A chic thicker anti-iPod.

Competition for Apple's iPod Touch: Cowon Multimedia Player O2PMP may be some better, just as much good, but unfortunately some things are not as nice as Apple's super-music player. It cost the same amount of equipment.

 

Actually, the multimedia player O2PMP in November 2008 on the market, but this date is burst. The product developers at Cowon had foolishly in the name out. They had their multimedia hope O2 called - like the mobile phone companies, which also intervened. No sooner had the press release about the launch of the new player sent had Cowon pull the emergency brake and the sales begin to move.

With a few months delay, the device now but in the trade came. It has a new name, but has the same technical finesse, which was originally planned. And these are some. So is the player whose name the letters PMP has been extended to more audio and video formats than most of its competitors. In addition to standards such as MP3, AAC, WMA and DivX dominated his exotic variants such as Monkey Audio or Ogg Vorbis. The H.264 video format and music from Apple Lossless files, the player can play.

It sounds O2PMP not bad - at least on good headphones like the Shure SE530. The included earplugs succeeds, however, hardly usable to deliver sound. You too Scheppers sheets. That is the smart player is not appropriate. But this fate, the Cowon with many of his competitors.

Can shine on the other hand, the device with its display. The resolution is 480 x 272 pixels at almost eleven inches diagonal, not outstanding, but it paints a very vivid and provides good contrast. Pity that the display - the trend - with a glossy surface is supplied. That is the brilliance of benefit, but also meant that daylight lamps and annoying on the screen blogsn.

Operation over very many symbols

The user interface is nicely designed and tidy. Never more than five icons displayed simultaneously. This restriction will, however, that in the main menu times horizontally, vertically scrolling times to show a total of 17 levels spread over three symbols. The navigation is tricky especially if you through long file lists must navigate. Who, for example, a particular song will call requires tact. For those who simply go out on the screen, typing, typing too often wrong.

The main symbols on the user interface of the O2PMP are large and easy to use, but not to adjust all functions. In the music player about another eight symbols are arranged, which can erase titles or Favorites can - if you can. Because these icons are quite small advised. Not less than 30, some are very similar symbols manual lists the total. Their role should be to remember, because intuitively understandable, only a few of them.

Make me a Mickey Mouse

Music can not only play O2PMP. The device can also do some fun special features. For example, the playback speed varriieren. Sounds Rammstein accelerated after Mickey Mouse Club, and Rihanna is the Gothic-Diva slowed. It makes sense, it is admittedly, this feature for audio books to use, depending on which one faster or slower Gusto gets out.

Will you even read, sing or play music or something similar, is the O2PMP also useful. About the built-in microphone can record their own pieces. This can also be good, as long as one is not too loud. Rock concerts with the record player, on the other hand, is not a particularly good idea.

Better than an iPod, or just different?

Hübsch - especially in comparison with Apple's iPods - is the ability to not only the integrated, up to 32 gigabytes of main memory to use, but SD cards as an extension only. The card from a digital camera can be directly inserted into the player are. Images can be instantly view.

About the video output to a TV, the player to the projector - or even the VCR. But only if you need this special cable for Cowon buys. Is not included. And that is a pity, because in the tested version with 32 gigabytes of memory costs O2PMP still around 340 euros, TV-out cable with 19 other proposes Euros.

Priced O2PMP competes directly with Apple's iPod touch. The is far slimmer and lighter, has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and has additional programs extensible. However, the iPod is much less play formats. For example, can not play Divx movies. Recordings are not possible, because the iPod has no microphone.

Directly comparable to the devices from Apple and Cowon is not. What is an elegance and usability as webpads plays, makes the other by a cornucopia of formats and compatibility with memory cards competitive.