e.Digital Corporation (fka EDIG)

[Tenderloin]

Amazon Taking Portable Media Center Orders
Friday, July 09 @ 07:33:32 PDT
http://news.designtechnica.com/article4621.html


Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders for two devices based on Microsoft's Portable Media Center.

Creative's 20GB Zen Portable Media Center and Samsung's Yepp YH-999 20GB Portable Media Center are now available for pre-order from online retailer Amazon.com. The handheld devices are based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system and allow users to store and play recorded TV, movies, home videos, music, and photos transferred from a PC.

Portable Media Centers feature a USB 2.0 interface for file transfers and support the following file types: Windows Media Video, Windows Media Audio, MP3, and JPG. They are also compatible with other file types that the player transcodes, including MPEG, MPEG2, DVR-MS, ASF, WAV, and MIDI.

Samsung's Yepp Portable Media Center retails for $499.98 at Amazon and features a 3.5-inch color TFT display. The product ships with a Li-Ion rechargeable battery, an IR remote controller, earphones, a USB 2.0 cable, USB charger, an encoding wire, carrying case, user manual and install disk.

The Creative Zen Portable Media Center features a 3.8-inch TFC LCD screen with a 320x240 resolution and is selling for $499.99 at Amazon. Included with the Zen is a power adapter, Li-Ion rechargeable battery, protective carrying case, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, video and line out cables , quick start guide, and an installation CD.

Windows-Powered Media Players Hit Amazon

Orders taken, but updated Creative Zen and Samsung Yepp won't ship for weeks.

Scarlet Pruitt, IDG News Service
Friday, July 09, 2004

Microsoft says handheld digital entertainment devices running its Portable Media Center software can now be ordered from Web retailer Amazon.com--although the gadgets won't be delivered until late August at the earliest.

Consumers are being offered two choices: the Creative Zen from Creative Technologies of Singapore, or the Samsung Electronics Yepp YH-999 Portable Media Center. Both of the devices are designed to allow users to watch digital videos and reordered television as well as listen to music and look through photographs. The new Yepp was previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The Zen is a sibling of other Creative MP3 players.

For those who have preordered, the Creative Zen device will be available in late August and the Samsung offering will be out in late September, Microsoft says. Both machines have a storage capacity of 20GB and retail for around $499.

The Samsung device has a 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen, and measures 3.8 inches by 4.2 inches by 0.83 inches. The Creative Zen device, on the other hand, boasts a 3.8-inch blue backlit LCD screen, and measures 5.7 inches by 3.2 inches by 1.1 inches.


Eyeing IPod
Microsoft has been touting the Portable Media Centers as its next foray into the mobile media market. The devices run Windows Mobile software and users transfer digital media to them from PCs running Windows XP. They play back files in the Windows Media Video, Windows Media Audio, MP3 and JPEG file formats, and are compatible with other file types including MPEG, MPEG2, MIDI and WAV, according to Microsoft.

The devices are aimed at winning some of the market presently dominated by Apple Computer's IPod digital music players, which have seen robust sales. The Portable Media Center devices go beyond music, however, adding playback of digital video and photos. The 20GB devices will allow users to store up to 5000 songs, 80 hours of video, or tens of thousands of pictures, Microsoft says.

Microsoft also says users of the new devices are being offered subscriptions and pay-per-view service from mlb.com. The site provides Major League Baseball game footage, highlights, and games that can be downloaded and transferred to the portable players.