Memorex TouchMP (8GB)
Starting at: $58.95
CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Donald Bell
- Released on:
- Reviewed on:
- Updated on:
The good: The Memorex TouchMP is an affordable touch-screen media player that supports music, video, photos, radio, and audiobook playback, and also includes a voice recorder and a decent pair of in-ear headphones.
The bad: The TouchMP's construction feels as cheap as its price, and the interface isn't much to look at.
The bottom line: The Memorex TouchMP is the first MP3 player we've seen that combines touch-screen technology, useful features, and an attractive design, for less than $100.
The Memorex brand has a long history with portable music players, dating all the way back to the 8-track era. Despite its pedigree, the company's track record as a manufacturer of MP3 players hasn't met with much success. In fact, the last Memorex MP3 player we reviewed (the MMP8640) holds the dishonorable distinction of being one of the lowest-rated audio players on CNET.
Memorex's latest MP3 player, the TouchMP, may just put the company back in the portable game. Priced at $99 (8GB), the TouchMP offers a decent assortment of features and one ... Expand full review
The Memorex brand has a long history with portable music players, dating all the way back to the 8-track era. Despite its pedigree, the company's track record as a manufacturer of MP3 players hasn't met with much success. In fact, the last Memorex MP3 player we reviewed (the MMP8640) holds the dishonorable distinction of being one of the lowest-rated audio players on CNET.
Memorex's latest MP3 player, the TouchMP, may just put the company back in the portable game. Priced at $99 (8GB), the TouchMP offers a decent assortment of features and one killer hook: a touch-screen interface.
Design
The Memorex TouchMP looks like a modern version of a Palm Pilot PDA, combining a 2.8-inch touch-screen display with a row of basic navigation buttons near the bottom. Measuring 4 inches long, 2.25 inches wide, and just under a half-inch thick, the TouchMP feels right at home in your hand or pocket. A slim volume rocker switch graces the left edge of the player, while the right edge bears the power switch and home button. While holding the player with one hand, we found it was difficult not to accidentally squeeze the menu button while adjusting volume--but a two-hand grip solves the problem.
For a touch-screen MP3 player (or anything with a touch screen, really), interface design is crucial. The TouchMP isn't going to be mistaken for an iPhone anytime soon, but Memorex does a surprisingly good job keeping the onscreen interface simple, legible, and intuitive. Scrolling through long song lists using onscreen controls is somewhat tedious but is helped by the three illuminated buttons below the screen. These buttons work both for song playback control (rewind, play, skip) and navigation control (back, enter, forward).
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Donald Bell is CNET's senior editor for tablets and portable media players. He's also a musician, a hardware hacker, and a collector of vintage audio gadgetry. He appears every week on CNET's Crave video podcast. His band, Aloha Screwdriver, plays regularly around the Bay Area.
User Reviews
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Most recent user reviews
Showing 3 of 3 reviews
"So far, so good." By 8Lexi8
Pros: ~Everything I need from an mp3 player with nothing extra.
~Good memory.
~I was exceedingly pleased that I was able to get the songs from my itunes account on to the windows media player and converted so they could play on the player.
~The earphones t
Cons: The major flaw I came across IMMEDIATELY was after I was done syncing my music onto it, it froze. I wasn't able to find anything small enough to push the reset button at first, but then I ended up using the post from one of my earrings. A small paper cl
Summary: I've only had this mp3 player for a few hours, but playing around with it, I came across some immediately good things and a pretty major problem. However, I still think it is a good product. Good sound quality from the earphones and easy to figure out without instructions. ... Expand full review
"Good cheap player" By Tra-c
Pros: Intuitive touchscreen
Cons: fragile construction
Summary: Bought it for 13yr old who broke the screen on one & the power switch on another, but they still keep on ticking.
Where to Buy
Specifications
See full specsQuick Specs
- Device type: Digital AV player
- Display Type: LCD 2.8 in - Color
- Supported audio formats: WMA MP3