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Photos: Sony NWZ-B100F

The NWZ-B100F is one of Sony's first budget MP3 players to cast off the frustrating ATRAC file format restrictions. It also happens to be a great, utilitarian MP3 player for taking to the gym or out on a morning jog.

Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
Donald Bell
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1 of 8 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
From a distance, the Sony NWZ-B100F looks identical to a cigarette lighter. Although it won't start any fires, the NWZ-B100F offers a great music player, FM tuner, and voice recorder, at an affordable price.
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2 of 8 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
One of the most frustrating aspects of traveling with an MP3 player is bringing along that tangled mess of a USB cable. The B100F makes life a little simpler by including a USB plug in its design. The textured hold switch and lanyard loophole can be seen on the left side of the photo.
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3 of 8 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
Fitness fanatics will appreciate how good the NWZ-B100F fits in the hand. While the screen is small, all of the controls are easy to differentiate purely by feel.
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4 of 8 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
The NWZ-B100F doesn't try and do everything, but it does a few things really well. With a player this small, a voice recorder, music player, FM tuner, and settings control is all you're likely to want.
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5 of 8 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
The top edge of the NWZ-B100F is dappled with buttons for recording, volume, and power. Each button has a distinct texture, making it intuitive to control without needing to glance at the player.
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6 of 8 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
A solid 3.5mm headphone jack is located on the opposite end of the USB plug. A small hole adjacent to the jack conceals the microphone used for voice recording. The textured hold switch can be seen here on the left side.
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7 of 8 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
The silver band that divides the NWZ-B100F's USB cap from the rest of the player also serves as a rocker switch for skipping back and forth between tracks, or scrolling through file lists.
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8 of 8 CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze
By default, the NWZ-B100F sounds out a soft chime through the headphones when the Music Library icon is selected in the main menu. This auditory cue lends itself to the NWZ-B100F's overall goal of allowing users to easily operate the MP3 player without looking at the screen.

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