Digital Trends

Digitalway MPIO FL100 256MB January 28th, 2004 | by Brian Bordenave

Introduction

The FL 100 is one remarkable piece of technology. It is a digital music player that plays a multitude of file types: MP3, WMA, MPEG-2, MPEG-2.5 and ASF. Incorporated in the FL 100 is also an FM tuner and a digital recorder that can record directly from FM radio as well as from it's integrated microphone. It comes in three versions offering onboard storage of 128MB, 256MB and 512MB and is expandable with a Multi-media card (MMC) or Secure Digital card (SD). It works with both Windows (98, 2000, ME, XP) and Macintosh (10.1) operating systems - it is not Linux compatible.

Function aside; it's the design that sets this device apart from other players. It is nearly impossible to understand how small the FL 100 is until it is seen and held in your hand. Scarcely bigger than a Zippo lighter and almost as light, it is both elegant and utilitarian. The silver metal and plastic chassis is complimented by a mirror-finished faceplate surrounding the LCD display.

This device does not look anything like any MP3 player we have seen before, or any other kind of electronic gadgetry for that matter. It easily resembles a piece of jewelry with its sleek triangular Power/Play/Pause button and the Record button on the mirrored front. It is so attractive, it is hard to believe it does all that it does.

Included in the package is the player itself, an instruction manual, a setup CD-Rom, a USB 1.1 cable, earphones, one AAA battery, a carrying pouch and a wrist strap.

The elegant look of the MPIO FL 100 digital audio device.

Usability, Form and Function

The FL 100 is relatively easy to start using. The control buttons are well thought out but do require a little getting used to. There are a total of six buttons on the device. The Power/Play/Pause button and the Record button are on the face, while the Hold, Menu, Volume and Mode buttons are on the side of the device.

The Hold button is an important feature lost on some new devices. It locks out the controls, and prevents any accidental changes being made during playback. While the Volume button is self-explanatory and the Menu button switches between MP3 mode and the FM tuner, the most important button is the Mode button. This clever little scroll lever is where the bulk of the features are "nested."  Flick the lever forward or backward in MP3 mode to skip tracks or play one again, fast-forward or rewind. It also allows you to search through tracks and adjust playback without interrupting playback.

In the FM tuner mode, do the same to scan through the FM band or the presets. Depress the Mode button for a second or two in the MP3 mode, and you will access a menu of choices, whereupon the user can adjust the equalizer settings, erase tracks, arrange folders, change the language and other major system settings. In the FM tuner mode, depressing the Mode button will allow you to set stations and even select FM bands used in other parts of the world. Digitalway really put a lot of thought into this device. By making this device compatible with all its user's possible environments, they have made it all the more useful to consumers that travel abroad and want to be able to listen to local broadcasts.

The Hold, Menu, Volume and Mode buttons of the MPIO FL 100.