IMHO, at that price, it is well worth it (assuming you're even a tiny bit interested).
Note - It has a fan that is not silent, so keep that in mind. Use headphones, or turn it up a notch. Not for quiet listening in a quiet room.
I more-or-less look upon Internet Radio from the perspective of being an old-fart Shortwave Listener (SWL). Put in that perspective, Internet Radio is pretty neat. Browse to the list of regions, Africa, Mali, and wait for the connection delay - and bang, you're listening to some station in Mali.
This Centrios radio uses ShoutCast and some other OEM indexing service (which is pretty good for SWL type listening). ShoutCast stations can be recorded onto a USB stick. It'll rip CD to MP3 and use Gracenotes to add the album data. It also has a slot for various memory sticks.
This particular model has the characteristic that if you wish to browse to find another station, the previous station is cut-off while you're browsing for the next. The Sanyo R227 is better in that regard since it allows you to listen while browsing for the next target.
One reason that Internet Radio isn't quite ready for prime time is that the user experience is pretty darn slow. It's not the speed of the Internet Connection, it is the yawn-inducing response time of the radios. This model takes a good 30-45 seconds just to turn on and connect to your WiFi. Changing stations takes a good 15 seconds (depending on how you do it). Other Internet Radio, such as the Sanyo R227, are about the same sort of speed. Perhaps Internet Radios will be like Digital Cameras. Eventually the designers will figure out that Power Up time and operator response time are critical factors.
But if you have ever enjoyed SWL, get yourself an Internet Radio. The overall experience is quite similar (the hunt, and the capture) and better in many ways (more stations, easier listening, better sound quality).
