Decent unit with some annoyances (road test)
Written: Dec 07 '04
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Pros: Small, cool looking, long battery life (but could be better, see review)
Cons: Clunky software, no AC adapter, no support for OGG or AAC formats, odd interface
The Bottom Line: This is a good player for non-techie folks that just want to listen to tunes on the go. Great battery life. Slick look that will turn heads.
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| whitesf's Full Review: Mpio FL100 (128 MB) MP3 Player |
MPio FL100 128MB
Everybody knew I wanted an iPod. But nobody in my family could overcome the sticker-shock to get me one for Giftsmas last year. And I don't blame them. Apple gear is pricey.
My dear soon-to-be (at the time) mother-in-law got me the MPio FL100 for Xmas, much to my surprise. I wasn't an iPod, but it did play music and looked damn cool. I wondered if it would stand up to the Manhattan daily commute.
Basic Features
Well, it plays MP3s, obviously, as well as Microsoft's nearly useless WMA format. No OGG and no AAC support. It does, however, have an FM tuner and a built in mic for recording on the fly. The FM tuner is a lot more useful, at least to me. It has USB 1.1 (ugh) computer connection capabilities. There is an expansion slot for MMC/Secure Digital cards to beef up the wimpy 128mb of built in memory.
The included software for handling file transfers from computer to the unit is clunky on Windows, although it is fully functional. However, it works fairly well on Mac OS X (even though it claims to be only for OS 9) as a plug in for iTunes, but some non-basic features do not work -- like creating a folder and then moving songs into it.
Road Test
I spend about three hours a day commuting to and from work, so music is pretty much essential for my sanity. Mass transit is tolerable if you can tune out all the screaming kids, crazies, and pushy Manhattanites.
With a few exceptions, I've used the Mpio every day I've worked since last Xmas. It has held up remarkably well, with only minor wear and tear over the last year. The only complaint I have about long-term wear so far is that sometimes when I disengage the "HOLD" button it turns the unit off. This is mildly annoying, but not a deal-breaker.
As far as handling a lot of use, this unit is solid.
Battery Life
I believe the packaging said the battery life was 10-12 hours. I generally get 8-10 hours. I'm guessing you'd get a lot more if you used it only for radio. This isn't bad considering the unit is powered by a single AAA battery. I've been running on rechargeables for the past 9 months. I highly recommend picking up a set.
Annoying Stuff
Right out of the box, I didn't like the interface. I realize that you have to make buttons multi-functional on such a small unit, but it's just not intuitive. At all.
When I powered it up for the first time, I was impressed by the animated splash screen. Then I realized that this was a big waste of battery power. It does this every time you start up and shut down. Inefficiency of this kind is unforgivable on a battery-powered unit.
The software pretty much sucks. See above for details. If you've never used an iPod with iTunes, you might not notice how bad it sucks, however.
There is no AC adapter for this unit. So while you are deleting songs on the unit and transfering new songs to it, batteries are being eaten up. It uses more juice while hooked up to the computer, which makes this even worse. Again, I think this is one of those sacrifices for such a small unit.
There is no option to disable gaps between songs. If you listen to concept albums, like certain Pink Floyd and trance discs, this is quite bothersome. No matter what, there will be a 1-second gap between all songs.
No OGG or AAC support. This is relatively minor, but still worth mentioning.
Overview
This is a sturdy MP3 player with decent features and a great looking, small footprint. However, the cons for me are enough that I wouldn't buy this unit again, nor would I recommend it to a friend. Well, I wouldn't recommend it to a super-geek friend that demands lots of features and flexibility. It's fine for the average user that only wants to listen to MP3s (and God forbid, WMA).
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 100
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
whitesf
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Location: Hopatcong, NJ
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Guitar, amp, pedal junkie and DIY enthusiast.
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