'iPod-alike' announced
By Macworld staff
DigitalWay has launched an MP3 player that's "startlingly similar" to Apple's iPod.
The device even uses scroll-wheel navigation.
The £299.99 (inc-VAT) product is called the hd100 personal digital jukebox. It includes a digital voice recorder and an FM radio (with 12 pre sets). The hd100 also features VoiceNav speech recognition technology, so the unit can locate a track simply by saying its name.
The MP3 player carries a 20GB hard disk and uses USB 2.0 to connect to PCs or Macs - so Mac OS X 10.2 is required. It can handle both MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) formats. Like the iPod, it also doubles as an external hard drive and offers up to eight minutes skip protection.
Other features include a built-in microphone and voice recorder, playlist support, and a programmable EQ. Modes include: normal, shuffle, repeat and intro modes.
The consumer-orientated gadget lets users look through the tracks using a centrally located monochrome LCD. It ships with a carrying case, collapsible stereo headphones, a stereo adaptor cable and universal adaptor.
Audio output is a minimum 50mW, its dimensions are 73.5-x-111.5-x-27.6mm and it weighs 0.2Kg. Apple's iPod measures 60.96-x-101.6-x-18.2mm and weighs just under 0.2Kg.
The manufacturer assured Macworld it is working to make the unit Mac compatible, with support for iTunes. The hd100 is currently scheduled to ship at some point in March and will be distributed by H2. Pre-orders can be made at www.ihavetohave.it.
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