Typical price: £310
What is it: A touch-screen media player with a 20GB hard drive and built-in camera
What we think: The M:robe 500i is a beautiful-looking, multifunctional device, but we can't recommend it due to poor overall performance
What you need to know
Reviewed on: 3 March 2005
Tags: olympus, digital camera, headphones, slide show
We like:
Minimal touch-screen design; beautiful interface graphics; built-in 1.2-megapixel camera; neat Remix slide-show mode
We don't like:
Touch screen isn't always responsive; mediocre battery life; bulky; slow processing; must use Olympus M:trip software; cradle is required to recharge device; subpar photo quality
You might also need:
Bigger, better headphones
CNET.co.uk judgement:
The 500i certainly makes a good first impression, thanks to its multifunctionality, its touch-screen display, and its beautiful graphics, but it needs to back them up with better performance
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