Playaway Digital Audiobooks

Playaway Digital Audiobooks are all-in-one player/book combos. They sent three our way to test drive. Here’s what we thought:

Susan’s Take

Think of Playaway audiobooks like those museum audioguides you can check out for a few extra bucks to make your tour more interesting. These things just couldn’t be easier. I think my grandma could figure them out (the true technology usability test). Everything you need to listen to an entire book is included and totally effortless to operate.

I’ve been listening to I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert (the 3.5-hour abridged version). I plugged it into my iPod car adapter and have been laughing my way to and from work for several days. I definitely recommend it for anyone who doesn’t have or want an iPod, but loves listening to books.

Tela’s Take

Easy peasy. Those two words pretty much sum up the Playaway Digital Audio book.

With semi-frequent trips to my parent’s house five hours away, it was always such a drag to either:

1. Find a desirable CD book title that was actually in stock at the Cinci library (that has yet to happen)
2. Rearrange my iPod to make room for an audiobook

Now, with Playaway I don’t have to. This self-contained, easy-to-use unit doesn’t take up precious music space on my iPod, and I no longer have to scour the local library for titles I thought I’d “maybe” like–and deal with constantly changing out all those CDs.

With holiday trips to my parents coming up, I should have picked a book from Playaway, but instead I got a Playaway filled with children’s stories and songs. I’m cheese. Anyway, like Sue, I plugged it into my FM transmitter, and O and I sing the morning and evening commute away. Like I said: Easy peasy.

You might be wondering why, in the past, I didn’t just purchase an audio book from a bookstore. It’s because I never imagined myself relistening to a book–rereading, yes, re-listening, not so much–so I didn’t want to spend the cash. That’s another reason why I like Playway: They have a RePlay Rewards plan. With Replay Rewards you can load the player with new titles, for a discounted price AND free shipping. How sweet is that?

Cara’s Take

I’m listening to Mommies Who Drink. No, it’s not a self-help book. It a humorous autobiography about a woman and her group of friends who live in Hollywood. They put their wild lives behind and are now surviving motherhood.

The Playaway would be ideal for a vacation. Right now, I can’t find the ideal time to listen to it. A car adaptor would be nice to have. But, overall it’s very easy to use and actually may be a great gift for my father-in-law.

Win One!
Win a Playaway Ready-to-Go Audiobook title of your choice by sending an email to workingmomsagainstguilt@gmail.com with the word “Playaway” in the subject line by midnight, Friday, November 23rd.

In addition, Playaway is offering a 20% discount to WMAG readers. Just enter the code WMAG20 at checkout.