After the iPod Video release, we knew the market would be flooded with copycats – devices that would try hard to compete with Apple’s new object of desire. The problem with X-Micro’s MusePod is that the trying is not that hard at all. The company has released a good enough 20 GB MP3 player/recorder/FM radio that is also a mediocre digital video player. The basic features are executed as expected but the main one doesn’t deliver.

The MusePod was made to resemble the famous cousin in its form: a black cigarette-box shaped gadget, although the screen is slightly smaller and it lacks the easy-to-use patented clickwheel. But the main difference concerns video viewing: Apple’s iPod lets you see whole video files, like a legal download of a Lost episode for instance, while X-Micro’s MusePod only works with smaller files, like music videos. What a bummer!

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Figure 1: The X-Micro MusePod.

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Figure 2: X-Micro MusePod Size Comparison.