Iriver B30 caught on video, in a closet
The Iriver B30.
Iriver may not have the same brand recognition as iPod or Zune, but the Korea-based company has consistently cranked out portable media players with slick modern designs and impressive graphic interfaces.
The U.S. has been treated to a handful of Iriver products, including the Clix, Spinn, and P7, but some of the company's creations never make it to our shores. The Iriver B30 is one such product--a portable media player with a 2.8-inch screen, micro SD memory expansion, accelerometer control, and a suite of features that includes music, video, photo, games, and a text reader. Unfortunately, the B30 also sports a DMB television tuner, which is next to useless in the U.S., and makes the product impractical for export.
Still, thanks to this video of someone expertly maneuvering the Iriver B30 in pitch-black darkness, we can at least appreciate the finer nuances of the product's GUI. It looks pretty slick, bearing a resemblance to the magazine-style aesthetic we found on the Iriver P7.
iPod competitors take note--it is possible to make a refined, stylish GUI without cloning Apple or rehashing outdated motifs. Kudos to Iriver.
Donald Bell is CNET Reviews' senior editor for MP3 players and portable audio, and one half of the MP3 Insider blog and weekly podcast. He also likes getting his hands dirty with digital audio tools for musicians and DJs. 
- by TonyOrwin June 8, 2009 12:10 AM PDT
- iRiver continue to produce the goods withgreat PMPs like this. The T-DMB facility is a great boon as the Mobile TV protovolis slowly being taken up across the globe.
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(3 Comments)The USA's steadfast refusal to move with the time and adapt a Digital Radio system that will enable facilities such as this (and MANY more) to be made available to the 200 million plus consumers in the US is a constant bewilderment to us all inthe Eureka 147 (DAB) world.
Still - the rest of us (non US) thank iRiver for their continued great work!