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."

Comments

New Feature

[Anonymous Coward]

The Blue Screen of Death has now been replaced by the Color Bar Test Pattern.

But

[pheared]

It costs 300 dollars more. And it runs Windows CEment.

Re:But

[dasmegabyte]

Windows CE is not that bad. It's also not called "Windows CE" anymore. But anyway: there are several reasons this is not an iPod killer per se. Mostly because it does not beat the iPod in any of the areas in which the iPod excels: being a very small, very light, fairly durable, tightly enclosed music device with good battery life and a nice interface. MS's stuff is going to be necessarily larger, necesarily heavier, necesarily more precarious unless they ruggedize the HELL out of those LCDs and reinforce the plastic grating over the speaker. Battery life will probably be about the same as a portable DVD player, and if the interface is anything like Pocket Media Player, it's got NOTHING on the iPod.

In short: this looks like it has exactly the same features and price point as the device I traded in for my iPod, a Toshiba PocketPC. And just like the PocketPC, it'll have limited appeal which becomes even MORE limited when Joe Q. Fancydevice realizes how hard it is to get first run movies onto it...i mean, how fast can the processor be in these things and still keep battery life?

Still, competition is good for the industry. The market pressure will force Apple to make iTunes even better (and there's room for that). But I don't think they have too much to worry about...a bigass laptop wannabe is NOT in the same league as a tiny little music device.

I don't see this working...

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:I don't see this working...

[kerrbear]

Just because it does everything does not make it valuable to consumers

Agreed,

I don't think people want a small video playing device. Listening to music is different than watching video. You can do things while you listen to music. You can shop, or do chores, or workout, etc. But to watch video, you have to stop everything you are doing and concentrate on the video.

It might be ok to once in a while show some video to somebody, but if the device has to be large, then nobody will want to carry it. This seems to be another case of gee-whiz over what people really want.

Two words:

[torpor]

porn.

pocket.

{Goodbye productivity!}

Apple are not just sitting on their asses...

[Wonderkid]

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.

Well..

[Deleriux]

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 ;).

let me guess...

[Hamlet D'Arcy]

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.

Re:Wrong Competition

[Anonymous Coward]

>>the small, sheik, audio-only iPods

The word is chic. Unless you meant to say that iPods appeal only to rich middle-easterners =)