Posted by
CmdrTaco
on from the no-beefs-with-better-battery dept.
X Bass writes "Available Tuesday, Dell's 15 and 20GB DJ adds to the growing field of iPod wannabes. Is it worthy or is it just another player that falls short of the iPod's greatness?"
Well, I searched and searched for an image because they said this:
Nice interface, smooth, curvy, and durable design, sweetly glowing blue lights...
But the best I could come up with is the animation on their USA site
Also, I thought this was an interesting subhead for the article:
An Affordable and Easy Way to Legally Download Your Favorite Songs and Albums emphasis mine.
-- Can I bum a sig?
A summary of what's up
by
Schlemphfer
·
· Score: 5, Informative
1) How does it look?
The form factor is exactly what you'd expect from something with Dell on the nameplate: it's totally nondescript. It's actually made by Creative Labs and rebranded. As far as looks go, it's not an iPod any more than my 1990 Accord is a Porsche 911. In other words, it's not bad looking, but it's not good looking either.
2) What advantages does it have?
It looks like there's one, and only one, big advantage of this over the iPod -- this thing has a 16 hour battery life (The Tech TV people tested it and says you will get 15 hours.) That is a really compelling feature; when I spend an entire day driving, or have a long flight with a nasty layover, I can toast my iPod's battery.
The Dell is also a bit cheaper, but not by a lot. A 20 MB unit goes for $329, while Apple sells its 20 MB iPod for $399 at its store. I'd personally want to see the Dell more like 50% cheaper than the iPod for it to be a compelling alternative.
3) Is it an iPod killer?
In battery life, yes. In price, sort of. In looks, absolutely not. Tech TV gives a slight nod to the iPod, but without saying why.
Dell's entry into the field just means that digital music players are no longer cutting-edge products, and are about to be commodified. Expect to be able to get a good one, though perhaps not an iPod, for under $100 within the next couple years.
-- I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
And what about the iHP-120
by
NtwoO
·
· Score: 3, Informative
As if Iriver didn't make a suitable match to these dogs. The I river comes with Ogg support and a whizz of cool features. They may be a little more expensive, but it tends to be worth every penny.
-- !/* */
Deactivating a PC is permanent?
by
weave
·
· Score: 4, Informative
What is this bit in the fine print?
Deactivating a PC is permanent and cannot be reversed, ever. Should you decide you no longer wish to play Musicmatch Downloads on a PC because (1) You already have three PCs activated and you wish to activate an alternate PC, or (2) You no longer use a particular PC, see ?Deactivate a Musicmatch Downloads account? from within Musicmatch Jukebox Help to learn more. Remember, deactivating the account will permanently prevent that PC from playing or downloading Musicmatch tracks.
I know of quite a few people who deauthorized a Mac before doing a clean install of Panther this past weekend to be safe, then reactivating it when done.
So what do they mean by "permanent?" If someone wants to wipe and reinstall their OS, what happens?
Re:iPod greatness!?
by
jpkunst
·
· Score: 5, Informative
I suspect the iPod becomes a throwaway item after a couple of years when the batteries won't hold a charge any more.
Price? I don't think so...
by
ZipR
·
· Score: 3, Informative
Ipod 20 gig $399
Ipod 40 gig $499
Archos Recorder 20 gig = $309
Recorder 30 = $369
Recorder 40 = $389
Recorder 60 = $439
Recorder 80 = $609
Of course it's not as sexy and only plays mp3s, but I think $100 dollar differences in price are substantial.
(Prices from Apple.com and newmp3technology.com)
Slashdot Mirror
here
:)
I'm probably not the only one more interested in photos than in learning that it has a 3.6h charge time.
Nice interface, smooth, curvy, and durable design, sweetly glowing blue lights...
But the best I could come up with is the animation on their USA site
Also, I thought this was an interesting subhead for the article:
An Affordable and Easy Way to Legally Download Your Favorite Songs and Albums emphasis mine.
Can I bum a sig?
The form factor is exactly what you'd expect from something with Dell on the nameplate: it's totally nondescript. It's actually made by Creative Labs and rebranded. As far as looks go, it's not an iPod any more than my 1990 Accord is a Porsche 911. In other words, it's not bad looking, but it's not good looking either.
2) What advantages does it have?
It looks like there's one, and only one, big advantage of this over the iPod -- this thing has a 16 hour battery life (The Tech TV people tested it and says you will get 15 hours.) That is a really compelling feature; when I spend an entire day driving, or have a long flight with a nasty layover, I can toast my iPod's battery.
The Dell is also a bit cheaper, but not by a lot. A 20 MB unit goes for $329, while Apple sells its 20 MB iPod for $399 at its store. I'd personally want to see the Dell more like 50% cheaper than the iPod for it to be a compelling alternative.
3) Is it an iPod killer?
In battery life, yes. In price, sort of. In looks, absolutely not. Tech TV gives a slight nod to the iPod, but without saying why.
Dell's entry into the field just means that digital music players are no longer cutting-edge products, and are about to be commodified. Expect to be able to get a good one, though perhaps not an iPod, for under $100 within the next couple years.
I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
As if Iriver didn't make a suitable match to these dogs. The I river comes with Ogg support and a whizz of cool features. They may be a little more expensive, but it tends to be worth every penny.
!
Deactivating a PC is permanent and cannot be reversed, ever. Should you decide you no longer wish to play Musicmatch Downloads on a PC because (1) You already have three PCs activated and you wish to activate an alternate PC, or (2) You no longer use a particular PC, see ?Deactivate a Musicmatch Downloads account? from within Musicmatch Jukebox Help to learn more. Remember, deactivating the account will permanently prevent that PC from playing or downloading Musicmatch tracks.
I know of quite a few people who deauthorized a Mac before doing a clean install of Panther this past weekend to be safe, then reactivating it when done.
So what do they mean by "permanent?" If someone wants to wipe and reinstall their OS, what happens?
I suspect the iPod becomes a throwaway item after a couple of years when the batteries won't hold a charge any more.
There are third-party battery replacements for the iPod available: http://www.pdasmart.com/ipodpartscenter.htm. (First item on the page.)
JP
Ipod 20 gig $399 Ipod 40 gig $499 Archos Recorder 20 gig = $309 Recorder 30 = $369 Recorder 40 = $389 Recorder 60 = $439 Recorder 80 = $609 Of course it's not as sexy and only plays mp3s, but I think $100 dollar differences in price are substantial. (Prices from Apple.com and newmp3technology.com)