Product Description

The Creative MuVo V100 is the portable audio player for people who appreciate simplicity as well as performance. Its compact, two-piece design delivers MP3 and WMA with Lyrics support - great for joining in the music! Its player module can store up to 500 songs and a single standard AAA battery can provide up to 18 hours continuous playtime. The MuVo V100 connects to the PC via USB and supports 'drag and drop' selection of data or music. Its built-in microphone is great for voice recording.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25149 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: Black
• Brand: Creative
• Model: V100

Features

• 2 GB of storage capacity: Can hold nearly 500 MP3s or nearly 1000 WMA-encoded files
• Flash memory storage: Flash format has no moving parts so you can forget about irritating skipping problems as you listen to your favorite music
• LCD screen: Indigo backlit LCD screen shows track information
• Built-in voice recorder: Record your ideas or record lectures instead of taking notes

Customer Reviews

Nice little AAA-powered MP3 player
I had a larger Archos gmini 400 MP3 player before this, but got tired of recharging it so frequently, especially as the battery life started shortening. I mainly use it with a Mac running OS 10.5, my collection of 192kbps VBR MP3 files, and JV HA-FX33 "marshmallow" in-ear buds.

Pros
-Good battery life, making it perfect for long trips. Even the Plain Jane AAA that came with it lasted quite awhile.
-It's a USB mass storage device, so it's cross-platform and doesn't require drivers! I just plug it into my Mac, then copy files over in my file manager.
-It is USB-powered when it is plugged in, unlike my Archos. Definitely convenient there, especially if you plan on using it with a car stereo that supports USB devices.
-Custom equalizer that can be toggled on or off, plus a separate bass-boosting control for music that's on the thin side.
-I'm no audiophile, but the sound quality seems to be decent. No unnecessarily huge gaps between tracks, and no distortion that I've heard.

50/50
-No-frills, grayscale interface with (optional) backlighting. I don't care about having a flashy color display for something so simple, but other people might.
-The toggle switch is easy to work, but I wish it was softer on your thumb!
-It's a comfortable size to hold in your hand (IMO, of course), but if you're looking for something ultra-thin this is not it.

Cons
-Included documentation is useless. Instead of giving you a printed manual or a PDF, they include it in some strange (video?) format that I haven't been able to open.
-You can't have more than 3 "Library" folders + the root level of the drive. You can, however, set it to repeat the current subfolder, and use the file browser in the menu to switch folders.
-The play option icons aren't as intuitive to figure out as some of the other features. I had to go online to Creative's website to confirm which one was the "album" play mode.
-Slow USB transfer speed. My Archos MP3 player was a true "Hi-Speed" USB 2.0 device and definitely transferred files at a faster rate.
-It's a bit slow to start up when you have it fully loaded.
-The battery cover sometimes comes off. Most of the time, though, it happens when I'm trying to pull the main player out of the battery pack so I can plug it in to my computer.
-It doesn't let you see what track is coming up next (which the Archos does).
-I wish it came in larger capacities. Unfortunately, at this point a lot of manufacturers are moving away from AAA batteries in low-capacity players in the quest for ultra-thinness, so I'm not sure if Creative will ever make one in 4GB or 8GB (for example).

This is definitely not for people who want to carry their entire collection with them, but it makes a nice replacement for the old DiscMan + stuffed CD wallet combo. If you're shopping around at smaller vendors, I wouldn't recommend paying much more than $50 for this (I've seen some people asking for $70!).

A winner!
I've owned several mp3 players prior to purchasing the Muvo v100. I traded in those gadgets for this device because of its benefits over other mp3 players:

- It's very small! 2GB of flash memory in a small case the size of a pack of gum! This is especially great for workouts. I wear it with the optional arm band and case.

- It has a screen. This is big difference when compared to the ipod shuffle and other flash memory players that lack a screen.

- It gives me 18+ hours on one AAA battery. I specifically wanted an mp3 player that did NOT run on a lithium ion battery so that I can carry spare batteries with me on long journeys (Eg. airplane travel). This way, I am never without music!

- It's still cheap (even years after it was first released by Creative Labs). I got mine for $35 packaged with the case and armband. If you shop around, you can probably find similar deals.

- Audio quality is up there with all the big players (iPod and Zune). It is just as loud and clear. Of course, don't use the cheapo headphones that come with it; buy some quality headphones to enjoy with this baby! It has several EQs to set; you can also set your own custom EQ.

EASILY PLAY MULTIPLE FOLDERS of Music and Talk, Detatchable FLASH DRIVE
Bottom Line --- My Creative can play multiple folders of Music and Talk Audio copied over from my PC easily, with a built-in detachable flash drive which also runs mp3, data and your own installed programs on any PC you have available.

* My Creative cost $70 and lasted about 2 years - 1GB Muvo Tx MP3 Player Voice Recorder USB Red with FM Tuner

* I relaced it with a SanDisk Sansa m250 2 GB MP3 Player w FM -- The Sansa is NOT useful for TALKING AUDIO with Multiple Folders, especially my required Sorted Play Order. The Sansa brand is better used as a plan MUSIC ONLY Player

* I'm replacing my old Creative and NEW SanDisk with the less expensive version of Creative MUVO Mp3 Player, since it only last a couple years ... the PC would no longer recognize the Player.

The Creative has a detachable flash drive with built-in USB connector, which makes it convenient to use on the go with other PCs.
I am able to use it as a regular detachable flash drive for mp3, data and running programs that I've installed on it.

Apart from the easy use flash drive I liked the large number of settings that Creative has, particularly the fact that it sorts audio files by File Name and allows me to select individual folders (copied over from my pc). Most of my audio are lessons like Tony Robbin's motivational material or Vernon McGee's Thru the Bible Study CD Set.

I can just copy the folders from my PC and go ... then select a folder and it will play or repeat folders. -- It sorts by the same file name as on the PC. I don't have to manually edit the mp3 TAG and I can copy over and easily play Multiple Folders from my PC ... the SanDisk Sansa that I just bought CAN'T do this. SanDisk is for Music Only. Sansa should COPY the Creative brand usability features.

FYI - CRYPTAINER is one useful program to keep your USB Drive (and PC or Network) data confidential with Encrypted Access. A smaller, free download for CRYPTAINER LE can be found at www.Snapfiles.com or www.cypherix.co.uk
* For more information my Amazon Guide (just Google search) AMAZON PC HELP SAMPLER