Digital Home Thoughts: Groove to the Music: Olympus m:robe MR-100 Reviewed

You've Got the Look
In a word, wow! The Olympus m:robe MR-100 is a great looking piece of technology. With the device turned off, it doesn't quite look like a digital audio player. Turning it on reveals its true nature. The LCD screen has a funky red backlight and the main controls are lit up with bright red LEDs. The front of the device is perfectly smooth except for the raised m:robe logo.

In the box you'll find the following:

• m:robe MR-100;
  
• Earbud-style headphones;
  
• Headphone extension cord with 90 degree connector;
  
• Clip for headphones;
  
• Desktop cradle;
  
• Power cable;
  
• USB cable;
  
• m:trip software CD;
  
• Manuals and paperwork.

Figure 1: Box contents.

The top of the device has a recessed power button. It's easy to press, but you won't be activating it accidentally. On the bottom is the proprietary USB connector. On the left of the device, you'll find the headphone jack, remote port (a remote is not included with the MR-100 but can be purchased separately), and a hold switch. The hold switch is critical on this device since the screen is touch sensitive. If you stick the MR-100 in your pocket, you'll definitely want to enable hold. The placement of the headphone jack is a little odd. With headphones plugged in, it's a bit awkward to hold the MR-100. It just doesn't feel natural.


Figure 2: MR-100 next to a 20GB iPod.

Size wise, the MR-100 is somewhere between the iPod Mini and a 20 GB iPod (4th generation). The MR-100 fits nicely in its white cradle. The device drops in and is ready to sync. You do have to turn it on first but that's not a big deal. The styling of the device is pretty cool. The black front is sleek and looks high-tech. The only thing we don't quite understand is why the accents and accessories are white. The back of the device, headphones, and cradle are all white. They look nice but don't make the statement that all black might have. We're not design experts, this is just our opinion. All black would truly make this device the polar opposite of the Apple iPod.

Controls
The controls on the MR-100 are all touch sensitive. For playing your music and navigating through menus, there are 6 controls:

• Menu;
  
• Play/Pause;
  
• Scrollbar;
  
• Left;
  
• Right;
  
• Display.

Using the controls is very simple. Just tap on the one you want and the device responds. It takes a few minutes to get used to using these controls since there is no tactile feedback when you push them. You can turn on a sound that will come through the headphones whenever you click, but it's more annoying than useful. Once you get used to the controls, they are simple to use. Plus, only the controls that are currently available are shown. For example, if you are at the end of a list of songs, only the left button will be lit. Very handy.


Figure 3: Controls, all lit up.

Playing music is a snap once you've selected what you want to play. Just tap Play/Pause and your track/album/playlist starts. You can then pause and go forward/back a track. By tapping Menu, you'll go back to the playlist/album menu. To get back to the song currently playing, just tap Menu again. If you hold down the Menu button, you'll go to the main menu. The Display button adds some nice functionality. Tapping it cycles between Playback, Playback List, and Lyrics. If you have the lyrics saved for your songs, you'll see them on the Lyrics screen. Not many applications grab lyrics for you automatically when ripping or downloading music, but you can easily add lyrics to your tracks with the Olympus m:trip software.