iPod mini $250

[emperor]

so the new ipods been announced..
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2004/jan/06ipodmini.html

4GB (1000 songs)
slightly smaller than current iPods

to be released Feb in USA
and April Worldwide

do you think its worth waiting 4 months in order to pay $250?

they jumped the 10GB up to 15GB while keeping it a $299

buying an mp3 players never been so confusing!?!?

[Kanchou]

I have somewhat mixed feelings about my MP3 player. I bought myself a 128 MB Nomad IIC for $150, and a 128 MB flash memory card upgrade for $40, and while it performs like a champ (damn thing can run forever on one AA battery, and will never, ever skip unless you drop the thing on a concrete floor, in which case it will just stop playing, and the battery case will pop off), it has some real issues with it's included software (incompababilities with the flash card, apparently. I have to resort to 3rd-party software), and the bloody thing didn't even come with an AC adapter, or even a place to plug it in.

If they (Meaning anyone...) could just deliver something something the size of a Nomad II or an I-Pod, but with 1-2 GB of storage, and the performance of a flash-based player (no skips, long battery life, more durability) for around $200, with great features (great software, AC/car adapter, stereo adapter, interchangable battery options, etc), then they'd have their I-Pod killer.

[Taro Toporific]

I have somewhat mixed feelings about my MP3 player. I bought myself a 128 MB Nomad IIC ... never, ever skip unless you drop the thing on a concrete floor, in which case it will just stop playing, and the battery case will pop off), it has some real issues with it's included software.

The iPod is all about it's software: it's S-L-I-C-K.
However, the iPod hardware is rather robust: I've dropped my 10GB iPod dozens of time without damage.

Hey. Sony sucks, but check this out....


Sony develops super-capacity MD formatJan 7
TOKYO, (AFP)- Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony has developed a new MiniDisc (MD) format with a massively expanded recording capacity.
Sony Corp will announce details of the technology on Thursday, company spokeswoman Junko Sato said, while the business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported the capacity will be about 40 hours, or 30 times the current level of 80 minutes.

[Watcher]

Ha! I'll believe it's any good when I hear it. The current generation of Attrac stinks. You use the NetMD function to take a compressed MP3 and then compress it down again into Attrac. The result? Low, low, lo-fidelity. And can you take that MD with you Jibbing? Hells no! That thing will skip all over the place... I know cause I tried. I got the first MDLP by Sony and for it's day it was cool... but MP3 players have well taken over.

My ultimate question though is why Sony never exploited the obvious... DataMD. The PS1 was originally planned as such. It would have trounced floppy disks and possibly CD-R. The tech was there and the drives were made... and the promotions were non-existent.

Bad Sony! Bad Bad!

BTW as for MP3 I'm waiting for the Rio Karma 40GB coming soon?

[Watcher]

Common to Hi-MD recorders:
Records to Hi-MD (1GB) blanks and normal MD blanks reformatted to 300MB.
Provides PC uploading of mic-recorded audio.
Functions as USB data drive (FAT format filesystem).
Linear PCM and ATRAC3plus recording at 132, 105, 66, 64, or 48kbps.
Included software: SonicStage 2.0 and SimpleBurner
LCD remote.
Charging stand.

http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/4270

So I can carry data... and a bunch of discs... and the cost per gig drops dramatically as I add more... and 30 hours off of 1 AA... and if my player falls from a perch I don't lose my data... well, this does throw a wrench into my HD MP3 purchase plans.

[Taro Toporific]

Common to Hi-MD recorders:
Records to Hi-MD (1GB) blanks and normal MD blanks reformatted to 300MB.
Provides PC uploading of mic-recorded audio.
Linear PCM ..... recording at 132..kbps.

Ah ha! Live stereo RECORDING in the digital raw linear PCM format. That's the one thing missing in my iPod. 132 kbps ain't great but it's good 'nuf to submit to NHK Radio or NPR.

[Caustic Saint]

This is an interesting twist:

HP to sell own version of Apple iPod player
Reuters, 01.08.04, 1:20 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co. on Thursday announced a range of consumer electronics devices aimed at the digital home, including plans to sell a digital music player based on Apple Computer Inc.'s popular iPod player.

Beginning this spring, HP said it will start selling the HP-branded player, as well as make available Apple's popular and easy-to-use iTunes digital music jukebox and online music store to HP customers.

[Taro Toporific]

so the new ipods been announced..
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2004/jan/06ipodmini.html
to be released Feb in USA
and April Worldwide

Arrrg, I needed to get a cheap second iPod with recording functionality and now they will neither ship to Japan nor sell a jPod-mini here.

Global iPod mini launch delayed
Apple delays the global launch of its popular iPod mini by three months due to US demand.
BBC / 25 March.
...reports of shops being out of stock and a thriving export trade on eBay...Greg Joswiak, Apple's VP of Hardware Product Marketing, told BBC News Online that...the problem lies with the miniature hard disc drive at the heart of the iPod mini: Apple is buying all the stock of drives as fast as Hitachi can manufacture them. "We're actually consuming just about all the 4GB, one-inch drives they make. As they make more, we'll get more," said Mr Joswiak.

Farking Hitachi, go figure.

[gkanai]

I bought two of these and had them shipped to Japan for friends. I shoulda bought one for myself!

[Taro Toporific]

I bought two of these and had them shipped to Japan for friends. I shoulda bought one for myself!

The iPod's software integration is it's greatest advantage. However, recently the beyond-shitty mono recording function has been updated to almost useable but still poor-quality stereo. I really need to replace my borrowed from NHK Radio reporter's DAT recorder which was due back at the NHK Mothership about 2 years age, hee, hee.

[bejiita]

Farking Hitachi, go figure.

Whoa. Taro is all powerful.

He cracks the whip, and Hitachi gets cranking.

[emperor]

[Caustic Saint]

The static thing is caused by the same design goof as plagues the firewire jacks in the non-dock iPods. Any connector that has to take any stress, or be repeatedly plugged/unplugged should not but soldered directly to the board. Solder alone can't handle that kind of wear and tear.

It's called epoxy, Apple. Look into it.

[emperor]

The static thing is caused by the same design goof as plagues the firewire jacks in the non-dock iPods. Any connector that has to take any stress, or be repeatedly plugged/unplugged..

hee! sou da ne!?

I guess ill HAVE TO invest in a dock for my 15Giger!!

[Caustic Saint]

The static thing is caused by the same design goof as plagues the firewire jacks in the non-dock iPods. Any connector that has to take any stress, or be repeatedly plugged/unplugged..

hee! sou da ne!?

I guess ill HAVE TO invest in a dock for my 15Giger!!

Read closer. It's the ones with a standard 6-pin firewire port that can have issues, not the dock ones.

[Taro Toporific]

Sony thinks we all want MiniDisk iPods, hee, hee.

Teaching an Old Walkman Some New Steps
New York Times annoying REG REQUIRED- Apr 18
... But Sony believes very strongly in the minidisc, and we don't. It might work in Japan but not here." Apple's most expensive iPod, by contrast, uses a hard disk ...

[nullpointer]

I bought a Sony NetMD when they first came out and used it for a year. Later, I bought an iPod 20 Gig when they came out...and I can say this much from my personal experience, that there is honestly no comparison. I really do not understand why someone would still try to sell MD Players in a market which has been exposed to iPOD's. The only argument in favour of the minidisc players was that they were lighter and hence more portable, but minipods have killed that argument conclusively.

[Taro Toporific]

iPod and iPod mini Update

The iPod Mini is "expected delivery 6 weeks" because the recall for defects. I doubt if any will be available in Japan until next year.


http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?family=iPodmini

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/71407/wo/SG2ASeDElDNE2z3joPTNtjBNsme/5.7.0.5.3

[Caustic Saint]

Interesting. Their FAQ page doesn't seem to be working though. I wonder if it's faster than their Media Reader. I remember a lot of griping about its speed when it got released.

[Taro Toporific]

[gkanai]

I remember a lot of griping about its speed when it got released.

The Belkin media reader for the iPod is REALLY slow. Like 10 minutes for a 128MB card. Definitely pass on that one.

[samuraiwig]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of all you Mac users with my first post...

iPods look great 'n all, but check out iRiver- http://www.iriver.com/product/info.asp?p_name=H140. I got a 40GB player a couple of months ago, which cost about 50,000 yen. It supports all major files formats, has decent design and functions, great battery life and data transfer speeds would be fine with USB 2 (...if only I'd bought my laptop 6 months later... ).

Although I'm all for the underdog there IS life beyond Apple.

wigout[/url]

[Caustic Saint]

The mini has landed!

Yours for only 28,140 yen.

[Taro Toporific]

The mini has landed!

Yours for only 28,140 yen.

I tried. It's a 4-week wait at Apple.co.jp website. I'll call lthe Ginza Store later this weekend.