Associated Press Not Impressed By MyFi

prostoalex writes "Michael Regan from the Associated Press started reviewing MyFi, a portable satellite radio receiver, by treating it as a competitor to iPod, but then admitted the two devices are quite different. For $350 and a $10-a-month subscription the buyer gets access to XM satellite radio stations and ability to record the stream to 128 MB of built-in flash. There's no way to transfer the recorded content to the computer or vice versa. The review recommends waiting for lower price and better features."

Comments

Maybe useful for Flyover-country

[Dancin_Santa]

In any urban area, the number and variety of free radio stations (supported by volunteers or commercial sponsors) is staggering. There really isn't any reason to splurge on an expensive device when a twist of the dial can tune in just about any type of music that an individual would be interested in. If you can't find a station that interests you in those areas, perhaps it's time to turn the radio off altogether.

Re:Maybe useful for Flyover-country

[fimbulvetr]

You're area may be. But every station in the areas I've been to recently(Kansas City, Denver, Minneapolis) plays 2 crappy songs, then 4 minutes of commercials, followed by a good song, then 1 crappy song. In fact, most stations "brag" that they have 30 minute "rock blocks". Great, 30 minutes of junk followed by an equally long commercial break.
As far as I'm concerned, I'll pay $10 a month to not listen to BS.
On my trips across South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Minnesota, I usually give AM a shot, but not with one of these:)

Re:Maybe useful for Flyover-country

[Guppy06]

"There really isn't any reason to splurge on an expensive device when a twist of the dial can tune in just about any type of music that an individual would be interested in."

That's just it, though: you need to hit the turner and hope you'll find something you want to listen to. If nothing else, satellite radios will tell you when something you want to listen to is coming on and let you tune in automatically. And you also don't have to hit the dial to avoid commercials.

When was the last time you actually sat down and listened to your radio, as opposed to using it as a noise-maker while focusing on something else?

Re:Maybe useful for Flyover-country

[CatOne]

Except radio is AWFUL... a typical playlist is 15 songs per day, repeated over and over and over. And many radio stations out here in NorCal take 4 1/2 minute commercial breaks... how annoying is that when you're working out? There's way too much blather... I never hear what I want and when I'm somewhere other than home, I can fish on the radio for 15 minutes before finding a song I like... which cuts out 30 seconds later and goes to... commercial.

With satellite, you can have 5 or 6 commercial-free stations that you like, and "in theory" get them anywhere. In concept it sounds great -- my DirecTV has digital radio stations and I listen sometimes when I'm tired of what I have on the iPod. But in practice, satellite radio reception is a bit spotty (as noted in the article).

Re:Maybe useful for Flyover-country

[randomiam]

People need to remember that radio stations are in the business of delivering listeners to advertisers, not music to listeners.*

I gladly shelled out for Sirius service when it became available. To my mind, it seems preferable to pay my music provider directly and have them worry about my happiness rather than some advertisers.

* paraphrasing Doug Adams

He dosn't get it.

[mkmoose]

As a XM user I am drooling over the features offered by this device. I owend a first generation sony PNP and now an XM Roady. This device is light years ahead of the first generation. Comparing this to a I-Pod or MP3 player confuses what the device is. It more correct to compare this to a tivo with cable.

Recommendation??

[fembots]

The review recommends waiting for lower price and better features.

So when is the right time to buy if people take this kind of recommendation seriously?

Price will be lower than the lower price you saw yesterday, features will be better than the better features you thought that are already better.

Re:Uhh

[EvilSporkMan]

The analog solution works at 1x - it takes as long to transfer the content as it does to listen to it. This can easily be construed as inconvenient.

Re:SIRIUS IS WAAAY BETTER

[solowCX]

Except in order to get Opie and Anthony you have to pay a monthly fee of $1.99 per radio in ADDITION to the monthly fee.

Re:Uhh

[iocat]

This continues to kill me. People will listen to tinny, compressed, MP3s all day long and then recoil in horror at the lossyness of a *gasp* analog-to-digital conversion.

Yeah, it may be a 1x process, but who is out there who will be able to do this and already doesn't already have most of their music digitally anyway. XM is awesome, but I don't usually hear tracks I've never heard before, or old tunes that I simply *must* have. I'd probably only want to grab a couple tracks here and there anyway.

I don't think you do, either.

[shaneh0]

If XM sold these units to every single one of their subscribers and nobody else, this unit is a failure.

XM's real value will be growing the supplier base, and this device is designed to do that. I'd say it's competing more in the "portable music" segment then the "satellite radio delivery options" segment, although there is of course overlap there.

But yes, I do think for a lot of consumers that are considering digital music--especially those considering these devices as gift options this holiday seasion--this device would be compared to the ipod mini.