MP3-some
It’s time to let go of your Walkman – James Fryer is getting a grip on the latest MP3 players hitting the streets of the UAE.
BEST TO AVOID
Sony A3000
www.sony.com
Panting and limping after the iPod like a decrepit mongrel, Sony’s MP3 players are lacklustre. The A3000 boasts an adequate 20 gigabyte capacity, looks nice with its eerie frameless ‘organic electroluminescense’ display (track listings appear as if projected onto the actual player) and has 35 hours continuous playback. The downfall is Sony’s attempt to ‘recreate the way people listen to music’. Functions such as ‘Artist Link’ put the focus on the ability to search for songs of a similar style. But the gadget giant has strayed from what we really want – to access our songs quickly and easily.
BEST NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Creative Zen Vision: M
www.creative.com
If any MP3 player looks likely to give Steve Jobs and his iPod a run for their piles of money, this is it. Creative is known for its high-quality speakers, soundcards and PC peripherals, and at least a few heads have been turned by the Zen range of MP3 players. The Zen Vision: M, offers a 30GB capacity and, like the latest Apple manifestation, the ability to listen to music, browse photos and watch videos. So what’s the difference? Creative’s player is much thicker and chunkier than the iPod, and doesn’t have the same slick feel. The menu system, although intuitive, isn’t quite as refined as Apple’s but, on the upside, it does have a built-in FM radio tuner and microphone for making digital recordings – two functions you can only achieve with add-ons with the iPod. The real difference comes in the form of the bundled-software. Love it or hate it, iTunes has proved itself and continues to develop. But hardened PC users will be pleased to hear that Creative’s player comes with a Windows-Explorer-style interface giving more control, and focusing less on faffy visual skins. Go on a diet and make a date with the fashion stylist, Creative, and you might just tip the balance in the MP3 player stakes.
BEST FOR BLING
TrekStor i.Beat organix Gold
www.trekstor.de
The phrase ‘more money than sense’ springs to mind for the fools forking out for a blinged-up music box with a teeny one-gigabyte capacity. You could fill that with nothing but Girls Aloud tracks. The extravagant price tag comes courtesy of 63 diamonds and an 18 carat gold casing and, as if that wasn’t lavish enough, it even has a small chain embellished with aquamarines – all painstakingly handcrafted by German jewellers. That’s not all you get for your money – it has a built-in FM radio, digital clock and displays the ID3 tag of each song that’s playing. Still not reaching for the credit card? Well, the manufacturers will engrave your name on it if you order one. Worth every dirham then.
BEST ALL-ROUNDER
Apple iPod
www.apple.com
Bill Gates beat Apple in the race to design the best-selling computer operating system, but the company behind the iPod phenomenon can put two fingers up to everyone else competing for a slice of the MP3 market. Since its inception in 2001, the iPod has gone from strength to strength, and the 30GB version is already amazingly popular. This latest incarnation is a lighter, thinner version of its former self (like Nicole Richie) yet it still offers a bigger, two-and-a-half inch colour display. Battery life has scored an extreme makeover and is up by five hours. On a full charge, you now have between 15 and 20 hours of listening time. And you can view your collection of Bon Jovi photos and music vids too. Still not convinced? Grab hold of one for yourself and marvel at its robust quality, watch crystal-clear videos accessed through the simple menu and enjoy all your favourite songs in outstanding clarity. Our only gripe is that we don’t have a UAE version of iTunes yet.