Compaq Brings Back iPaq Music Center, Drops Price

scaramush writes: "After initially pulling it from the market, Compaq has re-released the iPaq Music Center, complete with a $600 price drop (was $999, now $399). The size of a 17" standard component, the music center features a 20 gig HD, or as the copy breathlessly enthuses, "Enough capacity for nearly 400 audio CDs or 5,000 individual songs". Slashdot has covered similar devices like the Rio Central, which (at the moment) costs $1500. Will this price point be enough to lure users?" The site doesn't mention whether there will be any onerous playback-restriction technology included as a free bonus.

Comments

Networking not yet available-

[purduephotog]

if you read the article, down at the ^2, theres a statement that 'Home network file transfers, analog recording of LPs, cassettes, etc., and S-Link changer control will be available via a free, automatic upgrade available in the near future.'
Translation: If it works, you'll get it, and we'll update your software without telling you :)

What about SliMP3?

[danro]

Why not use the much cooler (geekier) SliMP3?

And get cool stuff and an even cooler open source project to participate in / benefit from.

And, no, I am not affiliated with Slim Devices in any way.
I just think it's neat.
Guess I just can't resist the bright, bright VFD...

Re:What about SliMP3?

[hrieke]

Yes, it is neat, but:

1 - needs to be plugged into a network

2 - needs a PC on to stream the music from

3 - needs a stero reciever in the room to drive the music.

Not saying the SliMP3 doesn't have a place, but for me, I'd perfer to have my music collection in a single unit that I can carry with me.

Now on the downside it appears as if (and this is looking at the flash demo) that they can track information about your music listening habits - and I see an ad on the top of a screen shot (buy 1 get 1 half off - on the Create Playlist screen shot).

I also wonder if I can select which CDDB I get my data from?

I told them it was too expensive in a focus group

[Anonymous Coward]

I was in a focus group a couple of years ago for this thing. They asked us how much we would spend on it, and I said $300-400, so they kicked me off the focus group. Most people said $500-1000.

My reasoning was that I could put together a cheap linux box for $300-400 (at the time I had done two like this) for playing mp3s on a stereo. $400 is much more reasonable than $1000 for this thing, but the difference in a $400 computer two years ago, and today is pretty significant. Though the form factor and (hopefully good) user interface may make this worth more.

Finally, I hadn't heard this was pulled from the market, but kicking people off the focus group when they say things that you don't want to hear is a good way of getting a false sense of the product. "Let's get rid of everybody who would pay less than $700, then we can tell the suites the price point is $1000."

Multiple rooms

[kriegsman]

Here's what they've gotten right: average folks are starting to embrace the put-all-my-CDs-on-a-hard-drive and listen-to-them-from-there model. And $399 is a much better price -- not just cheaper, but better: it's more in line with what other stereo components cost.

But for me, there is one big thing missing from this setup: if you want music in the living room, and in the study, and in the bedroom, you have to buy three of these things, and rip your CDs three times each. If one of these boxes could feed a Rio Receiver or a SliMPEG over ethernet (wireless perferred, of course), I'd be much more interested. Central storage, distributed independent playback.

-Mark

Re:Mark up

[Celvin]

For this I would take a look at the MP3-Box HOWTO. It describes a setup for a networked mp3 player, with low noise and everything.

Network Players for the Home

[asv108]

I've seen quite a few of these devices with storage built in, but for the home you just can't beat a device that plays off of network drives. The fact is most of the music enthusiasts who would be willing to take the plunge on a home MP3 device already have some type of home network set up. There is no advantage to having media files stored locally on the device, its only redundant.

There are 3 network players that I know of, one which has been highly publicized on /. is the SliMP3. The other device, which has been around for quite some time is the Turtle Beach Audiotron. There is also one made by RIO.

I recently bought a network player after a few weeks of wrangling I decided to go with the Audiotron since I already had samba set up and I wanted and SPDIF connection which the Slimp3 does not offer. Anyway, you can check out my review.

The reason these fail

[90XDoubleSide]

is that most people who are interested in making an MP3 library of all their music already own a computer, and it's hard to compete with the $4.99 price tag on this alternate solution for playing your MP3 collection on your stereo.