Test Driving the Nifty Go-Anywhere MyFi Satellite Radio

When I signed up for XM satellite radio earlier this year, I was instantly hooked--between music, news, and oddball content such as comedy and old-time radio, the $10/month service offers so much stuff that I've never been at a loss for something to listen to. When it comes to music, that listening has been commercial-free (with the exception of a steady stream of plugs for XM channels and hardware). And with XM broadcasting Major League Baseball next year, I'll finally be able to listen to the Red Sox while cruising around Northern California.

But until now, XM's been something I experienced only while driving. That's because the little Roady receiver I have can only be rigged up to work with a home stereo with extra cost and complication. And since it doesn't have battery power or a built-in antenna, it's more transportable than portable, even if I were to remove it from my car.

Over the past few days, however, I've been trying out Delphi's new MyFi satellite radio. This little gadget is everything the Roady is and a lot more. As a matter of fact, it's the first truly Walkman-like satellite radio, since you can use it in the car, at home, or anywhere in between. (There have been satellite boomboxes, true, but the MyFi, though a tad chunky, can fit in a shirt pocket.) And though satellite signals still don't go some places--such as into subway systems or deep in the bowels of office buildings--the MyFi's five hours' worth of recording capacity let you listen to XM programming even when the dreaded NO SIGNAL message appears.

The MyFi promises a lot--besides the above, it has a built-in FM transmitter so you broadcast its content via any radio, it can display stock quotes and sports scores on its big screen, and its TuneSelect feature alerts you when a favorite song or artist is on any channel. Unlike most satellite radios, it also comes with an array of power, antenna, and mounting accessories for use on the road and at home.

Mostly, I'm finding that it delivers. Unlike my Roady, the MyFi's a radio I don't hesitate to grab out of the car and take with me, and I'm finding that its built-in antenna is usually good enough to pull in a signal, whether I'm in the car, out and about, or sitting at home or work. (For those times when it needs help, it comes with a car antenna, another for home use, and a little one you can clip to your clothing.) At five hours, the battery life's not great, but it's adequate--and if you keep it plugged into your car's cigarette lighter, you'll generally have enough juice for when you're out and about.

Once you've filled up some or all of the unit's storage with recorded content, the programming shows up as an MP3-like playlist which you can jump around with full random-access capability. Very slick. But the user interface you use to do the recording is a disappointment: You can only schedule two recording sessions at a time, and you must specify the channel by number rather than by name. For those reasons, it feels like you're programming an aging, unintuitive VCR. What you want, of course, is something that feels like programming a TiVo.

That's one of the few downsides of a mostly well-designed product--the MyFi's grippable shape, clearly-marked buttons and side-mounted thumbwheel, and oversized display make it far easier to use than the Roady. As for audio quality, I found it a bit tinny with the bundled ear buds, but it improved a lot when I replaced them with my own set of $99 Shures. (Audiophiles, however, may still sniff at the sound fidelity--if possible, give the MyFi a listen before you buy it.)

Then there's the price--$350. That's close to three times the cost of the Roady2 (the improved successor to the model I have) and other low-end models. But the MyFi is much more functional, and it actually comes with a full complement of accessories rather than nickel-and-diming you. And with its true portability and recording capability, you're going to listen to it much more, at least if you're enough of a satellite aficionado to consider spending investing $350 in a receiver. Which I am--and the time I've spent with the MyFi has only left me more tempted to ditch the Roady. (I'll let you know if I do.)

At that price, though, it's a significant digital-audio purchase, one that's in the same price range as a hard-disk MP3 player. Only a few gadget nuts (like, er, me) would consider buying both an IPod-type audio player and a $350 satellite radio. So for most folks, it's going to be one or the other.

Which is why I'll betcha there will be a MyFi2 at some point--maybe soon--that will do both satellite and MP3s (probably via flash storage rather than a hard drive, since the unit's already fairly zaftig, and a drive would make it pricier still). I don't have any insider info here, but it's just too logical not to happen.

In the meantime, the current MyFi isn't perfect, but it's still one of the most entertaining, inventive gadgets I've used in 2004.