Latest "iPod Killer" Takes Aim at the Mini

blamanj writes "ReignCom, has just released the iRiver H10, a 5GB MP3 player with 1.5" color screen and FM tuner. Currently available in Korea, the company plans a US release in January. The price is higher than Apple's iPod mini, but it does have extra features. iRiver has generally gotten good reviews for quality, as well." Update by J : We typoed that as "5MB" earlier, sorry.

Comments

Re:Quit your bitching!

[garcia]

Personally, I disagree. I just got an Archos AV400 (80GB) for Xmas and I can't say that I would appreciate anything less.

Right now I have 6 TV episodes on there (all recorded from Tivo for playback on the plane tomorrow) and I'm currently recording Star Wars DVD trilogy to it for the same thing.

I have my entire music collection on there along with a backup of my "important" files from my network and I'm still at 45GB remaining.

Yeah, the battery life probably isn't the best (I get about 12 hours out of it playing MP3s all day long). I don't know what it will be like with video going but hopefully long enough to last the 2.5 hour flight from MSP to CVG...

I consider myself to have a "small" music collection at a little over 5GB of MP3s (as it doesn't seem to play SHN/FLAC so I can't add those into the total) and those are "must haves". I certainly wouldn't want to have any less than that.

5GB just doesn't seem like enough to me.

An iPod by any other name...

[kponto]

Maybe one of the reasons no other player comes close is this:

• XS200
• MR 500i
• MR100
• Micro N200
• FL300
• Gmini 400
• JM-600
• m500
• PMP 120
• Xclef 500
• MP-400
• PMP1000
• NW-S23 S2
• NW-E99
• NW-E95
• Yepp T5V
• PMP1004
• Rave-MP ARC5.0
• HZWS2000S
• XDM-S710BT
• HAAP3
• DX740
• SR-M800F

As opposed to an "iPod". I mean christ, the "HZWS2000S"? The "XDM-S710BT"? If you bought one of these and it was great, you couldn't tell your friends about this even if you wanted to.

"Hey man, I got this new mp3 player and it rocks. You should totally get one!"

"Really? Cool, what is it?"

"Um...Ok, hang on, grab a pen."

I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons why they aren't as popular as the iPod, but the current naming scheme on some of these models isn't doing hopefull companies any favors.

k:p

Re:Call me when iRiver starts supporting AAC

[Bj�rn Stenberg]

1: AAC is an open standard and there are open-source encoders/decoders.
4: Apple probably couldn't sue or demand money if a competitor implemented AAC

Nonsense. First read the faq for FAAC:

Apart from these open source license issues you also have to pay attention to the involved patents of the AAC and MP4 formats that are handled by the licensing administrators Via Licensing.

Then ask Via Licensing:

Who needs to license MPEG-4 AAC patents?
An MPEG-4 AAC patent license is required for manufacturers or developers of complete (or substantially complete) end-user encoder and/or decoder products.

What kind of weird world do you live in where a patented algoritm requiring royalties equals "an open standard"? These patents mean Apple is free to harass and sue anyone who implements and/or distributes AAC without paying the Apple tax. This completely excludes all free and open source software. Why do you think FAAC are afraid to distribute binaries?

Problems and solutions.

[twitter]

And there's your problem, the average user has NO IDEA what you are talking about, they don't know what an OGG is, they have't a clue about DRM and THEY DON'T CARE.

Ignorance is a problem, but it's not true that they don't care. Most people who own gadgets like this are already pissed about the upgrade train having made a few of them "obsolete" by not "supporting" them. What better way to educate your friends than by enjoying your devices and music with next to no problems while they struggle with non free formats and clients that don't get along? They want what I've got and it's easier than what they are dealing with.