A feature as important as bookmarks is the ability to adjust the playback speed. I have found that I can easily listen at 10-20% higher speed than the original recording and sometimes even faster. So far I have only seen this in Windows Media Player and I believe the iPod has this feature as well (I’m the last one on the planet not to have used one yet). Currently, I have to change the playback speed with software like GoldWave, but that leaves no flexibility once I start listening. The MP3 player for Nokia that has bookmarks and playback speed adjustments will get my money!

I’ll give you an example. Suppose I listened to an audio book from say time 00:00 (hh:mm) to 00:30 and closed the book. Next time I start it, it resumes from 00:31. But suppose I just want to go back and listen to something at 00:10 on which I want to refresh mky memory. I’ll have to ‘rewind’ the track. Moreover, after I have listened what I wanted to recall from 00:10, I’ll have to ‘forward’ to reach 00.30 again.

Now bookmarking is something like I bookmark 00:30. Next time the playback resumes from the last bookmark 00:30. I go back to 00:10 by rewinding, or using the bookmark 00:10, if I had created any. I listen to 00:10 and simply reopen bookmark 00:30. A real bookmarking would be akin to Media Player Classic for Windows.

Another way would be how Lonely Cat Games’ Series 60 Smart Movie Player does it. Here you can input any time location and simply jump to it.

I stated this at another place and I say it again here, that I wonder whether there is some technical limitation on the platform in making an audio player supporting either bookmarks or jump to time, or whether the software makers are pure blind!

Official verdict: meets the 80/20 rule.