iRiver T7

The basics

iRiver T7 (also known as Volcano) is a high-end USB media player which contains numerous useful functions. It has high-quality MP3 sound, voice and radio recording function, as well as a radio, in case you get tired of your own tunes. It comes in white, blue, pink, chocolate, and black, with memory capacities of 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB.

The good

If the iRiver T7 was any simpler it could win Big Brother. This really is a no-frills machine. You don't even need a cable to charge its 18-hour battery or put tunes in its 4GB memory banks. Just press a button and a USB connector pops out, allowing you to connect it direct to your computer. It plays MP3, WMA, OGG and ASF music files, and does so reasonably well. You can even listen to (and record) FM radio, with up to 30 preset stations.

The bad

If you think a lack of panache is a sin, then the T7 has a one-way ticket to hell. It's essentially a plastic stick with a tiny display. Usability isn't so hot, either. The main menu and playback buttons are smooth and flush with the player's surface, making it difficult to skip tracks without taking it out of your pocket to look at.

The bottom line

“Scrapheap challenge” was the phrase that first sprang to mind when we saw this. Although it's affordable, the nasty design and controls mean there's little reason to choose this over its rivals.