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Virgin's New iPod Rival

Posted by timothy on from the like-a-virgin dept.

iammaxus writes "CNET has the scoop on Virgin's new iPod killer. Favorite quote: 'Virgin said support for open standards such as WMA will let people select the music service of their choice.'" While this doesn't look like a bad player, it's the same price as an iPod mini (and incompatible with the most popular pay-per-download site), so calling it an iPod killer seems a bit premature.

16 of 401 comments (clear)

  1. support for open standards such as WMA... by PoprocksCk · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other news, Microsoft announced today that all of their intellectual property will, from now on, be fully licensed under the GPL.

    1. Re:support for open standards such as WMA... by Amiga+Lover · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's funny how used to saying that going the windows way is the way of 'choice' and apple is some kind of dead man's zone people are.

      "Hi! Use WMA! it gives you CHOICE over which online stores you use!"

      yes, you can use the online stores that have 2% of the market, 3% of the market, and 7% of the market, but you do miss out on the choice of using the biggest & best...

    2. Re:support for open standards such as WMA... by blowdart · · Score: 5, Insightful
      yes, you can use the online stores that have 2% of the market, 3% of the market, and 7% of the market

      But does the end user care, as long as the music they want is available for purchase? Doubtful. With all the major labels, and a lot of the minors on all the stores most people will use the store that works for their device and not worry about anything else. It's when you try to track down a hard to find piece of music the problems arise. If you're a Beatles fan you're right out of luck.

      Of course there's other "choice" available with WMA, you can choose a device from another vendor, you're no longer locked into Apple as controller of the format, seller of the music and only "manufacturer" of the portable device that plays it.

    3. Re:support for open standards such as WMA... by thparker · · Score: 5, Insightful
      OK, but is the iTunes market share not driven by the ownership of an iPod? That's what I'm questioning.

      It's probably not as clearly a factor as some would assume. The addition of iTunes for Windows boosted iPod sales, so a strong argument exists that the iTunes Music Store drives iPod market share more than the iPod drives iTMS market share. (I, personally, started using iTunes because I liked the interface, decided to buy a couple songs off the iTMS because it was integrated with iTunes, and only later decided to buy an iPod because it worked well with iTunes.)

      But like I said, a market share number alone doesn't answer WHY. It's entirely possible that a growing number of non-iTMS-compatible devices will shift the market share breakdown. However, if most people buy digital audio players to rip and carry their own music, the music store is almost irrelevant. Most music is still sold on CD, and in that respect iTunes is compatible with almost every player out there.

      tom

  2. the 50th challenger for the throne by TAGmclaren · · Score: 5, Insightful

    except, really, it doesn't do anything better than the king. Branson of all people should know that if you don't differentiate, you won't beat the incumbent. Especially when the incumbent has a flock of rabid followers and is singularly considered the coolest tech gadget in the past ten years.

    --
    Iran has endorsed
  3. Qua?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    support for open standards such as WMA

    Since when is WMA an open standard?

    I've already got my iPod and I hope it doesn't get killed by this device. Can I take Virgin to court if they kill my iPod?

    Come on, this "iPod killer" thing needs to stop until the device is actually rated and used by someone, and is actually better than the iPod. Also, a key point: it needs to actually sell more.

  4. WMA? by darkseid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Since when is WMA considered an open standard? How about FLAC or OGG?

  5. What they don't realize by panker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    iPod is cool, but its seamless integration with iTunes is what makes it the thing to beat. These iPod killers seems to forget that.

    --
    move along, nothing to .sig here.
    1. Re:What they don't realize by jrockway · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree with you. All the posts above mine (in reply to yours) seem to think iTunes + iPod sucks, but they are very uneducated.

      If I listen to an audiobook on my computer for a bit, then sync with my ipod, the ipod resumes where I left off. When I get back to my computer and sync, the bookmark (on the computer) is right where it was when I was listening to it on the iPod. Perfect integration.

      If I change the per-song EQ setting in iTunes, it is reflected on the iPod.

      The song count, last-played timestamp, etc. are all synchronized between iTunes and the iPod.

      Soundcheck works on both iTunes and the iPod.

      (need I mention the iTMS?)

      All of these things make the iTunes + iPod combination perfect. Everything that the iPod does, iTunes does. Everything iTunes does, the iPod does. It even syncs with iCal and Address Book, too.

      That is why the iPod has not been killed by some "iRiver" (how did they get away with that name!?) or Sony ATRAC3 player. Nobody else has paid attention the software, all they pay attention to is bullet-points (0.3 megapixel camera! yay! that's just what my music player needed!) and names like "iPod killer".

      --
      My other car is first.
  6. lacking by Savves · · Score: 5, Funny
    from tfm:

    Share your music
    Dual headphone jacks so you can listen with friends. Friends not included.

    bummer... for once i thought i could finally get one bundled with a music player =(

  7. iPod killer? by Quixote · · Score: 5, Funny

    iPod killer, meet the website killer.

  8. Re:Ipod Killer? by ViolentGreen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We have had so many "iPod Killers" that the term now just means "new mp3 player."

    --
    Not everything is analogous to cars. Car analogies rarely work.
  9. Built in FM tuner, can you record? by linuxtelephony · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I like the built in FM tuner. The big question is if you can record from it. It doesn't look like it. And that's exactly what I want.

    I attend various conferences. Some of them broadcast on a low power FM radio signal for people in the audience that are hard of hearing. Those people can have a private radio with headsets and adjust the volume to make it easier for them to hear. It also is a great way to record the program without the distracting noises from the audience.

    I'd like to find an MP3 player, HD based or replacement memory sticks (SD, xD, whatever), that has the ability to record using a built in microphone and an FM tuner. A microphone jack would be a plus.

    The closest I've found is a small 128/256 meg device, but the memory is not interchangeable, it's built in.

    Anyone know of anything like that? Who makes it? And where it can be found?

    --
    . 62,400 repetitions make one truth -- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
  10. CNET does some editing. . . by Zobeid · · Score: 5, Interesting
    It would appear that someone was stung by the many negative comments posted to that article. I can't find the previous quote (from Virgin) about open standards, but now the article has this somewhat more vague sentence:

    The $249 Virgin Player, weighing 3.1 ounces, supports MP3 and WMA music formats and is capable of working with various digital music services, the company said.


    Of course the iPod supports AAC and MP3 and "is capable of working with various digital music services" too. So I guess that's fair enough.
  11. "it's their choice, not ours..." by mgkimsal2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Songs downloaded from iTunes are not supported. It's their choice, not ours.

    I'm glad someone has put it in such basic terms, rather than in small print.

    --
    creation science book
  12. compare the volume by jxyama · · Score: 5, Interesting
    just wanted to note that this player is much closer in size to regular (20 GB) iPod than iPod mini. since it's lighter than iPod mini, i imagine it will feel less "solid" and a bit airy compared to the mini. (which would make it feel "cheaper" imo.)

    20 GB iPod: 2.4 x 4.1 x 0.57 = 5.61 cu. in.
    (40 GB iPod: 2.4 x 4.1 x 0.69 = 6.79 cu. in.)
    iPod mini: 3.6 x 2.0 x 0.5 = 3.60 cu. in.
    Virgin: 3.78 x 2.23 x 0.62 = 5.23 cu. in.