Reviewed: Philips GoGear HDD6330 Jukebox

The GoGear HDD6330 isn't the first device to attempt to challenge the iPod's dominance, and it won't be the last. But it's a fairly impressive little machine, and those more interested in style than usability will be drawn to it.

The first thing you notice about the Philips GoGear Jukebox is the buttons. You see, there aren't any. The entire front of the Jukebox is completely flat: Below the screen is a panel of plastic that hides touch-sensitive controls. Just punch the area where the blue lights can be seen shining through the surface and you can play, rewind, forward, pause, and whatnot.

The sound on the 30GB device is good. Really good. I like the earphones on the HDD6330 a bit better than those on the iPod. These rest a little further in the ear canal, and the rubber tips are more comfortable than the hard plastic on typical earbuds. There's also an FM tuner, voice recorder, and photo viewer, all of which work quite well.

My biggest problem is the same thing that makes it cool: The touch-sensitive controls are very hard to use. Buttons are impossible to hit perfectly without practice; punching with your thumb often doesn't register at all. And you can forget about using the thing if it's in your pocket. Without tactile feedback you can't do much except change the volume via the buttons on the side of the device.

A final complaint: The display is tragically small, much smaller than the new iPods', though it is crisp and bright. A bigger screen would go a long way toward making this a good second choice to the iPod. But at about $250, you'll save about $50 over Apple's 30GB version, and you can put the money toward new eyeglasses.