iRiver Spinn Media Player Has a Great 70s Retro Flair, Feels Oh-So-Good

I love the new analogue controller in the iRiver Spinn as much as I love its simple brushed aluminium design, the old radio-inspired user interface, and the whole packaging. While I’m still partial to direct touch interfaces–which the Spinn has as well, although it’s not multitouch–the Spinn rolling thingie feels great, giving it a heavenly 70s analogue feeling.

The Good: Very good quality. The interface is simple, straightforward, and so is the device itself. They really nailed this one. As they told me, they are looking into the past to get some inspiration for their products, bypassing the whole let’s-copy-Apple theme that dominates the MP3 industry. Good move, because they nailed it with this one.

The Bad: The AMOLED screen didn’t seem to me like the best thing ever.

Bottom line: Great digital audio and movie player. While I couldn’t try the synching with the computer–which it’s crucial to get a good overall experience with this type of devices–it feels like a winner.

According to iRiver, it will arrive to the US in September, but they couldn’t tell me the price. In the European market, it will arrive in October for 220 euros. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]