Toshiba's IPod CloneMobilphile can't match Apple's IPod on price and
portability.Sean CaptainFrom the November 2002 issue of PC World magazine
If the Apple IPod didn't exist, Toshiba's $500 Mobilphile might rank as my favorite handheld
MP3 player. The two devices share numerous similarities: Each uses a spacious 1.8-inch
Toshiba hard drive, each has a roomy LCD screen, and each works with both Macs and
PCs.
The Mobilphile even has a few advantages, including a matte aluminum case impervious to
fingerprints (the IPod's stainless steel case smudges badly) and USB connectivity (USB
ports are more plentiful on the market than are the FireWire ports that the IPod requires).
And as one of the first USB 2.0-equipped MP3 players around, the Mobilphile lets you
move files from your PC quickly. I moved music from PC to player about three times faster
with USB 2.0 than with USB 1.1.
Despite these strengths, Toshiba's
decision to use a removable 5GB hard
drive causes the Mobilphile to fall
short of the IPod. Whereas the IPod
uses a built-in hard drive (available in
5GB, 10GB, and 20GB sizes), the
Mobilphile uses a removable PC Card
that costs more, takes up more
space, and offers less capacity.
The end result: The Mobilphile sells for
$500, or about $200 more than an
IPod with the same amount of storage.
(Or you can buy a comparably priced
IPod with four times the storage.)
The Mobilphile is a good product, with
some nice touches. But now that Apple is shipping a Windows version of its popular
player, the Mobilphile just can't compete dollar for dollar.
AI
