For its debut DAB radio, Philips has taken a laid-back approach - literally. The sleek black body with chrome surround handle reclines to present its wares, but as we'll find out, there's not too much to get excited about.

The byword of all Philips products is simplicity, and that Nirvana of consumer electronics is achieved here, with the AJ5100 turning out to be very easy to use. One way this is achieved is by displaying all command buttons together, each one with a single function. The main reason that the AJ5100 is a cinch to operate is because it doesn't even try to do anything remotely exciting.

This is demonstrated by its limited connectivity. Hidden away on its shoulder is a telescopic aerial to boost DAB and FM reception, with just a headphone socket and the power jack for company. So there's no way of getting digital or analogue sound from the AJ5100 into an amplifier and, worse still, no inputs of any kind. That rules out using the AJ5100 as an iPod or portable CD player speaker, or even as a simple PC speaker if used on a desktop.

At least there's a battery compartment for easy portability. If its meagre connectivity is as rare as it is irritating, at least Philips has met its limited brief by designing the AJ5100 in such a way that any fear of the new digital age of radio is immediately overcome. Auto tuning without any delay, the unit offers a very simple toggle between DAB and FM alongside an info button to choose between signal strength, the time and date, and displaying scrolling text.

A menu command gives access to manual tuning, DRC (which alters sound levels according to what's being broadcast) and the name of the software being used. Choosing between options is simple: left and right scroll buttons are used to run through DAB stations available, while up and down arrows control the volume.