2. Closer Look

Hopefully Taco Bell sauce packets will not become a standard unit of measurement, but in this case they are a convenient reference point, as the iAUDIO5 player is almost the same size. It is about three-quarters of an inch thick and very light (1 ounce, or about 28 grams without battery). The chassis is made of plastic.

The screen is easy to read with four lines of graphics on the left side and a 128x64 pixel text area on the right.

The usual MP3 player controls are on the right side. The rocker switch turns the player on and off. A mode button switches between playing, FM radio, voice recording or line-recording.

The left side has a rocker switch that helps you change menu options.

The top of the player has a headphone jack and a Line-In jack. The Line-In jack can accept powered microphones, which can give recorded conversations extra clarity over the built-in microphone.

A small rubber "foot" protrudes out of the back. This prevents the player from sliding around on a desk.

The bottom of the player has the battery door and USB2 connection; the iAUDIO5 accepts one AAA battery. Note that when you first open the cover, it doesn't bend back far enough to insert a battery; you must first pull the cover towards you, then bend it back. We can see the possibility of the battery slot cover being broken by anyone in a hurry.