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Test-Driving the $99 iPod
Mosseberg Solution ^ | January 12, 2005 | WALTER S. MOSSBERG

Posted on 01/16/2005 1:55:48 AM PST by mastercylinder

Edited on 01/16/2005 2:00:34 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator. [history]

At last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, numerous companies were showing off gadgets aimed at dethroning the most successful electronics product of the past couple of years: Apple Computer's iPod portable digital music player. Many hoped to challenge Apple by offering smaller, lighter and less costly players than the company's lowest priced and littlest iPod model, the $249 iPod Mini.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Technical
KEYWORDS: apple; ipod; mac; mp3player
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http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20050112.html

http://ptech.wsj.com

1 posted on 01/16/2005 1:55:48 AM PST by mastercylinder
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To: mastercylinder
HTML is our friend.

http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20050112.html

http://ptech.wsj.com

2 posted on 01/16/2005 2:04:21 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Drug prohibition laws help fund terrorism.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

thanks for the tip


3 posted on 01/16/2005 2:05:22 AM PST by mastercylinder (support our troops nuke Mecca)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

what do you think about apples new music player?


4 posted on 01/16/2005 2:09:51 AM PST by mastercylinder (support our troops nuke Mecca)
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To: mastercylinder

My understanding is it doesn't have a visual interface like the bigger hard drive iPods. But it does have a scroll wheel to let you thumb through the songs you have. And you upload it to a computer via a USB reader.


5 posted on 01/16/2005 2:19:04 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: mastercylinder
I posted on another thread the other day http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1320384/posts

I played with an iPod Shuffle at MacWorld in SF, and I really liked it. Tiny, easy to use, and sounds great. It only took a minute to get used to the lack of a display.

I own 4 MP3 players, for different reasons. One is credit card size, easy to carry but only plays about 30 songs and sound is crappy. Another is the Archos 20GB recorder/player, sounds great and is pocket size but bulky compared to the iPod. Also have a Creative Muvo2 4GB, comparable to the iPod Mini but not as cool. I bought an iPod Mini for my wife, and it's perfect for her.

The iPods do have better software, functionality, sound quality, and ease of use. Except for the Shuffle that lacks a display and thumbwheel, and is missing the cool software that comes with the more expensive iPods, but for the $99 you're getting what you pay for. Most of the non-Apple players going for $100 or less don't have even close to 512MB memory, don't include cool Apple software, and sound crappy.

6 posted on 01/16/2005 2:24:02 AM PST by roadcat
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seems silly to me. you can shuffle the songs...but you cant go in any kind of order

there are already off brand flash drives that will play music like this... I'm sure the apple will last longer....and it has the straps so you can wear it in the middle of your chest so you can say "ooh look at me! I have $99!!"


7 posted on 01/16/2005 2:25:38 AM PST by KneelBeforeZod ( I'm going to open Cobra Kai dojos all over this valley!)
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To: KneelBeforeZod

Actually, there is a slide switch to turn shuffle on and off.


8 posted on 01/16/2005 2:30:35 AM PST by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: goldstategop
But it does have a scroll wheel to let you thumb through the songs you have.

The ones I played with don't have a scroll wheel like the bigger iPod or iPod Mini. Just the basic functions. Click up for volume up, click down for volume down. Click left to fast reverse thru the song or to go to a previous song. Click right to fast forward thru the song or go to the next song. Click the center to play or pause. That's it for the single button control.

On the back is a sliding button that turns it on, and allows you to play the playlist sequentially and continuous, or randomizes the playlist. For the price, it's a really good deal. Especially if you know what songs you preloaded in the playlist and don't care about searching for a particular song, but just want to hear your music where you're at.

9 posted on 01/16/2005 2:30:44 AM PST by roadcat
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To: mastercylinder
"Many hoped to challenge Apple by offering smaller, lighter and less costly players...."

They'll all end up where all the previous apple clones ended up.
10 posted on 01/16/2005 2:34:02 AM PST by moehoward
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To: mastercylinder
I don't have an iPod, but if I did, I would update my iTunes software.

  TechWeb
iTunes Bug Leaves Users Vulnerable To Hack
January 12, 2005

Just a day after Steve Jobs touted a new $99 iPod, a Danish security firm revealed that the iTunes software, which lets Mac and Windows users download purchased tracks to their computers, and thus to their iPods, has a "highly critical" vulnerability.

Security vendor Secunia on Tuesday warned that iTunes 4.x suffers from a vulnerability "caused due to a boundary error within the handling of .m3u and .pls playlists." The bug, said Secunia, can be exploited by a maliciously-crafted playlist to cause a buffer overflow on the target computer, which could then let the hacker gain complete control of the machine.

"Successful exploitation may allow execution of arbitrary code," Secunia stated in its alert.

The solution, said Secunia, is to update to the newest version of the iTunes software, labeled 4.7.1, which was posted on the Apple site Tuesday.

11 posted on 01/16/2005 2:36:33 AM PST by Eagle9
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To: Eagle9

thanks aready did on 1-11-05


12 posted on 01/16/2005 2:39:13 AM PST by mastercylinder (support our troops nuke Mecca)
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To: mastercylinder
thanks aready did on 1-11-05

Same here, updated my PC. Hmmm, I sure could use more songs for my playlists...

13 posted on 01/16/2005 2:45:54 AM PST by roadcat
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

the question is - will i able to install cwlinux and play my ogg files like with my regular ipod? probaly not ;) honestly the shuffle looks like a souped up usb key drive. i'll probaly buy it since i have an apple tattoo.

don't ask.


14 posted on 01/16/2005 2:56:44 AM PST by sodiumodium
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To: roadcat
Most of the non-Apple players going for $100 or less don't have even close to 512MB memory, don't include cool Apple software, and sound crappy.

I'm in the market for an iPod. When I went into the Mac store and tried one out (a 20 gig), it was INCREDIBLE sound quality. I already have iTunes on my Mac ... somewhere there's an iPod with my name on it.

Also, check out Bose's SoundDock for iPod. Another awesome music experience.

15 posted on 01/16/2005 3:25:55 AM PST by BunnySlippers (When it comes to humility, I'm the greatest! - Bullwinkle J. Moose)
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To: roadcat

Do the Ipods load/play standard MP3 files?


16 posted on 01/16/2005 3:34:13 AM PST by Jeff Gordon (Now is the time for all wise men to gloat. FOUR MORE YEARS,)
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To: KneelBeforeZod
and it has the straps so you can wear it in the middle of your chest so you can say "ooh look at me! I have $99!!"

Don't you mean

"Look at me! I used to have $99, but now I have this annoy thing strapped to my chest."?

17 posted on 01/16/2005 3:47:05 AM PST by woofer
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To: roadcat
Hmmm, I sure could use more songs for my playlists...

What venue do you like.

Maybe someone could be found to fulfill your wish.

18 posted on 01/16/2005 3:49:06 AM PST by woofer
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To: sodiumodium
honestly the shuffle looks like a souped up usb key drive.

There is a player that connects to a key drive, as I am guessing you know. I almost bought one.

19 posted on 01/16/2005 3:56:36 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Drug prohibition laws help fund terrorism.)
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To: mastercylinder

Thanks.

You can get the links to work one of 2 ways, usually.

1) Insure that the left and right carets are removed before posting. That is, that STRICTLY AND ONLY the URL is in the posting and not extra characters that may go with it when you find it. I usually insure that the URL is on a line or two by itself by hitting enter a couple of times before and after it.

2) Doing the proper html coding which is:

[left caret]A HREF="[URL]"[right caret] [WHATEVER ONE WANTS AS THE CLICK MESSAGE--LIKE "CLICK HERE." I prefer to paste the URL again so people can easily see it and copy and paste it if needed] [left caret]/A[right caret]

I'd make it obvious if I knew how to do it without it functioning. LOL.

Thanks for the post. An interesting read.


20 posted on 01/16/2005 4:01:24 AM PST by Quix (HAVING A FORM of GODLINESS but DENYING IT'S POWER. 2 TIM 3:5)
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