Yepp! I Love Samsung's New PMC!

At a recent Microsoft reviewers conference I was briefed on the first three Portable Media Center devices to be released: the Creative Zen, the iRiver PMC-100, and Samsung's Yepp YH-999. Of the three, I was most anxious to get my hands on the Yepp. Its small size and square form factor set it apart from the other two. In addition, it has a cool stand built into the back of the device, making it easy to set it on a desk, table, or a fold-down airline tray table.

Sanmsug's Yepp YH-999 Portable Media Center

Size does matter

The OS, user interface, and software on the Yepp YH-999 are identical to those found on the other PMCs. The distinguishing features are its size, placement of controls, and other physical features. Not much bigger than the original iPOD, the Yepp fits easily in the palm of one hand, and is very sleek, well designed, and easy to navigate.

Weighing in at around 8 oz., the Yepp sports a very bright 3.5” TFT color screen and stores media content on an ample 20 GB hard drive. Its brushed aluminum finish and the uncluttered arrangement of its controls distinguish the Yepp from its competition.

Another feature that distinguishes the Yepp from its competition is its use of a standard USB 2 connector for synchronization with your PC. (The Zen uses a proprietary cable. If you loose it, you'll have to go back to Creative for a replacement.)

The controls are located on the front of the Yepp, below the display. They are as follows (from left to right): Power—turns the device on and off; Play—view or listen to selected content; Fast Forward/Rewind—skip forward or back through content that is playing; Five-way navigation pad—move through menus and select options; Back button (upper right)—go back to previous menu; Windows Start button (lower right)—brings up the Start menu whenever you press it. The speaker grate is under this row of buttons.

The lower left edge of the unit has a covered charger port that doubles as the USB2 connector. The upper left edge has a “hold” button that locks the other buttons. The headphone/wired remote jack and the video out jack are located on the top left edge of the device. The rocker switch located on the upper right edge of the device lets you adjust the volume of the video or music. Again, one of the best features on the Yepp is the small metal “popsicle stick” stand that folds out of the back of the unit. Slide the adjacent button on the right to release the stand.

The master power off switch is hidden under the stand to prevent inadvertent powering up of the Yepp, thereby preserving battery life. Speaking of battery life, the only complaint I have about the Yepp is that the battery is not removable or replaceable. This means that you cannot carry a spare battery with you to extend usage time. It also means that, when the battery no longer holds a charge, you'll have to send it back to Samsung for service. I have always commended Samsung for incorporating removable batteries in their mobile phones and including an extended life battery with their high end phones. I'm surprised they didn't do this with the Yepp. That said, I was able to achieve 14 continuous hours of music playback or 6.5 hours of video play on a fully-charged battery.

The sound quality of the Yepp's small built-in speaker was very good, but when I used a pair of high-end headphones (Shure's E5c incredible sound-isolating ear buds) the sound quality was truly amazing! The included remote control allows the user to control the volume and perform basic navigation functions without having to touch the buttons on the main unit.

“Yepp” means “incredible!”