Oracom ORC-200M

Combined USB storage devices and MP3 players are becoming common, and the Oracom ORC-200M is a prime example.

The device has 256Mb of memory, which is enough to store around four hours of good-quality digital audio files. Used with Windows Me or above, the ORC-200M doesn't need any additional drivers, which means once connected it will be recognised as a generic disk drive, allowing files to be dragged and dropped onto it. It supports both WMA and MP3 files and one AAA battery will provide about seven hours of playback. A microphone is included, allowing it to be used as a digital voice recorder.

Sound quality is very good. There is a customisable 10-band equaliser, which is a huge improvement on the limited array of presets typical of such products. There's also a loop feature, allowing small sections of audio to be repeated.

Tracks are displayed on a backlit screen and the player supports ID3 tags to identify artist and track details. Logo-editing software allows your own picture or message to be displayed on the start-up screen. This is also one of the cheapest 256Mb players we've seen.

Contact: MP3-Plus 01225 762137
www.mp3-plus.net