What began as a clumsy tool for executives has evolved into a means of personal expression. What am I talking about? The cellular phone of course. And, among these latest expressions from some great designers, the Motorola line truly stands out. Motorola SLVR.

I handed the Motorola SLVR to my high school video production students for a go at operation. They were impressed with the style of the device.  Passing the supplied USB connection to one of them, I had them try out the iTunes functionality. It was easy and seamless, with one big exception. The SLVR links to one computer only for the music library. If you attach it to another it will replace your library, a big problem. Music is about sharing, and my students are always hooking up to each other’s playlists. The SLVR has only one computer "home port" making music mobility a problem. Another shortcoming is the connection speed. USB 1.1 is old news and on this latest Motorola wonder, designed clearly for media files, it is a disappointment.  File transfers of any size are going to be slow. The few songs we transferred to test were no problem, but don’t plan on major transfers from the memory card for music, photos, or video. Get a latte and sit back to wait if you do.

I tried the playback through the supplied earphones, a good headset, and a stereo.  With the special supplied adapter for the mini USB port, a 1/8 inch standard stereo plug delivers the music. There is no dedicated audio port. I expected better frequency response from the unit. Trying the earphones at first I moved up through the headphones and stereo. The sound was adequate on the stereo, but didn’t have the same quality as my CD player. I understand this is a portable player, but these MP3 players are all about high quality digital music mobility.  The SLVR didn’t meet my expectations for audio quality in this test.

To be fair, at $199 pricing now from Cingular the SLVR is not that expensive if you want style and a mix of features more than advanced capability. Besides the MP3 player you get a basic digital camera with video, all the standard features of POP3 email, IM, and GPRS internet browsing.  The video captures at a slow rate, not in real time, so you have a built in "webcam" look to your clips. Compared to the Nokia N70 it is primitive, but again the SLVR sells for a fraction of the price.