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Microsoft's iPod-Killer: Portable Media Center?
securitas writes "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Todd Bishop reports on what's billed as an iPod-killer: the Microsoft Portable Media Center line of digital media players that 'will store and play back video, music and photos.' The devices are expected to be demonstrated at CES this week. Hardware manufacturers Samsung, ViewSonic, iRiver, and Creative are apparently developing versions of the devices that 'will run a specialized version of Windows CE.' Analysts say that the PMCs will come with 40 GB hard drives and retail for $400 to $700. I got a look at an early version of the RCA Lyra Audio/Video Jukebox mentioned unfavorably in the article due to its size. The size is a function of needing a reasonably-sized screen to watch video. The article has an image of a Portable Media Center prototype. The devices are slated to ship in the second half of 2004."
nice, sweet. plays divx... good luck beating that Billy boy..
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The Blue Screen of Death has now been replaced by the Color Bar Test Pattern.
It costs 300 dollars more. And it runs Windows CEment.
add bluetooth so it can connect to the internet via a bluetooth cell phone and play internet radio.
What people want is something small, stylish and cheap. For this kind of price I think most people would buy a palm PC instead, which although with a lot smaller storage they are cheaper and can do more.
Just because it does everything does not make it valuable to consumers... look at the N-Gage.
Microsoft seems to have developed the generation 2 ipod in terms of features and uses. I would expect Apple already has a generation 3 in development... but i wonder. How long until cell phone companies finally get the hint from RIM's success and build a proper all-in-one? One would think Sony-Ericcson could do that.
I am going to hell and I am going to take all of you with me.
This is not an IPOD killer. man the new IPOD will have a 1GB drive and sell for @$100.00!
And I don't trust Microsoft. I never did and I never will.
The device is HUGE - check out the article image - the screen is just small enough to be annoying to watch a video clip on and just big enough to be too bulky.
I am all for this type of device, but Microsoft is no innovator. They shoudl wiat for Apple to creat ethe device, then rip it off. What is Bill THINKING!?!?
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
Microsoft's iPod-Killer
Ha yea, I bet a whole bunch of Mac owners are gonna swap their iPod's for a Microsoft "Portable Media Centers".
These don't really seem like competitors to the small, sheik, audio-only iPods. They seem like competitors to the previous Lyra Audio/Video Jukebox, and the like.
A Portable Media Center with a 40-gigabyte hard drive is expected to hold up to 175 hours of video ... or 100,000 pictures, using Windows Media audio and video files.
Expects predict that an unofficial name of Portable Pr0n Center will be commonplace within 6 months of launch
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
Yet Another iPod Killer.
Yawn.
Remember them this time last year - they were called Media2Go - and were expected in stores "before the end of 2003"
I see one glaring problem with this kind of product. In order to have a screen large enough for video, it has to be too large to make easily portable. I can see a children's toy this size, but I can't imagine a businessman taking it on the plane with him.
Help find a cure for cancer. Join the [H]orde
These things aren't going to be iPod killers. One thing that the iPod has over just about every other hard disk MP3 player out there (besides fabulous design and iTunes music store) is great battery life. A fried of mine has an Archos, and it needs recharging after 4-5 hours, whereas I can listen to my iPod all day at work.
What would kill the iPod for me would be something with the form factor of the iPod that also had PDA and cell phone functionality - especially if it used Bluetooth to connect to a cell phone headset and either Bluetooth or WiFi for internet access.
The next Cmdr Taco duplicate will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
porn.
pocket.
{Goodbye productivity!}
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
When Walkman where the big thing, Companys already tried to copy that success with portable video walkman.
The thing is walkman/mp3 player are successfull because you can still WATCH THE STREET.
I see that thing bomb
Don't see it. MS's new product doesn't seem like a small, simple to use device that you slip into a pocket and easily play music from. Are you really going to pull out something like that on a train or whatnot to play some music? Clip it to your hip to go jogging?
It might end up being a great portable media device, but portable media device does not equal iPod. They're different markets.
Artists conception
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
While Tablet PCs aren't that great, from what I know, they have hard drives, screens, and can play media such as these do... ...only these won't have the added benefit of also being PCs.
And with "real" (ie non-Tablet) laptop prices coming down to $700 - $800, I think it will be hard to justify less functional devices for roughly the same amount of money!
libertarianswag.com
I think all of these manufactures should take some hardware design lessons from Apple. One of the big appeals of the IPod is that is so well designed, built, and looks great as well. I've yet to see any other portable mp3 player that even comes close to the look and feel of the IPod.
A PDA with a small harddrive and the abiltity to play video and MP3s.And WMA. Weeee. Why is this so novel?
Be assured, if Apple don't launch the ultimate portable multimedia device to rock your world, SOMEONE will. But like the mediocre and confusing MS PocketPC products, failed MSX 'standard' of the 1980s, MS Smart Display etc, successful versions of such potentially ground breakingly useful products can only come from design innovators, not huge multi-nationals who lack the cohesive vision. Evidence? Original Palm Pilot, iPod and Tapwave Zodiac, each (almost) meticulous in their execution.
O'WONDERWe're working on it.
sniff sniff Is that vapor I smell the morning before Jobs' MacWorld address?
Really, I see this and the ipod in different markets. The ipod plays music, well. This may play video and music (who knows how well). But the fact is the ipod is portable and people can safely listen to music as they do other things. This looks pretty large (less portable), looks more fragile with the screen, and plays video and music.
People will still buy ipods for music and maybe this thing for video (if they dont have a laptop or portable DVD player already)
People like to carry around a small device for listening to music on the go. You don't watch videos on the go. If you have a need to bring a portable video player somewhere, these already exist. From what I understand, they don't sell extremely well, due to the limited need.
These devices may be useful to some people, but not many; it's certainly no iPod killer.
Just my 2 cents.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
Before even mentioning DRM issues and probable lack of good portability between music formats.
;).
I have I must admit very much supported Microsoft hardware (you can shoot me later) because all the hardware I have ever bought with MS stuck on it has lasted a long time and is made durable and much more comfortable than competitors.
So I'd hazard a guess the thing will be pretty good at dealing with the bumps and scrapes inherent with portable players. But believe me, if the software is anything similar to the stuff they put on Windows Smartphone (Mobile phone/cellphone) it has got no chance. Straying off topic a tad but them things hang, call people without you asking, hang up calls without you asking, dont respond to cellular events too well (like someone rings and hangs up phone believes the sender is still ringing in).
So if its the same "specialized" version of WinCE they used on thier phones expect an abysmal effort at software design. But at least it wont smash when you drop it
Slashdot's already covered it:
DVD-Jon Breaks iTunes Encryption For Linux Users
and, at time of writing, that's still on the main page.
... the similarity to the Tapwave Zodiac?
...
All the Zodia needs is a Bluetooth adapter. Because, soon enough, someone will release a portable 50gig HD enclosure with Bluetooth capabilities, and that's all she wrote
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
Media Centers. What is it all about... is it good, or is it whack?
Seriously I for one can't wait, a even bigger bonus if they make it do normal Pocket PC tasks, and play Pocket PC games.
Portable BSOD on demand!
(sorry, had to be said)
So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
Now even portable music players will have loads of viruses.
Next new product....Norton for portable music players.
Evolution or ID?
From the article: "Why should we work with another music store when we're working with the Microsoft of music stores?" - Steve Jobs
If Jobs is not on the ball, he may end up with another Netscape on his hands. They owned the market, thought they were invulnerable, and then circled the drain for a bit before selling off to AOL.
Am I cheering for Microsoft? Hardly. But they play to win, fair or otherwise.
When the iTunes service starts to lose major share of the market, though... That's when there will be real trouble. Losing the iPod is a small fish compared to iTunes.
Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES!
If you ever have a good implementation of an idea, prepare to be destroyed by MS.
People want something small to play music on. This costs more than the iPod, will be bigger and no doubt ugly, which will be the most important factor for Mac owners ;^) With people not entirely enthused by the price of iPods, why would they pay more for one of these media centres? They're going to rely on sales to people who want to watch movies on the go, on a small screen and have the money to pay for it.
This is the Office of media players - expensive and bloated with features most people don't want. The key difference here is that they can't allow piracy to get their market share up.
This is the future. I've always carried around a book, paperback usually, in the winter I can fit it in my inside coat pocket. When I'm on a bus, or a plane, or i'm just bored, I whip it out and start reading.
Now, instead, we're going to whip out our portable media devices and watch "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" instead. Ahh, the future! Behold!
40 Gigs, video, audio...
and 1 hour of battery life.
I've actaully reverted to my old Palm because CE's battery life is so poor.
If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
Call me silly, but the last thing I want is a tiny screen for video, what I'd much prefer is a device the size of an iPod, or a bit smaller, for which I can buy a screen I can attach. That way when I buy the normal device I know that if I don't want to watch video (99% of the time) I'm not going to lug around the TV screen.
Sounds like classic "geek feature creep" put it in because its cool... not because it has a point or purpose.
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
Microsoft will be producing a series of devices that are tailored to exactly what the user needs!
Yes, with their small size, astounding battery life, spacious hard disk, well-conceived software, clean-elegant user interface, and extraordinary low, low price these new Personal Interactive Media Players (or PIMPs) are guaranteed to wipe out the competition. Sony, Apple, Archos, forget it!
Or maybe not.
What will happen? MS will collaborate with some small company with excellent designs, they will co-produce a player that is ordinary in every respect except that the new version of WMP will refuse to work with anything else. MS will lead its captive community by the nose and say "This is the iPOD for Windows, buy it now!" and millions of people will. The goal will be to sell Microsoft-labeled music. Microsoft will then screw their partners every which way, steal their IP and engineers, and cancel their collaboration. MS will produce one or two updates of their device and then stop developing it. They will sell the model to Dell and Sony, and aim to build a monopolistic music market based around control of the OS, the platform, and the media.
Design, price, and quality will never come into it.
Apple have 2-4 months to produce a complete iPod package for Windows, or they will find themselves embraced by the Beast.
Only snag in Microsoft's plan is that its base of Windows users is shrinking, and this is one thing that may make it shrink even faster. If you could get a media player that was twice as cool and half the price and played "free" music (as in speech), wouldn't you consider switching to Linux?
Ceci n'est pas une signature
This truly could be the "iPod killer" people have been wondering about for some time. Granted, so far the iPod has that elusive "brand name" and "mind share" - but how long until something like this gains the same mind share with the public? Once that happens, the iPod becomes yesterday's door stop.
;).
Hm - $400 for an MP3 player, or $400 for an MP3/portable video player? Granted, if the MPAA would allow people to "rip" their DVD's the same way we can "rip" a CD to a series of files we could carry around on our portable player that would make it worth my while (I'm not really big into watching "recorded TV shows" and the like).
The big questions are:
How accurate are these price figures? As the article mentions, most portable video players are well over $400 in price. And if the "mini-iPod" rumors are true (2.5 more hours to go) then Apple could still lock down the portable MP3 market.
Remember the Tablet! It was going to change how people use computers in their living room - and so far, it, um, hasn't. Last I checked, sales were good to art guys who like to use Photoshop and "draw", but most people find typing in a URL on a small laptop in their living room easier than "writing" it on a tablet. How many people actually need portable video? The only times I do is when I travel - and I'm no "road warrior", and I bet that neither is more of the world - and when I do, I've already got a laptop that plays DVD movies anyway.
(Side note: Ever notice how Microsoft really only has 3 profitable divisions: Windows, Office, and Server, and everything else they touch (Xbox, cable, phones, tablets, etc) is a money *loser* (Xbox alone has lost the company at least $200 million))? But businesses tend to forgive that on the off chance that *this* time they'll be right.)
How will Apple respond? Come out with an "iPod Advance" that does the same, or think "Number of people wanting portable music vs Number of people wanting portable video: compare cost analysis". And if they do come out with a portable video machine, can they convince the MPAA the way they convinced the RIAA that downloadable movies are a good idea? (I can imagine a 150-200 MB file containing a "locked down" MPEG-4 file, much like the AAC files - playable on 3 machines, unlimited "iPod Advanced", and each costing $10 - the price half a DVD, sales driven to sell more "iPod Advanced". If the movie industry did this, they could bitch a lot less about illegal movie downloads, because just like the ITMS, illegal song downloads would drop while legal downloadable song downloads would rise.)
Either way, next 12 months should be interesting all around. I'm actually glad of this announcement - competition tends to produce cheaper prices. And John oh so loves his cheaper prices
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
must be on a section I don't check out... mea culpa
MoFscker
With an iPod selling every 11 minutes, what good is it to sell to a market that is already filled. I love how microsoft comes out with an "iPod Killer" that remarkably looks like a product I saw nearly 2 years ago. can somebody say *cough* http://www.archos.com/products/prw_500375.html *cough* RIPOFF *cough*
Even if they took a 100% loss on this, they would not topple the iPod. It's just that superior.
There exists no way of exchanging information without making judgments. --Bene Gesserit Axiom
Gibson's Wurlitzer Digital Jukebox also at CES this week.
I wouldn't buy one of these "Personal Media Center"s, if for no other reason, because they're made by Microsoft.
The guitars sound good, now give me about 10db more on the cow bell.
There's one thing I've never seen in a M$FT product, and that's style. How the hell can this product outsell the design icon that the iPod has become? Plus, potential iPod buyers does not necessarily want video functions if that adds to the bulk of their device. Listening to music is for example a pedestrian-friendly activity, which can hardly be said about watching video.
Should run Linux OK - would probably be too slow for WinXP...
No way you're going to get the 128kbps internet radio that most are used to... you could make a case for 56K audio designed to be streamed from a modem, but realistically, from a cell phone you'll more likely to be getting the low end of 20-60 kbps, that ain't gonna happen either...
Highly unlikely, with the technologies that are around right now, and really, internet radio this way would be far too costly and lousy sounding.
WinCE devices like this *are* made for the embedded market but I've not seen any for the home - all I want is a small "digital book" (now there's a blast from the past!) that I can just turn on and browse the web and connect to my other machines with.
Just my 2p...
If future media devices don't fit that description, they'll never beat the iPod.
...a portable, discman type DVD player that will play audio CD's, DVD's, CD-R's and DVD's with mp3s.
Simple gray LCD display, simple controls. You could listen to music with headphones or plug it into a TV for video (throw in Divx decoding, maybe).
How about a $99 price point?
What's needed is a wireless link to a pair of goggles (no larger or bulkier than typical sunglasses) where you see a virtual screen the size of a movie theater image.
Until then I'll stick to watching things properly in my home theater. I'll also maintain my attention span health so I'm not constantly craving electronic stimulation everywhere I go like a three year old.
--- Ban humanity.
1. Release product that is more expensive and more DRM encumbered than already expensive iPod. 2. ????? 3. Profit!
Jonathanjk.com
But Microsoft's influence in this market may not be so profound. Apple has successfully moved from personal computers into a new market where the the line between the computer and home electronics are blurred. Every prior effort Microsoft has made to do this has met with only limited success. Witness WebTV and UltimateTV, both of which have sputtered.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
It's really no surprise that everyone here is quick to point at the PMC and declare that it is useless. What is surprising is that a group of such 'gifted' people can't bring themselves to recognize any reality besides their own.
Millions of people around the world commute by train or bus every day. A PMC is designed almost specifically for these people.
But that's not really where the PMC is headed, if you read between the lines. MS wants to be "the king of all media" and if you could download your TiVo'd shows onto your PMC, you could then watch your shows at your leisure wherever you were. Likewise, as these things grow a video out port, you will be able to playback any saved video on any display device.
The PMC is not an iPod killer. They aren't even competitors.
I have been pwned because my
Call be dumb, but this looks like a PDA to me. There's already gadgets out there that can play videos and mp3s, etc, no?
Sig Nature
I see strong similarities with integrated video/tv and all-on-one hifi systems. People dont want to purchase a complete new system any time a new device new gets out. Sure the manufacturers would like that but in an open enonomy the buyer decides right?
The pc is alright for an all-in-one system but that is not the case with other stuff. We barely stand the pc why would we introduce ourselves to yet onother system that cant be expanded without purchasing everything again and again?
HTTP/1.1 400
...is something that is half the price and looks almost as good.
You can't kill iPod by making more expensive competitors! iPod is already too expensive.
If you want to kill the iPod, give me iPod features at less than half the price. I don't need that extra crap, and I don't want to spend $600.
Berto
Compare the stability of the following:
Windows vs Linux (or mac)
WinCE vs Palm OS
XBox vs PS2
Microsoft are moving from the PC space, where people have amazingly decided that a crashing computer is acceptable, to the consumer electronics space, where crashing is mostly unheard of. Either they improve there QA, or people will be returning these back to where they bought them after freezing up while in normal use!
On another note, the apple iPod plays MP3 and Wav files, in addition to their implementation of (the open standard) AAC.
Will this box play anything other then Microsofts proprietary WMV... or is this another attempt by the beast of Redmond to kill off competing formats?
Tony.
For one thing, it will play a wide variety of video formats, where simular products focused on a specific format or codec. I don't see it having much to do with an iPod though. This is a video player not an mp3 player. It plays mp3 and stills as well because it would be stupid for it not to.
YUO CALLED WINDOWS CE AS CEMENT!!1!1!~! BECUASE IT SI LEIK TEH BRIKC!1!!!1 oomg rorml +5 funnie for yuo
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it wouldn't be for video and certainly not something as ugly as that prototype pictures. Damn that's ugly!
Battery life. Com'n, video playback? And a hard drive? Before you finish that 175-hour long video collection, the battery is probably on the way to garbage bin due to repeated recharges.
I am going to hell and I am going to take all of you with me.
i have a uk magazine on my desk from 1999 dot bomb days, and guess what device is inside it ? yeah this one
good to see reporters are still getting sucked into this vapourware
that's my first feeling.
There is a spark in every single flame bait point.
Once someone finally comes out with something to beat the current iPod the Apple Store will be selling something even better. These days Apple never stops their R&D or marketing train.
"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST
Personally, I'm curious to see what Steve his up his sleeve at MWSF.
Que Deus te de em dobro o que me desejas
[May God give you double that which you wish for me]
or is portable video virtually useless? Like another poster said, music lets you do other things while listening. Also, music sounds virtually identical whether listening to it on an Ipod or on your massive PC rig at home. While walking down the street listening to tunes you aren't being constantly reminded that the item delivering the music to your eyes is the size of a cigarette packet.
Completely different for video. You actually have to focus on a tiny screen and devote pretty much all of your attention to it (unless you are a woman, we all know how good they are at multitasking). You have to make sure you havent got glare in the screen and you can watch the video where you won't be disturbed (like AT HOME, perhaps?). Music on the move is in easily digestible 2-10 minute chunks. You can squeeze off a track while waiting for the bus or queueing up at the supermarket. Try watching LOTR in 40 odd 5 minute sessions. OK so movies are pretty useless on portable devices unless you are in the same place, undisturbed for several hours. Such as an airplane. If only there was a way for airplanes to deliver movies to passengers while they are waiting for their three hour flight to land...
What other uses then do we have for portable video? Music videos, maybe? Well you might as well just listen to the music separately. A black man staring at the camera shaking his hands about making kung fu motions with 100 pounds of gold round his neck doesn't add much on a 50 inch plasma, let alone a 6 inch LCD. With music videos and movies pretty much worthless as far as portable video is concerned what else is there that is of any value to the mainstream consumer? Funny movie clips? Recorded video? (we have devices called video cameras for the playback of such video). Porn is one thing that would be mentioned on Slashdot, but as any guy knows, you need to be on your own to enjoy porn. You wanna blow 500 bucks just so you can jerk off in a rest room squinting at what you think is a woman getting fucked?
So when your next walking down the street and you feel a pang of jealousy seeing someone with one of these on their waist, think to yourself, 'What am I actually missing out on?'
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
I think a portable C64 emulation would be a real cool thing:
- its oldskool,
- you'd have tons of old games ready to play
- and at the same time its a brand new toy
Not that "Color Gameboy" shit.
so.
Microsoft, and many slashbotters will never get this, but I will try anyway. Jobs understands that in product design, sometimes less is more. Steve knows when to make something, but more importantly - when NOT too.
The iPods works because it is a simple elegent music player that ppl can take with them to the gym, or whatever. Nobody is going to walk around with a movie player. Why would they? Can you ride a bike, jog, work out, watching a movie? - urrr no. End of product.
Memo to Microsoft - stick with the formula that got you where you are today - cloning and rebranding other ppl's ideas - give up on inventing your own.
they invented the sub-compact PC. How INNOVATIVE.
BC
A better choice would be to have this thing have a S-video out and/or composite video out where you could plug it into a TV in a motel or at a friends place and watch a movie there; a video screen on the device is a waste of time and only proves that MS doesn't understand the market.
--Pete
If there were some better method of delivering the image than a small screen - e.g. something like a Sony Glasstron virtual headset, or the eye-beam monitor that was featured at the MIT Wearable Computing site ages ago...
Got it. It's more than twice the size of an iPod. Given battery life on other devices with decent color screens, there's no reason to believe these will offer two hours of continuous playback reliably without spare batteries. Or maybe that's why it's so thick and weighs twice as much as an iPod or PDA.
Even at $400 it's twice the price of those cheap no-name portable DVD players you can get. It's too expensive to give to kids for car trips, and they'd be happy with one of those cheap portable DVD players anyway. Business travelers might like it, except they already carry laptops that can play the DVDs that they already own or rent for $2 a week.
Any decent content will be pay-per-view and won't be viewable on a TV unless you have a high-end PC running XP Media Center Edition in your living room hooked up to that TV, which amounts to a few thousand people right now. And with Media Center PCs retailing for $1600 or so in a market where most PCs sell for half of that or less, it's going to be a few years before that changes.
It's as expensive as a high-end PDA but isn't a PDA. It's a second or third gadget to carry around and with all that extra space needed for more batteries, it's not a zero-carry.
I wish the first-generation licensees luck.
cheaper... does audio video and photo... has larger harddrives.
only problem is no one considers buying archos products.
i've had my jbm 20 for about 6 months and it's definitely been worth the money. much better than your so called "iPods"
Jobs I've got to admit you've got a winner here; I'd buy an ipod over that ms "thing" any day. It's an ugly brick to start with; then it's running WINCE (eg not compatible) and well it's just damn ugly and inconvenient. How could you honestly slip that into your pocket like an ipod2 and get the same functionality?
Simple fact is the ipod does what you want it to do, when you want it, without any bloat ware and well just plain looks good.
(*Note that this post never existed to save dignity that would be wiped by supporting mac.)
I ate your fish.
why not just buy the sony equivilent thats already out ! and can wirelessly browse the internet too, thats what im looking for in the next portable electronic device i buy.
Yay me! ^^
...what's to stop me from taking my $700, buying a slightly used (if not a brand new one, with student discounts) iBook and playing DVDs on it?
At the very least, i'll have a complete computer, not something crapnasty.
More MS bullycrap.
Actually, information would like a turkey sandwich.
Portable video players don't make a lot of sense. You use portable because you want to be doing something else at the same time. You can listen to music and jog, or listen to music and read, or listen to music and drive, so having a portable player that is light and usable with one-hand is perfect.
A portable video player that is bigger, heavier, and requires you to stop doing whatever you're doing and give it your full attention is stupid. These things will not even make a dent in iPod's market share.
You can tell a great deal about the character of a man by observing those who hate him.
I'd actually like it to have a cradle on top of my TV. There, it would be charged and at the same time double as my PVR. If they could pull that off, doing a PVR (TiVo style or whatever else) in a small portable package, they might have a winner.
Hurricane Application Group, Dept of Meteorology Control, Ministry of Proactive Defense
Maybe I am getting old, but who needs movies while on-the-move? Watching a movie takes up pretty much take all of you attention, so you can't really do the same things with the Portable Media Center as you do with an ipod(or similar device).
I use my 'pod mostly when I am out of the house, doing boring everyday stuff like shopping, riding my bike to work and working out. I can't really do any of those things watching a movie - not without looking like an idiot and running a great risk of getting injured, anyways;)
Now add to that, that the Portable Media Center is both bloody expensive and ugly as well as bulky and we have a pretty useless device. In time, perhaps, they will get it right, but right now the things looks to me as a useless gadget.
IMHO the only way that monstrosity would be an ipod killer is if you used the beast to beat an ipod with I've seen better looking roadkill
While I do think this is a little cool, the PMC is doomed to fail.
Why?
Why was the N-Gage doomed to fail?
Because the N-Gage was EXPENSIVE. It may have had more power then the Gameboy Advance, as well as more features, but people wern't willing to pay $300 for a phone that they would occasionally play games on. That's much too expensive.
I'm not going to buy a portable device I'll only use every once in a while if it's in the $400-$700 price range. It makes no sense too. How about a cheap portable DVD player? Or a portable TV? That's a much better idea, and the price of those two combined is less then the PMC.
Microsoft will NEVER create anything better than Apple. Period. The only thing that Microsoft's got on their side is the general public, which is stupid anyway.
I wouldn't buy one of these "Personal Media Center"s, if for no other reason, because they're made by Microsoft.
Please, don't be so blinded by your faith. "Microsoft will NEVER create anything better than Apple."? That's a bold statement.
Lest we forget, Microsoft is mainly a software company, and Apple is mainly a hardware company. Why is it then that Microsoft's input devices are superior to Apple's? Ever used a Microsoft keyboard? Or a Microsoft mouse? Or even a Microsoft gaming device?
I'm typing this on a Microsoft Wireless Natural Multimedia Keyboard. Yeah, it's a stupid name that's over-descriptive but it's a fantastic piece of hardware, as it the Wireless Optical Mouse that partners it.
Now compare those two keyboards to Apple's equivalents. Does Apple have an ergonomically-friendly keyboard in its product range? Does it make a mouse that its users deserve? No and no. My mouse has two major buttons, a scroll wheel (which doubles as a third button too) and is cordless. Tell me, what does Apple do that compares to that?
Apple's love affair with the single button mouse is amusing. Yes, I know the reasons why Apple persists with it (for "simplicity"), but its one-mouse-fits-all approach is ridiculous: The first thing that 99 percent of serious Apple users do before installing new apps on their new machines is installing a third-party mouse that has more bells and whistles on it.
And don't get me started on the physical design of Apple's mice. Suffice to say that shipping G3s and G4s with the novelty round mouse that Apple inflicted on iMac users was a cruel joke. Yes, I know that Apple's latest mice have evolved (that's why I said G3s and G4s, not G5s) but they've hardly undergone a revolution, have they?
Will Microsoft's first generation of media players be "iPod killers"? No way. I'd bet my life on it. Who knows what will happen down the line, though? Microsoft is nothing if not persistent. One day it might well have an "iPod killer". Again, I doubt it, but it's possible.
In the meantime, stop being blinded by your religious fervour and acknowledge that, in some areas at least, Apple's products are inferior to Microsoft's. Otherwise, you'll just end up looking stupid, just like your "general public".
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
Why not just get a cheap laptop? Better screen, plays DVDs, better storage, more function.
It's too big to be functionally portable as a music player. I think even the iPod is on the edge of the sweet spot for size. The MS player is portable in the same way that a 9" color TV is portable. Sure, I can pick it up and move it, but I can't slip it into my pocket for a walk around the lake.
It's too expensive. $700? If I don't care about portability, $700 buys a reasonable used laptop that will play DVDs on a screen that does them some justice (on the airplane at least), has a lot of storage, and is a computer,too. If I'm looking for more portability, I can buy a cheapie portable DVD player *and* an iPod and get better media support and less DRM.
I also don't think video support on portable devices is all that great. Either you sacrifice display size for portability and battery life, making viewing anything painfully annoying, or you end up with a big screen and poor portability and battery life.
Portable video will be great when they get the whole video goggle thing worked out better. I don't know if there is that great of a solution (retinal projection?) really, but when they DO get it worked out there will be a huge jump in demand for portable video.
is an article that lost a lot of credibility.
Lars T.
To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck
This argument is so old and so false. You want to know what will kill creativity in a heartbeat? Not being able to profit from the tremendous effort that goes into it.
COPYING someone is not being creative. It's stealing some other person's effort and genius.
You can tell a great deal about the character of a man by observing those who hate him.
I have an Archos Multimedia Jukebox. It's main advantage is to download photos directly fromcamera cards on a trip - so I don't have to take a laptop on my trip around Italy or Australia. No indication the MS CEment will do that.
I haven't used the video feature. The screen is too small, and the setup is too fussy. By the time you record/capture a show, process it and download it, you've probably seen it already; unless there's movies you're obsessive-compulsive about (The Matrix? Pr0n?) why bother? If the long-promised video recorder module works with it, as advertised, I may eventually use it - but then why wouldn't Archos give their MMJ the same timer functionality as a VCR? (I wonder if it would work with those Sony TV glasses as an output?)
My fear with Microsoft is that they would leverage their technology to lock out whatever they want. Only certain codecs? Only WMA files? Only content/video created with MS Media Centre? Sorry, can't download except through WinMedia Centre? Time-limited video? Any such restrictions will make this thing DOA.
The ideal media centre would allow you to insert a DVD in your computer, and have the file come out the other end for download, fully processed, in half an hour or less... How many companies will allow that to happen?
I have to agree with a previous poster - the Archos problem is battery life. Mine started out as 8 hours, and over the last 18 months is down to about 3 to 4hours, with quirky behaviour where sometimes I only get 1.5 hours or it won't turn on. Apparently, there are no replacement batteries available. I hear stories of iPod batteries that die and cost $99 to replace. Anyone who wants in on this market has to solve the battery life/cost problem.
This device will flop. It doesn't take a marketing genius to see that. However, it won't matter because this is a space that Microsoft want to play in, and of course ultimately own. Microsoft is one of the few companies that can afford the luxury of failure if that is a step on the road to where they want to go
That is because they have reliable cash cows in their office and desktop OS monopolies that can support the company handsomely along with a huge number of strategic, money losing projects. Look at history. If Windows CE had to live on its own revenues, if it had been a product from a startup company that had to return value to investors in a reasonable time frame, then today it would have been long gone, buried by PalmOS by 2000 at the latest.
But Microsoft understands the strategic value of having a monopoly. As a result they will not allow any company to obtain a monopoly in any technology business that in any way shape or form intersects theirs. Unless they face a similarly endowed company, they can afford all the failure in the world, whereas for the competition a single misstep is fatal.
Expect the future of this product line to play out like this:
2004 - a few early adopters and gadget freaks buy this thing. It has a number of cool features, but overall any reasonable person would consider it a dog.
2005 - second generation units come out that are considerably better, but still overcomplicated. Competition continues to publicly sneer, but if they're smart they're watching closely. MS continues to pour money into this.
2006 - third generation units. Hardware technology has caught up to the vision. The units are still fundamentally pretty clunky, but they're getting new features that are really starting to turn some heads and prices are now low enough for a significant number of people to take the plunge. Competition if forced to recognize teh threat and ratchets up the pizazz.
2007 - results depend on competition. If competition is agile and smart, the Microsoft juggernaut is forced into an indefinite stalemate and MS continues to pour resources into a technological arms race. If the competition make any significant mistakes, MS will crush them and basically future product development will stop.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
The most successful product MS has come up with so far (outside the beige box computer world) is the XBox, which I believe is the only one the company didn't farm out to vendors. Apple has it right with their design philosophy - they don't sell 50 million design variations of their iPod, just one very well designed version. MS put some good design into XBox, and it's seen decent sales. Then they avoid making any design decisions on tablet PC's, and vendors come up with a few dozen different versions, confusing customers all the way to the Apple store.
I really hate signatures, but go to my website.
I use my Archos MMJ (20) for MP3 playing and photo downloads on trips. Beats carrying a laptop. Never bothered with the video feature, although I did see someone who did.
If you're going to record TV, you probably want to edit out commercials. Waht a pain without the right software...
In this situation, Apple has created a pretty self fullfilling market place:
- a device that only works with their music store
- a music store that only works with their device
In a situation where there is already a market leader, the above scenario doesn't fly because people have to replace both their digital device and their music store content.
However, Apple is #1 in digital music device sales and on-line music sales. So the following scenario holds true:
Person puchases an iPod and loves it, then buys Y songs from the iTMS at $1 each. When the iPod breaks or they want the cooler, newer digital device, they are gonna buy the one that their existing investment of Y x $1 songs can play. Vice Versa, if they have puchased a large library of songs from iTMS, then the only device they are interested in is one that plays their music, else they basically have lost their investment.
It is a nice little situation Jobs has created. For Rio or Dell or someone to sell a digital device, they hav eto overcome both the iPod AND the existing investment in AAC files. Likewise, for Wal-Mart music store or whoever to win, they must overcome both the iTMS library a user may have AND the exisitng iPod they own.
The hope for both WMA music sites and WMA digital devices is that the market is not saturated to the point that too many people own iPods. With Apple to announce within two hours their low-cost iPod, the game just went to level ten.
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
I wonder why noone else mentioned it, but I feel my iBook is yesterday's answer to tomorrow's 'iPod-Killer'. It already has enough storage space, plays Music and videos and the most important part: it has a decent display. Everything below 12" is a bad joke - do YOU want to watch LOTR on some tiny 4" screen?
just... ick.
that "suggested design" has got to be one of the worst things I've ever seen. I can just imagine what it would be like to hold one, kinda like the Sega Nomad. waay to big, and you can't operate the thing one-handed. Besides, what's really the point in portable video devices like that? I mean, sure, you can take maybe six DVDs along w/ you, plus your music collection, but who watches stuff on the go? If you're walking somewhere, you need to watch where you're going, not some collection of flicks you D/Led. The same thing applies to driving.
As for flights, most people in the market for that thing are probably going to have laptops, which for the most part serve the same purpose. On top of all this, the price is just dumb. Low-end laptops are about the same price, and have similar enough features to render this device unnecessary. Maybe the uber-gadget-freak market would buy this, but it's never going to be a mainstream item, at least not in my lifetime.
...how much to replace the battery? And can I replace it myself? It is a Good Thang that the iPod has a decent battery life because you cannot just swap out a dead one with a charged one. Not easily - it is designed only to be done by Apple themselves! Ideally, I want three - one in the charger at home, one in the beastie itself and a spare to replace the one with the beastie when it dies.
And you thought the X-Box controller was big!
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
Portable DVD players have been around for quite a few years but they're not exactly selling like hot cakes.
Isn't this just a pocket pc? Why the hell are they always calling the natural evolution of an existing product a new separate product?
Anyway, it's inevitable that the majority of us (besides you "i need separate devices!" purists) will use something similar to the O2 XDAII (anyone know how i can get one of these in the US?) with more power/higher resolution- One device you carry with you all the time that is your cellphone, your still/video camera, and your portable web device.
...It'll keep getting lighter and more powerful, and wireless internet speeds will get faster and faster. You'll be able to watch television shows streaming live over the air, as well as stream video from your device live to whomever you want to see it. It won't have to store locally either.
Imagine the next big event like "9/11", or an earthquake, etc.- thousands, millions of live camera angles and witnesses. Any time a crime or accident is taking place, one can record evidence immediately.
It would probably eventually get small enough that the camera/microphone would be a brooch (a la Star Trek, I suppose, but w/video, although that wouldn't work too well for videoconfrencing- perhaps you'd have a camera on the device, or your watch, too) and those dorky jabra headset thingies will be the size of a miracle ear, and they'd just mix the outside sounds with those from your device (any idea why we don't have this already?) The display may roll up in a scroll form or something. maybe with a wristwatch interface? people may even start recording/broadcasting their lives 24/7, or have a "blackbox" service that stores the past hour, day, whatever on the server so that investigators can figure out what happened, should anything happen to you.
Probably by that point we will have figured out how to tap directly into one's optical/aural nerves and implant these devices, or maybe even how to create organic versions of these devices and implant the instructions to build them in our DNA. (how will we ever agree on a standard for THAT?)
At that point, it may only be a matter of time before our brains evolve to the point where we have real-time sensory input SHARING- one no longer has just 2 eyes, but billions of them. We would become one organism- sharing eachother's pain, pleasure, fear, excitement.
Once a generation of this new organism passes to where every living human has spent their whole life as a part of this organism, we may cease to have disagreements, as everyone would have the same life experience, the same frame of reference, and therefore come to the same logical conclusions....
Oh my God! Microsoft IS THE BORG!!!! Resistance IS futile!!
Don't forget the $90 "battery replacement program" when your Li-Ion battery suddenly gives out.
Sure, hardcore geeks could do it themselves, but the vast majority of iPod owners are at the mercy of Apple.
Does it make Julian fries?
I still remember /.ers slashing the Ipod to pieces. "yeah it will never work... too bulky etc...". Yet no that IPod embraces success everybody praises it. /. readers have been wrong before and it can happen again.
I'm not predicting success or failure here. I just want to highlight that
Even though I don't like this new device, I somehow have a felling MSFT marketeers will make it as desirable as the IPOD.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity
A huge battery life draining screen. How Microsoftian....
Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
Announce something in a way that lets all infer it is superior to the currently available competition but do so in a vague way. And, of course, make the announcement FAR in advance of MS shipping anything. (2nd half of 2004 could be 12/31/04, even if 7/1/04 it's a long way out).
Effect: stall the currently available competitors market growth.
Note: works best (by far) when you are a monopolist.
Joysticks. I once bought a MS Sidewinder joystick - it was cool looking and the price was right. Anyway, the first thing I noticed about it was the trim controls were too loose. They would slide a bit when you moved the stick around. The Second thing I noticed was that the center actually moved around a bit. In some games I could increase the dead area, but others were impossible to play.
MS failure #1.
My first MS mouse was an old intellimouse. It was of acceptable quality for the time, but it was awkward and uncomfortable. My second MS mouse was the first MS optical mouse - can't remember the name. It was decent, but had one major flaw. I'm not referring to the overly large MS optical mouse, but the smaller one. It is roughly the same size as a Logitech iFeel. The major flaw, and this is true of the larger ones too, is that the mouse is sort of flattened on the sides, instead of sloping in. This makes the mouse nearly impossible to pick up. This is a very, very poor design decision, as wtf do you do when you slide over the the edge of your mousepad?
Sure, you can adjust your mouse acceleration so that that rarely happens, but it still does. After several hours of mousing with one of those, my hand gets extremely sore. And forget gaming.
I have noticed that MS is moving away from that design, BTW. So for all their ergonimics testing, they didn't actually account for real-world usage.
Another note about MS mice, the larger ones used to have a fatal design flaw - a funny one, IMO - there was nothing holding the wire to the mouse except for the actual contacts! We had a bunch of these, 20 or so, and every single one of them has died after about a year of usage. This was obviously a simple mistake and not a design decision, and newer ones don't have this problem.
Xbox. I own and Xbox, and mine has been fine. However, I know others who own them too, and all of theirs have GSOD problems... None of the retail stores in the area can keep an Xbox demo working for more than a couple months. They seem to die when they're on all the time, as one store owner explained to me. Definately the console most prone to failure - not far behind is the shoddily manufactured PS2 however.
I won't go as far as to say that MS hardware is junk - it is, but comparatively speaking... - just overrated, much like Sony.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
And when it crashes, you'll have to reinstall it, thus deleting all those Digitally Restricted handbag ditties you paid for and weren't allowed to keep backups of. Call me cynical if you like...
Stick Men
I'm sure that this would be about as useful and sell about as many units as Apple's 20th Anniversary Edition Mac. (50k maybe on the outside.)
I suspect that its main purpose is as "discourage the competition" vapour-ware.
It definitely has no place in my comfortable home decor as I use wood and wool.
It looks like something that belongs __inside__ the 'fridge. Kee-rist Gates, hire some designers with experience in the area you're trying to market to. Its not office equipment.
Not to mention its from "The Great Rip-Off King's" outfit and none of that schlock gets into my house.
Actually its __way__ to big. It should be iPod sized. While being way too small. It should have a 50"+ projection area (Can anyone say screenless projection TV?)
MSBPodcast.com The opinions expressed here are my own. If you don't like 'em... Think up your own stuff.
They have got to be joking. I'm an definetly a PC person that does not subscribe the Apple philosophy but I'd buy 10 iPods before I'd throw away money on Microsoft's bastard child. I'll admit I might consider it for $25 but that won't happen for another five years. I an anti-gpl to boot. What I want is a open standards hackable(customizable) product from a company that's not going to drop support like a hot potato leaving me with a useless, and unresellable product 5 to 10 years from now.
I don't think "video ipods" of any sort will ever take off. It's just too much trouble to collect the media (currently) given its low reusability -- people are much more likely to enjoy listening to a song over and over than they are to enjoy listening to a video over and over. The benefits you get for the cost of such a dedicated device are way too low currently to justify the effort. Sure, this functionality will arrive eventually, but as an afterthought -- the way our phones can now play games because their specs allow it moreso than because the specs were set to allow game playing.
Not to mention the varying power requirements of video vs. audio. Cost will just be too high. I'd say the coming generation of cheap(ish) small factor multi-gigabyte storage will make PDAs a cheaper, more powerful solution for those really desperate for portable, nerd-friendly digital video. Everyone else will just buy a portable DVD player.
Perhaps they should change their name to "Macrosoft" - perhaps then they would see the big picture instead of building devices aimed at .0001% of the populace.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Your point is excellent, however there is one use of video I see being a big hit with consumers - video overlay in sunglasses. I can see lots of teens falling in love with being able to wander around with video playing in front of them. Just an iPod sized device connecting via a bluetooth-like technology to the glasses, and you'd be all set.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
It ain't???...
I think I may have charged my Palm V last month... I can't remember.
The only problem with that frequency is that I do not sync as often as I probably should.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Also, once a device exceeds a certain size, it becomes a PITA to carry and accomodations need to be made. A laptop is such a device, and people carry them like briefcases now. A device as described in the article would also be a PITA, but 99.9% of people would have no practical use to justify it.
An iPod is small enough that it can be easily kept on your person without hassle, and performs the #1 function people use such a device for, ie. listening to music. And listening to music can be done while doing other things, unlike video.
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
A slightly bigger screen, not much bigger but they could make it a little bigger and keep the same size of the device, but make it color. Maybe used OLED as the screen material to cut down on power demands and the need for a back light.
Any coincidence in the fact that a newspaper in SEATTLE is calling it an iPod killer?
I have an IPod, and I paid a premium for it mostly because it is a very small form factor. It is the only hard drive based mp3 player I can carry in a shirt pocket without looking like a complete embicile. The IPod does one thing and it does it incredibly well.
This won't be an IPod killer because it's going to do everything and it will do it in a mediocre manner. How many people need an ultra portable video player? I live in the city and do a lot of walking so having a portable audio player makes perfect sense. But it would be dangerous to do the same thing and watch video.
Something for the kids perhaps? Not at $400-800, unless the thing is indestructible. Why would I shell out for that when I can shell out a fraction of that for a game boy that will keep them far more distracted.
I can see only two valuable uses for this:
1) Long flights - but how many of us have enough long flights to pay for this and don't carry a laptop along already.
2) Photo/Video storage on the go - if you take a lot of pictures, it's nice to have a device to store the data on while you are on the go.
Other than that, what possible use do I have for this device. I've got enough crap to lug around as it is, why would I want one more device?
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
The thing with th iPod is that while people thought it was silly, there was real substance and a market that did not even exist before the iPod (Slim HD based MP3 players with linked software for ease of use).
But this device... there's no substabce to it. It's the same as devices that already exist (like the Archos Multimedia player, or more realistically portable DVD players).
The trick I think they have up thier sleeve is an iTunes-like video manager, we'll call it vSee. You rip favorite pieces of DVD's to the computer and load them iTunes-style into this device.
The only problem I have with my scenario is I don't see how any studios would appricate MS providing software to rip video (though perhaps with a limit of half size...) I just feel sure they have some software trick they feel will un-doom the device. I'm not sure that any amount of clever software can make people really want portable video everywhere.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
i have both a apple ibook 12 inch and a t-mobile pocket pc phone
both which i can listen to music on, and watch video
the ibook, as much as its advertised as having a 6 hour battery, its closer to 4 and a half hours, and on wireless 802.11g closer to 3 and a half hours (still better than my toshiba satelite of around 1.5 to 2 hours)
the pocket pc phone, around 5 days of standby, but once you start playing music or video, it cuts down to around 5 hours, give or take back light being on.
either way, its clearly a nich market for this type of item. its rare i use my phone for video, but for mp3s or streaming audio, its a great device
if your a have it all with you anywhere you are, it might be nice, but if you are a have it all person, you probably allready have a pocket pc (or palm for that matter), and some sort of laptop.
the price is key also. $700+... with a new account, you can get the pocket pc phone for around $450
this device will probably fail in sales
Don't people watch enough TV already? Criminy.
Yeah, god forbid we go outdoors without a video feed of the latest Brittny album. We might, you know, see something without branding and advertisement on it. What a blow to capitalism! Oh no! We'd best get back to work, fellow consumers! Because if we don't work, we can't BUY MORE USELESS CRAP!
lorem ipsum, dolor sit amet
It means that Microsoft has gone from treating Apple as a marginal player, that is so insignificant that they could buy shares in it to use as a trivial defence against the charge of being a monopolist. There was a Doonesbury cartoon that said that you had arrived when Microsoft decided to either buy you out, or spend 1% of its development budget on recreating what you had done.
As an Apple shareholder, I would rather have Microsoft frightened of Apple, than a patronising co-owner.
Hey, I had the same idea I just posted a bit earlier in response to something - I think you're right that people would be willing to accept video delivered to you in an overlay on top of what you are already seeing - that way you could focus on it if you wanted, or just have passive video to amuse you.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
The upcoming Sony PSP (Playstation Portable) will do all this AND play games. Of course it doesn't have an integrated hard drive but it can read those cute mini-dvds (or whatever Sony is calling them). I think the multimedia capabilities of the PSP has so far been overlooked by the high-tech press. This could be Sony's "silver bullet" and gateway into making the PSP + PS3 the "must have" combo for xmas 2005.
Cheers,
_GP_
At this price point, it's more of a wallet killer than an iPod killer. Isn't the iPod's high price it's main criticism?
If this were priced at $199, I'd believe it was a threat. At the cost of a *nice* new computer, though - not a chance.
is competition good, or is duplication of effort bad?
From the "remember when..." dept, at one point during the boombox fad it became fashionable to have one of these gizmos with a TV built in.
People soon discovered that it was difficult to lug around these large portable stereos, they required too many batteries, the TV's didn't have very good reception and it was entirely unnecessary to watch television while you were out in the park with your buddies. The music was fine, and so smaller portable stereos prevailed and without the TV option.
So, now we're going to have a portable device that will let us watch movies and listen to music. Microsoft is about to unleash the boombox+TV combo for the next generation, and it seems plausible that it could emerge as a fad with a niche market but I don't imagine it will supplant the iPod/MP3 walkman market.
Eric Sarjeant
eric[@]sarjeant.com
But I think it's already been reserved for the new web kiosk/PortaPotty that's in development...
The enemies of Democracy are
with no dvd drive, this unit relies on the hdd for all media.
so isn't this encouraging users to rip dvd's to it's drive so they can watch them on the go?
*bog*
In my humble opinion: such a device will not be able to compete against the iPod. At least not now.
However:
It will get cracked and linux-ified by geeks, and it will be good for a lot of things that it was not originally intended for.
Can't wait to see what those things will be.
there is no spoon
The PMC is the result of a partnership between iRiver and MS (and evidentally, MS got to brand it as theirs for some reason). Right along side that, iRiver is announcing the PMP (Personal multimedia Player), which runs Linux at its core.
Shots with descriptions of all their upcoming products can be found here and here.
End of line..
Why is every "media" product just a reactionary response to Apple's products? I guess people really do measure Apple's products as the standard by which all others are judged.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
seriously, this is just a troll by M$, trying to steal some thunder from both the iPod and the soon-to-come vPod (or whatever they're calling the new apple video player)
hardware design is simply not M$' forte--compare the few hardware things they've designed to the Mac, the iMac, the iPod, the base station, and just about everything else apple has come out with...
also, the thing has the form factor of a brick, and won't fit in anybody's shirtpocket (except for maybe Shaq's)
M$' products are always marketing-driven, so they are always focused on features, and the form factor always seems to be but an afterthought...
What annoys me about MS stuff is that they have to prominently display the company name everywhere. You can't just have Internet Explorer, no it has to be Microsoft Internet Explorer. Word? Nope, Microsoft Word. And now these media players, and surprise surprise, stenciled on the screen is the word "microsoft". The difference between MS and Apple is that my iBook simply says iBook G4 and has a little Apple logo on screen at the top left. OK, it has the Apple logo on the back of the screen but that is cute and I don't see it although others do so that is cool. My iPod? Nope, no Apple logos on the thing other than a small one engraved on the back. The screen shows the logo when it first starts but after that, nothing.
When I am using Windows, I know it is Microsoft, I don't need to have it splattered all over the place. Not to mention just how tacky the MS stuff looks, simply no class. Yuk.
"I have the attention span of a strobe lit goldfish, please get to the point quickly!"
Aside from size and integration with iTunes, the iPod was unremarkable technically.
If they try to do the same thing with video, they are going to run into a problem. The need for a decent screen size means they won't be able to come in smaller than the existing players, and most people don't have nearly as much video titles as audio titles, making management software far less critical. Many of the existing video players have excellent styling, having learned from Apple that people care about that.
Microsoft is not cool enough to win in the music business. Part of the reason Apple is doing so well is because of their counter culture image. That fits well with whats "cool" in the music business. Since MS _is_ the culture they are counter to...
This will never do as well as the iPod. Microsoft have to realize that cramming a device full of low quality features is not what people want. I would rather have a device that does one thing really well than one device that does a shotty job of several things. People arent going to want to lug around a large video screen when their going off jogging or roller blading.
Heres what I think would be handy. Take the basic ipod (or a comparable device with a simmilar size, weight and battery life) and throw an s-video/component video jack on the side. This way people can play their videos on most any TV without the burden of a huge fragile video screen.
Also, how well is it gonna fair against the iPod? I mean, the iPod can be used in conjunction with iTunes from both Windows and Mac, syncing can be done automatically so end users find it easy, the GUI on the iPod is amazing, etc. Microsoft are not going to take Apple's share.
Interestingly, it is yet another idea Microsoft took from Apple.
Completely different market, as far as I can see. Anyway, devices like this have been around for ages, by this rationale the Sony Clie line of Palm devices should be "iPod killers".
Luck favors the prepared, darling.
with the Belkin iPod Media Reader. Only works with the new iPods with dock connectors, though.
I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson
One thing I'm missing in this article is the source of the video content for this device. Is the MPAA going to let you copy your DVDs to this device? I don't think so! Are you going to be downloading multigigabyte movies over your net connection to load it up? I don't think the ISPs will be too thrilled about that.
Reference number 12 in Cringely's recent Predictions column:
...What IS guaranteed is that Apple will introduce a cheaper iPod using flash memory instead of a hard drive. Oh, and for next Christmas expect a video iPod, which is essentially a hard drive with a dedicated DV encoder/decoder and a FireWire interface...The logical follow-on from Apple would be a complete QuickTime video camera, but I don't see that until 2005."
"12)
He doesn't even mentioned this Microsoft box, which a lot of people have known about for some time now. Hmmm.
One of the main things that separates iPod from all of it's competitors is the FireWire interface. Everything else is USB2. Tinfoil hat or no, it's kind of strange how iPod is the ONLY FireWire media player.
But superior transfer speeds, reliability, and convenience (battery recharge) issues taken into account, I don't see how this new device would be more desirable, overall, if it was USB2.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
Plus: how are you going to hold a curved device comfortably long enough to watch a video? And where are you going to watch it, besides -- like you said -- flights? You can't use it for road trips...at least not in cali. And it's too expensive to use on the bus. As for on-the-go storage, the ipod already does this with an add-on. Granted, you can view your photos, at low resolution, and the premium for this is that the device is too delicate to carry in your pocket.
It seems like this is a neat proof-of-concept piece. But it's a far cry from the ipod's pervasive, use-anywhere, one-handed-operation design. The iPod was lifestyle changing because it made it easy for a lot of people to take all their music with them, and get it without much trouble. I'm afraid this thing is going to be a LOT of trouble for little value, which means it's going to be geeks-only.
Hey freaks: now you're ju
Perhaps someone can clarify this... what exactly is a "specialized" version of Windows CE? This is not meant to be an anti-Windows rant, but why would you want any sort of a Windows-like operating system on a device like this? It's not like Apple tried to shoe-horn a version of OS X onto the iPod - if they did ease of use would've gone out the window. Putting anything that remotely resembles a Pocket PC interface on this device sounds, well, stupid.
Or do they change the interface so completely that it wouldn't be recognized as Windows if you didn't already know it was underneath?
#DeleteChrome
He's a Microsoft stooge. Always bashing Apple. This is a total joke. No way is this an iPod killer.
Only someone totally brain dead would fork out $400 - $700 for a "music listening device", which is enough to assemble a reasonably nice desktop system.
My Palm Tungsten E can play video too. With a large expansion card, you could fit an hour TV show, and it plays for 4 hours before advising you to stop. And it also plays MP3's and has a very tollerable screen, even for TV shows (maybe not movies).
Make something 5x as good and twice the price... that way people buying it will feel like they're getting a bargain!
Can it not be argued that, despite the higher price, the iPod was a Rio killer, since at the time Rio was synonymous with MP3 players?
GPL Deconstructed
You might want to update your sig now that it's 2004.
I believe some sort of tech like this is available now already (I recall seing ads for "virtual monitors" that were really just small HUDs). However, the prices were VERY expensive.
Another problem that may exist, at least for commuters, is that I don't suppose the HUD thing, unless its very obtrusive, would be able to compensate adequately for the bounces of most transportation devices (perhaps thats really not that hard, but I still get seasick trying to read on cars or trains sometimes).
"There was a noticeable sense of accomplishment in his voice when he answered. First he pointed out the dominant market position achieved by the iPod. Then he noted that the iTunes store had just captured more than 80 percent of the market for legally downloaded music. "Why should we work with another music store when we're working with the Microsoft of music stores?" he asked, getting a burst of laughter from those around him."
Why is everyone so in love with Apple when they have no interested in making anything compatible with the rest of the world?
oops.
Initial vapor ware hype from Mickeysoft that's supposed to keep people on edge waiting for M$ to come up with the latest and greatest of things to rule all others.
What were your first thoughts about this?
Personally I'm at the point were I counldn't care less. These M$-twitches into markets that are ruled by others for quite some time aren't gonna pull the trick anymore. M$ is about to lose it's de-facto software monopoly and there's nothing they can do about it. New hardware gadgets or not. Remember the tablet PC hype just a year ago? Yeah, right.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
Apparently they have the technology to update back .sigs ;)
Hey freaks: now you're ju
And how long before one can play xbox games on one of these then?
If you just want to have someradio, why not just add an FM tuner to it, seems like bluetooth to interface with another device (i.e. cell phone) is a really expensive and difficult way to do this....
Also, if you wanted to do that you could just listen to the internet radio on your cell phone.
Why do people always look for the most difficult solution?
"I can see only two valuable uses for this:
1) Long flights - but how many of us have enough long flights to pay for this and don't carry a laptop along already.
2) Photo/Video storage on the go - if you take a lot of pictures, it's nice to have a device to store the data on while you are on the go."
3) Pr0n
Hard disk. Encryption-capable processor. Video-capable processor. Colour screen. Small size. Think about it...
The picture's only one possible form factor.
There are at least 3 different tablet PC form factors on the market today, there's no reason to believe that this device is any different.
There may be some with larger screens and some with smaller screens - imagine one the size of a cell phone for instance - not big enough for watching videos but just fine for showing off pictures of the kids and listening for music.
A hard drive for storing and looking at pictures? Um, probably not at this price point, given the relative expenses of the iPod or a tablet PC. Not along with MS's DRM and standards-takeover undercurrents, surely.
a GPS device, and there is Mapopolis... I already use my iPaq for that, it just seems that this has a bigger HD and a Bigger Screen.
This is meant to be a purpose-built "portable multimedia device," and the fact that we're reaching to think of the stuff it might hypothetically be good for instead means it's not hitting any sort of sweet spot there. If they meant it as a glorified PDA you can do all sorts of other stuff with, that's sure not what they're saying it is right now...
"Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
The point was, it doesn't work with any other major music store, which are all using WMA. Yeah, yeah, someone is going to point a link to an obscure indie store selling stuff in MP3. Don't bother.
nearly correct. itunes lets you burn the music to audio cd (...)
Not unless you invest considerable time and effort, and quality loss from transcoding if you want it anywhere near the original size. No other device will play AAC files (and if they did, probably not iTMS protected AAC files). Comprende?
While your points are technically correct, they're almost completely irrelevant to the topic of the original post. iTMS & iPod combo vs others.
Kjella
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
no one said that. cumshitter.
// Microsoft's iPod-Killer... ?
Nope. Sorry.
i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
...it'll be a huge success. Just like all the money Microsoft makes on the Xbox, WebTV, Slate, MSN, etc.
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
iPod does photo storage now too. There is an adapter available for reading CF cards and dumping the data from the card to the iPod.
What Future?
The Mini-iPod may be pricier than we'd like. But I know the wife will sooooo want one. :-)
But then again Apple is not a mass market company. Deal with it. Mediocrity need not apply.
Now M$ is going to play "catch up" once again while Apple rocks on.
M$ is going to listen to the market place and its thousand voices, most of which are clamoring for "cheaper," while many have no friggin' taste.
If ever the vapour-wear coalesces, it will be less than anybody wants.
MSBPodcast.com The opinions expressed here are my own. If you don't like 'em... Think up your own stuff.
embicile
That's really not a word you want to spell wrong.
The register reports that the Media Center has already been withdrawn, before it even made it to the CES Microsoft efficiency in action.
an ipod?
How is this an iPod killer? Its a huge expensive media player. How many people do you know walking around town with their little tv's? I never see it. How many people walk around listening to music? I see it all the time. I do it myself.
I know there are many who like to have a little video player. I admit it would be great waiting for my plane, but i would not spend a lot for one.
I, like many others just want to listen to music. I like to walk around watching the world around me not a video. The music, to me is like lifes sound track. I watch the cars and people go by to the beat in my ears and its wonderful. how would i get that with my face barried in a screen?
How would you ride you bike with this? Folks would be crashing their cars all over the place.
I really dont see this being as huge as people think its going to be. maybe down the road, but not now. IMO anyways.
I so want to see this new yuppie symbol go away. These guys need to add iPod to their list: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/2004/Y uppies.html
About a hundred years ago, when I used a Mac, I had a program called "Egg Timer" (or something like that). You plugged in a duration, and it counted it down. It did exactly what I wanted. Later, when I moved to Windows, I tried to find a program that did the same thing. No such luck. I found a dozen timer programs, but they were all way too complicated -- the simplest had maybe fifteen things that it could do, and either couldn't just count down and beep, or hid that function behind so many "features" that it was more trouble than it was worth to figure it out. THIS is my biggest problem with the Windows world. It seems that there is no task so simple that we can't complicate the hell out of it.
If you've never used a Macintosh (really used it, and not just dicked around with it for a few hours) you may not understand how wonderful it is to just use a program without having the software get in the way. That's why I use a Palm, and not a Pocket PC. I wanted a small computer to do a few specific things well, not a larger computer that was trying to replace my notebook.
Windows programs just seem to be overengineered to the point of being, if not useless, certainly less useful.
django
Is it going to be waterproof though?
Insightful? More like Subtle Troll if you ask me!