Creative Nomad MuVo2 4GB review

Originally due out in 2GB form, the MuVo2 has taken a while to surface. But its timing is immaculate, coming along just weeks before the iPod mini.

Fitting neatly into the palm of the average hand, the only disappointing aspect about the MuVo's design is the lack of a Hold button, so the controls could get knocked in your pocket. The other buttons are also a bit fiddly, but fortunately the simplistic menu structure makes it quite a convenient device in use. We've got no complaints about sound quality either, although the bundled earphones lack a remote.

This MuVo2 uses a 4GB Hitachi hard disk and Windows Explorer to transfer files; a real bonus compared to its white rival's iTunes or MusicMatch. In fact, it's the first hard disk-based MP3 player we've seen to support drag-and-drop. Transfer is via USB 2, so a 45MB album folder will take less than 10 seconds. The best way to manage files is to transfer whole folders at a time: if you send single tracks over they aren't organised in any way - not even in the order they were transferred.

Battery life was exemplary, lasting around12 hours. A 512MB flash memory version is also available, which would prevent any skips when running, although even a two-mile run didn't make this 4GB version jump. A 1.5GB version is also on sale; these cost £140 and £145 respectively. But at £240, this MuVo2 costs a little too much - especially next to the iPod mini at £160.