliable wireless networking environment that can cover a range between room and room in an apartment built with thick concrete walls. The only thing of concern is that activating Bluetooth consumes power much more quickly than just playing music: you can use T9 with Bluetooth on for about six hours. This is common with all other electronic devices offering the Bluetooth function. Because Bluetooth has yet to be popularized, earphones and headsets with excellent performance and designs have yet to be invented. Samsung Electronics, however, is said to be engaged in a process of developing various models of electronic devices with Bluetooth, and their ambitious projects excite us.

T9, with its highly functional display, comes to its best when playing video files. Whereas Z5F was praised for its superb music playing function, T9 has an enhanced display function that is the best for playing video files. T9, which activates MPEG4-format video files at 15 frames a second, raises the bit rate of a video file up to 400Kbps, securing a wide range of bandwidth. This is what allows for the excellent display quality T9 has. Play a video file on T9 and it will display it in a wide screen. The navigation key also provides the ‘Pivot’ function to suit the wide screen better and make it easier for the user to use. The display is bright, clear, vivid, and colorful. Various keys and buttons also allow the user to view the time, the battery status, the title of the file being played, and the play status bar while also watching the video. Even the subtitles come out as clear and visible. Subtitles of the smallest fonts are enhanced by shadows for easier viewing. T9 can play up to 6 hours of video files, so you can watch at least two video files using T9.

The user can bookmark a certain passage or interval of a video file by pressing the ‘Recording and Interval Repetition Button’ while the file is playing. He then can move to the bookmarked part or delete bookmarks using the ‘Menu’ button which also provides the ‘Delete’ menu. A selected bookmark is indicated by a short, red line across the play status bar in the lower corner.

One of the core functions of T9 is the text viewing function. The user, who has discovered how clearly and visibly T9 displays subtitles while playing video files, will not be so surprised by the superb text viewing function it provides. Even the first image that appears after activating the Text Viewer is impressive. The text is written in fonts that are a bit convex on the pre-selected bluish background so that it is easier to read and less tiring to the eye. A total of 10 lines – each line consisting of 13 letters – are displayed on one page. The percent-type bar in the lower corner allows the viewer to check which part of the text he is at. The user can move to the next page or line by clicking the left and right sides of the navigation tact key. The user can change the settings by clicking the ‘Menu’ button on the Text Viewer display. By pressing the central selection button on the navigation key, the user can also change both the page and the line simultaneously. The user can have the text viewer background display change on a random basis each time he activates it, or select one of the five colors (blue, green, orange, pink, and purple) to be displayed constantly. The Text Viewer menu provides the pivot function so that the viewer can choose either the horizontal mode or the vertical one under which to view the text. The pivot function does not alter the amount of text presented at once, but enables the viewer to read the text with more ease. Of course, T9 also lets the user to listen to music while reading his text.

Photo Viewer is another key feature of T9. This menu shows three little thumbnails on the right and the bigger, selected thumbnail on the left, while displaying the title and location of the selected photo file in the lower corner. The user can view the image in the entire screen by clicking the image with the central button. He can then view the next or previous image or adjust the volume of the music or radio program he is listening to while viewing those images using the navigation key. The user can also enlarge the image by 100%, 200%, or 400% by clicking the central button while viewing the images. An enlarged image can be viewed in parts by lowering or raising the scroll on the side. The images may be displayed in a slide show or enlarged when the user presses the ‘Menu’ button for a few seconds while using the Photo Viewer function. The same button also shows the menus with which the user can select the image he was viewing as the background image for playing music.

You are mistaken if you thought only the visual images of the flash-based game in T9 have become more dynamic. For one thing, there is the graphic analyzer, which is even more dynamic than that displayed when playing music; scrolling is much smoother after enlarging the image while using the Photo Viewer function; the conversion to the GUI display is flawless, too. All these features make T9 look even more sophisticated. The flash used in T9 is especially great for games. T9 comes with two games, BaseBall and Pizza Delivery. Samsung has announced that it will provide services for T9 users so that they can download more games onto their devices later on. The flash games with which T9 is equipped show much smoother and faster movements of images than did other bitmap-based mobile games. Because these flash games are based on the vector, their overall quality is superb as well.

Accessories don’t make you feel alienated.
One of the main reasons Ipods are so popular among users of various backgrounds is the variety of charming accessories Ipods have introduced to users. Some of these accessories that complement and supplement Ipods may be insignificant or minor; others may provide powerful enough a reason to buy an Ipod. It should be admitted that the products from Samsung have not been as active in introducing various accessories. T9 is, thus, an ambitious project of Samsung in that it has prepared various accessories from the beginning stage of the product development process in cooperation with Belkin, a world-renowned company of Ipod accessories and other computer-peripheral devices. T9 users can also benefit from accessories Samsung has already introduced to the market. The armband for T9 I have used is highly solid and has a beautiful design that makes itself an attractive fashion item.

I have briefly reviewed the armband, one of the various accessories for T9. The Velcro band is thick and highly durable. The attached hook also makes it easier to adjust the length. The belt-clip on the part of the armband that holds the device makes the armband all the more valuable. This metallic belt-clip is highly durable and can be easily fixed to any part of the armband, while its magnetic upper cover can be easily opened and closed. The perforated surface has a decorative print pattern. The earphone terminal in the upper part of T9 and the charging and data-sending terminal in the lower part are left exposed so that they can be easily used even when the user is wearing it with his armband.

A variety of experience is turned into a great resource.
Samsung Electronics has designed, developed, and produced countless products. The media, however, have not been so favorable toward these new attempts by Samsung Electronics, trying to figure out ahead whether such efforts of Samsung are profitable or fruitful. We know, however, from our experience that it is the variety and diversity of our experience that sometimes provides us with the best lessons. The latest products from Samsung Electronics, Z5F and T9, contain so many fun and superb functions and features for users that they almost seem to state “All the previous products and attempts of Samsung were to create these two new models.” This is the new beginning for Samsung Electronics: the latest products seem to hint at how tremendous a transformation the YEPP line-up will undergo from now on. T9 is a work of art that is satisfactory in its every bit. It is thrilling just trying to guess how much more later products from Samsung will advance.