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Olympus Preps MP3 Player With Cam & Color Display
igrp writes "Japan-based electronics manufacturer Olympus just announced their plans to enter the HD-based MP3 player market currenly dominated by Apple's iPod. What makes this stand out from all the other 'iPod killers' are their players' specs. Their top-of-the-line 'MR-500i' model sports a 1,22 MP camera, a 3.7" color touch screen VGA display with a slick-looking red backlight, JPEG support and according to this German newssite weighs in with a battery life of 8 hours. No word on prices and availability in the U.S. yet."
For the most part, I've found that separate devices for separate functions tend to be cheaper, smaller, and more effective. Imagine if you had to haul along your laptop, camera, and electric toothbrush if all you wanted to do was listen to some music.
I mean really, I was always waiting for the iPod photo, I probably would have bought one instead of my mini. Are you telling me you never had your iPod with you and said, wish I could get that on film? if Apple could get a 2MP camera onto the end of an iPod, throw in a colour display, and keep it simple they would sell very well. We all know it... least... we assume they would. Keeping in mind I said if Apple could do it, not if they just stuck one on the end, we have to keep in mind the fact that Apple kicks butt with design and thus it would actually be useful. I imagine an iPod sized device with a micro drive ala the mini and a 2MP camera would be a really good paring. That said iPhoto if it was ported to the PC would most likely be less feature rich, they'd probably sooner bundle some basic software with it.
that would be this
i don't see frontpage posts about it though, perhaps they didnt pay the right people
I see your point, but I see a day when some kids will laugh at me when I talk about my palmOS cell phone and my 20GB iPod, and my digital camera. I think in the next few years we will see something the size of an iPod with 100GB of storage that can take photos, shoot movies, and get cell/wireless calls plus hook up to a network via WiFi/WiMax.
Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein
Now how is your Japanese?!?
Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
Small disclaimer on the Olympus website:
The information contained in this news release applies only to the Japanese market.
This will probably go over big in Japan. CNET has an article about how gadget-hungry they are there.
Sig cancelled due to lack of interest
and it'll be great when the day comes when a single device can do everything you listed equally well. the combination of a small lens and a low res CCD/CMOS device isnt going to light the digital camera world on fire and seems more like an afterthought to capitalize on the popularity of digital cameras rather than making something that is actually useful
My Rio Karma still trounces everything else, if for no other reason than the fact that it plays tracks back without the annoying gaps that every other player out there puts in. It's even smart enough to eliminate the tiny gaps that the mp3 format includes by default.
Show me any other player that can do gapless playback, and I'm there. Until then, I won't consider any DAP that doesn't play back music the way it was recorded.
THE GOOD HUMOR MAN CAN ONLY BE PUSHED SO FAR
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What am I supposed to do with these images? 1.2Mp today is like including 8 track functionality or minidisc digital input on a stereo system . . .
I think I'd rather pay less and have a smaller device that didn't have substandard features included . . .
Someday, I'll be able to get a cell phone that actually sounds decent...
Are companies adding these features simply to hide the huge inadequacy of their products at their primary function?
-Ben