Move over Muvo!

Getting warm up to NM4210 and the need to blog for a non blogger like me, let me roll in the carpet with Creative Muvo Mp3 players.

Nearly 3 years back when prices of Mp3 players were still rather steep (one that's pursuing a degree in NUS without sources of income except allowance), Creative Muvo was rather popular. Although Muvo is not cheap, it was still afforadable. (>S$200 for 256MB)
Having rationalise the usability of Muvo as both a music companion, thumb drive for school work and back up in case voice recording needs to be taken - for whatever reasons be it project interview or recording a lecture, I bought a Creative Muvo.

Image taken from www.creative.com

Here it is, Creative Muvo TX FM. Here comes the irritating and lousy user experience for a bad design that Creative have yet to rectify for their Muvo series of Mp3 players.

The black coloured part of the Mp3 player could be pulled out to be connected to a USB port on any computer to function as a thumb drive. However..... "Muvo, you are too FAT!"
Unlike portable thumb drives or most of the other devices using the USB port, the circumference of Muvo is a little too big. SO much so that I had to remove the mouse when using the labtop as there's simply not enough space with the FAT Muvo around not to mention other occassions where I had to make space for Muvo by unplugging other devices.

As a result, my confidence of Creative have since dropped and their image is tarnised. I started finding faults in other areas such as the impossible rate Muvo consumes power. (3-5 days for a new AAA battery to be depleted) Next I find their ear phone sucks and finally, I just give up on Creative except for the sound cards they make.

Well, I've gotten other 'slimmer' thumb drives and I tend to prefer Ipod to Creative Zen as I just feel that their Mp3 players are fat. I believe it is necessary to look at other aspects of a design especially one that the producers promise usability in. Creative failed to recognise the space between USB ports resulting in lousy User experience.

"Move over Muvo, it's time to make space for others!"