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Don't they normally put quote marks around statements made by subjects in such articles?
Subject: Now that's the kind of letter from the president I've been waiting for...
From DABOSS
PostID 287939 On Tuesday, October 21, 2003 (EST) at 8:20:55 PM
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1) Odyssey 1000 1.8'' HDD MP3 player on target for the holidays...finally !!! By far this is the best product they have yet to market in this category and finally the market is ready and accepting for this new market to take off. CONTENT & PRODUCT and an EDUCATED MARKET with big potential.
2) ECLIPSE moving forward in a fortified state...with more features than originally planned.
3) Disney, a done deal with room to grow...what a killer customer to add to the list.
4) IFE-one Airline in the bag and more on the way.
5) And ANOTHER RECORD QUARTER even before these products hit the market...and the TREND expected to continue !!!
I can't believe anyone would use an off the cuff remark made by an unknowing news writer as a basis for DD.
Again you diminish yourself
I think cassie is a bit mad that over the past few weeks she spent countless hours posting about the lack of DRMs in our music player when it turns out a little firmware upgrade can change the player at anytime. (something most of us already knew)
very funny
Apple's PC Tunes hits 1 million downloads
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) --Apple Computer Inc. said that computer users had downloaded more than one million copies of its Tunes digital jukebox software for Windows since its launch Thursday, and that a total of one million iTunes had been purchased at 99 cents in that time.
That compares with 1 million songs sold in the first seven days when it introduced the original iTunes for Mac users, according to Apple co-founder and Chief Executive Steve Jobs.
"We're off to a great start, and our competition isn't even out of the starting gates yet," Jobs said in a statement Monday.
The latest million-song milestone includes both Mac and Windows iTunes sales, however, meaning that the exact number of songs bought just by Windows users remains unclear.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, last week unveiled in San Francisco, in a characteristically glitzy presentation, the Windows version of its popular iTunes software, with Apple's online music store integrated into the program.
Apple said that 14 million songs have now been bought and downloaded since the original, Mac-only iTunes software and music store launch in April.
Along with last week's launch of iTunes and the music store for Windows, the software now allows for buying and sending gift certificates and setting up "allowance" accounts for children whose parents don't want to give them access to a credit card number.
Jobs last week set a goal of selling 100 million songs by April 28, 2004, one year from the launch of the innovative and easy-to-use service. To help meet that goal, Apple also announced a promotion with PepsiCo Inc. starting in February in which 100 million winning bottle caps on certain Pepsi drinks grant the winner a free song.
Apple also last week announced a partnership with Time Warner Inc.'s America Online AOL to make it easier for the Internet service provider's 25 million users to sign up for and use Apple's online music store. Time Warner is the parent company of CNN.com.
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Copyright 2003 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hollow accusations about old history over and over again.
If you have proof of wrong doing send it to the SEC and let us know when they check your accusations and get back to you. LOL
Otherwise try getting over your hang ups on the past(3 1/2 years ago) and look at the future substance.
IFE, OEMs and increasing revenue.
When you keep repeating something with little proof or substance you diminish your future commentary.
Which is already diminished to close to nothing.
Why don't you just tell us how much you lost and how you want to punish the longs for your poor trading history.
It adds up better than your repetitions.
imho this volume is not from today's PR.eom
EDIG 0.45 +0.05 0.44 0.455 505,700 11:48:45
EDIG 0.449 +0.049 0.435 0.45 494,200 11:47:18
EDIG 0.43 +0.03 0.43 0.44 468,900 11:47:03
Vol/Price just took off? whats up.eom
Maybe they have so many pending PRs ready to release they just noticed that one a few weeks old was lost under the stack.
Lets hope that stack gets cleaned up soon.
LOL
Next we should see Gates try the same thing, imho
If the past is any guide Gates will start out behind but in 10-20 years Apple will only hold on to less than 10% of the market.
My Pal Mickey
by Michelle Richer-Mengerink
http://www.adultsatwdw.com/article1037.html
Would you like to have your own personal tour guide within the Walt Disney World Parks? Would you like that tour guide to crack some Jungle Cruise-like corny jokes from time to time? Would you like to have that tour guide be the Mouse, himself? And would you like to be able to experience all this for a mere $8 a day? (assuming rental option is implemented) If you answered "yes" to these questions, then Pal Mickey may be just right for you!
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I recently had the opportunity to experience the much talked about Pal Mickey while vacationing at Walt Disney World. After hearing the pros and cons of this technological marvel, I was eager to make my own judgment call on his merits.
I "rented" My Pal Mickey at the Animal Kingdom Lodge on May 14, 2003. I arrived at the not-yet open, gated doors of the Zawabi Marketplace at about 7:25 AM. A Cast Member the night before had stated the store often opened as early as 7:30 AM, (it is slated to open at 8:00 AM), so I wanted to be there early to receive my new gadget.
Sure enough, at 7:30 AM sharp, the gates were rolled back and the store was ready for business. I quickly made my way to the cash register to begin the rental process. The Cast Members on duty were still learning how to process this transaction and how to activate the Mickey plush. After a few minutes, a bit of paperwork, and a credit card transaction (more on this later), I was able to receive the much-coveted toy.
Where would Mickey and I travel? What would he tell me? Would he live up to the hype I had built up in my mind about him? What would his first joke be? All of these questions flashed through my head. And then I squeezed his hand… and heard the giddy "Mickey" voice and familiar giggle. Mickey was ready to start our adventure together. He began by telling a joke. Question: "What says Zzub, Zzub, Zzub?" Answer: "A bee stuck in reverse!"
Mickey and I quickly boarded our bus to head to Animal Kingdom. While riding the bus, I quickly perused the "tips" sheet provided to me when renting My Pal. I learned that Mickey was capable of playing three games, how to activate him for the aforementioned game playing, and how he would alert me to his "tour guide tips and information." The Cast Members at the Animal Kingdom Lodge also instructed me to make sure Mickey was "facing forward" when entering the turnstiles at the parks. Apparently, a sensor in his nose was capable of receiving downloads as to what park he was in, etc. Cool!
After hearing several jokes and trying out Mickey's games, we were ready to take on Animal Kingdom. Would he really know we were here? I marveled at how such technology could truly work. But indeed, after entering the turnstiles, Mickey was ready to tell me all kinds of facts about the park. He eagerly "vibrated" to alert me that he was ready to begin talking. And talking and talking. Mickey was quite a chatterbox telling me about the animal life in the Oasis, quoting bits of trivia about DinoLand, and talking about nearby attractions as we passed by.
Mickey drew quite a bit of attention from fellow park guests, as well as Cast Members. Everyone seemed intrigued by what the Mouse had to say. Guests looked on in amazement, as I would hold the plush toy to my ear to hear his latest remarks. Cast Members quipped, "Do you like using him?" "Is he helpful?" "Does he talk too much?" "Did he tell you about the Anteater?" In general, the buzz was all about the Big Cheese. Should it be any other way?!
After spending several hours at Animal Kingdom, I decided to give Mickey a whir at another park. How would he make the transition? Would he be able to tell we were somewhere new? Hakuna Matata, Mickey did just fine. After entering MGM Studios, he was instantly acclimated. He eagerly began his chatter about the park, Sunset Boulevard, etc.
I decided to take Mickey for a ride on the Tower of Terror. While entering the queue, the two Cast Members working chuckled, "Oh, he likes this ride. He will have plenty to say after exiting it!" This really built up my anticipation, as I could hardly wait to hear his response. I had seen postings on the Internet as to what his reaction might be, but I wanted to hear it firsthand.
After exiting, sure enough… Mickey was chattering away! I won't divulge his exact words, though. For that, you will have to have your own Pal Mickey. I can't spoil all the fun, now can I?!
As Mickey and I continued touring MGM Studios, his witty quips, funny jokes, and cute games kept me entertained through out the day. I found him to be a welcome addition to my vacation. He provided a new, different level of "fun" and "magic" to my trip. I found myself anxiously awaiting his next word. And I liked the attention he garnished from others. I genuinely found him to be exciting.
The next morning, with sadness I returned My Pal Mickey to the Zawabi Marketplace. This time, however, I was not eagerly waiting for the store to open. I did not want to part with my newfound friend. The Cast Member on-duty also seemed surprised by the transaction, commenting, "we don't get too many of these back." She had to review her notes to process the transaction. Sure, I could have kept him. After all, he was essentially paid for. But after much debate, I decided I could always rent him again on a future trip. It could be something to look forward to.
So, here are the my final thoughts:
Pros:
He is a relatively inexpensive gadget that will keep the young and young-at heart entertained and delighted. At only $8 a day (if you choose to rent him), he can be a great way to pass time in the queues, teach newbies a bit about the park they are touring, and provide a little extra magic.
He will definitely be noticed. After all, he is Mickey Mouse! Since he is a new-fangled gizmo, others will look-on to see what he is, how he works, etc. Expect people to comment about him and to ask you questions.
He has a lot to say. With over 700+ phrases programmed into this small plush Mouse, he doesn't ever seem to be at a loss for words!
Cons:
Although the rental process, itself, was simple, I would like to see some improvements. Waiting to rent him at the beginning of my park-touring day (from the resort gift shop) slowed me down in my touring strategy. I typically start my day very early and end it around 9 PM or so. I would love to see a plan where you can "rent" him the night before - at the shop's closing time then return him at closing time the following night. This perhaps, is not something that would work out ideally for everyone. But with my individual plans, this would have been a great bonus.
He comes equipped with a "belt clip" to fasten him to your belt for easy handling. However, he did not stay fastened to the clip. I would like to see some sort of lanyard-type, neck harness for easy portability. Also, with his low-volume, having him at waist-height made him difficult to hear. I constantly found myself picking him off my belt clip and raising him to my ear. Eventually, I carried him in my hands for more ease in usage.
General information:
Renting him: "Rent him today, return him by 12:00 noon the following day for $8 (plus tax)." You can rent him for additional days, for additional money. You are charged (via credit card) for $50.00 upfront at the time of rental. If you don't bring him back - you have "bought him." Otherwise, you have to know how much you desire to pay for renting him - based on the posted days vs. cost chart at the rental/purchase location. You will also be responsible for ensuring he is brought back at the proper time as to not incur any additional charges that you were not intending on. For example, had I returned Mickey on Day 2 at 3:00 PM, I would have paid for another day's rental. In short, know ahead of time how long you plan to keep him, so you can see what is most cost-effective in terms of buying vs. renting.
You can outright purchase him for $50. He is then yours for keeps! No worries about rental return times, as he is yours.
Do not get him wet!
He does have an on/off switch located inside him. You will have to "unzip" him to locate this switch.
He is available at select resort and park gift shops.
Keep him facing forward (nose upfront) when entering a park and touring with him. This is how he "receives" information about his location.
Enjoy him. He is new and exciting. So take some time and just "play!"
Hopefully this will give you a little preview on this charming little toy. And may you experience some magic of your own, maybe with your own Pal Mickey in tow.
Sure we know, for about two months...
http://forbesbest.com/newswire/2003/08/18/rtr1059687.html
Please try to keep up
EDIG 0.43 0 0.42 0.44 49,600 11:43:30 (schwab real time)
Anyone see a picture of this yet?
http://hallmp3.com/shop/us/prod/300330/B0000DK4T7.html
The Street.com has Apple users at 3%.
Just think of that untaped Windows market.
WoW
Not sure if this has been posted...
http://mayradios.com/eDigital_MP3-Players.30.46.0.0.htm
AOL Plans European Radio, Music Download
12 minutes ago Add Business - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Bernhard Warner, European Internet Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters) - AOL Time Warner will launch an online radio station next week and a download service by next spring, trumpeting its entry into Europe's suddenly boisterous Internet music market, its European online music chief said on Wednesday.
Blair Schooff, executive director of music for AOL Europe told Reuters the U.S. media giant is aiming for a second quarter launch in Europe for the downloads.
If it hits its target, AOL would likely beat Apple Computer Inc's iTunes and download pioneer Napster (news - web sites), now owned by digital media outfit Roxio Inc., to Europe's nascent market.
The download service will be available for AOL's 6.2 million British, German and French Internet access subscribers, AOL said. In a prelude, AOL aims to launch in Britain on October 13 "Radio@AOL Broadband," a free radio service for customers that will cover a variety of music genres from rock to dance.
European music fans have been watching the flurry of activity in the U.S. music download market wondering when the big names would cross the Atlantic.
Europe's particularly sticky red tape has delayed most overseas launches, but there are fresh signs the impasse over licensing deals required by the major music labels and various artist collection groups for song downloads is easing up.
"I don't think the labels were ever reluctant to enter this space. They were just making sure they dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's," said Schooff.
"We're very confident we'll be able to close the deals in the next few months," he added, rattling off ongoing negotiations with an alphabet soup of collections bodies such as France's SACEM and Germany's GEMA, plus major and independent music labels.
AOL Europe's parent company owns the world's fourth largest label, Warner Music.
DESPERATE TIMES
The relaxation of the licensing rules in Europe comes at a desperate time for the music industry. Exasperated record executives blame free file-trading networks such as Kazaa for contributing to a three-year slump in CD sales.
New industry data released on Wednesday showed over 5.1 million German and British Internet users visited the Kazaa Web site at least once between June and August, dwarfing download sites such as MP3.com and EMusic.com, according to Web measurement firm Nielsen//Netratings.
In the past year, the major music labels -- Universal Music , Bertelsmann's BMG, EMI, Sony Music and Warner Music -- have gone on the offensive against the free site, releasing tens of thousands of more songs to European download services.
The move has prompted the biggest music retailers, including the UK's HMV and Virgin Megastores, plus technology giants Microsoft Corp and Tiscali, to enter the market or greatly expand their online music offerings.
EUROPE'S ONE ACT SHOW
So far, the major labels and collection groups in Europe have struck download deals with a single firm, Britian's OD2. It has amassed more than a dozen retail and technology partners who resell its catalog of over 200,000 songs to fans.
AOL said its as-yet-unnamed download service would have a similar amount of songs to OD2. Pricing has not been worked out, but, he added, it would feature a per-track download fee, a model that's proved highly successful for iTunes.
AOL, like many Internet companies, sees music features an enticement to attract new customers to its higher-margin broadband business.
The company has said a similar AOL-branded download service is in works for the United States, which it hopes to launch as soon as early next year.
Great find, due this year.
That looks like less than 80 some days.
CD-Copy Protection System Said to Have Simple Flaw
16 minutes ago Add Technology - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Ben Berkowitz
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Princeton graduate student says he has figured out a way to defeat new software intended to keep music CDs from being copied on a computer -- simply by pressing the Shift-key.
In a paper posted on his Web site late Monday, John Halderman said the MediaMax CD3 software developed by SunnComm Technologies Inc. could be defeated on computers running the Windows operating system by holding down the Shift key, disabling a Windows feature that automatically launches the encryption software on the disc.
Halderman said the protection could also be disabled by stopping the driver the CD installs when it is first inserted into a computer's drive.
Computers running Linux (news - web sites) and older versions of the Mac operating system are unable to run the software and are able to copy the disc freely, he said.
The CD in question, Anthony Hamilton's "Comin' From Where I'm From," was released by BMG's Arista label in late September. Music retailers praised the release, which BMG touted as a breakthrough in the industry's efforts to prevent music piracy.
"SunnComm's claims of robust protection collapse, when subjected to scrutiny, and their system's weaknesses are not only academic," Halderman said in the report.
A spokesman for SunnComm was not immediately available to comment on the report. A spokesman for BMG, a unit of Bertelsmann AG (news - web sites), said the company viewed the software as a "speed bump" to prevent mass piracy of the disc.
"We were fully aware that if someone held down the Shift key the first and every subsequent time (they played the disc) that the technology could be circumvented," BMG spokesman Nathaniel Brown told Reuters, adding the company "erred on the side of playability and flexibility."
Halderman, who has previously done research on CD copy-protection techniques and their effects on consumer sentiment, called the latest protection attempts into question.
"CD copy-prevention schemes that (depend) solely on software, as SunnComm's does, will be trivial to disable, and alternative strategies that modify the CD data format will invariably cause public outcry over incompatibility with legitimate playback devices," Halderman said.
The music industry has blamed piracy and online file sharing services for a prolonged slump in CD sales. Software like that from SunnComm has been seen as a way to slow down the tide of CDs being ripped into digital format and uploaded to the file sharing platforms.
CD Fair Warning (from culater on Agora)
By Jon Iverson
October 6, 2003 — Whether listeners like it or not, record labels, including major players like BMG and Arista Records, are now making moves to rein in how their CDs are played and used. Unfettered CDs have been on the shelves for almost two decades, and some industry observers note that changing how they work at this late stage could be a recipe for trouble with consumers.
Recognizing that the flash point for much of this trouble will be at the record counter—imagine the scenario when angry customers bring back new discs that won't rip to their iPods—the National Association of Record Merchandisers (NARM) has decided a little proactive propaganda is in order.
In a letter to music retailers, NARM's Jim Donio explains, ''Consumer education in regards to copy-management technology [is] a key priority for the industry. With this introduction of copy-management technology into the marketplace comes a wide array of questions that retailers and their employees who interact with customers—as well as the customers themselves—need to have answered.''
To address some of these questions, NARM has published a new brochure intended for both store personnel and consumers. Questions such as ''Why copy-management technology?'' (piracy, of course) and ''Why are music labels deciding to move forward with copy-management now?'' are answered from the record industry's point of view.
Also included are warnings about possible compatibility issues and simple explanations of how the restrictions work. The brochure notes, ''These discs play just like an enhanced CD. Certain products tested last year had playability issues with DVD players, car stereos, and game consoles. These discs play on nearly all DVD players, car stereos, etc. Anywhere an enhanced CD will play, these discs will play.''
One major drawback of the restricted disks, however, is non-compatibility with the Apple iPod. Since the new discs are based on SunnComm's MediaMax, which itself is rooted in Microsoft's Digital Rights Management (DRM) applications, the brochure leaves it up to iPod owners to read between the lines, explaining only, ''It will play on any device that supports Windows Media DRM. These include Creative Labs Nomad players, Compaq iPAQ personal audio players, RCA personal audio players, Sanyo personal audio players, RIO personal audio players, and eDigital personal audio players.''
NARM's brochure assures consumers that the restricted discs are not compromised when it comes to sound quality, but warns, ''The technology will continue to be upgraded, not just from release to release, but in some cases from shipment to shipment of the same release.''
Donio's note concludes, ''As other titles are released with copy-management technology, NARM will actively work with companies to ensure that retailers, their employees, and customers all have access to information that answers any and all questions that may arise. Our ultimate goal is to achieve a positive consumer experience as the industry transitions to this new technology.''
http://www.stereophile.com/shownews.cgi?1750
NEWS - Beatles Suit Against Apple Computers Could Last Years
10/02/2003
(10/02/03, 3 p.m. ET) -- The legal scuffle between the Beatles' record label Apple Corps Ltd. and Apple Computers Inc over the use of the name is heating up again. After years of legal wrangling, Apple Corps, which is owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, agreed in 1981 to allow the computer company to use the Apple name if they would limit their use of it to just computers. However, now that Apple Computers has launched their iTunes digital music service, Apple Corps is claiming the California computer maker is in violation of that agreement, and is suing for damages in a London court.
Apple Computer Inc.'s Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs told the London Times, "The whole thing is unfortunate because we love the Beatles." In fact, his company showed some of that love in 1991 when Apple Computers reportedly paid Apple Corps over $26 million dollars in a follow-up agreement to the original agreement.
Apple Corps contends that the use of the apple logo with Apple Computer's new online music store, iTunes, and iPod, the portable device for playing digital music, damages the interests of the Beatles' famous apple trademark.
If you look closely e.Digital gets a mention...
http://www.travel.ru/news/2003/09/16/18990.html
And who said we weren't getting press from the DigEplayer?
Yes they seem to have problems with "re-branded" vs. "designed from scratch"
One takes a few weeks, the other (imho) takes longer.
Yes music players can also have voice recording.
Funny you never noticed that.
I don't see why you need to exclaim(!!!)
You seemed very polite and soft spoken when I met you a few years ago.
I would guess a scroll wheel is not as complicated as built in recording features.
But I don't think this is the "re-branded" Dell - DJ
Had a chance to go home for lunch and see the Screen Savers bit on Boyer/DigEplayer.
Great
Boyer kept bringing up e.Digital.
The Guy doing the interview could not say enough great things about both Boyer and the DigEplayer.
Apple's War for the Windows Mainstream
By Robyn Weisman
E-Commerce Times
October 1, 2003
"Apple is deriving revenue from Windows users," The Mac Observer's Bryan Chaffin said. "Think about that for a second. The Windows market is now helping to subsidize the development of the Mac platform. That's the direct effect the Windows iPod is having."
Join industry analysts and executives from eBay, KB Toys and Columbia House at the 2003 Keynote Global Internet Performance Conference - October 26-27, in New York City. Mention "ecommerce" and save $200 on registration. Click here for details.
In Part 1 of this story, "Apple's New Bid for Insane Greatness," we looked at the iTunes Music Store's (iTMS) potential in the digital music marketplace. The Mac Observer publisher Bryan Chaffin told the E-Commerce Times that Apple's coveted iPod will play a critical role in determining the degree of iTMS' success.
In fact, Chaffin said Apple's position as the front-runner in the music service provider (MSP) space depends on its ability to maintain the market dominance of its iPod digital music player. The reason for this is that unlike its rivals, iTMS uses the open-standards AAC format coupled with the proprietary FairPlay standard. Apple's iPod is the only digital music device that is compatible with the AAC/FairPlay platform; most competing players rely primarily on the proprietary WMA (Windows Media) format and are not compatible with iTMS. This standards isolation is not necessarily a problem for Apple -- if enough people keep using the iPod.
Chaffin said he believes Apple is on the right side of the standards divide. "WMA is not an open standard, while AAC is," he noted. "Apple's FairPlay DRM system is proprietary, but AAC itself is open. More importantly, however, Apple's AAC/FairPlay platform is dominant, making Apple the standards leader. If there's an argument to be made about adhering to standards, it's the WMA banner wavers that are on the wrong side of the battle lines."
Nevertheless, Apple's iPod faces increasing levels of competition. Dell recently announced a new hard drive-based music player, known as Digital Jukebox. Meanwhile, other companies like Archos, RCA and Creative Labs are selling 20 GB jukeboxes on Amazon.com for US$50 less than a 20 GB iPod.
Will these and other device makers prove to be stiff competition for Apple, or will the iPod remain king of the digital music hill?
Chaffin said he is less than impressed by Dell's entrance into the portable jukebox market.
"Dell is the Oster of the computing industry," he said. "The company's new 'consumer electronics initiatives' are a prime example of that. [It] is rebranding a third-party music service and a third-party MP3 player. It's nothing new, nothing original and nothing that Dell can really claim as its own.
"Dell's R&D is focused only on finding ways of making computers cheaper, not in developing new technologies or even finding new applications for existing technologies," Chaffin added. "The company makes toasters. That's something that Wall Street loves, but consumers are paying the price in the form of stagnant features and technology , at least on the Wintel side of things."
In contrast, he said, Apple's iPod has almost singlehandedly changed the perception many people -- especially young people -- had of the company.
"Practically overnight, Apple went from being 'whatever' to 'cool,'" he noted. "That too is changing perceptions about the company in a broader context, especially [in conjunction] with the intensely negative coverage of Microsoft in the mainstream media."
The Price Issue
Still, portable jukeboxes are not the only category of digital music player on the market, IDC senior analyst Susan Kevorkian told the E-Commerce Times. Although this category -- led by the iPod -- is growing, Flash-based and CD/MP3 players still are a factor.
According to Kevorkian, portable jukeboxes like the iPod are less accessible to the mainstream consumer market because of their high price point. Although the capacity of these devices increases regularly, prices of lower-capacity units do not necessarily drop in corresponding fashion.
For example, Apple's inaugural iPod, which was released in the fall of 2001, had a 5-MB hard drive and sold for $399. Two years later, that same amount of money will buy four times as much hard disk space. However, Apple's cheapest model, the 10-GB iPod, sells for only $100 less and does not include the dock and other accessories that come with the 20-GB model.
In contrast, Flash-based players regularly decrease in price. A Rio Cali 256 MB Sport MP3 player with an FM tuner and expansion card slot sells for just under $200 at Amazon.com and can play up to four hours of MP3 files or eight hours of WMA files. That capacity is adequate for many users and is certainly superior to the Walkmans of yore, Kevorkian said.
How Do You Want It?
Related Stories
Apple's New Bid for Insane Greatness
30-Sep-03
Apple Updates iMac and iPod, Touts iTunes Success
09-Sep-03
Marching to a Different DRM
21-Aug-03
Can Apple Break the 5 Percent Barrier?
10-Jun-03
Is Apple the Next Music Titan?
02-May-03GartnerG2 research director Mike McGuire agreed that having a spectrum of digital music devices from which to choose -- including both portable jukeboxes and Flash-based players -- is important to the overall market.
But while "people are known to buy $900 notebooks, people will also spend more for functionality," he told the E-Commerce Times. "There is little guesswork on how to use the iPod."
McGuire said Apple's internal brand specialists will face two major challenges as they move forward with new generations of iPods: maintaining the proper balance of functionality and ease-of-use, and evaluating the lure of making a cheaper version of the popular music player.
"Apple is particularly blessed and cursed as an innovator," he said. "Do they devalue what they have and make a cheap $99 version? What do you keep? [To what degree do] people buy it for the hard disk size? For the interface?
"It's tough to fight desire to make it cheaper, but there's a serious risk involved," McGuire added. "It's important that Apple does not violate the underlying brand promise [it has] established."
Chaffin agreed, saying it is important for Apple to resist giving in to pricing pressures. "There will always be room for cheap, low-capacity MP3 players," he said, "but it's better for a company like Apple to let the consumer electronics brands fight it out for the low end in this market. Apple cannot offer the kinds of features the company is now known for in the MP3 space for the under-$80 market."
Importance of the iPod
Apple's strategy at the moment seems sound. Adam Engst, publisher of Mac community newsletter TidBITS, told the E-Commerce Times that with more than 1 million iPods sold since the device was introduced, Apple likely is enjoying a significant profit margin. Moreover, the iPod marketing strategy shows the company is moving in the direction of consumer electronics while still leveraging its many millions of Mac users as an initial target market.
"And just as with the iTunes Music Store, the iPod is simply better done than most of the competitors -- better interface, better integration, better industrial design and so on," Engst added. "If Apple can repeat that win in other areas that bridge the gap between computers and consumer electronics, they could be highly successful, even without gaining much market share on the computer side."
Moreover, Apple is leveraging the iPod's crossover success by luring Windows users into Apple Stores and exposing them to other Apple products, said Chaffin.
"Apple is deriving revenue from Windows users. Think about that for a second. The Windows market is now helping to subsidize the development of the Mac platform. That's the direct effect the Windows iPod is having," he said.
The key to continued progress is keeping the iPod engine chugging forward at a steady pace. If Apple can accomplish that goal, it may find itself in an insanely great position.
Looks like noon eastern on my DirectTv.eom
Looks like they will show it again today at noon.eom
Looks like the DJ name already is being used...
http://www.fullplaymedia.com/products/products_dj.htm
So you are saying the Zen has voice recording?
Microsoft's Media Center Targets Living Rooms
4 minutes ago Add Technology - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Reed Stevenson
REDMOND, Wash. (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) launched a major upgrade to its multimedia personal computer software on Tuesday, aiming to bring more computers into people's living rooms.
Windows XP (news - web sites) Media Center Edition 2004 is the latest variant of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system that doubles as a digital video recorder, music player and image viewer.
Rather than being used mainly with a keyboard and mouse, Media Center PCs are all equipped with a remote control that allows users to control multimedia functions.
Touching the mouse causes the computer to revert to the Windows desktop.
In a sign of increasing confidence among PC hardware makers of the software platform, Dell Inc. (Nasdaq:DELL - news) and Sony Corp (news - web sites). (6758.T) said they would build PCs for Media Center. Sony has long promoted its own multimedia designs, and Dell's endorsement of the product signals that it believes the platform is achieving wider acceptance.
The world's largest software maker has been trying for years to move its products beyond offices into living rooms. It launched the Xbox (news - web sites) video game console to compete with Sony's PlayStation video game machines, and the Media Center represents another foray into people's homes.
More than 40 hardware makers have signed on to make Media Center PCs, said Jim Allchin, Microsoft's Group Vice President in charge of Windows.
Among the newest features in Windows XP Media Center is the ability to print and edit digital photographs, listen to the radio and also download digital songs and movies from content service providers, the Redmond, Washington-based company said.
Asked if Microsoft had plans to integrate the Media Center more closely with the Xbox console, which is made with PC components, Allchin said that the two products remain distinctly different platforms.
"But the first thing you will see is them (Media Center and Xbox) interoperating ... what you'll see is more and more linkage," Allchin told reporters.
"The upcoming holiday season will be pivotal to establish momentum for Media Center PCs going into 2004," IDC analyst Randy Giusto wrote in a report issued on Tuesday. "With the consumer segment poised to make up the lion's share of growth this year in the PC market, all eyes are on Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 to help propel consumer PC growth well into 2004.
Or a guy you might hire for a Wedding or Party
You know, he plays songs you were sick of 20 years ago.
The name of the new Dell player...
This guy is collecting info
http://www.delldjsite.com/
Picture...
http://www.delldjsite.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7
Now you say you think the DJ would be a new player design.
Come to think of it I agree.
If they go with e.Digital it will be a new design with a new interface. ibooo (in both of our opinions)
And old interface issues don't matter. Your post #47447 was a waste of time.
More NRE fees.
So you are going on record as saying a 0-1000 platform player has to have the same interface.
I'll go on record as saying that it does not.
I would like to know which Creative player with Voice recording is being rebranded.
Anyone?
No matter what player design Dell uses they can choose an interface to their liking.
How can the Bang and O interface look nothing like the one used for the O-1000?
Because it's not the same.
Do you think before you post?