Watch "Fresh Gear" tonight and find out what makes Macsense's HomePod stand out.

The HomePod looks nothing like a traditional stereo component. With a white plastic 5-inch by 7-inch body that stands upright, an integrated antenna, and a pretty indigo LCD, the $250 device looks more like a galactic communications gizmo than a simple-to-use digital audio client. Seriously, it looks like an overgrown baby monitor.

Looking past its toy-like appearance (I like it, others detest it), the HomePod's strength lies in its easy setup and operation. A legible 2.5-inch LCD, an intelligible set of player buttons, and a selection jog-dial make it one of the most intuitive "virtual" MP3 players to date.

The HomePod doesn't store music locally but streams digital audio via wired LAN (Ethernet port) or wireless LAN (built-in 802.11b) with any number of Macs, PCs, and even Linux boxes. The HomePod has a USB port for accessing a hard drive full of MP3s.

Stereo, meet Wi-Fi network

Unlike with some elderly MP3 aggregation devices (such as the simplefi), you won't need to use unfamiliar or proprietary jukebox applications. The HomePod links to your existing iTunes, Musicmatch, or Winamp library by way of a tiny and nearly invisible server application (using Java-based open-standard GLOO). ITunes and Musicmatch never needs to be opened.

HomePod lists active servers on the network, letting you jump in and select tunes by song, album, artist, genre, and playlist in a very iPod-like interface. I hardly ran into any hiccups while selecting and playing MP3s.

Internet radio is well represented, and the FM tuner makes for a good feature, too.

Drawbacks

• You can't scan through songs.
• There's no time-elapsed graphic (a future firmware upgrade?).
• Contrary to what the remote control indicates, there's no clock feature. Also, you must press buttons really hard, as many times your selection won't register. This remote has got to be the worst I've used in years.

Macsense claims that a firmware upgrade will make the HomePod compatible with AAC (but not iTunes Music Store AAC files), WMA, and WAV files, but we're not sure when this will be available.

The HomePod also has built-in speakers and a headphone jack. The tinny-sounding speakers won't blow anybody away, and they'll do many recordings injustice. But it's an extra feature, so we can't complain that much.

The right connections

Most consumers will connect the HomePod to a stereo receiver using analog RCA cables. But for righteous, full-spectrum sound, use a digital coax or optical cable.

Given the HomePod's portable look, you'd think you could carry it around and enjoy music within your Wi-Fi bubble. But in fact you'll have to keep the HomePod near a power outlet.

Summary: For those who don't want to hook their iPod up to the ol' stereo, the HomePod makes a good wired or wireless streaming device for MP3s stored on your computer(s).

I had an overall positive HomePod experience. Although some people hate its looks and others want full integration with iTunes' AAC files and Musicmatch's WMA files, I found the HomePod effective at getting all those gigabytes of music out into the limelight.

Look out for the HomePod's direct competitor soon -- Slim Device's similarly priced Squeezbox.

Pros: Built-in speakers; easy setup; nice integration with jukeboxes such as iTunes, Musicmatch; digital output

Cons: Terrible remote control; no compatibility with AAC or WMA out of the box (with no cure in sight)

Company: Macsense
Price: $249
Available: Now
Platform: Mac OS 9/X; Windows 98/Me/2000/XP; Linux; BDS; Solaris