Portable Media Player Reviews

The MPIO FL400 MP3 Player which can be worn as a pendant supports MP3, WMA, ASF and OGG. 'Wearable electronics are nothing new, and with the as-yet-unobtainable 2G 2G iPod Shuffle shrinking even smaller and incorporating a built-in bag/belt clip, they're probably not going away anytime soon. MPIO's most recent wearable MP3 player, the FL400, takes a different tack, opting for a pendant-style design meant to be worn around the neck. Unfortunately, other than its tiny design, there's no compelling reason to buy the FL400: at $109 for the 1GB version ($129 for 2GB), it's not particularly cheap, and it doesn't bring anything new to the table.'

CNET have reviewed the MPIO FY 800 (4GB) digital audio player. 'The FY800, a very basic flash offering from MPIO, is an attractive but uninspiring player that comes in 1GB ($89.99), 2GB ($109.99), and 4GB (pricing to come) capacities, which are expandable using SD memory cards. It must have been hard for MPIO to resist working the word "Nano" into the FY800's name because it certainly shares a familial resemblance to the iPod Nano and Creative Zen Nano. Regardless, it shares the same philosophy as other Nano-sized players--It's small enough to take for a jog but still allows a degree of control over organizing and directing your listening experience using the player's controls and LCD display.

A review of the diminutive MPIO FL500 (2GB) MP3 player has been posted over at CNET. 'This little flash-based MP3 player has been getting some attention for its retro-modern looks and clip-on portability. Unfortunately, the MPIO FL 500's looks are only skin-deep, and its capacity and functionality do not warrant the price. Our reviews of the MPIO FL400, the FY700, and the FY800 players all point to MPIO's history of delivering small, attractive players plagued by tiny displays, unintuitive controls, and uninspiring price tags. The FL500 continues this tradition. In a market where companies such as Apple and Creative have raised the bar on production quality and product usability while maintaining affordable prices, companies such as MPIO are put in a tough situation. Ultimately there's still a market for budget-quality players like the MPIO FL500, but they need to come with budget price tags.