OT: Creative MuVo2 4GB
Challenge the masses of iPod mini users with Creative's entry in the new mini-MP3 scene.
By Andrew Hawn
If Apple's fancy collection of iPod portable players is too rich for your blood, don't fret. Cheaper players exist. At just under $200, Creative's MuVo2 is one of them. Though it may not be as come-hither looking or easy to use as the iPod mini, this is a competent enough MP3 player for most average users to enjoy.
Smaller than the mini, you say?
Smaller and more compact than the iPod mini, the $199 MuVo2 measures a scant 2.6 x 2.6 inches and weighs just 3.5 ounces. The MuVo2 will easily fit in a front shirt pocket or small purse and has a simplified two-button layout that allows you to move through music and navigate menus with only one hand.
For the price you get a pair of very basic ear buds, a take-it-or-leave-it carrying case, and Creative's less than user-friendly MediaSource organization and playback software. The player supports MP3, WMA, and WAV audio formats and held up to an impressive 13 hours of playback time in our tests. For a player this size, that's not bad.
Sound quality was no better or worse than any of the other drive-based players that I have listened to. However, I can say that I was impressed with the quality of my collection of 160-Kbps WMA tracks using better quality Ultrasone headphones.
Here are some of the MuVo2's main features.
4GB of storage capacity
Playback of MP3, WMA and WAV file formats
USB 2.0 connectivity
Useful as a plug-and-play hard drive for regular storage
Removable, replaceable lithium-ion battery
Driverless compatibility with Windows Media Player 9
The most useful thing about the MuVo2 is its simplified connectivity to Windows XP and Apple Macintosh systems. Requiring no drivers, you simply plug the MuVo2 into an open USB 2.0 port to drag-and-drop tunes to and from the portable player. Synching with Windows Media Player is boneheaded simple, but you obviously won't get the smooth-as-silk iPod synching functionality in the Mac environment.
Mac compatible, yes! Finger compatible, no...
The MuVo2's drive-based compatibility is a good thing, since Creative's software is needlessly confusing and hard to use. Also difficult to use is the two-button layout. The smaller-than-dime-sized main control button is a real pain, particularly if you have bigger fingers and need to move from one side of your music collection to the other.
It surprises me that Creative didn't think to use more of the player's available space to ease navigation, iPod style. The screen also seems needlessly small, but that's probably where it saves on all that battery life.
Like the iPod mini, the MuVo2 won't be for everyone, especially if you have a vast digital audio collection. But if you really have better things to do with the $50 that it will save you over the iPod mini, this player is good enough for the basics.
Watch TechTV's "Fresh Gear" airing Tuesday, April 27 for more details!
Pros: Very small size for a drive-based player; great battery life; good driverless compatibility
Cons: Useless included software; menu and track navigation is a challenge; difficult read display.
Company: Creative
Price: $199
Originally posted April 14, 2004
