Product: Datum DX-5 Price: $1,890 Pros: Colour display, easy menus Cons: Bigger than most of its rivals
Now that every two-bit appliance maker is producing pocket-sized MP3 players, it is getting hard for companies to differentiate themselves. But Denmark's Datum Networks has spotted one major weakness - the menus.
Most MP3 players have two-tone displays with very unfriendly menus. Being a bit bigger than most, the DX-5 features a bright, 65,000-colour thin-film transistor display with equally clear navigation. The colour display means you can also use the device to store and view colour photos, though it would be more useful if it included a memory card slot for this. The display also lets you read text files.
Also, for passing the time while you listen, Datum has included four games, and more can be downloaded from the Net.
As for music, the DX-5 has 256 megabytes of flash memory and the sound quality is great. I tested the player with blues great RL Burnside, and the volume was sufficient to cause permanent hearing impairment.
There is also a built-in FM radio for those times you tire of tunes. The recorder can encode MP3 files from voice, line or radio.