But Tivoli Audio knows that good design involves far more than color. The radio is coated with a unique, rubberized texture, and the dials and displays are all sealed so that a sudden rain shower or a little sand won't interfere with performance. We're not suggesting that you surf the waves with your SongBook, or bury it in the walls of your sand castle, but a little of Mother Nature here and there won't bother this baby. Weighing in at three-and-a-half pounds, and with dimensions slightly smaller than that of a hardcover book, the SongBook is designed with portability in mind. The minimalist front-face design - a round, metal mesh covering the (surprisingly robust) 2. 5-inch driver, and several rubberized button and knobs are the only elements in view - harkens back to early portable radio designs. Five presets, two tuning buttons, a rotary volume control, a function knob (OFF/AM/FM/AUX), and buttons for the alarm, sleep, time set, and back light functions are all clearly and conveniently laid out. The radio's LCD (with an on-demand blue back light) sits directly above the speaker. Meanwhile, three standard 3. 5-millimeter inputs are set on the radio's side - an auxiliary line-in port for plugging in your iPod or other music device, a port for AC/DC power, and a headphone input. All the ports feature strong, attached rubber plugs that keep out the elements when they're not in use. A rear keyhole cut-out for wall hanging is set into the back, and a single telescopic metal antenna is set into its own groove on top of the radio. Because the SongBook is designed for the elements, the battery compartment is tightly sealed and requires a coin or screwdriver to open. Once opened, you can easily access the two switches (alkaline/rechargeable and 9k/10k) that offer options for the battery source. You can also choose U. S. or international AM reception here. The only design element missing is a handle, but Tivoli offers an optional, color coordinated SongBook Carry Bag to make up for that. Giving it a Listen As with other Tivoli products we've reviewed, the sound of the SongBook is remarkably strong for such a small unit. Granted, you don't get stereo sound, but competing designs that offer stereo speakers in a small package don't offer that much stereo separation anyway. Reception came in loud and clear on all the area AM and FM stations, with both AC and DC power. The only glitch, which we were able to repeat in two separate locations, was occasional outside interference that broke up broadcasts with a brief screech. All in all, though, we were happy with the sound of every genre of music we listened to, as well as talk radio. The auxiliary input was great, too, for listening to MP3s from a portable music source. In addition to good sound quality, we found the presets, time set, alarm, and tuning/search functions impeccable. Everything was so intuitive that we barely needed to consult the manual. Another bonus we liked: The SongBook comes with a handy internal recharger, so you have the option of using rechargeable batteries without the inconvenience of having to carry around a separate recharger. Tivoli clearly decided early on not to reinvent the wheel with respect to portable radios. Instead, they put their energies into making an easy-to-use, rugged, yet playful, radio. Audiophiles, beach-goers, and general radio listeners of the world should unite in praise. Pros Rugged yet playful and colorful design Simple, intuitive functionality Cons It's a radio with the price-tag of a much more advanced device Lack of a handle somewhat limits its portability.