Creative Technology Limited is a computer multimedia manufacturer based in Singapore. The company is well known for its USB solutions to Digital Media storage. Creative till remains a serious competitor in the field of portable media / audio players because of its simple un-sophisticated design and the obvious ease of use. Creative began its journey into the world of digital audio players with the launch of the NOMAD, and later the MuVo and ZEN series.

The MuVo series of Creative:

Among the various models that Creative launched, the Creative MuVo emerged to be the most wanted for many obvious reasons. The various models in the MuVo series include the basic MuVo, MuVo NX, MuVo USB 2.0, MuVo TX, MuVo TX FM, MuVo V200, MuVo Sport C100, MuVo Slim, MuVo² XT, MuVo², MuVo² FM, MuVo Mix, MuVo Micro N200, MuVo Chameleon, MuVo Vidz, MuVo V100, MuVo S200, and the very latest MuVo T100. Most models in the MuVo series exploit the use of flash memory for data storage , the MuVo² and MuVo² FM models are exceptions however because they use micro drives.

This review will mainly focus on a particular model of the Creative MuVo series that is, the MuVo T100 MP3 player.

Sleek and Clever Design:

The Creative MuVo T100 2GB, 4GB MP3 Media Player is definitely one of the latest and best integrated media player and portable file storage devices the electronic world has seen. It is slim and lightweight build, the one-touch bass button, lets music lovers’ groove in to the pulsating beat when their music calls for it. The dimensions of the T100 being of 2.5 x 7.63 x 0.86 inches (W X H X D). It weighs just 0.71 ounces. The player is split into two parts of different sizes.

It sports a thumb drive feature and allows data transfer without the need of separate cables, one for charging and one for data transfer. The Creative MuVo T100 player is designed for hang loose, but astir teenagers who enjoy both the functionalities as an MP3 player to play their favourite music and storage features both in a single device.

Attractive colour options to choose from:

The 2GB version of the Creative MuVo T100 comes in 5 colours: Black, White, Vibrant Pink, Red and Blue; and the 4GB version comes only in Black.

Ports, Buttons and Connectivity:

At the top side of the player, the MuVo T100 sports a 3.5 mm earphone jacket. At the front side of the player, what you get to see is a 5 way navigation pad, with the power/play button at the middle, previous/next track buttons on left and right sides, the volume up/volume down buttons up and below.
The slider on one side of the player lets one choose the play mode between shuffle, repeat all and an additional option to skip folders during playback. On the other side comes the Bass Boost button which is one of the unique features of the MuVo T100 (discussed later in the review).

User Interface:

The Navigation capabilities of the MuVo T100 is quite un-responsive and slow, but is not as difficult as it might seem on the very first look. The controls provided on the back of the T100 come handy when in need. There are problems with browsing too as it is sometimes extremely very difficult and tends to hang often, and occasionally needs to be switched off and restarted.

Compatibility:

Creative MuVo T100 has a lot of compatibility issues. The point which concerns us the most is that it is not compatible with Linux or Mac. But again, it has no compatibility issues with Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 for that matter.

It’s video play back and audio file compatibility is also questionable. When it comes to the traditional mp3 format, it has no problems. Still some scepticism remains on as to whether it can play WMA (non-DRM/DRM) error free.

Features:

Audio Player or Storage Device?
One unique feature of the MuVo is that it can also double as a mass-storage device, using a MSC transfer protocol. For what it is worth, the Creative T100 MuVo player can deal with almost every common file format, ranging from the normal MP3 and WMA audio formats to the Audible audio book formats, except for the compatibility issue that we had discussed earlier.

Folder Organization:
The option to organize music into folders is a great idea and comes handy when you want to search for your favourite music. But this is not a unique feature of the MuVo T100 and cannot be counted as an obvious advantage.

Performance:

Sound Quality:
The Creative MuVo T100 is capable of very high decibel levels, and which is why it is not recommended for starters, unless and until they want to go tone deaf. The player works just fine with the high and low frequencies and provides a decent range. It is however the bass line where the player lacks in performance. Even with the Bass Boost feature activated, the player is not a performer when compared to its rivals.

Irritating Earphones:
The earphones that come with the player are quite noisy and irritating, and replacing them with quality earphones does not really solve the problem. This simply implies that the problem is not with the earphones, but with the sound output of the player as such.

Amazing Battery life:

The Creative MuVo T100 MP3 player’s battery life lasts for up to 10 hours during playtime. What is important is that it can be recharged either using a set of batteries and via the Universal Serial Bus, that is, the USB. This feature makes the MuVo T100 more practically useful than many of the players available now in the electronic market, which usually features only one of these options: either a USB or batteries.
There might be a little debate over the performance of the battery though, as battery life actually depends on the quality of your music and how loud you want it to be while listening.

Warranty:

The Creative MuVo T100 comes with a limited one year hardware warranty. Now, here is the catch – The warranty period will be extended by each whole day that the Product is out of your possession for repair under the warranty period.

Creative does also give a warranty for the repaired and replaced parts to be free from any material or workmanship defects. The warranty period begins from the date of repair or replacement for a period of 90 days or for the remainder of the product warranty period whichever is greater.

Verdict:

The advantages of the Creative MuVo T100 are numerous, which include simple design, amazing battery life, quick startup, affordable price and many more. The Cons of this USB MP3 player are very few compared to the pros. This might however not help in the decision making process, as one of the first things you would want to know about an MP3 player before buying it is the audio quality, and sadly for this model, the audio quality is just about average.

Unless you are a hardcore audiophile who is looking for a player with exceptional sound fidelity, the Creative MuVo T100 is just what the doctor prescribed, considering the decent sound quality and storage capacity.

Creative Muvo T200 MP3 Player is latest product in this series from creative.  Check other 2010 Latest MP3 Player Reviews in this website.

Creative MuVo T100 Music Player & USB Flash Drive – Technical Specification Details

Manufacturer Creative
Model Name Creative MuVo T100
Product Type MP3 Player
Dimensions (H x W x D) 7.63 inches X 2.5 inches X 0.86 inches
Weight 0.76 ounces
Display No
Enclosure colours B lack, White, Vibrant Pink, Red and Blue
Capacities available 2GB and 4GB
Storage type USB flash drive
Audio formats supported MP3, WMA , audible format 2 and 3 , WMDRM
Radio feature No
Connectivity USB 2.0 for fast and easy transfer of files
Recording No
Source Output Mode Stereo
Head Phones Binaural – stereo
Headphone jack 3.5 mm (1/8″) stereo minijack, 5 ~ 7 mW per channel
Microphone No
PC Interface Supported Hi-Speed USB
Microsoft Certification Compatible with Windows 7
Battery Enclosure Type Internal
System Requirements Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Microsoft Windows Vista
Battery type 1 x Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery
Battery life 10 + hours during playtime
Peripheral / Interface Devices CD-ROM, USB port
Package Contents MuVo T100 Player , Earphones , Quickstart
Warranty One year manufacturer’s warranty

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