iRiver U10 1GB review

The iPod's scroll wheel interface is easy to use and looks great, but troublesome patent laws mean that no-one else can copy it.

This leaves other manufacturers with the headache of finding something that works as well. IRiver has endowed some of its MP3 players with cryptic controls, so the neat-looking U10 is a revelation.

At first glance, it looks as though iRiver may have overlooked controls altogether. The player has a power switch, volume buttons and a sliding key lock, but nothing else. However, turning on the U10 reveals a 320x240 pixel 5.6cm colour screen, which can be rocked in four directions to control most functions. This is so easy to use, it's surprising nobody thought of it before. Each menu page has a list of options with icons at each side of the screen to indicate what a rock in that direction will accomplish. The player can sometimes be a little slow to respond - and it's easy to get greasy fingerprints on the screen - but it is still one of the easiest we've used.

Even without the funky controls, this is a quality MP3 player. Photos look great on its screen, which can also display MPEG4 movies. It comes with some Flash games and has an FM radio with very good reception. Music sounded great through the supplied Sennheiser earphones. The U10's battery lasted an impressive 20 hours in our test.

Like the Creative Zen MicroPhoto reviewed opposite, the U10 identifies itself to Windows as a portable media player. You can copy audio or AVI files to it using Windows Explorer. It supports protected WMA files from a purchase or subscription service.

We reviewed the U10 with its dock, which costs another £37 and has its own tiny speakers and a remote control. Slotted into this, the player looks like a cute miniature television. It can also be used as an alarm clock but, frustratingly, the radio is disabled.

The U10 has only 1GB of flash memory, which is a disappointment at this price; the 2GB model costs another £34. Although it's bigger than the iPod nano, the U10 can't match it for storage. This is a shame because it is a better MP3 player. It combines better sound and a bigger screen with a longer battery life, and it's just as easy to use.