Associated Press: Rio Nitrus can’t top Apple iPod

“So far, no gadget has come very close in mimicking the style and simplicity of Apple Computer’s top-selling iPod digital music player,” reports The Associated Press. “Now, the name that started it all in 1998 Rio is trying to recapture its past glory following the financial blowup of its former parent company, SonicBlue. Recently acquired by Digital Networks North America, Rio is pumping up the volume with seven new models.”

“The first new release, Rio Nitrus, looks like a real contender. Like Apple’s player, the Nitrus stores tunes on a small hard drive. The Rio is more compact and runs longer on a single battery charge. And its sound quality is excellent,’ AP reports. “But Nitrus doesn’t recapture the music player crown for Rio. The sleek black gadget is too pricey, its software lackluster and hard drive too skimpy for the price. It simply doesn’t offer as much bang for the buck as the iPod, which itself isn’t cheap.”

Full article here.

5 Comments

  1. Apple’s iPod is still the king. But I’ve got this feeling that as soon as one of these others can provide one that is as light as the iPod and better priced AND has Ogg Vorbis support, it will take overtake the iPod. There are a lot of Linux users out there who won’t buy the iPod because it won’t support Ogg Vorbis. I gave in myself. But after listening to MP3, AAC, and Ogg Vorbis, I must say that Ogg Vorbis rules if you encode above 128.

  2. I agree Jeff. The gaps closing and it’s only a matter of time. Apple are going to have to run like hell to stay ahead of this ferocious pack of dogs on it’s tail. Ultimately, like personal computing, Apple’s going to have to rely on brand and sex appeal over specifications.

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