TerraTec's latest portable music player is another offering in an already crowded market. Unlike solid state MP3 players that use either built-in memory or removable memory cards to store music, the M3PO is a portable CD player that can also play MP3 files.

So, as well as being able to listen to regular CDs from your existing music collection, you can copy MP3 files to a disc using a CD-RW drive and enjoy up 20 hours of almost CD-quality music in one go.

Using your PC, a CD-RW drive and the supplied MusicMatch Jukebox software, you can create your own CDs full of MP3s, which can then be played back using the M3PO. The display on the front of the unit shows all of the usual information you would expect, including battery life, mode of play and track listings.

Since you can have literally hundreds of MP3 files of one CD, the TerraTec also employs ID3 tag technology. Basically, this stores extra information in an MP3 file for such things as the artist and track name, which can then be displayed when the track is played.

The M3PO handles MP3 playback well. Each track is copied into its built-in memory before being played, which means playback is not affected by shaking the player around. It also preserves battery life, since the disc is only spun when the next track needs to be read and not during playback.

Unfortunately, regular audio CD playback is not so successful. Sound quality is good but, if you walk around vigorously with the player, the tracks will skip even with the Electronic Shock Protection that's supposed to prevent this happening.

Other features include a handy bookmark facility for instant access to your favourite tracks and a foldable headset which can be tucked into your pocket when not in use. At £200, this isn't the cheapest MP3 CD player around but it certainly isn't the worst.

Contact: TerraTec
00 49 2157 8179 18
www.terratec.net