Hitting the OK button during playback will get you to your music list. By the way, the player has both UMS (so it will work with Mac) and MTP modes, and files can be viewed both in folder-tree Explorer style or broken down by ID3 tags (browse by album, for example). Cowon users would benefit if the context menu button included more shortcuts to say, the equalizer. Instead, you can customize the menu and record button (when held down) to activate EQ, shuffle, bookmark, and other functions.
The F2 supports JPG photo playback--the bigger the file, the longer it will take to load. You get thumbnail and list views, and any photo can be used as wallpaper. In addition to zooming and pivoting photos, you can listen to music while viewing pics. Viewing video (I watched War of the Worlds) is difficult, especially in the age of high-def, but having multimedia features is just a bonus in a player this small.
Battery life for the built-in lithium-ion is rated for a solid 22 hours for audio. CNET Labs squeezed 22 hours of audio and 8.2 hours of video out of the F2. The unit is bundled with OK earbuds, a USB cable, a mini-to-mini cable, a USB gender adapter, and a software CD.
For such a technically advanced portable (with more settings options than you can shake a stick at), the F2 (as well as its Cowon flash brethren) needs more than just 2GB. An 8GB version with the right price would make this an excellent player for some. Cowon did mention that it would consider introducing 4GB and 8GB models. But ultimately what keeps this little player from a higher rating is its physically difficult interface.
What You'll Pay
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