Windows iPod fares well versus competitors
Gannett News Sevice
August 4, 2003
Gannett News Service Apple’s move to a sleeker iPod design is part of the campaign to keep the music player No. 1 with consumers.
Apple Computer says that more than 1 million iPods have been sold, and an increasing number of those are in the hands of Windows users.
But as more competitors hit a crowded market, Apple has gone back to the drawing boards and made a great music player even better. In addition to a thinner, more attractive form, Apple has assembled a more sensible package. Both Mac and Windows compatibility now comes in the same box. Mac users get the simple, striking iTunes 4 to manage libraries. PC users receive MusicMatch, at least for now, which gets the job done, but doesn’t have as pretty an interface.
A Windows version of iTunes, which also supports Apple’s iTunes Music Store, has been promised before the end of the year.
Although the standard iPod connection cable requires a FireWire hookup, Apple is offering a combo FireWire and USB 2.0 connector for an extra $19. This is bound to increase the iPod’s sales potential, because many Windows PCs don’t come with FireWire. But it has a downside, because USB doesn’t provide enough current to charge the iPod’s battery. You either have to plug the cable into an AC outlet or a standard 6-pin FireWire port to replenish the battery.
By making a bolder bid for Windows users, the iPod also must compete in the same marketplace as lower-cost jukebox players from such companies as Archos, Nomad and RCA Lyra.
Just how does it stack up?
The iPod is much lighter. The 10 gigabyte model, at $299, and the 15 GB model, at $399, weigh in at 5.6 ounces. The top-end 30 GB version of this playing card pack-sized player, listing for $499, tips the scales at 6.2 ounces.
In contrast, the Archos 20 GB Jukebox Studio, at $269.95, totals 12 ounces. The Creative NOMAD Jukebox Zen USB 2.0 60 GB, at $399.99, weighs 9.5 ounces. The RCA Lyra Jukebox, at $249.99, has a 20 GB drive and weighs 11 ounces.
In addition to being slimmer and lighter, the iPod shines in quickly getting music and other files from your PC, because it sports both FireWire and USB 2.0 compatibility. Among the others, only the Zen ships with USB 2.0 support, but is also available in a FireWire version.
The Archos and Lyra players languish in the older and much slower USB 1.1 standard, which means that it literally can take hours to get your tunes to your music player, as opposed to minutes in an iPod or Zen. This can become especially irritating if you want your jukebox player to do double duty as a backup hard drive, a feature supported by all these players.
That limitation can more than make up for the price difference between the other guys and Apple’s iPod.
When it comes to good looks, the Archos and Lyra players are busy and functional. Only the Zen has style, bearing a slick grey metallic look and a shape very similar to the iPod’s.
In addition to its larger storage space, the Zen also promises up to 14 hours battery life, compared with just eight on the iPod. The specifications for the other players do not make specific battery life claims.
6-pin FireWire port to replenish the battery.
By making a bolder bid for Windows users, the iPod also must compete in the same marketplace as lower-cost jukebox players from such companies as Archos, Nomad and RCA Lyra.
Just how does it stack up?
The iPod is much lighter. The 10 gigabyte model, at $299, and the 15 GB model, at $399, weigh in at 5.6 ounces. The top-end 30 GB version of this playing card pack-sized player, listing for $499, tips the scales at 6.2 ounces.
In contrast, the Archos 20 GB Jukebox Studio, at $269.95, totals 12 ounces. The Creative NOMAD Jukebox Zen USB 2.0 60 GB, at $399.99, weighs 9.5 ounces
In addition to being slimmer and lighter, the iPod shines in quickly getting music and other files from your PC, because it sports both FireWire and USB 2.0 compatibility. Among the others, only the Zen ships with USB 2.0 support, but is also available in a FireWire version.
When it comes to good looks, the Archos and Lyra players are busy and functional. Only the Zen has style, bearing a slick grey metallic look and a shape very similar to the iPod’s.
