Iriver Spinn

High-tech display can't compensate for usability issues



WITH A BRIGHT, 3.3-INCH OLED (active-matrix) touch screen and ample amounts of elegant aluminum, there's no denying the Iriver Spinn's sleek design. But simple sexiness aside, this media player has enough problems with its screen and software to make it hard to recommend, especially given its high price. (We tested the $249.99 4GB version.)

The Spinn supports a wide variety of audio, video, and photo files, from often-used MP3 and MPEG-4 to niche formats like FLAG and Xvid. Sound quality is excellent, and videos look gorgeous, with deep blacks and bright colors. Also built in is a decent FM radio, and Bluetooth lets you connect the Spinn to a set of wireless Bluetooth headphones or speakers. But digging deeper, it becomes obvious that the player's software has some design and usability issues. Navigation of the stark user interface just doesn't feel as intuitive and smooth as it should be.

Upon closer inspection, we noticed color compression in videos and photos that made certain scenes look washed-out and blocky. it turns out that the Spinn's OLED screen can only display 262,000 colors, which is far less than a typical LCD's 16.7 million.



File capacity is another issue. The onboard 4GB or 8GB capacity won't hold much video, and the player lacks an SD-card expansion slot for beefing up storage space. Finally, the use of a proprietary USB cable means you'll have to take the cable with you on trips to keep the player charged via a USB port.

We love the physical design and file support of the Spinn, but we hope Iriver eliminates most of these problems in the next go-around. —Matt Safford

Computer Shopper March 2009