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MSFTs "iPod Killer" Readied for Europe

rocketjam writes "Reuters reports that the first hardware to run Microsoft's "iPod Killer" software will be available in Europe in the second half of 2004. MS has been working with several manufacturers, and is expected to introduce a device which will play movies and songs as well as store digital photos through Microsoft's yet-to-be-unveiled Portable Media Center software. A spokesman said 'We think this is going to be one of the hot devices for Christmas 2004,' The players are expected to sell for between about $700 to $800. They will play MP3s as well as audio and video recorded in Microsoft's digital format. The player will be significantly larger than the iPod in order to accomodate a video screen. A Jupiter Research analyst, Mark Milligan said 'By definition, (the devices) just don't have widespread appeal', and he doubts the devices would change the consumer electronics landscape in any way."

145 of 580 comments (clear)

  1. Nice but not quite "innovative" by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    Apple Computer: (n) A primary source of ideas for Microsoft's research & development groups. See also: Muse

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's called an iBook. It's priced at 20-ish precent more than the quoted device price for this new Microsoft offering.

      It also has a bigger screen ;-)

    2. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by ptomblin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't see anybody clamouring for a portable device that plays "video AND audio in WMP format".

      Look at the huge sales of the ridiculously overpriced iPod Mini - the market wants smaller and sleeker and good looking, not huge, bulky and with too many features.

      The only "iPod killer" is going to be something that looks as cool as an iPod, holds as much, but is smaller and cheaper.

      --
      The next Cmdr Taco duplicate will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
    3. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      and probably better battery life....

    4. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by Llywelyn · · Score: 4, Informative

      Must... not... feed... troll..

      Argh!

      They got it a long time ago--that's why their OS natively supports clicks from three mouse buttons + a scroll wheel and can be programmed for more by people who make mice with more buttons. Safari even supports the middle-click as opening a new tab and Expose can be connected to any of the mouse buttons from the control panel.

      If you don't like the single button mouse then buy your own. I have a kensington studio mouse and have been very happy with it.

      --
      Integrate Keynote and LaTeX
    5. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by saden1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      At 700/800 dollars how can it possibly kill the iPod? Come on, they aren't even the same market segment. I know this and I'm not even a "Licensing Engineer." I think they should be targeting the same crowd that buys portable DVD players and such because your average Joe will expect their "iPod Killer" to STAFT for 700/800 dollars. Honestly, where do they get off? If they are smart they would be going after auto manufactures.

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      One is born into aristocracy, but mediocrity can only be achieved through hard work.
    6. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by MoneyT · · Score: 4, Informative

      There's a new driver called SideTrack which allows you to program a soft button into your trackpad. That is, you can set the physical button to either a click or right click and set a tap on teh trackpad to the opposite. It also adds scroll zones to the sides.

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      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
    7. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by Cyberllama · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I don't which specific device the article is refering to -- but most of them support divx. And there are quite a few people clamoring for a device that is both portable and plays divx. Just look at archos, they've sold well over 100,000 units of their AV300 PVP -- and with it, you have to re-encode your avis because it can't support the resolutions most are encoded at.

      That market overlaps with the ipod's market at some points, but not others. It wont' be until these devices become as small as ipods that they could really be considered "Ipod killers". So while it may be fair to say it's not an ipod killer, its not fair to say there's no market for it.

      And 3 years from now, when these things are as sleek and small as an ipod, and do everything else an ipod can do, they will defiantely be ipod killers. Of course, by then I'm sure Apple will have probably added video to the ipod anyways (cost will be significantly less an issue by then, and battery drain only increases if you actulally use it to play video).

      I personally was going to buy an ipod sometime back, but have held off deciding I might as well get something that'll do video too. I haven't jumped on the archos bandwagon because I don't want to reencode my files.

      The new PVP's based on Microsoft's OS might be good, but personally I'll probably buy whichever is the first out that is reasonably well designed and can play 640x480 divx files at 30fps. Right now I'm keeping a close eye on the Mec Station and the Tight Taz.

    8. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by ericdano · · Score: 2, Informative
      So go get a bigger iPod. Or wait a little while, and you'll be able to get the next iPod.

      I have a HUGE collection of MP3s/AACs, and I have yet to run into space problems on my 15 gig iPod...

      --
      It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
      I moderate therefore I rule!
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    9. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 2, Informative

      I used my USB Logitech Mouseman Traveller (3 buttons + scroll) quite a bit when I bought my iBook out of fear, but I eventually found the trackpad to much more usable (except for FPS games of course). I only use the USB mouse for my Inspiron 8200 notebook now. The trackpad on my Dell is no where near the quality of the iBook's trackpad.

      The thing that lots of people don't realize is that you really don't need more than 1 mouse button when using a Mac, because the programs are oriented around 1 button. Command-click is the closest thing to a right-click and works perfectly with the flow of things since your left hand is already on the keyboard. The Mac interface is all about the Command button first, and the pointing interface second...IMO anyway.

    10. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by ultramk · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Look at the huge sales of the ridiculously overpriced iPod Mini - the market wants smaller and sleeker and good looking, not huge, bulky and with too many features.

      Don't forget the best part of the iPod: the interface. It's a work of minimal art. 4 buttons. wheel. I've never had to show anyone how to use it when they want to look at it. it's intuitive. how much new technology can we say that about?

      Also, I just don't understand how someone can call something overpriced that is so popular that it's nearly impossible to get ahold of one. (trust me, I've been trying to order one for my brother-in-law's graduation) If there were selling it for $150, they would be making $100 less profit on each and every one, and since they are selling as many as they can make, that would be millions of dollars just *gone*. For Apple's shareholders, it's priced *just right*.

      This also means that they can drop the price by $50 this fall after the people willing to pay $250 are satisfied, and capture another whole market segment. or keep the price point and increase the capabilities.

      Marketing 101: If you can sell it for $10, what is to be gained by selling it for $5?

      Of course, if by "overpriced", you mean, "costs more than I am willing to pay for what it is", that's different. Of course, that's a subjective thing.

      It'll have to be more than cheaper and smaller and cooler looking to kill the iPod: it would have to work better, and be easier to use. No one has managed that, and I for one would be very surprised if Apple wasn't able to keep up.

      m-

      --
      You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
    11. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by Spellbinder · · Score: 3, Informative

      linux runs on a ipod!!!
      so why????

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      stop supporting microsoft with pirating their software!!!!!
    12. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by dasmegabyte · · Score: 4, Insightful

      WHY?

      For $700 to $800, you could get a FUCKING AWESOME device that was a similar size but had better processor speed, better input options, better everything. I mean, there are SONY laptops that are about this size, with keyboards. This is about what you'd pay for a sweet 802.11b palmtop and a big CF hard disk to go with it. Things with which you could ACTUALLY USE WITHOUT A LOT OF HASSLES, installing Linux or not.

      But instead, you'd prefer to buy a multimedia device, REMOVE the multimedia subsystem, and try and write your own?

      That's nuts man. I love working on cars, and I like that I can customize my communter sedan if I want to, but I wouldn't go buy a new car with the intent of ripping out the engine and building my own engine from scratch. Seems to me you'd be better off buying an OLDER (read: cheaper) car and doing your restorations on that. Or buying the NEWER device, and just using it as is without putting in several hundred hours of work to get back to where you started from.

      I just don't understand it. Oh no -- maybe I'm not a nerd anymore! What'll I do with all these ThinkGeek T-shirts?

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    13. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by GatorMan · · Score: 2

      Look at the huge sales of the ridiculously overpriced iPod Mini

      Since when is a product whose internals, seperately, are worth more than the final product 'overpriced'? Try to find a 4GB flash card, 8 hour battery, LCD, and anodized aluminum block for less than $250. And we've left out the cost of R&D on the unit and the software (which is the best there is ATM). You bore me.

    14. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by mgoff · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Marketing 101: If you can sell it for $10, what is to be gained by selling it for $5?

      Marketing 201: Sometimes you can make more profit by selling more units at a lower price.

    15. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by nehril · · Score: 4, Insightful

      content will be an issue for these video devices. with music, you have folks with large cd collections with a rip-time of a few minutes per cd. apple added the itunes music service so theres more ways to get stuff to put on the iPod. And most people *like* listening to their favorite songs multiple times, and you can do that while doing something else.

      but what will you put on your "video pod" ? ripping a dvd takes a lot of time and disk space, and there's no movie I like so much that I want to carry it around with me all the time and watch it over and over again. You could trawl the net for tv episodes, but there's really no legal way to get them, they're encoded in a bazillion different codec combos and most importantly, how many times will anybody watch the same Seinfeld episode?

      I guess the new wave of tv season->dvds is a potential source, but whereas you can listen to music at work or walking down the street or whenever, watching TV is not as workable.

      I'm sure there'll be a few thousand folks who will buy a bigger, heavier, expensive unslick brick with crap battery life for the sake of showing their friends movie trailers... over and over again.

      now, when you get the Itunes Video Service going, and I can easily download a set of seinfeld episodes quickly, cheaply and reliably encoded, then... well then still maybe not. there are some hurdles to cross before anything like this "kills" the ipod, or even challenges mp3 players as a whole.

    16. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by ultramk · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Marketing 201: Sometimes you can make more profit by selling more units at a lower price.

      Not when they are selling as many as they can make. That's the point.

      m-

      --
      You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
    17. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by nojomofo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      t wont' be until these devices become as small as ipods that they could really be considered "Ipod killers"

      I don't think that anybody wants a video device as small as an ipod. What, a 1" screen or something? These will always be entirely different segments.

    18. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by Cyberllama · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You could fit a 3 inch or larger screen on an ipod. Remember screensize goes by diagnol not by length or width. A 3 inch screen is bigger than you'll find on MOST portable tvs.

      So now imagine this: You have two devices. Both are the same size. They both play the same mp3 files with the same battery playback. One has a nice large color screen for file lists and can also use that screen to playback video files or display pictures directly from your digital camera. It costs 50 dollars more than the other unit. Which one will you buy?

      It's just a matter of waiting for the technology to catch up a bit so that the cost and size both decrease enough to make video a standard feature . . . give it 3 years or so and it'll happen.

    19. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by Cyberllama · · Score: 2, Informative

      Or, to put my argument another way, tell me you don't want one of these.

      I know I'd knock down my own grandmother to buy one of those. Granted it's just a mock up and the technology might not all be here yet, but you have to admit that's way better than a normal ipod.

      No one's suggesting you're gonna watch movies while jogging. While jogging, you'll leave the screen off to save battery and just listen to music. But next time you're on a long plane flight or you're killing time away from home, you can bust that baby out and watch that episode of the Simpsons you tivoed but never got around to.

    20. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by javaxman · · Score: 4, Informative
      Portable DVD players cost half as much. Even ones which have 'extra' features like the ability to play MP3 and audio CDs.

      Just one example

      So why would I buy this $700 thing? So I can spend time uploading video and audio to it to remove the inconvenience of carrying around a folder of disks?

      I just don't get it... and neither does M$ or any hardware company that thinks this Media Player thingie is in even remotely the same category as the iPod Mini.

    21. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by harlows_monkeys · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Yeah, and the Archos has sold fewer in the year or so it's been on the market than the iPod Mini has sold in the few weeks it's been on the market. Not least because it's heavy, bulky, has a horrible interface, and it's UGLY

      Gosh, a $900 video player sells less than a $250 audio player? Who would have expected that? Wow!

    22. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by harlows_monkeys · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Look at the huge sales of the ridiculously overpriced iPod Mini - the market wants smaller and sleeker and good looking, not huge, bulky and with too many features

      I suspect that the iPod Mini is selling as a fashion item that happens to double as a music player, rather than selling on its merits as a music player.

      Think of it as the Rolex of music players.

    23. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by JamieF · · Score: 3, Insightful

      >"99 cent" stores struggle.

      No, they struggle because everything they have sucks. Haven't you even been in one? It's not a matter of merchandise that lacks famous logos... it's just crap.

    24. Re:Nice but not quite "innovative" by JamieF · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ...and then when you actually try to use it you'll find that ripping DVDs to 3" size takes a half hour per movie, and that the reason the portable movie player only costs $50 more is that it maxes out at 8 fps because it has the same embedded CPU as the audio-only player, and that the battery only lasts 15 minutes because the audio player could power down the drive during songs but the video player can't, plus the color LCD takes lots more power than than the B/W one.

      In reality, that $50 more color AV player with crappy battery life would never be put on the market, and instead it would cost $300 more and have a much better CPU and battery and would also be a PDA (since that costs almost nothing extra once you have all that hardware), and it's already for sale today from PalmOne and Sony and HPaq and Dell etc. etc.

  2. Different Market by druske · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm not sure with that high of a price (about $670-$810 US) and the additional size (3X as thick, twice as long!) that this thing qualifies as an "iPod killer" in any real sense; they're playing for an entirely different market segment. It seems like a very small niche to me.

    Give 'em a couple of versions, maybe they'll get it right and the market will materialize. I wouldn't bet on it though. "More TV, more often" isn't a big hole in my life, anyway...

    1. Re:Different Market by jeblucas · · Score: 5, Funny

      They mean "iPod Killer" in that if you took one of these and whacked an iPod with it, the iPod would die.

      --
      blarg.
    2. Re:Different Market by Old+Uncle+Bill · · Score: 2, Informative

      Definitely, and Archos is not exactly selling these things like hotcakes.

      --
      Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
    3. Re:Different Market by d'fim · · Score: 5, Insightful

      For that price, one could get a low-end laptop.

      --
      Adherence to the truth is a form of disloyalty.
    4. Re:Different Market by I+am+Kobayashi · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree. Isn't this just taking the concept of "bloatware" to the digital media player hardware market?

      There is a reason why iPods are so popular: they are relatively inexpensive, they are small and portable, and they do what the user wants them to do well: play music.

      I am with the Jupitar analyst, I just don't see a market for this (especially against the iPod) unless the price goes down to iPod levels....

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      --Kobayashi--
    5. Re:Different Market by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 4, Funny
      They mean "iPod Killer" in that if you took one of these and whacked an iPod with it, the iPod would die.

      Hell, my money would be on the iPod...

      --

      Obliteracy: Words with explosions

    6. Re:Different Market by Frymaster · · Score: 5, Insightful
      they're playing for an entirely different market segment.

      my question is "what market segment would that be?" people who want to pay almost as much as the cost of a laptop for significantly less functionality and a marginally smaller size? people who want to watch movies while jogging?

      this beast reminds me of the newton. lots of features but too damn big and clunky. of course newton had the saving grace of being the first to market...

    7. Re:Different Market by forrestt · · Score: 5, Funny

      Let me guess. You've used Microsoft products in the past?

    8. Re:Different Market by HrothgarReborn · · Score: 2, Funny

      3X as thick, twice as long!

      Come on that 6 times as much device for only twice the price. Pound for pound Microsoft wins hands down.

    9. Re:Different Market by EndlessNameless · · Score: 4, Funny

      ::: For that price, one could get a low-end laptop.:::

      Which also comes nicely packaged with a set of CTRL + ALT + DELETE keys.

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      According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
    10. Re:Different Market by Simon+Carr · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Heh, I suggest a perfectly working, but used 12" iBook[1].

      Actually I'm starting to "not get" this thing, even if it is aimed at a totally different market. I mean they've got to know the size of the prototype is prohibitive to coolness. They shouldn't have even shown it. Where are people going to carry this thing around in this day and age when most electronics are the size of a deck of cards at a maximum? I'd almost be embarrased pulling out that prototype to show photos or video. Imagine being in an airport or something with that. I can pull out the Clie[1] anywhere no sweat, I couldn't say the same with this cinderblock.

      And all that needs to happen to rip this thing a new one is a PalmOS device with one of those new super-micro HDs. They can already do everything advertised by this, all they need is storage. Hell WinCE devices can do this, and are smaller. Ahh! What's the deal with this thing? Now it's like some sort of unsolvable riddle that I don't want the solution to...

      [1]: Yes, I'm both an Apple and Sony Clie fanboy.

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      -- The unsig...
    11. Re:Different Market by radish · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For what they do (and what they are) iPods are extremely expensive. Like all Apple hardware, you pay for the design (which is undoubtably nice) and the "cool" factor (helped by the marketing people). If fashion is more important to you than value and/or functionality then iPods are great (and I'm not criticising, some people value fashion highly and I have no problem with that). But if you want something which just plays music well, is functional, and is much better value, you should look else where.

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    12. Re:Different Market by sfraggle · · Score: 5, Funny

      There are some photos of Microsoft's new offering here :)

      --
      were you expecting to see a sig here? perhaps you'd rather see the inside of an ambulance!
    13. Re:Different Market by Mondoz · · Score: 5, Insightful
      It's the Palm OS / WinCE battle all over again.

      The users want a PDA, so they pack in every feature they can think of and bump the price through the roof...

      If the iPod is a good product as just an MP3 player, then if we jam in a video player, word processor, fishing tackle box, and dog whistle, then it's got to be a better product...

      Such Deja Vu from the PDA wars...

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      /sig
    14. Re:Different Market by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 3, Insightful

      really?

      299 for an iPod...the bottom of the market is 250 for HDD players...that is not expensive at all, for the market.....

      now, you might think that all HDD players are expensive for what they do, but that is the market price point, so live with it.

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      I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
    15. Re:Different Market by cheide · · Score: 2, Insightful

      > Besides, how many people keep Windows Media files?

      I have to admit I used to, briefly. On devices where you're limited to choosing between WMA and MP3 and with little memory available, WMA sounded better than MP3 did at the really low bitrates. (Disclaimer: To my ears, anyway.)

      Other formats can do well at the low end too (insert obligatory Ogg debate here), but the choice might not be available.

    16. Re:Different Market by dasmegabyte · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Of course, the problem with your assessment is this:

      Back when WinCE devices were substantially larger and more expensive than Palm Devices, Palm outsold them.

      But now that Pocket PCs are comparably priced and sized, they outsell the PalmOS stuff. Because you can do a lot more with the Pocket PC.

      PalmOS is trying to catch up, feature wise, but since PocketPC has had things like multimedia and wireless for a lot longer, they work better than they do on the PalmOS. They don't seem as clunky. And therefore PalmOS is in a tight spot, playing catch up.

      The demand was always there. MS pushed their devices out before they were cost effective, and by doing so, a lot of really great software was written.

      It could be they're doing the same in this market. On the other hand, they could also be making another AutoPC...

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    17. Re:Different Market by jsebrech · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think microsoft is annoyed with the ipod's success. The ipod doesn't play windows media, so it completely circumvents microsoft's attempt to become the standard in media compression. Microsoft has tried to get wmv and wma support into everything they can (it's even included in the new dvd standard), but none of those devices come close to being as appealing as the ipod. I highly doubt apple will be able to win unless the EU trial forces MS to open up windows media, since wmv and wma are literally everywhere but the ipod. However, the ipod is a credible threat to MS nevertheless, so they must keep people from buying it. Saying they have an ipod killer coming out Real Soon Now is an excellent way of achieving that. MS always promises a soon to be released product will be the answer to everyone's woes, so people wait, and wait, and wait.

    18. Re:Different Market by k_head · · Score: 2, Interesting

      When they say "ipod killer" they know the media will swallow it without thinking and write all kinds of stories about how the days of ipod are numbered and how apple is dying.

      So far their plan is working brilliantly.

      --
      The best way to support the US war effort is to continue buying American products.
    19. Re:Different Market by laird · · Score: 3, Interesting

      "now that Pocket PCs are comparably priced and sized, they outsell the PalmOS stuff"

      Actually, according to Gartner data comparing 2Q02 and 2Q03 (http://www3.gartner.com/5_about/press_releases/pr 15aug2003b.jsp) it looks like Palm's worldwide market share is growing (30.5% to 38%), as is Sony's (10.3% to 11%), while the WinCE licensees' market shares dropped, HP from 15.9% to 15.3%, and 'others' (including Dell) from 41.2% to 30.4%. RIM also grew from 2.1% to 5.3%.

      In the US, Palm is more dominant, growing from 40.5% to 46.7%, while Sony shrank slightly, from 13.1% to 12.1%. RIM went from 3.1% to 7.3%, leaving all of the WinCE licensees dropping from43.3% to 33.9%.

      So while Palm is doing very well so far, it's always possible that the next version of WinCE turns out to be easy to use, reliable and efficient. But since MS is still stuck with the "Windows everywhere" approach instead of the "sell the best possible product for the market" approach, I think they'll be stuck in second place for a while yet.

    20. Re:Different Market by Durandal64 · · Score: 2, Interesting
      There's no doubt that Apple spent a lot on product design for the iPod, and like I said, it's a pretty thing. But has it really changed all that much in the last few years? That initial cost has been paid for many many times over by now. If a company like Rio can produce something like the Karma which is quite different in form factor, and many would argue also quite attractive, and sell it for so much less, then why can't Apple?
      Capacity has increased, and the unit has gotten smaller and been redesigned with touch-sensitive controls instead of physical buttons. That doesn't come cheaply.
      The answer is that they can, they just don't have to. Their marketing is so good that people are happy to pay $400 for a 20gb iPod. Why would they sell it for less? This makes perfect sense - they're making the bucks now before the market matures and prices drop across the board. If I were an Apple shareholder I'd support this, but as a potential customer, it puts me right off.
      Why? You may not think it's worth $400, but as a Mac user, I can tell you that it's the best $400 I've ever spent. The iPod makes it easy to carry large files around with me, along with my entire music collection, and it integrates with my system painlessly. I just plugged it in, and BAM. It was ready to go. I haven't been fawning for Ogg Vorbis or FLAC support, or lamenting about my inability to connect it to an ethernet port. I've been too busy enjoying the fact that it's made my life easier.
      You can compare it with Windows XP - there's a huge upfront cost to produce the software, and then very low per unit costs. But at a retail of $300 you can bet that upfront dev cost was paid off a long time ago. Why don't they now reduce the cost to just $20 to cover duplication and distribution? Because they don't have to. People are wowed by the flashy colours and marketing and pony up the cash in ever increasing numbers. Many consumers don't even realise they have a choice in O/S. This is why they have a license to print money, regardless of the fact that better (and cheaper) alternatives exist. This is exactly what is happening with Apple and the iPod. I have no problem with people buying whatever mp3 player they want, but someone who harps about choice, freedom, etc and then goes sheep-like to the Apple store for an iPod is somewhat hypocritical in my book.
      So people who talk about freedom of choice exercising their freedom of choice by not choosing your preferred choice are hypocrites? Ever thought that some people may just think that it's the best digital music player on the market, and are willing to pony up the extra cash for it?
  3. Sloppy editing... by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 4, Funny
    Reuters reports that the first hardware to run Microsoft's "iPod Killer" software will be available in Europe in the second half of 2004...The players are expected to sell for between about $700 to $800. They will play MP3s as well as audio and video recorded in Microsoft's digital format. The player will be significantly larger than the iPod in order to accomodate a video screen.

    There's a typo in the article. "N-Gage Killer" is misspelled.

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

    1. Re:Sloppy editing... by Chess_the_cat · · Score: 4, Funny

      N-Gage killer? You mean it isn't dead yet?

      --
      Support the First Amendment. Read at -1
    2. Re:Sloppy editing... by forrestt · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Is that what Piccard was saying all these years...

      "N-Gage..."

    3. Re:Sloppy editing... by Llywelyn · · Score: 4, Funny

      I thought the official N-Gage killer was N-Gage...

      --
      Integrate Keynote and LaTeX
  4. So, basically... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's an expensive low end laptop with few features? Wow, look out world!

  5. not an ipod killer by mlong · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't think the ipod needs to worry about any competition from this. People buying an ipod aren't going to pay a lot more for a device that is alot heavier, bigger, and plays movies in microsoft's proprietary format. Not to mention I have yet to see microsoft come out with anything that is elegant and easy to use.

    --
    //m
    1. Re:not an ipod killer by Hello+this+is+Linus · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I bought an iPod, and I probably would buy this, if I wasn't saving up for a laptop. Microsoft's Media Center version of Windows XP is easy to use, and it does look pretty good. If the portable Media Center is anything like the Media Center version of XP then I would buy it.

      --
      Hello, this is Linus Torvalds, and I pronounce Linux as Linux!
    2. Re:not an ipod killer by Total_Wimp · · Score: 3, Insightful
      People buying an ipod aren't going to pay a lot more for a device that is alot heavier, bigger, and plays movies in microsoft's proprietary format...
      This is actually a great opportunity for Apple. Now they can come up with something smaller and lighter that uses their own proprietary format (plus a few others) and they can clean up.

      TW

      Think about it: the iPod wasn't new, it was just smaller and better. Now Bill is giving Apple the exact playing field they need in order to show up the competition. Bravo.
    3. Re:not an ipod killer by Random+BedHead+Ed · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Agreed. This is another example of Microsoft "fishing" for a new market. XBox, XP Media Center and other ventures also exemplify this.

      Microsoft is rarely successful, at least in the short term. The XBox, for example, is popular enough, but not yet profitable. Microsoft is still a two-product show - with Windows and Office. And the Office monopoly is dependent upon the Windows monopoly.

      Maybe these will catch on, maybe not. But I don't see any way they could kill the iPod, since the target audience and price range are distinctly different.

    4. Re:not an ipod killer by jazman_777 · · Score: 2, Funny
      I bought an iPod, and I probably would buy this, if I wasn't saving up for a laptop. Microsoft's Media Center version of Windows XP is easy to use, and it does look pretty good. If the portable Media Center is anything like the Media Center version of XP then I would buy it.

      That sure is a long way to say, "I'll buy anything!"

      --
      Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
  6. idiots by prockcore · · Score: 5, Insightful

    an ipod killer would have to be cheaper than an ipod.

    It seems that MS is using the same tactics that failed for all the gameboy competitors. Try and add a billion features, and price yourself right out of the market.

    1. Re:idiots by Kenja · · Score: 3, Interesting
      "an ipod killer would have to be cheaper than an ipod."

      No, it just has to offer better value. For me my USB pen MP3 player is an iPod killer since it offers more of what I want for a better price. I dont WANT to carry around more music then I can listen to. I also dont want a player with moving parts.

      --

      "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  7. iPod Killer my arse! by jwthompson2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I like my iPod because it packs a lot of storage in a small package and I don't want to watch video on a stinkin' handheld, that is why I tote my powerbook around. This idea seems plain old dumb to me, but I guess if it is competition it is good for consumers but just strikes me as a dumb idea that I'm not going to consider buying, especially at twice the price of an iPod.

    --
    Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. -Martin Luther
  8. Christmas gift??? by SoCalChris · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Who gives a $700-$800 Christmas gift? I know a few people might get their spouse or children somethign like that, but the vast majority give gifts far smaller than that.

    And besides, for that price you could get a laptop.

    1. Re:Christmas gift??? by grub · · Score: 3, Funny


      Who gives a $700-$800 Christmas gift?

      Martha Stewart to her cellmate "Bertha"?

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    2. Re:Christmas gift??? by PhoenixOne · · Score: 3, Funny
      High level Microsoft employees? ;)

      --
      Spell cheek you've failed me four the last thyme!
  9. iPod killer by eXtro · · Score: 5, Funny

    At 2X the price and 6X the volume the only way it'll be an iPod killer is if you use it like a brick to smash an iPod. This sounds like the Saturday Night Live skit where the hipper you were the bigger your cellphone was.

  10. Nope, try again. by Omni+Magnus · · Score: 2

    At $700 to $800, I do not think that this will be a Ipod killer. I am also willing to bet that this will not have crap for battery life, and not be near as portable.

  11. This kinda makes me think of the gamegear by Moocowsia · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Anyone remember this thing? It was fairly large but you could get a TV tuner for it. Sounds kinda like the next step up.

    --
    Moo!
  12. And people complain about Apple... by ivan256 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    People always complain about Apple, but does Microsoft make anything that's not overpriced? Hardware, software, it doesn't matter. It all costs too much for what it is. $700 for one of these things? Even those little portable DVD players are down in the $300 range now.

  13. archos av320 by Cheeze · · Score: 5, Informative

    it's already been done in a smaller package. the Archos av320 is already available and works pretty well.

    --
    Why read the article when I can just make up a snap judgement?
  14. no thanks... by revmoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They will play MP3s as well as audio and video recorded in Microsoft's digital format.

    What Microsoft apparently doesn't realize is that customers aren't going to spend $7-800 on a device only to have to convert every divx and xvid movie they have over to microsoft's proprietary format. Time really is money in this case, and it's just not worth it to have to spend days/weeks converting movie files.

    --
    I would expect such blatant racism on Fark, but on Slashdot? Mods please ban this asshole.
    1. Re:no thanks... by LetterJ · · Score: 2, Interesting

      How are you ripping CDs? I use ExactAudioCopy+LAME and it takes no more than 2 mouse clicks and about a minute to rip and queue up the encoding. That means that I can rip 10 CDs in about 10 minutes. Granted, it will take a while longer to do the encoding, but that sits in the background. And, they're named appropriately and encoded to alt-preset-standard quality with playlists and all dumped into my music library.

      Basically, an entire album's worth of high quality MP3 can be had for the low, low price of 2 overly loud car sales commercials on FM radio.

  15. Sucks to be apple by superpulpsicle · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is it me or is M$ forever obsessed with trying to 1-up Apple.

    It's like Apple can't dominate any market for any lengthy period of time.

    As an underdog Apple should learn to "Make their products affordable until they dominate the market".

  16. Not quite a skiller by fembots · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's not quite in the same target market, as it plays movies, stores photos, and most importantly it is FATTER than iPod (roughly three times as thick as an iPod and roughly twice as long ).

    It's like callling an elephant a pet killer because it can carry luggages, push start your car etc, which your normal domestic pets like dogs, cats cannot do.

    1. Re:Not quite a skiller by CrazyTrashCanHead · · Score: 2, Funny

      Althought the elephant would have a way better claim to the title because it could actually kill pets.

  17. Ipod Killer? by medscaper · · Score: 4, Funny
    Don't believe the hype.

    The "Ipod Killer" is just a Microsoft employee named Ted who steals people Ipods.

    Then stomps on them.

    --
    Any sufficiently well-organized Government is indistinguishable from bullshit.
  18. Well, if they flop, it's a new hackable toy for us by viking099 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Maybe this will turn out like the Netpliance i-Opener, and we'll get a nifty little machine we can hack to do whatever we like. If it's going to play movies, it'll probably have a decent (4") screen, and it should have a competent processor in it, even if the video decompression is all hardware.

    At the least it could be used as a remote mp3 player/picture frame/clock/bedside movie machine.

  19. The only way this could kill an iPod is.. by smcavoy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    by beating the iPod with the MS device.
    twice as long, 3x thicker? Doesn't exactly sound like a device I can put in my pocket and go.... and I don't do hip pouches....

  20. Been Done by Keighvin · · Score: 2, Informative

    Archos has been doing this for some time, at half the cost with open formats compatible with multiple platforms. I personally have one of their first video capable models, the Jukebox Multimedia 20gb, and use it on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows - same files for audio and video, no DRM other than common sense and respect.

    --
    Any spoon would be too big.
  21. Has anyone seen teh leaked pics of this thing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I know a guy who knows a guy, and I managed to get one leaked photo.

  22. My questions by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The idea itself isn't a totally bad one - at a lower price, I could consider getting one for my kids for long drives or some such. (Then again, by the time they're old enough for me to do that, an iBook at nearly the same price will have the same effect.)

    But my questions are these:

    1. It plays movies in WMV and audio in WMA. So where am I going to get the WMV movies? WIll I be able to stick a DVD into my computer (assuming I want to get a Windows box, of course) and have it ripped to a format that the device can use? Or am I relying on having some other system (like a Tivo) to record TV shows and let me get that video on my device that way?

    And if I have to rip the movies myself with an unofficial DVD, will I still go to jail/get fined?

    2. Battery power? I'm seeing 3 hours - seriously? iPod killer with 3 hours of battery power? That's like the Sega handheld devices that were going to kill the Gameboy with 3 hours battery power.

    3. TV out? Suppose I do pick it up and put movies on it so when I'm at a friend's house we can watch something. Can I have a TV-out so we don't have to scrunch around a tiny little screen?

    Just a few thoughts. I'm sure there are more. Again, I'm not saying this is a bad idea, but I have serious reservations before spending $500 - $800 of my cash. I already spent $300 on an iPod....

    1. Re:My questions by MyFourthAccount · · Score: 2, Informative
      These are silly questions:

      1. It plays movies in WMV and audio in WMA. So where am I going to get the WMV movies? ... snip ...

      And if I have to rip the movies myself with an unofficial DVD, will I still go to jail/get fined?


      No, with this device that will be just fine. It comes with an agreement that will make any previously illegal activity now legal.
      [/sarcasm]

      RTFA:
      To that end, Microsoft is busy assembling media partners to provide content including movies, music videos and news. It has signed up music label EMI (EMI.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and digital music outfit Napster (ROXI.O: Quote, Profile, Research)


      2. Battery power? I'm seeing 3 hours - seriously? iPod killer with 3 hours of battery power? That's like the Sega handheld devices that were going to kill the Gameboy with 3 hours battery power.

      What's the question?

      Where in the article did you read 3 hours?

      3. TV out? Suppose I do pick it up and put movies on it so when I'm at a friend's house we can watch something. Can I have a TV-out so we don't have to scrunch around a tiny little screen?

      RTFA:
      It has a USB port and comes with audio and video outputs cable to play media on a television or stereo hi-fi.
  23. Two words: on crack by sootman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'd like to have a portable video-playing thingie as much as the next guy, but they are trying to squeeze into an incredibly small niche here: people who are willing to spend $800 on something larger than an iPod, but who don't want to spend the same amount of money on a DVD-playing laptop. Any larger than an iPod and you're quickly getting out of the fits-in-the-pocket category. What are they aiming for, the fits-in-a-glovebox market?

    --
    Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  24. iPod Killer... by nickgrieve · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ha ha, yeah, right. Just like how IE was going to be "the Netscape Killer"... feh...

  25. Explain to me again... by johnlcallaway · · Score: 4, Informative

    Why would I spend $700 for something that is bigger and heavier than my $300 Sony Clie?? It plays MP3s and videos. (I love showing people Golem accepting the MTV award.)

    I can get several CDs on an 128MB memory stick and play them in my car using an RF adapter. The MS product does provides more disk space for video, but with the recent advances in micro drives, it's only a matter of time until they start becoming more common in PDAs.

    I thought MS was supposed to be better at creating loss leaders <cough> XBox </cough >

    --
    I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
  26. Let me be the first to say by unassimilatible · · Score: 2, Funny
    That I will utter a Monty Burns-esque, evil laugh when a Linux hack for this is published.

    --
    Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
  27. Is it just me... by inode_buddha · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ... or does "Portable Media Center" software just not roll off the tongue like "iPod"? Actually I'm wondering why I even care; I do OK either way on Linux.

    --
    C|N>K
  28. Why not buy a laptop? by Nacar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    For the price of this thing, why not spend a little extra money and buy a laptop with a Centrino or equivilant processor??

    It's not like the "iPod Killer" will fit nicely in your pocket anyway, so why not splurge and have all the features of a ultra-mobile laptop.

    My 2 cents

    1. Re:Why not buy a laptop? by johnpaul191 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      i agree... for $800 and something bigger than an ipod why not jump to a subnotebook......?
      like i really want to watch Kill Bill on a 4" LCD on the subway... or browse pictures of my trip to Las Vegas...... no thanks.
      running around with your own audio is like having a personal soundtrack to your activities. watching a mini screen is an activity of its own. i'm not saying this device has NO market, but it's not the same as an audio device (iPod or any other). why do people think audio is the poorman's video? someone needs to escape the cube sometime and live life.

  29. Wheel Mice by Planesdragon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not to mention I have yet to see microsoft come out with anything that is elegant and easy to use.

    Check out MS's hardware department sometime, specifically their mice.

    There's a reason why the only real players in hardware anymore are Logitech and Microsoft.

  30. iPod Killer? Don't make me laugh! by Llywelyn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The players are expected to sell for between about $700 to $800. They will play MP3s as well as audio and video recorded in Microsoft's digital format. The player will be significantly larger than the iPod in order to accomodate a video screen.

    These things appeal to a different market (entirely!). Apple decided to make the iPod mini to take aim at the market that wanted a player even smaller than the iPod. They want an mp3 player--not something that will slice bread. This thing is huge and expensive when compared to other mp3 players--which is the only market that the iPod attempts to compete in.

    Call this a "portable movie player" that's "aiming to repeat the iPod's success in a different market," but calling it an "iPod Killer" is a horrible misnomer. I seriously doubt that anyone would consider one of these things in lieu of an iPod.

    --
    Integrate Keynote and LaTeX
  31. no push news please, bernie by Dun+Malg · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Microsoft's Bernard envisaged a scenario where the owner of a Portable Media Center gadget would be able to store hours of their favorite music and movies on the device. They could then download from a news-oriented Web site a round-up of the day's news to watch on the train.

    When will these guys get it through their thick skulls that people don't want to watch pre-recorded news programs on TV. They have to stop trying to get it to be a "TV newspaper".

    --
    If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
  32. Size matters! by tjwhaynes · · Score: 2, Insightful
    For me, PDAs, MP3 & Ogg players and all other forms of personal electronic equipment have one important consideration above pretty much everything else.

    Size.

    If it doesn't fit comfortably in a pocket, sit nicely in my hand or it weighs too much, it isn't going to be bought at pretty much any price. I don't care if I can watch DVDs projected onto the wall from it and it only cost $100 - if it doesn't fit in my pocket, it's not going to be carried around with me on my person. If I need something more capable than my existing small gadgets, it'll probably be my laptop (carried around in a backpack) which sports considerably more function than any standalone piece of consumer electronics and costs a similar amount to the proposed "iPod killer".

    Cheers,

    Toby Haynes

    --
    Anything I post is strictly my own thoughts and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the opinions of IBM.
  33. Yeah, right! by iiioxx · · Score: 4, Funny

    The only iPod killer the boys from Redmond could come up with would be a Microsoft-branded claw hammer (retailing for $149.95 most likely).

  34. Re:Yet another story ripped from Yahoo! by jfengel · · Score: 4, Informative

    Slashdot is more a point-of-view than a news gathering organization. This story originated at Reuters, which is a news gathering organization.

    Slashdot is more like your local newspaper: it takes stories from a variety of locations (often wire services) which are relevant to you (determined by geography in the case of your local newspaper, or technical interest in the case of Slashdot). Yahoo does the same, but it's pretty catholic in its tastes. Slashdot gets its stories from a variety of sources: wire reports (often via other media), journals, blogs, press releases, and sometimes just people finding out interesting web sites (though that hardly counts as nes most of the time)

    In all likelihood, the story originated as a press release from Microsoft, rewritten by Reuters into a news article, and then rewritten again as a Slashdot story. Slashdot adds very little: a bit of commentary, and sub-categorizations (Microsoft, Music, Business, Media).

    The commentary is biased, but you wanted it biased: you came here for the Slashdot-esque view of things. You could read the Reuters feed yourself, but you'll probably read a lot of stuff you don't care about. You could even subscribe to get the press releases directly, but you'd really hate that.

  35. My review by mst76 · · Score: 4, Funny

    No wireless. Larger and more expensive than an ipod. Lame.

  36. Who would buy it? by Perl-Pusher · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At $800 and larger than the ipod, who would want it? I've seen dvd players with LCD screens that also play cd's for less. So maybe thats the reason you don't see an apple media center that plays video in MS's proprietary format. No market! But I can store 2 dvd's worth of movies in most formats in my ipod and connect it to my ibook and play them with mplayer for OSX anytime, anywhere I choose, plus play my 500+ songs I've ripped from my CD collection.

  37. Re:Ipod Killer? by DjMd · · Score: 5, Funny

    Good news is Apple is working on a "Ted Killer".
    It's a big guy named Steve who stops Ted.

    Seriously MS is smoking something when they call their new bomb an Ipod killer.
    It won't have firewire, it will have excessive DRM lockdowns and won't handle Ogg.
    Oh and it costs more. great.

    --
    DJMD - The fourth man - Planetary
  38. Yeah, that'll sell! by El · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So, it only costs twice as much as the Archos players that are already out and that already have the same capabilities! I can't wait!

    --

    "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

  39. For that price . . . by subjectstorm · · Score: 2, Informative

    for the $700 - $800 price tag, you could buy:

    a portable dvd player price = $200

    a gba sp platinum and games price = $150

    an i-pod price = $300

    and still have enough cash left to buy some new shoes and a crapload of quesadillas . . . if you're into that sort of thing.

    --
    ** Chigusaaa!!! You're the coolest girl in the WORLD!!! **
  40. ipdod is dying! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Apple Computer : "Proudly going out of business for twenty-seven years"!

  41. In fairness by Nakito · · Score: 3, Informative

    In fairness, I see nothing in the article to indicate that Microsoft itself is the source of the term "iPod Killer." Yes, the phrase appears in quotation marks, but only in the reporter's text. It does not appear in the verbatim quotes from the Microsoft representative. The term may be be the reporter's own invention. Microsoft's marketing department is usually more sophisticated than this, since the term obviously sets them up for a fall.

    1. Re:In fairness by ElGanzoLoco · · Score: 2, Interesting


      Of course not! In some european countries (was the case in France until recently) it was forbidden to mention a competitor's product / name / brand in your own advertisements or statements. IOW, "Comparative advertising" is forbidden.

      This is why Europe never got the Pepsi vs. Coke ads...

      --
      Hello! I'm a disaster waiting to happen!
  42. iPod killer? Honestly... by Xaroth · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Not at $700-$800. I can buy a smallish laptop that does the same thing for less. Heck - I could go hit eBay for a Toshiba Libretto and probably fare better than that.

    While the economics probably aren't in their favor on this, if they wanted to make it an "iPod killer", the price would have to be significantly less than the iPod just to make up the difference from Apple's name recognition, and the size of this beast.

    Sell the exact same piece of hardware for $150, and we'll talk about iPod slaying.

  43. Re:welll, yes, a laptop-but by El · · Score: 4, Informative

    For $778, you could have gotten a Dell notebook with a 40GB drive ($699 for 20GB).

    --

    "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

  44. You won't by mdfst13 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The obvious answer is that you won't pay $700 to get something that big for that much money.

    Microsoft will eventually realize this and cut the price to the $400-$500 range (or possibly further). Just like they cut XBox prices from $300 (about breaking even) to $200 (lose $100 per unit). Of course, they may not continue producing them after that, as I don't know that they get the same benefit from this that they do from the XBox (the unit loses money, but the games for it are profitable; do they sell any content for these fake iPods? I don't think that they make enough from their DRM licenses to support this).

  45. 3x as Thick and 2x as Long? by Necromancyr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, it seems MS just took an Ipod and fed it that herbal enhancement supplement I keep getting all the e-mails about.

  46. Ooops... Apple will have it first by barthrh2 · · Score: 4, Informative

    According to an Apple Insider article, Apple is already ahead of this game. They will deliver sooner, at a lower cost, and very likely a better product. Guesses (aren't they always with Apple?) include an intro around April 28 for the first anniversary of the iTMS.

    Sources: Apple readying 4th-generation iPod

    (snip) While sources could not pin-point a specific day or month of introduction, they said the soon to be released player would boast a 50GB hard disk capable of holding 12,500 songs and carry an approximate cost of $499.

    Unlike the recent capacity-centric revisions to the iPod line, the 4th-generation iPod will host a number of architectural advancements and new features. Most apparent, sources say, is the presence of a 2-inch color screen for displaying photos stored on the pod, from the palm of your hand.

    The player will reportedly also adopt a video output jack that will allow users to connect their iPods to television sets, sources said. Meanwhile, no mention was made in regards to an output jack capable of relaying audio to a home entertainment center. (/snip)

    1. Re:Ooops... Apple will have it first by pknoll · · Score: 3, Funny
      The player will reportedly also adopt a video output jack that will allow users to connect their iPods to television sets, sources said. Meanwhile, no mention was made in regards to an output jack capable of relaying audio to a home entertainment center.

      *cough* Headphone jack?

      =)

  47. Re:Ipod Killer? by Hawthorne01 · · Score: 2, Funny

    yeah, but he distorts reality around him. That *is* scary!

    --
    "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
  48. What movies? by bluesangria · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Forgive my ignorance, but how are you supposed to copy video onto this device if all DVD's have copy protections anyways? And if it's not a commercial movie you want to download onto it, why would you want to download, say, your home movies which would interest no one except yourself? And if your home movies DO interest other people (maybe you are the porn star next door), how exactly do you go about adding Microsoft DRM so you can play them on your "iPod Killer". Methinks Microsoft spends alot of time talking up lip service to a new device under the assumption that ANY press is better than NO press. Tablet PC anyone?

    blue

  49. We Have A Winner... by clean_stoner · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So this will be big, heavy, can only play MS formats (with the exception of mp3) and can't run other software? Yes, it's obviously better than a laptop...

    --

    Sigs are for the weak.

  50. Flawed Convergence thinking! by Thanatopsis · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This reflects the flawed conventional thinking that consumers want a convergence device. That somehow combining the ability to play both video and MP3s will appeal to both market segments. What actaully happens that the device appeals to neither market segment.

    You see this time and time again. Marketing people assume that if you give someone a "new improved digital media center" everyone will buy it. No one buys it because the product is a "Jack of All trades, master of none." People buy component stereos for the same reason. They want the best reciver coupled with the best amplifier and the best DVD player. They want the flexibility of adding components. They tend not to buy a single component that does a mediocre job on all three elements. Simply piling on features that are unrelated but don't bring additional value to each other is silly. Camera phones work because you can send pictures to your friends. In this case adding a digital camera enhances the phone experience. Adding a video player, and jacking the price point to an entry level laptop adds nothing to the experience. I predict big fucking failure for MS. I don't get why people still insist media convergence is the wave of the future. Media really hasn't converged before. I mean how many of us use Radio/Television combo devices? No one because who wants a machine that does a crappy job at two things instead of a good job at one.

  51. Apple seems to want this too by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If AppleInsider is anything to go by, then Apple also seems to be developing an iPod with these sort of features. See story: Apple readying 4th-generation iPod. Apple already learnt their lesson, circa 1990, whereby standing proud, simply give the competition time to catch up - in that case it was MS catching up, and bypassing, with MS-Windows. If Apple is smart, they will keep one step ahead of the game.

    --
    Jumpstart the tartan drive.
  52. Re:Ipod Killer? by ericdano · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Get over the OGG thing. It's not going to get adapted. It's like BETA and VHS. It might be a little better, but people don't care.

    I personally use 160bit AACs for most everything.

    --
    It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
    I moderate therefore I rule!
    --
  53. Module formats. by Short+Circuit · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Personally, I'd like a portable music player that'll handle my 2.5GB collection of music. Consisting of MODs, XMs, ITs and a few other module formats.

    There's tons of that stuff out there you can download for free, in bulk, off of FTP and archive sites around the world. I've got enough music in those formats for continuous play for 160 hours without hearing the same song twice. (Well, there's the odd duplicated file, but other than that...)

  54. Re:Ipod Killer? by FrostedWheat · · Score: 2, Funny

    The "Ipod Killer" is just a Microsoft employee named Ted who steals people Ipods.

    I've heard of this guy working in London. Apparently he chased one of the producers of Lord of the Rings down a few streets to try and steel his iPod.

  55. Cartman, what the hell are you talking about? by kulakovich · · Score: 2, Funny


    They showed movies on the bus to New York - was I unknowingly ON the iPod Killer?

    Larger, more expensive, and totally having nothing to do with being an iPod. Microsoft corners the market on Microsoft once again.

    kulakovich

  56. My pocket PC already does this by mrbob01 · · Score: 2, Informative

    My Pocket PC already plays MP3s and MPEGs and I have it for over a year plus does all the stuff that a pocket pc does. It uses crappy yet sometimes functional Windows Media Player (I guess I could download something else but I am lazy). And with Beyond TV I can watch TV shows and movies on it on the train. Oh and it only cost me about $100 when I bought it. With SD cards getting more and more capacity I see no market for the "IPOD Killer" at all.

  57. And thus we see Microsoft's Achilles heel by eric434 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The problem with Microsoft's engineers is that they assume more features == more better. Implementing those features in an elegant way is entirely secondary, and there appears to be little (or at least, very bad) research to determine how much people want those features.

    The classic example of this (apart from all of the products people here love to hate) is Bill Gates' attitude in "The Road Ahead." He focuses *entirely* on features, and not at all on usability or design. In the case of the "iPod Killer," it's pretty evident that Microsoft hasn't changed much since that book. People aren't interested in a clunky, unfashionable device -- Apple succeeds not only because their products are (fairly) simple to use, but because they're elegant and, in the case of the iPod, *fashionable*. Never underestimate the power of popularity. Microsoft- well, they need some good design engineers, and a general attitude that encourages quality over just-one-more-feature-itis.

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  58. Re:Ipod Killer? by joemc79 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    it will have excessive DRM lockdowns and won't handle Ogg. Oh and it costs more.

    Just like the ipod?

    40GB iPod = $500
    DRM
    No Ogg support

  59. Re:Ipod Killer? by Compenguin · · Score: 2, Informative

    Most manufacturers other than apple (Rio, iRiver, Nueros) have been adding vorbis support to their hd players. Apple is just higher profile.

  60. $800? I don't think so by ThousandStars · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I think Microsoft is ignoring a cardinal rule of consumer gadgets: a few things that do one thing well are better than one device that does a few things poorly. In this case, they're trying to position themselves between the expensive portable DVD players that I've seen on planes / the iPod, and laptops. For $800, someone can get a laptop. For $1000, someone can get a pretty nice laptop.

    I think it flops.

    There are so many things wrong with this device I can't name them all. Sorry, it's not an iPod killer.

  61. The Microsoft myPod, with "Clippy" innovation by cpu_fusion · · Score: 5, Funny

    Clippy, "Hi, it looks like you are trying to carry this device. Do you want to 1. lift some weights, 2. buy a backpack, or 3. sell this thing on ebay?"

  62. My decision to buy is made by CdBee · · Score: 3, Interesting

    For some months now I have been contemplating purchasing either a Creative Labs MuVO or an Apple iPod

    I've now decided, definitely the iPod. I don't want to contribute to yet another Microsoft monopoly. I can't imagine the horror of being forced to use WMP to access my mobile device and being locked to a single platform.

    --
    I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
    1. Re:My decision to buy is made by blincoln · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If you have the money get a Rio Karma

      I really wish Rio would start selling extra docks for the Karma (which they've been promising since it was released, as far as I can tell).

      I would buy a Karma today if they did, because I don't want to have to carry the dock between home and work.

      Is it so hard to have their manufacturing team produce a few extra for sale on their website, given that they're already making them for inclusion with the players? It doesn't even have to come with a fancy box, they can put it in a ziploc with "Karma Dock" scrawled on it with a sharpie for all I care.

      --
      "...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman
    2. Re:My decision to buy is made by loraksus · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I got a 20 gb archos recorder v2 off amazon for $120 last week. plays mp3s, hacked oss firmware available (google rockbox)
      No ogg, because the chip inside does only mp3s.
      usb 2.0, mounts as a drive, so no f***ing software to install to connect (except on win98, mac os 8.6 etc), no drm garbage, spdif in / out, built in mic. You can even read text files with it.
      Battery life is decent, you can hack it open and replace the batteries (lion cells) in a year or two when they die (or add a bigger hdd, but I digress)

      I'd rather have an iPod for the wheel but for a $200 difference, I can tolerate living without one. Check out some of the other stuff they make, you won't be dissapointed.

      Creative Labs has 25% off $100 orders with coupon code AFL030425 [Exp 3/22] which makes a 40gb zen $225, but that has some other downsides, looks better than the archos, but has a bunch of other "features" that the archos doesn't have.

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  63. Re:Ipod Killer? by Beatbyte · · Score: 4, Funny

    He's bald and jumps around screaming "iPODS!!! iPODS!!! iPODS!!! iPODS!!!" with sweat stains in his arm pits right?

  64. Microsoft Pr0nMaster! by mveloso · · Score: 4, Funny

    Redmond, WA - Microsoft's new Pr0nMaster gives you pr0n on demand. Bring your pr0n with you - on the train, on the bus, at 12.000 meters - everwhere. It's large capacity drive means you won't have to explain what you're doing with "all those DVDs" when you pass through customs. The big screen means you won't have to squint while you watch. And it's small enough for you to bring it to the restroom or other enclosed space so you can "do your business."

    The Pr0nMaster also comes in a sport enclosure, because "accidents happen" when things get exciting on-screen! Plus its handy video out lets you plug into the A/V equipment at your destination - so you can share the wealth!

    The Microsoft Pr0nMaster - a peepshow in your pocket!

  65. I think they missed the point completely by kendoka · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This thing's going to be three times as heavy as an ipod and twice as long - for 700-800 bucks you can just buy a cheap notebook instead.

    What makes the ipod rock is that it's really small and offers more than enough storage. Who wants to lug around something twice as big three times as heavy?

  66. Re:welll, yes, a laptop-but by way2trivial · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I'm not defending this MS device at all, I'm talking about a similar device I own and USE..
    to the hell with media edition, I run divx video on it. I get TV from my tv card, and put it on the archos.

    it serves a purpose, a purpose a laptop cannot fill for me, is that so painful to accept?

    --
    every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  67. Re:Ipod Killer? by dasmegabyte · · Score: 5, Funny

    A music player that doesn't handle OGG is like an automobile that doesn't make toast.

    --
    Hey freaks: now you're ju
  68. a portable device with video? by xot · · Score: 2, Informative

    A portable video device just doesn't sound too good when you can buy a laptop with almost the same price!
    Only people interested in this would be porn enthusiasts who don't care about MS bugs with 40-50gb of porn with them to tag along! heh ;-)

    --
    Lord of the Binges.
  69. 700 bones for an MP3 player? by Branch_Dravidian · · Score: 2, Funny

    Crystal meth much?

  70. Re:Ipod Killer? by Durandal64 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The iPod has no built-in DRM. Or didn't you know that you can play m4p's from iTMS on any iPod you want?

  71. Re:Ipod Killer? by McNally · · Score: 5, Funny
    A music player that doesn't handle OGG is like an automobile that doesn't make toast.

    This is Slashdot. Without knowing whether you're an emacs user or not we can't tell whether you think it would actually be appropriate for an automobile to also make toast..
  72. Jozer99's iPod Killer by Jozer99 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Faster than the iPod (Dual P3s vs. Arm7) Higher res screen than iPod (1280x1024 vs 160x128) More skip protection (512 MB vs 32 MB) More storage (129.1 GB vs 40 gb) It is a freaken workstation. So are the WinCE devices. The point of the ipod is that it is small and simple, that is why I have one.

  73. Re:Ipod Killer? by Q2Serpent · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, the iPod *does* have DRM.

    The m4p files are still encrypted on the iPod, they are just encrypted with the iPod's key instead of the PC's key. Yes, you can copy files to any iPod from anyone's iTunes collection (so long as that song is registered with that copy if iTunes), but have you tried to get such an m4p file back off the iPod again? Even if you could just copy the m4p back off, it'd be encrypted with the iPod key instead of the PC key.

    -Serp

  74. Re:Ipod Killer? by dasmegabyte · · Score: 2, Funny

    How telling is it that I'm a PICO / Textpad user who knows his way around BBEdit?

    --
    Hey freaks: now you're ju
  75. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  76. already a cheaper competitor... by Hellasboy · · Score: 2, Informative

    it's called a portable dvd player! albeit without the built in hard drive, but how long until someone decides to add a tiny hard drive to the portable dvd players? i would also imagine that some portable dvd players have mp3 decompression, if not, how much harder would it be to add that?

    i went in to pep boys and they were selling 7" lcd portable dvd players for 250$ add 100$ for a portable 40 gig hd (oem price), another 150$ for R&D into adding mp3 decompression, a basic ui, and physical design. for 500$ there is something that equals this "ipod killer" AND has a built in DVD drive AND is cheaper.

    --

    "Tread softly because you tread on my dreams"
  77. iPod Killer my foot...Sheesh! by GFLPraxis · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is ridiculous. Compare: 40 gigabyte iPod = $499. 40 gigabyte "iPod Killer" + color screen = $800. The only difference between Microsoft's iPod killer and the iPod is 1) A fancier screen 2) A gigantic "wallet killer" price tag It's basicly a color iPod that can play WMV as well as music. Oh yes, and who wants WMV? DVD's are encoded in MPEG, not WMV. To get WMV you have to own a Windows Media Center edition PC (which cost way more than a normal PC) with a TV tuner, and record TV shows, to get the WMV format. So I need a Media Center PC AND need to spend $800 to use this device? Right. I'll just take my education discount and buy an iBook G4 complete with a 40 gig HD, much bigger screen, much faster processor, CD-RW AND DVD drive, honking powerful Radeon 9200, and way better OS for $200 more...

  78. This has got to stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    What the hell do these bastards think they're doing? Not only are they never going to run apple out of any market because their products suck. Now they're trying to push apple out of the mp3 player market, and with what? A piece of crap running windows...well fantastic. Microsofts impression seems to be that the average consumer (in a comical fashion) would say "I think i'd rather the shitty McShitShit Windows CE based CrashMaster 2004 just so I can have the same reliability or lack thereof as my home based winbox".

    I'm going to destroy something beautiful...

  79. and in other news... by Phat_Tony · · Score: 2, Funny

    Apple's new Operating System 10.3 "Windows Killer" has been for sale for a couple of months.

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  80. Not the iPod killer by Unregistered · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think the iPod killer won't be softwarre, but hardware. Specifically, i think it will be a windows update that "accidently" makes ipods no longer work on that system. This update will also be bundled with all the security updates so you have to chose between secure and iPod.

  81. $949 by theraccoon · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So for $150 more, I could get me a refurbished iBook G4 800MHz/256MB/30GB/Combo/E/56K/12"TFT from the Apple Online Store? Cool.

  82. The REAL iPod Killer by TheXRayStyle · · Score: 3, Funny

    Here's a story about the REAL ipod killer

  83. Once again... by BiOFH · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...Microsoft just doesn't get it. Their poor understanding of what makes the iPod a seller just illustrates their ever-increasing detachment from the pulse of "cool". Apple looked at what people wanted and made something ingenious _and focused_ to fit the bill. Microsoft, true to style, looked at the sales figures and area of penetration, formed a committee and... totally missed the point.

    Sticking a gear shift on a camel doesn't make the camel cool or more useful. In fact, if the placement of the gear shift isn't a factor of the design, you get a camel that's a pain in the ass.

    So MS doesn't make the hardware or do the design. Which means some toaster manufacturer with a factory full of cheap labour will get a good deal on some boring enclosure, slap together the cheapest version of this 'killer' app and flood the market with mediocrity. So we'll get clunky beige box MP3 players to go with our clunky beige boxes* running the most insecure commercial OS on the planet.

    Go Bill...

    * - Yes, even with the neon tubes and plexi-covered hole and the 'wizard riding a unicorn on a rainbow in space' applique.

    --
    - I am made of meat.