Digital Trends

Music Gremlin MG-1000 June 20th, 2006 | by Rebecca Day

Conclusion

I like this product a lot. Finally, an MP3 (and WMA) player has come along offering a compelling alternative to the iPod. It's intuitive and easy to use, its playlist creation feature is strong (although I'd like to be able to add albums to a playlist, not just individual tracks) and its sharing functions are really fun.

But two issues can make it or break it. One, widespread Wi-Fi access needs to be available, and that's not a given today. Two, those who would make most use of the sharing features—kids and young adults—are likely hard-pressed to pay the monthly fees for the MusicGremlin subscription ($15) and T-Mobile's all-you-can-eat HotSpot service ($39 a month, or $29 with an annual contract). You can also pay $6 an hour or $10 for a day pass to T-Mobile HotSpot—more than most people will pony up just to swap music. If you already have a T-Mobile account for your laptop, you're good to go.

As free Wi-Fi networks grow, so should the appeal of devices like MusicGremlin. I'm looking forward to a successor to this 8-GB model—one that will have 802.11n, which promises farther range, and a bigger hard drive. I love the MusicGremlin concept, but in my experience the network infrastructure isn't quite there yet to support the service.

Pros:

• Attractive
• Large library of music to download
• Intuitive design and menu structure
• Bright and colorful display
• Can show album art etc.

Cons:

• Poor wireless signal
• Only supports 802.11b not 802.11g
• Requires a hefty price for the player plus a subscription fee