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."
Archos av340 (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Archos av340 (Score:2)
My Microsoft powered mobile has been able to play DivX for almost a year now. Nothing new there.
The devices are stop-gap measures anyway. Once most folk have next-gen mobiles, there will be no need for carrying a separate media player.
Re:Archos av340 (Score:2)
New Feature (Score:5, Funny)
Example... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Example... (Score:3, Informative)
But (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:But (Score:5, Informative)
In short: this looks like it has exactly the same features and price point as the device I traded in for my iPod, a Toshiba PocketPC. And just like the PocketPC, it'll have limited appeal which becomes even MORE limited when Joe Q. Fancydevice realizes how hard it is to get first run movies onto it...i mean, how fast can the processor be in these things and still keep battery life?
Still, competition is good for the industry. The market pressure will force Apple to make iTunes even better (and there's room for that). But I don't think they have too much to worry about...a bigass laptop wannabe is NOT in the same league as a tiny little music device.
Exactly! And why do I need portable video? (Score:5, Insightful)
This won't be an IPod killer because it's going to do everything and it will do it in a mediocre manner. How many people need an ultra portable video player? I live in the city and do a lot of walking so having a portable audio player makes perfect sense. But it would be dangerous to do the same thing and watch video.
Something for the kids perhaps? Not at $400-800, unless the thing is indestructible. Why would I shell out for that when I can shell out a fraction of that for a game boy that will keep them far more distracted.
I can see only two valuable uses for this:
1) Long flights - but how many of us have enough long flights to pay for this and don't carry a laptop along already.
2) Photo/Video storage on the go - if you take a lot of pictures, it's nice to have a device to store the data on while you are on the go.
Other than that, what possible use do I have for this device. I've got enough crap to lug around as it is, why would I want one more device?
Re:Exactly! And why do I need portable video? (Score:3, Funny)
That's really not a word you want to spell wrong.
I don't think (Score:4, Insightful)
Microsoft, and many slashbotters will never get this, but I will try anyway. Jobs understands that in product design, sometimes less is more. Steve knows when to make something, but more importantly - when NOT too.
The iPods works because it is a simple elegent music player that ppl can take with them to the gym, or whatever. Nobody is going to walk around with a movie player. Why would they? Can you ride a bike, jog, work out, watching a movie? - urrr no. End of product.
Memo to Microsoft - stick with the formula that got you where you are today - cloning and rebranding other ppl's ideas - give up on inventing your own.
Re:I don't think (Score:3, Insightful)
I might be inclined to agree with you if not for the portable DVD players doing well on the market.
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
Re:I don't think (Score:3, Insightful)
but have fun with your clunky crap.
add bluetooth (Score:5, Insightful)
Highly unlikely... technical considerations. (Score:4, Informative)
No way you're going to get the 128kbps internet radio that most are used to... you could make a case for 56K audio designed to be streamed from a modem, but realistically, from a cell phone you'll more likely to be getting the low end of 20-60 kbps, that ain't gonna happen either...
Highly unlikely, with the technologies that are around right now, and really, internet radio this way would be far too costly and lousy sounding.
Re:Highly unlikely... technical considerations. (Score:2)
Re:add bluetooth (Score:2, Informative)
Re:add bluetooth (Score:2, Insightful)
I don't see this working... (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because it does everything does not make it valuable to consumers... look at the N-Gage.
Re:I don't see this working... (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because it does everything does not make it valuable to consumers
Agreed,
I don't think people want a small video playing device. Listening to music is different than watching video. You can do things while you listen to music. You can shop, or do chores, or workout, etc. But to watch video, you have to stop everything you are doing and concentrate on the video.
It might be ok to once in a while show some video to somebody, but if the device has to be large, then nobody will want to carry it. This seems to be another case of gee-whiz over what people really want.
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
store CF pictures on your iPod... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I don't see this working... (Score:2)
look at that thing! its just a pocket pc with a hard drive, which is not a bad idea at all. but to call it an ipod killer is IMHO, silly. it simply doesn't seem to be competing in the same field either.
oh, just to complete the b
Is it me... (Score:5, Insightful)
Completely different for video. You actually have to focus on a tiny screen and devote pretty much all of your attention to it (unless you are a woman, we all know how good they are at multitasking). You have to make sure you havent got glare in the screen and you can watch the video where you won't be disturbed (like AT HOME, perhaps?). Music on the move is in easily digestible 2-10 minute chunks. You can squeeze off a track while waiting for the bus or queueing up at the supermarket. Try watching LOTR in 40 odd 5 minute sessions. OK so movies are pretty useless on portable devices unless you are in the same place, undisturbed for several hours. Such as an airplane. If only there was a way for airplanes to deliver movies to passengers while they are waiting for their three hour flight to land...
What other uses then do we have for portable video? Music videos, maybe? Well you might as well just listen to the music separately. A black man staring at the camera shaking his hands about making kung fu motions with 100 pounds of gold round his neck doesn't add much on a 50 inch plasma, let alone a 6 inch LCD. With music videos and movies pretty much worthless as far as portable video is concerned what else is there that is of any value to the mainstream consumer? Funny movie clips? Recorded video? (we have devices called video cameras for the playback of such video). Porn is one thing that would be mentioned on Slashdot, but as any guy knows, you need to be on your own to enjoy porn. You wanna blow 500 bucks just so you can jerk off in a rest room squinting at what you think is a woman getting fucked?
So when your next walking down the street and you feel a pang of jealousy seeing someone with one of these [shoplifestyle.com] on their waist, think to yourself, 'What am I actually missing out on?'
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.
Re:kill what? the ipod party is over... for now. (Score:2)
What do you think the P900 [sonyericsson.com] is ?
The new IPOD sells for $100.00! (Score:2, Insightful)
And I don't trust Microsoft. I never did and I never will.
Re:The new IPOD sells for $100.00! (Score:2)
Looks like nothing more than an iPod wanna be.
First impression is this isn't gonna fly (Score:5, Insightful)
I am all for this type of device, but Microsoft is no innovator. They shoudl wiat for Apple to creat ethe device, then rip it off. What is Bill THINKING!?!?
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.
Wrong Competition (Score:4, Insightful)
Ha yea, I bet a whole bunch of Mac owners are gonna swap their iPod's for a Microsoft "Portable Media Centers".
These don't really seem like competitors to the small, sheik, audio-only iPods. They seem like competitors to the previous Lyra Audio/Video Jukebox, and the like.
Re:Wrong Competition (Score:2)
I was moderating this thread but I couldn't help myself by correct you, not trying to get at your as such or be a spelling nazi just that this one stood out. I think you meant to say "chique" and not "sheik". fyi they are pronounced differently too. the former is "sheek", the latter is "shake".
hope you're not offended at my intrusion.
dave
PS. micorsoft copying an idea from apple, adding features and making the product worse obverall as a result of the compromises involved?! say it ain't so!
Re:Wrong Competition (Score:5, Funny)
The word is chic. Unless you meant to say that iPods appeal only to rich middle-easterners =)
Storage (Score:2, Funny)
Expects predict that an unofficial name of Portable Pr0n Center will be commonplace within 6 months of launch
Re:Storage (Score:2)
If you pop over to Europe or Asia you will see that cell phones are already offering these sort of features. I have a friend, in the UK, who managed to download and watch the highlights of a football match on his cell phone. And the format it uses is industry standard MPEG 4.
I didn't look but I am sure you can download short Pr0n movie clips. One thing I did see was the ability to download Java ba
Last year's news (Score:3, Informative)
iPod killer (Score:5, Insightful)
What would kill the iPod for me would be something with the form factor of the iPod that also had PDA and cell phone functionality - especially if it used Bluetooth to connect to a cell phone headset and either Bluetooth or WiFi for internet access.
Re:iPod killer (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:iPod killer (Score:2)
My sentiments exactly. Moreover, how is this going to kill iPods? Its just the competition we need to get more from either Apple or Microsoft. Bring it on! I have a 5GB first generation iPod, and it still rules. If replacement hard drives were available at larger sizes, I wouldn't even think of letting it go. iTunes smart lists are making it easier to stretch the 5GB since my CD collection is over 10GB at 160bps MP3 compression. It is a significant part of my lifestyle now, but its going to take a lot to ma
Re:iPod killer (Score:2)
My step daughter has a 40Gb 3G iPod and she's used less than 5Gb of it. I keep telling her that if she's only using 5Gb, she'd be just as happy with my 20Gb iPod as her 40Gb, but she doesn't see it that way. Damn kids and their selfish logic!
Re:iPod killer (Score:2)
Absolutely. One thing that iPods have that this thing doesn't (at least the one in the photo) is style. That matters a lot to many Apple customers.
Secondly, what advantage does the MS operating system give to the manufacturers? How difficult will it be for the really big electronics manufacturers (Sony, Panasonic...) to make something like this that doesn't use an MS OS? Not very difficult, I should imagine, they already have products that can do all this pro
Two words: (Score:5, Insightful)
pocket.
{Goodbye productivity!}
Same thing as usual (Score:2, Insightful)
The thing is walkman/mp3 player are successfull because you can still WATCH THE STREET.
I see that thing bomb
So it's a Tablet PC... without the PC part? (Score:5, Insightful)
And with "real" (ie non-Tablet) laptop prices coming down to $700 - $800, I think it will be hard to justify less functional devices for roughly the same amount of money!
Agreed (Score:2)
WinCE devices like this *are* made for the embedded market but I've not seen any for the home - all I want is a small "digital book" (now there's a blast from the past!) that I can just turn on and browse the web and connect to my other machines with.
Just my 2p...
Just a PDA with some software (Score:2)
Apple are not just sitting on their asses... (Score:5, Interesting)
Check the calendar (Score:2)
seems like a different market (Score:2)
People will still buy ipods for music and maybe this thing for video (if they dont have a laptop or portable DVD player already)
doomed to fail (Score:4, Insightful)
People like to carry around a small device for listening to music on the go. You don't watch videos on the go. If you have a need to bring a portable video player somewhere, these already exist. From what I understand, they don't sell extremely well, due to the limited need.
These devices may be useful to some people, but not many; it's certainly no iPod killer.
Just my 2 cents.
Re:doomed to fail (Score:3)
check out the archos v320 or some such, 3.8 in. screen and a 40 gb portable back up drive.
With a handy hook-up TO a TV, it becomes essentially a portable Tivo. Once they partner up with someone like Tivo, you can just hook it to the Tivo, download your programs, and watch them anywhere. P2P and a computer works the same way, although then there is a codec converter involved.
I travel, so stuff like this is very useful, but yet, for the completely sedentary it doesn't make much sense to carry
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
I like the look (Score:2)
Seriously I for one can't wait, a even bigger bonus if they make it do normal Pocket PC tasks, and play Pocket PC games.
Wonderful! (Score:2)
(sorry, had to be said)
Jobs better watch his tongue carefully (Score:3, Insightful)
From the article: "Why should we work with another music store when we're working with the Microsoft of music stores?" - Steve Jobs
If Jobs is not on the ball, he may end up with another Netscape on his hands. They owned the market, thought they were invulnerable, and then circled the drain for a bit before selling off to AOL.
Am I cheering for Microsoft? Hardly. But they play to win, fair or otherwise.
When the iTunes service starts to lose major share of the market, though... That's when there will be real trouble. Losing the iPod is a small fish compared to iTunes.
Re:Jobs better watch his tongue carefully (Score:2)
Other way around... They barely break even on the store. They make massive profit on the iPod. In the long term the store may become more profitable but that will depend on the other markets players and their downward push on the prices they pay to the record labels.
Re:Jobs better watch his tongue carefully (Score:4, Insightful)
uhm, I thought iTunes exists to sell iPods. I mean that's what Jobs has said in the past.
-sam
Digital music isn't the OS Market (Score:4, Insightful)
- a device that only works with their music store
- a music store that only works with their device
In a situation where there is already a market leader, the above scenario doesn't fly because people have to replace both their digital device and their music store content.
However, Apple is #1 in digital music device sales and on-line music sales. So the following scenario holds true:
Person puchases an iPod and loves it, then buys Y songs from the iTMS at $1 each. When the iPod breaks or they want the cooler, newer digital device, they are gonna buy the one that their existing investment of Y x $1 songs can play. Vice Versa, if they have puchased a large library of songs from iTMS, then the only device they are interested in is one that plays their music, else they basically have lost their investment.
It is a nice little situation Jobs has created. For Rio or Dell or someone to sell a digital device, they hav eto overcome both the iPod AND the existing investment in AAC files. Likewise, for Wal-Mart music store or whoever to win, they must overcome both the iTMS library a user may have AND the exisitng iPod they own.
The hope for both WMA music sites and WMA digital devices is that the market is not saturated to the point that too many people own iPods. With Apple to announce within two hours their low-cost iPod, the game just went to level ten.
Re:Digital music isn't the OS Market (Score:3)
I am speaking in the context of sub-$1 music store compatiblity. The iPod cannot play WMA music, which all the other copy-cats are using.
I stand by my assertion that the i
Re:Jobs better watch his tongue carefully (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Jobs better watch his tongue carefully (Score:3, Funny)
What market is this aimed at? (Score:2)
People want something small to play music on. This costs more than the iPod, will be bigger and no doubt ugly, which will be the most important factor for Mac owners ;^) With people not entirely enthused by the price of iPods, why would they pay more for one of these media centres? They're going to rely on sales to people who want to watch movies on the go, on a small screen and have the money to pay for it.
This is the Office of media players - expensive and bloated with features most people don't want. T
The Future (Score:5, Funny)
Now, instead, we're going to whip out our portable media devices and watch "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" instead. Ahh, the future! Behold!
let me guess... (Score:5, Insightful)
and 1 hour of battery life.
I've actaully reverted to my old Palm because CE's battery life is so poor.
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.
This just in! (Score:2)
Yes, with their small size, astounding battery life, spacious hard disk, well-conceived software, clean-elegant user interface, and extraordinary low, low price these new Personal Interactive Media Players (or PIMPs) are guaranteed to wipe out the competition. Sony, Apple, Archos, forget it!
Or maybe not.
What will happen? MS will collaborate with some small company with excellent designs, they will co-produc
Re:This just in! (Score:2)
Re:This just in! (Score:2)
If accurate on price and function (Score:2)
Hm - $400 for an MP3 player, or $400 for an MP3/portable video player? Granted, if the MPAA would allow people to "rip" their DVD's the same way we can "rip" a CD to a series of files we could carry around on
Just like Xbox is a "PS2 Killer" (Score:2, Insightful)
I like this thing (Score:3, Interesting)
"Sleek" (Score:2)
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?
Re:I want... (Score:2)
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?
How about $180 [bestbuy.com] and with a color screen?
There's plenty of portable DVD players. But you're right, they need to drop the price point or otherwise you might was well buy a laptop. If these players had firewire and optical out
Re:I want... (Score:2)
These are dumb (Score:3, Insightful)
What's needed is a wireless link to a pair of goggles (no larger or bulkier than typical sunglasses) where you see a virtual screen the size of a movie theater image.
Until then I'll stick to watching things properly in my home theater. I'll also maintain my attention span health so I'm not constantly craving electronic stimulation everywhere I go like a three year old.
Let me get this straight... (Score:3, Interesting)
Will Microsoft FUD Work in this Arena? (Score:4, Insightful)
But Microsoft's influence in this market may not be so profound. Apple has successfully moved from personal computers into a new market where the the line between the computer and home electronics are blurred. Every prior effort Microsoft has made to do this has met with only limited success. Witness WebTV [webtv.net] and UltimateTV, both of which have sputtered [com.com].
Lack of /. vision (Score:4, Informative)
Millions of people around the world commute by train or bus every day. A PMC is designed almost specifically for these people.
But that's not really where the PMC is headed, if you read between the lines. MS wants to be "the king of all media" and if you could download your TiVo'd shows onto your PMC, you could then watch your shows at your leisure wherever you were. Likewise, as these things grow a video out port, you will be able to playback any saved video on any display device.
The PMC is not an iPod killer. They aren't even competitors.
Always the same but different. (Score:2)
The pc is alright for an all-in-one system but that is not the case with other stuff. We barely stand the pc why would we introduce ourselves to yet onother system that cant be expanded without purchasing everything again and again?
The only thing that can be an iPod killer... (Score:4, Insightful)
You can't kill iPod by making more expensive competitors! iPod is already too expensive.
Yeah right (Score:2)
If you want to kill the iPod, give me iPod features at less than half the price. I don't need that extra crap, and I don't want to spend $600.
Microsoft.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Windows vs Linux (or mac)
WinCE vs Palm OS
XBox vs PS2
Microsoft are moving from the PC space, where people have amazingly decided that a crashing computer is acceptable, to the consumer electronics space, where crashing is mostly unheard of. Either they improve there QA, or people will be returning these back to where they bought them after freezing up while in normal use!
On another note, the apple iPod plays MP3 and Wav files, in addition to their implementation of (the open standard) AAC.
Will this box play anything other then Microsofts proprietary WMV... or is this another attempt by the beast of Redmond to kill off competing formats?
Tony.
A Good Idea (Score:2)
if I wanted to buy a media player (Score:3, Funny)
The issue that's been beaten to death... (Score:2, Insightful)
Another iPod killer? Doubt it. (Score:2)
Once someone finally comes out with something to beat the current iPod the Apple Store will be selling something even better. These days Apple never stops their
So what's the advantage? (Score:5, Insightful)
Personally, I'm curious to see what Steve his up his sleeve at MWSF.
Junk-drawer killer (Score:5, Insightful)
Even at $400 it's twice the price of those cheap no-name portable DVD players you can get. It's too expensive to give to kids for car trips, and they'd be happy with one of those cheap portable DVD players anyway. Business travelers might like it, except they already carry laptops that can play the DVDs that they already own or rent for $2 a week.
Any decent content will be pay-per-view and won't be viewable on a TV unless you have a high-end PC running XP Media Center Edition in your living room hooked up to that TV, which amounts to a few thousand people right now. And with Media Center PCs retailing for $1600 or so in a market where most PCs sell for half of that or less, it's going to be a few years before that changes.
It's as expensive as a high-end PDA but isn't a PDA. It's a second or third gadget to carry around and with all that extra space needed for more batteries, it's not a zero-carry.
I wish the first-generation licensees luck.
Not getting it (Score:2)
A portable video player that is bigger, heavier, and requires you to stop doing whatever you're doing and give it your full attention is stupid. These things will not even make a dent in iPod's market share.
PVR funcionality? (Score:3, Insightful)
ick... (Score:3, Insightful)
that "suggested design" has got to be one of the worst things I've ever seen. I can just imagine what it would be like to hold one, kinda like the Sega Nomad. waay to big, and you can't operate the thing one-handed. Besides, what's really the point in portable video devices like that? I mean, sure, you can take maybe six DVDs along w/ you, plus your music collection, but who watches stuff on the go? If you're walking somewhere, you need to watch where you're going, not some collection of flicks you D/Led. The same thing applies to driving.
As for flights, most people in the market for that thing are probably going to have laptops, which for the most part serve the same purpose. On top of all this, the price is just dumb. Low-end laptops are about the same price, and have similar enough features to render this device unnecessary. Maybe the uber-gadget-freak market would buy this, but it's never going to be a mainstream item, at least not in my lifetime.
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.
weird (Score:2)
Re:Fundamental problem (Score:2)
but I can't imagine a businessman taking it on the plane with him
Especially since they already get the same functionality + more out of their laptop.