It is circular with a 7cm diameter and a maximum of 3cm thick. For those into vigorous exercise there is not only a key lock but also a shock lock option. This is a hard disc unit and the model I looked at PSA610 has a 3GB unit. There is also a 6GB option PSA615.

3GB is stated to hold up to 1500WMA 4 minute tracks so I assume 750MP3 4 minute tracks would also fit assuming you use the more or less standard 128mbps compression.

File transfer from the PC was rapid (USB2) and the sound quality was perfectly acceptable. I tested this using both my own earbuds and the sports earbuds provided with the unit. The stated battery life between recharge is 12 hours and I got very close to that figure in both continuous and multi use tests.

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There is one problem that will affect a very large number of PC users it will only work with Windows Media Player 10 (supplied) as the download agent. Windows Media Player 10 only works with Windows XP. Reading the documentation says Windows Media Player 9 will work with Windows 2000 machines but I do not have a 2000 machine so I cannot confirm this. I can state that Windows ME will not work and although a new device is noted when attached no driver is found and therefore it is not shown as a device in My Computer and files cannot be dragged and dropped to the unit.

Once Windows Media Player is loaded if the PSA610 is attached then if offers to find music, there are two choices to either search the hard disc, or for you to browse and select a folder for it to take music from. On my first load I selected the first option but be aware this will take all the variety of Windows sounds and alerts as well as tracks by default. After this I was careful to select the folder I wanted and then only loaded the tracks I wanted transferred into that folder.

The unit is quite unusual, mine was chrome with the back a rubberised two tone blue. There are five buttons and earbud input around the edge and a read of the getting stated sheet should explain most of the functions. There is a full manual in PDF on the CD for those unusual settings. Once started as a music player you normally only wish to increase/decrease the volume or move forward/backwards a track or so these actions are carried out by a large four position rocker button that is the LED display on the front of the unit. The centre of this is a 3x2cm LED display. Reading it without backlight requires a lot of moving to get light in the right place. You can change the amount of time the backlight stays on for but that would of course affect battery life. I found the display was not brilliant with scrolling text as it tended to break up and movement across the screen was somewhat jerky.

You will have noticed I have not mentioned either USB or power sockets both of these are in the rear of the unit and only accessible once you have twisted off the rubberised back of the unit. It can be trickle charged by connecting the mini USB lead to a PC but far faster charging can be done using the adapter supplied.

Not being a very sporty person I am a little unsure about the stopwatch facility and this can even talk the elapsed time to you over whatever you are listening to. Is that solely a gadget? Well there is a Velcro strap supplied so you can fit the unit as an arm band should you require, should you pick the arm above the elbow movement would be less. I tended to walk - not run - and it was quite happy in a pocket of my jacket.

Doing my Internet search found it at £102.98 link below, there were a couple of listings from business sellers on eBay at around £80.

http://www.atlantic2u.net/store/viewproduct.asp?idproduct=6115

http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/catalog/product.jsp?productId=PSA610_05_GB_CONSUMER