New MP3 Portables

An anonymous reader writes "This has been a busy week for the announcement of the latest crop of MP3 portables, probably just the start of many more with the holiday season only a few months away. First Samsung has announced their first jukebox model the Yepp YP-900, a 10GB unit using Toshiba's 1.8-inch drive for storage (same one as in the iPod) and eschewing FireWire (400 mbps) for a USB 2.0 (480 mbps) connection to transfer files. Mambo has also announced a jukebox player called the Digital Media-X PhotoBank Jukebox that is more akin to the Archos Jukebox Multimedia in that it can store and display photo files and possibly video files in the future. The Mambo holds 20GB of memory on a more common 2.5-inch hard drive, making it a heavier unit than the YP-900. Like the Yepp, the Mambo also goes with a USB 2.0 connection, heating up the competition between FireWire in digital music portables. The most interesting feature about the Yepp? It also has a MMC/SD card slot to facilitate trading tunes to and from other digital music players. (Take that SDMI). Finally SonicBlue has started shipping replacements for the Rio 600 and the Nike PSA[play 120 (made by Rio for gym workouts). Both the Rio S30S for the exercise-minded and the Rio S10 come with 64MB of memory and are upgradeable to 192MB through MMC flash cards. The S30S comes with an FM radio, while the base-optioned S10 is claiming 35 hours of running time on a single AA battery. Both players transfer files via USB 1.1's 12mbps port."

Comments

If it played OGG

[Anonymous Coward]

then it wouldn't be an "mp3" portable. So don't ask.

Water-proof player

[Karpe]

What I wanted was a MP3 player that could be used under water. Those FM radios made for swimming have terrible tuning, specially when you dive a few inches (flip turn, for instance), and usually seek for another station when that happens. I understand the problems of doing a casette player for under water use (size, movable parts, water proof issues of openable containers), but a MP3 player seems perfect. That would be a sports friendly player.

Re:Water-proof player

[jeffehobbs]

But Aquaman, you cannot marry a woman without gills, you're from two different worlds!

~jeff

I have an ipod

[asv108]

I am not a big Mac fan and I hate how when you post anything negative about any apple product on /., you are instantly modded down, but I am an I-pod owner. I don't even have a mac, but originally I got it working on windows with Xplay and now I can access my ipod through Linux with Xpod. I'm a firm believer in the superiority of the ipod, the design, the interface, and especially the service. Last week after owning my ipod for 9 months, it finally died. I figured I would call apple and see what I could do. Instead of having to go through any hassle, Apple was really smooth.

• Apple overnights me a box
• I stick ipod in box
• I call to have the shipping company pick up box
• Apple sends me a brand new ipod, arrives 2 days later

That's what I call service, most of the other players I've seen have a very limited warranty and the companies are almost guaranteed to object to a replacement. Apple was amazing and they should be, with the recent release of the ipod for windows, they are bound to get a few converts if they keep that level of service.

Re:What's with the attitude?

[maggard]

I don't own either, and am not likely likely to.

However you really should look up the current specs. The latest model iPods do offer more then the Yepp, FireWire and USB 2.0 are about tied for market penetraton (their speeds are essentially identical right now though FireWire is going faster RSN), and most agree that the iPod interface & software integration are the best on the market.

While everyone is welcome to choose whatever fits their needs best the iPod is a remarkably good value bang-for-the-buck, particularly in the latest revisions. Comparing iPod Rev. A specs with the latest Yepp isn't particularly valid unless price is also listed (iPods have gotten cheaper quite quickly.)

Re:What's with the attitude?

[troc]

Firewire is 400mbps SUSTAINED between devices without needing a host controller. USB 2.0 is 480 mbps *MAXIMUM* throughput. Bearing in mind that everything a usb device does goes through the controller, you actually get a maximum of 240 in each direction, assuming there's nothing else on the usb chain. If there is then you'll get even less.

I am sure that in a lab you can get usb 2.0 to go faster than firewire but in reality there is no way it will.

I have both and I have usb 2.0 and firewire external drives and the firewire one smokes the usb one (they are both 7200 rpm ibm drives) even when the drive is the only thing on the usb chain.....

if I add a mouse it gets comical.

Troc