[gui-talk] Fwd: review of Muvo V-100 mp3 player/recorder

[Steve Pattison]

>From: Joy Tilton joyctilton at comcast.net
>To: pc-audio at pc-audio.org
>
>First I'll give the pluses.  What I consider a plus for this item is 
>the direct plug and play access without any stinkin' proprietory 
>software to muck around with.  That, to me, is more a must than a plus!
>Second plus, although, not necessarily anything real big or 
>important, is the fact one can take this equipment apart and just 
>use the guts of the unit, when separated from the battery pack, as a 
>thumb drive.
>Third plus and must, is the multiple level directories one can work 
>with, the way mp3 players should work in mine humpble opinion, not 
>this single directory junk where the device does it's own numbering 
>system according to when each file was loaded into the 
>player.  That's a big fat minus where the Ipod shuffle, or any other 
>device like that is concerned.  Fourth plus is, of course, the space 
>at 2 gigabytes.
>
>Now for the minuses, which are unfortunately way more than the plusses.
>Firstly, there are only four buttons or switches on this device, 
>volume up and down, scroll switch, and play/power button.
>So, right there, you know that the scroll switch is going to be the 
>main controlling factor on this unit as far as moving from track to 
>track, or going through menues which I'll get to in a bit.
>Secondly, no audio feedback, of course, unless you stay in "Music" 
>or maybe "recorded tracks," and you turn the device on by holding 
>the play/power button for roughly five seconds, then wait for the 
>unit to boot up, which can take upwards of 12 seconds, depending 
>upon how much data is stored.
>As for the menues -- which are accessed by pressing the scroll 
>switch -- they do not default.  So, even if you memorize the menues, 
>you have to remember where the heck you left off at.  So, if you 
>left off at Microphone, there's a possibility that once you manage 
>to turn the device on, you might be continuing the recording.  Oh, 
>to select what you want in a menu, you press the scroll switch again.
>And, of course, there is no audible monitor through the headset when 
>you record.  So, of course, you have to ask a sighted person if the 
>recorder is going.
>Oh, speaking of having a sighted person help, what is with these 
>stupid symbols rather than actual written text stating where one is 
>in the menues? Furthermore, what is with this bad habit of these 
>devices that stay in a menu for no more than maybe 5 seconds at the 
>most?  For someone trying to help a blind person out, or for someone 
>with difficulty with focus issues, that just does not work, 
>people!  Hellllllllo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>As for recording, the quality is poor.  Now, I'm taking into 
>consideration the fact that the recordings are being done in low 
>bit-rate wave files.  However, the recording volume -- or maybe it's 
>the volume setting used for "recorded tracks" -- is very much lacking.
>
>So, here's my final grading of the MuVo V-100 by Creative.
>I give it an A for concept, an A for space,,  However, for ease of 
>use and accessibility, I give it a D minus.
>Why a D minus rather than an F for accessibility?  Well, as long as 
>you stay in "music" and as long as you don't accidentally press the 
>scroll switch before moving it left or right to go from track to 
>track, or for scanning tracks, then you're okay.  Secondly -- for 
>folks who are left handed, one can go into the settings menu and 
>rotate the display.  I guess that can actually be a help if a blind 
>person is getting help from a sighted person and it makes it easier 
>for the sighted person to se the screen.
>Creative seemed to have had a neat idea when they made the first 
>MuVo with no display.  However, I got the impression that those 
>particular models were lacking in space.

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Skype:  steve1963
MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com