Creative's MuVo MP3 player and storage device has hit Australian shores. Check out our review of this nifty piece of hardware.
It's almost become a given that every month or so a new MP3 player will hit the market, generally with an incremental increase in functionality, from extra storage to wacky audio modes. Creative's MuVo is slighlty different from a run of the mill new MP3 product. It takes almost the reverse path; it has only the most rudimentary music playback features. What it does have is a good twist on storage that make it a particularly compelling purchase.
The MuVo hardware comes in two parts; a small dark blue battery compartment, and a white USB connected playback module that also doubles as a portable storage device, similar to Trek's Thumbdrive or Sony's Micro Vault. This dual storage/music functionality is the main hook that Creative tries to sell the MuVo with, and at the price they're charging, the MuVo has quite a lot of appeal. It's not entirely unique; Apple's iPod does the same thing with Firewire, and over ten times the storage to boot, but at this price point MuVo's pretty much in its own category.
Creative offer the MuVo in two flavours, 64MB (AU$299) and 128MB(AU$399). The unit we tested was the smaller 64MB unit; given the relatively low price difference we suspect that the 128MB unit will sell in greater quantities.
Easy come, easy goLike the Thumbdrive Smart, the MuVo is driverless for systems later than Windows 98 and Macs. It comes with a driver CD for Windows 98, although we were somewhat annoyed to notice the driver isn't offered yet on Creative's site, so if you move over to to a web-connected 98 machine without the driver CD you've got no choices. We tested the MuVo on systems running Windows 98, 2000, XP and OS X 10.1.4. Mac support isn't noted on the packaging, but we ran into no problems while using it.
Using USB1.1, we weren't expecting miracles when it comes to data transfer speed. The MuVo unit doesn't care what type of data you're transferring, and as such copying can be performed by whatever means you favour. The sole data tool you get with the supplied CD is a drive formatting utility that reveals that the MuVo uses neither Fat32 or NTFS file systems; it's a FAT 12 device. We have no idea why FAT 12; that's just what its internal formatting utility says it uses. Across a 64MB device, you wouldn't see a massive increase in data availability between FAT sizes in any case. Creative Playcenter is also provided if you simply must have an MP3 file sorting utility.
Transferring 64MB of files from PC to MuVo took just over 4:15. Matters were much better upstream; the same 64MB of files took only 1:10 to move from the MuVo to our test PC. That's comparable to the Thumbdrive Smart, and with the exact same performance; slower to the device than from it.
Not caring about what files you're transferring means no DRM software of the type that other MP3 devices use; that's sure to draw the ire of the recording industry.
From a musical playback standpoint, the MuVo is serviceable but simple. The face buttons control power, play/pause and track skipping, while buttons on the edge control volume and whether your track selections will loop. That's all you get; no playlists, no graphic equaliser settings and no track display.
I can feel your powerOmitting those features does allow the Muvo to run for up to 12 hours on a single AAA battery. That's Creative's claimed figure; we managed 10 hours with the supplied battery and around five with a very cheap generic battery. It's human nature to want more; in the MuVo's case we'd be in serious lust if the unit recharged a battery via USB.
Creative's Muvo offers a cheap and affordable storage solution that just happens to double as an MP3 player, or a cheap and rudimentary MP3 player that also offers storage features. Whichever way you look at it, it's an impressive unit that we like an awful lot.
Creative MuVo
Company: Creative Labs
Price: AU$299 (64MB) AU$399 (128MB)
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: (02) 9666 6100
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