MobiBLU Music Player
The MobiBLU is billed as the "world's smallest" digital audio player. Weighing in at just over a half ounce and measuring less than one cubic inch, it's tiny. The unique cube design comes in pink, blue, silver, and black and looks like an over-sized cube of colored sugar.
It's obvious that a lot of work went into its design. The MobiBLU comes with a special cable that allows the headphone port to double as the USB connector. The included earphones are a lanyard (necklace) style that allows the cube to hang from your neck. The connection is so secure that you'll never have to worry about the MobiBLU falling off. The screen, although small like the rest of this device, is very readable thanks to the latest OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology. The bright blue letters on the black background are crisp and clear. And the sound quality is so amazing that it's hard to believe that something so small can sound so good. And several of the MobiBLU features offer one-upmanship over the iPod — the FM radio comes with presets, its voice recorder works quite well, and the equalizer has six preset modes (normal, rock, jazz, pop, classic, and live) or can be user-set.
The MobiBLU has a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery that lasts 7-8 hours. You can recharge the battery by attaching the MobiBLU to the computer with its USB cable. You can also purchase an A/C adapter or car charger. You simply plug the MobiBLU into a computer's USB port and the device appears in My Computer as a removable drive. You can then drag MP3 or WMA files to the drive icon for transfer onto the MobiBLU.
Although the package comes with a mini-CD, you don't need to install any software. The CD is only used when the firmware in the player needs to be updated. Unfortunately, this is not clearly explained and I think most people will install the software and then wonder how to use it.
As you might expect, because of the miniscule size, the buttons are very small. The play, fast-forward, rewind, and volume buttons on the right face of the unit are arranged in a circular manner like the iPod. The menu and hold buttons are on the left face. With only seven buttons to handle all the functionally, most users will have to spend some time learning how to navigate the nested menus. I found them to be a bit unintuitive. In fact, I had trouble setting the clock and the equalizer even after referring to the user manual, which, unfortunately, has miniscule print and undecipherable pictures.
Although the MobiBLU can fit into a pocket, the button that locks and unlocks the device can be accidentally pressed while in a pocket, potentially wearing down the battery. However, when worn around the neck, its miniscule size and weight and secure attachment to the earphones lanyard make the MobiBLU an outstanding device. You will find it quite useful while walking, hiking, or exercising.
This amazing little device is sure to turn a few heads as others wonder about its unique size and shape, but be sure that you're ready for a learning curve and a lot of button pressing.
Specifications
Product: MobiBLU
DAH-1500i
Manufacturer: Hyun Won, Inc.,
Price: 1GB $129.99, 2GB $159.99
URL: http://www.mobibluamerica.com/
AARP does not recommend or endorse any of these products or web sites. Please be advised that there are other similar products and web sites available which were not reviewed and are not listed here.
About the Author
Sandy Berger is a nationally-known author and has written several books on computers.
