The first handheld gadgets to play music and movies on Microsoft’s "iPod killer" software will be available in Europe in the second half of 2004, the company said Thursday. The gadgets will run on Microsoft's yet-to-be-unveiled Portable Media Center software in a direct assault on iPod, Apple’s hot-selling digital music player. Working with a host of manufacturing partners, Microsoft is introducing a device that plays movies and stores digital photos as well as songs in a bid to grab a share of the fast-growing digital media player market.
"We think this is going to be one of the hot devices for Christmas 2004," said James Bernard, product manager for Portable Media Center. The software giant has enlisted Creative Technology and Korea's iRiver International to develop devices for the European market. Microsoft said the Creative devices will be available in Sweden, the United Kingdom and Denmark first, retailing for approximately $700 to $800. The product will be available in Germany, France, Italy and Spain to follow, but also by year-end, Microsoft said.
Price details and retail launch dates were not available for the iRiver device. The Creative players will be sold with 20GB or 40GB of storage capacity, with the latter providing 175 hours of video playback or 10,000 songs, Microsoft said. The devices play MP3 files as well as audio and video content recorded in Microsoft's digital format. The devices run on the Windows CE operating system.
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News source: news.com
"We think this is going to be one of the hot devices for Christmas 2004," said James Bernard, product manager for Portable Media Center. The software giant has enlisted Creative Technology and Korea's iRiver International to develop devices for the European market. Microsoft said the Creative devices will be available in Sweden, the United Kingdom and Denmark first, retailing for approximately $700 to $800. The product will be available in Germany, France, Italy and Spain to follow, but also by year-end, Microsoft said.
Price details and retail launch dates were not available for the iRiver device. The Creative players will be sold with 20GB or 40GB of storage capacity, with the latter providing 175 hours of video playback or 10,000 songs, Microsoft said. The devices play MP3 files as well as audio and video content recorded in Microsoft's digital format. The devices run on the Windows CE operating system.
View: The full story News source: news.com
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No need asking which side of the Apple/Microsoft camp that author sits on.
Oddly enough, even HP has received the "ipod killer" tag... which is extremely funny since instead trying to create something new, HP simply bought a license from iPod and will start selling them under their own name soon... hPod the iPod killer??
20GB iPod - £299 - $545
40GB iPod - £398.99 - $728
So as you can see the price is quite resonable. You also have to consider it plays video files not like iPod which just stores them I think. Obviously it won't cost that much in the US because we get robbed over here so it might give iPod a run for it's money. Doubt it though. Wait and see how it looks etc....
I think you've kind of missed the point of an iPod or other mass media device.
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#6.1 Reply by WooHoo!!! on 18 Mar 2004 - 16:13
They are basing it on the UK and Europe price's so lets see.
20GB iPod - £299 - $545
40GB iPod - £398.99 - $728
So as you can see the price is quite resonable. You also have to consider it plays video files not like iPod which just stores them I think. Obviously it won't cost that much in the US because we get robbed over here so it might give iPod a run for it's money. Doubt it though. Wait and see how it looks etc....
1. It costs too much.
2. It requires your full attention.
3. To download video you need a high-speed connection, and it needs to then be reencoded into WMV.
Microsoft hasn't realised, adding more features does not a better product make, as seen with the smart display and tablet pc.
"I don't think these devices will be changing the consumer electronics landscape in any way this year. By definition, they just don't have widespread appeal," said Mark Mulligan, an analyst with Jupiter Research in London.
When ipod came out it was just an mp3 player.. it didn't offer anything new in terms of functionality, but now it has a whole host of other features that extend it to more than a basic audio player - granted a lot of users use it for that sole purpose.
if microsoft get it right a mass storage device with a high def colour screen, good audio capabilities, data input (maybe vid capture), user input and a decent amout of memory / processing power can be used for a whole lot more than just video playback.
with archos, microsoft, sony, nintendo, nokia, etc etc all touting similar devices you have to realise that portable mediaplayers / game consoles / phones / pda / all-in-one devices will be expanding in to more areas than they were originally designed for. If these devices are anything like the ones they showed off a few months ago they will, indeed, be very very cool!
The one main reason (in my eyes) that the iPod was so sucessful was the fact that it was perfectly sized. The Creative Zen was anything but.
The one main reason (in my eyes) that the iPod was so sucessful was the fact that it was perfectly sized. The Creative Zen was anything but.
Fully agree. The Creative media player Microsoft were showing off looked ok, but it is damn big. And in order to have a battery that can power it for 3 hours, it is heavy.
Its the first generation. I bought the first gen iPod. I think I'll wait here.
Companies won't get behind it if there isn't some form of DRM. Not to mention I really can't say I've found iTunes Music Store or Napster restricting in any significant way.
Being able to listen to my music on multiple computers, audio devices, and CDs - I sure have a hard life.
It just sounds like another issue of attempting to make computers a political issue. Oh no, you can't use that, you'd be supporting this. Go open source, it's free as in beer and freedom
There's only one format that's open and uncontrolled that I can think of, and that's Ogg Vorbis. It sounds better the AAC or WMA, but few portable players support it.
The DRM used in the iTunes music store is Apple's, it's not a part of the MPEG4 or AAC standards.
Listen if it hasn't by now it probably won't happen. At best they'll turn the Mini iPod into a two-tiered line with one at $200 and the other at $250.
i am glad to hear that Creative is part of this.
what a bunch of bullcrap. I will watch video on my telephone, for movies I go to cinema or take a seat on the couch.
Too expensive also.
I will never sell as good as iPod
It plays music and films and Movieadvance although if you add up the cost of the movie player ($35 or so from Lik-Sang) , the Flash card reader, Flash card and Gameboy advance, the price does start to creep up but it is nowhere near the price of this thing. Oh and you have to convert the movies and music.
I'll stick with my iPod.
They have iRiver onboard so basically it is going to be a totally kickass device
I will buy one just because of the iRiver name as everything I have bought from iRiver has been of the higest quality I have ever seen. IMO they are the kings for portable media. iPod has nothing on iRiver players. iPod's design is awful as they scratch like **** within a few days
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