A lot to love, but almost as much to loathe
Written: Jan 29 '04 (Updated Feb 03 '04)
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Pros: Beautiful gadget; great sound; incredible functionality; expandable storage; can record FM radio; intuitive menu layouts
Cons: Fingerprints easily; fragile; poor signal; fickle buttons; no "random mode"; tech support virtually nonexistent
The Bottom Line: Certainly the prettiest mp3 player available, the FL100 boasts functionality in a tiny, affordable package. Unfortunately, certain aspects and flaws are unforgivable. I would recommend this, but not to everyone.
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| jennfrank's Full Review: Mpio FL100 (256 MB) MP3 Player |
The FL100 has an incredible amount of functionality packed into its wee frame, but boasts an equal number of flaws. It's the one gadget I loathe almost as much as I love.
(check out the mp3 player at http://mpio.com/goods/fl100.php)
Design
It's no wonder the FL100 won design awards in 2003. The MPIO FL100 shines like a gem--literally. With a mirrored face and a bright blue backlit screen, this delicate, lightweight MP3 player looks eerily like a buff Zippo lighter from the future.
There are two buttons on its mirrored face--the power/play/pause button and a smaller "record" button--and the other navigational buttons (a knob that can be depressed like a button, which includes "mode," "FF, and "REW", as well as volume control, a menu button, and the all-important "hold" button) are are located on its side. There is a slot for a memory card (!!), a small USB port for transferring music from computer to player, a headphone jack (of course), and a slot for one AAA battery.
There are tiny "doors" in the battery, memory, and USB slots, which are very delicately hinged, and can break easily if one is careless.
Functionality
Of course, it's not all a matter of looks. The FL100 has surprisingly terrific sound, a voice/FM recorder (I've used it both to record lectures and broadcasts from its FM receiver), and a feature totally foreign to me, called "Study Mode," which plays mp3s slowly so that one may phonetically learn the words to a song at his or her own pace. Sounds like I'll be performing a karaoke "Die Da" for my friends at last!
What's more, the MPIO site offers infrequent "firmware" downloads--which means you can update the actual software on the mp3 player itself, which makes for a self-improving gadget. And then, of course, there's that SD memory slot. The potential for expanding storage space is a huge bonus.
Major Benefits
The MPIO music software is pretty good. That is to say, it does what it's supposed to do, it looks a lot like MusicMatch, and the installation software is cool as heck.
Perhaps what sold me most of all on the MPIO FL100--besides the capability of taking an SD memory card in addition to the memory already internally stored--is its utter smallness. While I realize some listeners like a buff, durable, hard-to-lose MP3 player that doubles as an external hard drive, I frankly want an MP3 player to be tiny, flashy, and only for MP3s. The MPIO FL100 suits all this and more. It can be worn "necklace style" or on the arm (box includes a neck cord and an armband), or frankly left in your pocket, and you'll never know it's there. That's awesome.
...and MAJOR Qualms
The bad: the user's manual is written in ridiculously broken English. Fortunately, the FL100's menu navigation is extraordinarily comprehensive, and the manual, when not used for reference, makes a cute conversation piece.
And the MPIO is very fragile. It is not a gadget you want to throw at walls. Given its size and light weight, you might think it will float to the earth like a feather. It will not. It will break.
The mirrored faceplate gets more fingerprints than the LAPD.
MPIO tech support is virtually nonexistent.
Often, buttons on the FL100 are slow to respond. I have had a great deal of difficulty with the "record" button.
The FM radio's signal is often, but not consistently, strong.
The battery life (one AAA) is fairly short. They advertise that it can last for 11 hours, and this is a total fib.
AND THE HUGEST DRAWBACK OF ALL:
The MPIO FL100 features a "random mode," so you can listen to stored songs out of order. That's good. The MPIO FL100 also lets you upload songs in "directories." That means I can keep a folder full of my McLusky songs on my mp3 player, and a folder full of Lali Puna songs, and so on. That's good too.
But the MPIO FL100 does not support both at once. THAT'S BAD: there is no random feature if you arrange your songs into folders on your mp3 player. This is an unspeakably horrifying, perhaps even unforgivable, flaw.
Conclusion
I am so conflicted. I do love the MPIO FL100, but I'm not sure I should. It's beautiful, it sounds good, and it works, and maybe that should be enough. But there's just enough wrong with the FL100 that maybe potential buyers should have misgivings.
There was a time I gave this mp3 player my highest recommendation; now, I am not so sure. The MPIO FL100 is not really a child's MP3 player, or even an active adult's MP3 player. But I've always been an indoors girl, and I like my electronics shiny, so fragility is not really an issue for me. I don't regret my purchase.
There is so much functionality jam-packed into this little guy, but if you don't "catch on" to electronics with ease, don't care about how pretty this gadget is, and want to be able to sweat at the gym with your mp3 player, pass the FL100 by. It's delicate; you want an iPod.
However, for those of us willing to be occasionally frustrated, the MPIO FL100 is an investment well worth it.
Tech Spex
Comes with:
- Earbud-style headphones (yeesh)
- USB cable
- Manual
- Installation CD
- In my experience, it varies as to whether you get a "case" or a "holster," and a "neckstrap" or a "handstrap." It looks like the armband is standard?
(from the manufacturer)
- Size: 40(W) x 79.5(H) x 14.2(D)mm
- Weight: 41.5g (excluding battery)
- Replay file format: MP3, MPEG, WMA, ASF
- Internal memory: 64/128/256MB nand type flash memory (512 on the way, I heard?)
- Expansion memory slot: SD (MMC), 16/32/64/128/256 MB
- PC connection: USB V1.1
- File transmission speed: About 4.5 Mbps
- Battery: 1 'AAA' size alkaline battery
- Consecutive playing time: About 11hours (HA! FIBS! HA!)
- LCD: FSTN type graphic LCD (indigo blue LED backlight) (132 x 48 pixel : 3 Line)
(As of Jan 2004, the 256 MB player was priced about US$180.)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 180
Recommended for: Audio Book Listeners - Download Audio Books and Radio Programs
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Epinions.com ID:
jennfrank
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Location: Chicagoland, USA
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
I love rock and roll.
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