Photograph: Marc SimonGateway's MP3 Photo Jukebox is an interesting combination of good ideas poorly implemented. The $250 player has some intriguing features--including the ability to store and display digital photos--but in the end its weaknesses far outweigh its strengths.
One of those weaknesses is the display. The Jukebox is the first mini hard-drive MP3 player to feature a color LCD. Unfortunately, at a mere 1.6 inches measured diagonally, the square screen feels much too cramped for viewing photographs satisfactorily.
The Gateway has other size issues, too. While it offers a light weight (3.4 ounces) and capacity (4GB) similar to those of other small-fry competitors such as the Creative Zen Micro, IPod Mini, and Rio Carbon, it's noticeably bulkier than those players and feels a bit hollow in your hand.
And then there's the battery. Gateway wisely outfits the Jukebox with a rechargeable, user-replaceable lithium ion battery (a second battery sells for $30). Unfortunately, in my informal tests the player ran for a less-than-stellar 8 hours between charges.
The Jukebox's laundry list of near-miss design decisions would be easier to live with if the unit were more fun to use. Regrettably, the interface is strangely unintuitive (due in part, perhaps, to the lack of any sort of "enter" button), and the menus have an unpolished feel to them.
Sound quality is decent, but Gateway doesn't throw in any extras like an FM receiver or a voice recorder. Moving files (music or photos) onto the unit is a straightforward affair, but even charging the unit is a pain; you must connect the AC adapter cable to the USB cable before you can plug the entire contraption in.
A mini hard-drive MP3 player with a color screen and a removable battery sounds pretty promising on paper. Unfortunately, the reality of the Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox is far less compelling.
Tempting feature list proves less appealing with the unit in hand.
Price when reviewed: $250
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