ZapMedia Finally Releases ZapStation

veader writes: "ZapMedia seems to have finally released the ZapStation. There is no press release yet but they are taking orders on their website. It looks to offer much more functionality than the recently released HP de100c. CD, DVD, MP3, MPG, WMA, WMV, etc." I have a model for review coming my way so I'll give a detailed report when I have time to plug it in and give it a beating. Like the HP box, it is quite expensive, but it has many more features. The real question is, at the price point for these boxes, can they compete with X-Box or PS2+Hard Drive devices that will be hitting the market and doing many of the same things, but far less expensively?

Comments

Not with a 10 A.U. pole would I touch that

[deadsquid]

When they first announced these things way back when, I signed up as a pre-order client because they sounded cool and the pricepoint was right. They asked for $599 for when they would ship the pre-release for testing (RSN!), and the retail version would be $899. They promised regular updates on where they were with the product (none ever came), and status queries were met with press releases. Harmon Kardon came into the mix at one point (I notice the pictures have the logo removed now - hmmm...) and further delayed development for re-branding and packaging. Several months ago they said they were releasing the beta units as promised, you just had to reply that you were in. I replied, multiple times, and no one ever got back to me. Yesterday I got an email saying "we're shipping! (oh, but for $900.00 more than we promised you'd get it for)". Late to market, no responses ever to queries other than one form letter, at least 5 "official" scheduling delays (they final figured out using months and yers was bad, and switched to "sometime RSN" about a years ago. Ba ha ha, I'll pass, as I think it is doomed. At the $899.00 it seemed cool. It's kinda interesting though - Compaq's unit went up $100 from release, and the ReQuest is only available in a $2500 flavour. I look at the other audio servers that are out there, and the pickings are really slim. Anyone have a used RQ1-30 for sale?