Microsoft's iPod-Killer: Portable Media Center? 407
securitas writes "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Todd Bishop reports on what's billed as an iPod-killer: the Microsoft Portable Media Center line of digital media players that 'will store and play back video, music and photos.' The devices are expected to be demonstrated at CES this week. Hardware manufacturers Samsung, ViewSonic, iRiver, and Creative are apparently developing versions of the devices that 'will run a specialized version of Windows CE.' Analysts say that the PMCs will come with 40 GB hard drives and retail for $400 to $700. I got a look at an early version of the RCA Lyra Audio/Video Jukebox mentioned unfavorably in the article due to its size. The size is a function of needing a reasonably-sized screen to watch video. The article has an image of a Portable Media Center prototype. The devices are slated to ship in the second half of 2004."
kill what? the ipod party is over... for now. (Score:3, Interesting)
Microsoft seems to have developed the generation 2 ipod in terms of features and uses. I would expect Apple already has a generation 3 in development... but i wonder. How long until cell phone companies finally get the hint from RIM's success and build a proper all-in-one? One would think Sony-Ericcson could do that.
Apple are not just sitting on their asses... (Score:5, Interesting)
Well.. (Score:5, Interesting)
I have I must admit very much supported Microsoft hardware (you can shoot me later) because all the hardware I have ever bought with MS stuck on it has lasted a long time and is made durable and much more comfortable than competitors.
So I'd hazard a guess the thing will be pretty good at dealing with the bumps and scrapes inherent with portable players. But believe me, if the software is anything similar to the stuff they put on Windows Smartphone (Mobile phone/cellphone) it has got no chance. Straying off topic a tad but them things hang, call people without you asking, hang up calls without you asking, dont respond to cellular events too well (like someone rings and hangs up phone believes the sender is still ringing in).
So if its the same "specialized" version of WinCE they used on thier phones expect an abysmal effort at software design. But at least it wont smash when you drop it
Re:fptk (Score:1, Interesting)
Why video on a screen ? (Score:3, Interesting)
Call me silly, but the last thing I want is a tiny screen for video, what I'd much prefer is a device the size of an iPod, or a bit smaller, for which I can buy a screen I can attach. That way when I buy the normal device I know that if I don't want to watch video (99% of the time) I'm not going to lug around the TV screen.
Sounds like classic "geek feature creep" put it in because its cool... not because it has a point or purpose.
I like this thing (Score:3, Interesting)
I want... (Score:4, Interesting)
Simple gray LCD display, simple controls. You could listen to music with headphones or plug it into a TV for video (throw in Divx decoding, maybe).
How about a $99 price point?
Let me get this straight... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:First impression is this isn't gonna fly (Score:5, Interesting)
"Music, Pictures and Video! And it won't fit in your pocket! What do you want to lug around today?"
I'll pull out my Newton for a minute and remember how cool it was, yet I still hated to lug the thing around. Obvious.
Portable ViCE (Score:2, Interesting)
- its oldskool,
- you'd have tons of old games ready to play
- and at the same time its a brand new toy
Not that "Color Gameboy" shit.
Re:I don't see this working... (Score:5, Interesting)
If it has 802.11x support, then I can leave it in my car, and use DVArchive to send ReplayTV shows to it, so my girlfriend can watch tv when we are on the road.
I don't however see carrying this around with me everywhere as I will an iPOD especially the mini that they seem to be announcing. If this thing uses Windows CE then I bet we will be able to use a whole host of software the CE has written for it now and will get alot of functionality out of it beyond the usual video/music/picture holder.
It might supplant itself to being an cheaper in-car computer alternative, I have a GPS device, and there is Mapopolis for navigation for the CE, hey I mount it on my dash and Viola i have DVD/NAV/Digital Music playback, and what ever I deem necesary, I already use my iPaq for that, it just seems that this has a bigger HD and a Bigger Screen.
Seems fairly valuable to consumers to me, if you look beyond what they are touting it for at CES
looks like a pocket pc... (Score:4, Interesting)
Anyway, it's inevitable that the majority of us (besides you "i need separate devices!" purists) will use something similar to the O2 XDAII [my-xda.com] (anyone know how i can get one of these in the US?) with more power/higher resolution- One device you carry with you all the time that is your cellphone, your still/video camera, and your portable web device.
...It'll keep getting lighter and more powerful, and wireless internet speeds will get faster and faster. You'll be able to watch television shows streaming live over the air, as well as stream video from your device live to whomever you want to see it. It won't have to store locally either.
Imagine the next big event like "9/11", or an earthquake, etc.- thousands, millions of live camera angles and witnesses. Any time a crime or accident is taking place, one can record evidence immediately.
It would probably eventually get small enough that the camera/microphone would be a brooch (a la Star Trek, I suppose, but w/video, although that wouldn't work too well for videoconfrencing- perhaps you'd have a camera on the device, or your watch, too) and those dorky jabra headset thingies will be the size of a miracle ear, and they'd just mix the outside sounds with those from your device (any idea why we don't have this already?) The display may roll up in a scroll form or something. maybe with a wristwatch interface? people may even start recording/broadcasting their lives 24/7, or have a "blackbox" service that stores the past hour, day, whatever on the server so that investigators can figure out what happened, should anything happen to you.
Probably by that point we will have figured out how to tap directly into one's optical/aural nerves and implant these devices, or maybe even how to create organic versions of these devices and implant the instructions to build them in our DNA. (how will we ever agree on a standard for THAT?)
At that point, it may only be a matter of time before our brains evolve to the point where we have real-time sensory input SHARING- one no longer has just 2 eyes, but billions of them. We would become one organism- sharing eachother's pain, pleasure, fear, excitement.
Once a generation of this new organism passes to where every living human has spent their whole life as a part of this organism, we may cease to have disagreements, as everyone would have the same life experience, the same frame of reference, and therefore come to the same logical conclusions....
Oh my God! Microsoft IS THE BORG!!!! Resistance IS futile!!
Sounds like the Ipod a couple of years ago (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm not predicting success or failure here. I just want to highlight that
Even though I don't like this new device, I somehow have a felling MSFT marketeers will make it as desirable as the IPOD.
It looks really, uh, mediocre. (Score:3, Interesting)
I suspect that its main purpose is as "discourage the competition" vapour-ware.
It definitely has no place in my comfortable home decor as I use wood and wool.
It looks like something that belongs __inside__ the 'fridge. Kee-rist Gates, hire some designers with experience in the area you're trying to market to. Its not office equipment.
Not to mention its from "The Great Rip-Off King's" outfit and none of that schlock gets into my house.
Actually its __way__ to big. It should be iPod sized. While being way too small. It should have a 50"+ projection area (Can anyone say screenless projection TV?)
microsoft can't make gadgets (Score:4, Interesting)
I don't think "video ipods" of any sort will ever take off. It's just too much trouble to collect the media (currently) given its low reusability -- people are much more likely to enjoy listening to a song over and over than they are to enjoy listening to a video over and over. The benefits you get for the cost of such a dedicated device are way too low currently to justify the effort. Sure, this functionality will arrive eventually, but as an afterthought -- the way our phones can now play games because their specs allow it moreso than because the specs were set to allow game playing.
Not to mention the varying power requirements of video vs. audio. Cost will just be too high. I'd say the coming generation of cheap(ish) small factor multi-gigabyte storage will make PDAs a cheaper, more powerful solution for those really desperate for portable, nerd-friendly digital video. Everyone else will just buy a portable DVD player.
mod chip? (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Jobs better watch his tongue carefully (Score:2, Interesting)
So...what was so hard to understand? Smaller market share for iTunes....fewer iPods sold, if you accept Jobs' statement for what he meant it to.
Re:The new IPOD sells for $100.00! (Score:2, Interesting)
No, the iPod Mini has a 4GB drive and sells for $249.
See here (among other sources) [macslash.org]
Never, ever trust the Mac rumour sites. They are, without exception, crap.
Re:I don't think (Score:3, Interesting)
Sure we're not gonna use this to watch movies while jogging or working out at the gym -- but then again, techie types are not known for doing either of these activities much anyways.
Everyone has their own reason. Some want these devices for storing photos for portable presentations. Some want to be able to take their video collections with them (to watch portablly, or simply to hook up to a friends tv and watch).
I, for one, made the decision months ago NOT to buy an ipod (and I was VERY close to doing so) in order to wait for the first GOOD PvP. SO far the archos AV340 (which has been very successful) was a disspointment to me and so was the RCA Lyra RD2780. Nevertheless, I am proof that apple has sold one less ipod because the very devices mentioned by the article. . .