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Inside the iPod, Past and Present
We mentioned the iPod Shuffle dissection a couple of days ago. Reader UtahSaint writes "Electronic Design have got a neat little article giving non-Apple employees
an insight into the makings of the original iPod and the revisions made (on a technical level) with the 2nd and 3rd generation iPods. The third-generation iPod contains two power-management chips from Royal Philips Electronics, a TEA1211 and a PCF50605. The TEA1211 is a dc-dc converter that can switch automatically between step-down and step-up operation in response to changing input voltage. The PCF50605, a single-chip power-management unit (PMU), can adjust power-supply voltages to the lowest thresholds needed for functions in a particular power domain." And finally, sammykrupa writes "PC Mag has a great review of Apple's iPod Shuffle. It covers the quality of the audio output saying that it is has dead-flat frequency response, less harmonic distortion, and most notably, better bass response than its bigger siblings. The older iPods, especially the Mini, have been rightfully criticized for being somewhat deficient in bass, and although the bigger players have flat frequency response, they have trouble sustaining big bass notes."
for work, but refuse to buy one because they're overpriced, ugly, and it's quite embarassing, are there any alternatives which hold a couple gigabytes+ for under $100usd/50gbp roughly?
DOeS IT REaLLY MAtTER If YoU ArE WhiTE?
From the article:
The shuffle's value is interesting. Though the $99 price for the 512MB player ($149 for 1GB) is low, it isn't unique. For example, the 512MB SanDisk Digital Audio Player can be found for $99 and has a functional navigation window, voice recording, and FM radio. Of course, it isn't as tiny, light, or sleek as the iPod shuffle. So if you want a low-cost player that stores just hundreds (as opposed to thousands) of songs and don't need to see what's playing, the iPod shuffle is a very good choice.
How many people look real close at someone else's MP3 player? I think functionality matters more than aesthetics. If you can pay the same price, and get a player with more features, why wouldn't you? To me, the highest the iPod Shuffle can go is 3 stars (a C) due to the sheer lack of value. Looks like Apple's Reality Disortion Field is at work...
"Do I dare disturb the universe?"
me so horny! me luv doggy long time!
You guys are funny.
Because there aren't that many homosexual electrical engineers?
The article mentions a company called Portal Player. This is 'headquartered' in the USA, but it is in effect run from India. They run out of a couple of bunglows down my road and employ a few hundred people. It is now called PINEXE.
They supply design and supply chips for MP3 players. It is as silly to give entire credit to Apple for iPoD design, if the reproduction is good, it is not due to any new compression algorithm invented by Steve Jobs. Slashdotters know better.
The purpose of all philosophers was to impress women
If you can't hear the difference you might as well send your beloved equipment to Africa.