I became a convert to the concept of MP3 because of its compactness. The ability to store so much near-CD quality music using so little disk space appealed to me and now the tiny Diva MP3 player allows me to carry a selection of that music around whilst on the move.

The inbuilt 64mb of memory is enough to store the equivalent of an average CD. This is quite a generous amount compared with similar MP3 players, but not enough for a music geek such as I, so I expanded mine with an additional memory card. The Diva takes standard type I and II compact flash cards and can handle up to 1gb if your budget can stretch to the extra expense.

So how do you get the music onto the Diva ? Well, you will need a PC running Windows 98 or above with a USB socket. The USB lead is supplied with the unit. Then it's a simple process to copy the MP3 files from your PC to the Diva.

Software is provided, but isn't particularly good. The Diva Loader program is hit and miss and often fails to recognise connection of the player. However, Windows 98 recognises the Diva and I find it easier to transfer the files/songs using Windows Explorer.

Sound quality is average, despite several available EQ settings. Throw away the sub-standard earphones supplied with the Diva and invest in a better pair.

The Diva is easy to use in playback mode with the tracks scrolling past on the display , but you will have to study the manual if you want to access the advanced features

Recommended: Yes