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Fourteen Digital Music Players Reviewed
prostoalex writes "The PC Magazine reviews 14 digital music players that can play MP3, WMA or AAC files. The editor's choice among the models compared includes Apple iPod Mini and iRiver iFP-390T. The editors decided to conduct a single review of both Flash- and HDD-based music players. Of special interest is the battery life test as well as sound quality test. Even though the entire article is published online in HTML, the summary of the features is available in PDF only."
Yet OGG isn't "Where it's at" business-wise right now. Right now the handhelds are optimizing to be compatible with either Apple iTunes (FairPlay-ed AACs), RealNetworks Rhapsody (RealAudio codec), or Napster/BuyMusic/Walmart files (Microsoft WMAs).
Each manufactuer is picking exactly one to align with... and nobody's pushing OGG from that side of the business.
You are lost in a totally different world. You represent less than 1/10th of 1 percent of the potential market for these things. If I walked down the hall where I work (made up almost entirely of accountants with plenty of disposable income) I bet not one of them knows Ogg but all of them knows MP3.
Don't be fooled into thinking that the slashdot population is at all representative of the real world.
Unfortunately, you're not the target demographic. The target is a teenager / 20 - something with disposable income. MP3 is the standard and is what 99% of people care about. I believe the Rio Karma has Vorbis, get that one. If I hear a 17 year old girl ask about Vorbis support when she's looking at the pink iPod mini, then I'll be on board with you.
Non only is the MP3 format ubiquitous, but the word itself has become something of a catch-all. I've heard more than a few people talk about downloading "MP3's" from iTunes or listening to "MP3's" on their computer that are unwittingly saved in WMA format.
It's like Xeroxing something - you can do it no matter what kind of photocopier you use. ; )
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