Sony Rolly (2GB, white)

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Sony Rolly

At this point, the Sony Rolly has been pretty much done to death around here. Murmurings about the music device started surfacing as early as August of last year, and then it finally visited the U.S. during CES 2008. However, it wasn't until last month that the Rolly actually went on sale in the States, which means we only just got our hands on the thing. I know: you're so over it already, but if you're curious about what the "music egg robot thing" is like in person, read on.

Oh, where to begin. I won't deny that the Sony Rolly is pretty amusing--I couldn't stop giggling the first time I saw it in action in front of me. It's cute. It's fun. It's unique. It's also a glorified MP3 player that'll set you back a startling $399. Clearly, this device is not for everyone. So who is it for? Well, my cat seemed a little bit interested at first, but she ultimately decided the Rolly packaging and the video camera were much more exciting. I love my cat and all, but a $400 toy is just a bit excessive. Really, the Rolly is for the gadget head that has everything and some cash to burn. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have an interest in robot choreography.

At its core, the Rolly is simply an MP3 player with 2GB of internal memory and MP3 and AAC audio playback. It's portable, but this is not a device you're going to be carrying around in your pocket: it weighs more than 11 ounces and features the girth and shape of an oversized plastic Easter egg. The rated battery life of five hours is also substandard for a typical MP3 player. Plus, there's no headphone jack, just two flap-covered speakers built into each end of the egg.