iRiver today announced the unveiling of its iFP-599T, “the most feature rich and largest capacity flash-based memory player on the market.” The iFP-599T comes standard with 1 GB of internal memory and offers consumers the ability to record MP3s on the fly from any source.
The iFP-599T holds up to 34 hours of music (based on Windows Media format at 64kbps) and plays up to 28 hours from a single charge to its rechargeable lithium-ion battery. In addition to playing MP3, WMA and ASF music files, the iFP-599T allows customers to store all types of files when it is used as a portable drive.
iRiver also announced today the iFP-595T, which has the same features and functionality as the iFP-599T but comes with 512 MB of memory. Both players include a built-in FM tuner with presets, line-in MP3 encoding, voice-activated voice recording as well as FM tuner recording functionality.
“As the leader in flash memory players, we designed the iFP-500 series to set the bar again for best design, feature-set and capacity,” said Jonathan Sasse, president of iRiver America. “We are proud to continue providing the MP3 category with superior products, and the iFP-599T is clearly leading the way.”
Suggested retail price for the iFP-599T is US$449.99 and the iFP-595T is US$329.99.
MacDailyNews Take: Still think US$249 for Apple’s new 4GB ‘iPod mini’ is too much? More information about Apple’s new ‘iPod mini’ here.
So pricewise this competes with the full size iPods? Good luck, lol.
Ouch. iRiver? How about $hit creek without paddles…
“…set the bar again for best design”
“…superior products, and the iFP-599T is clearly leading the way.”
What are these guys smoking? So, really, for the additional $80 you get 3GB less capacity than the iPod Mini and “on-the-go” MP3 recording. Ooooh, what a bargain!?!?! I think I’ll run out right now and buy the iFP-599T.
By the way, real catchy name iRiver. You dorks!
Oh god! It’s disgusting….I cannot look at it. Painful! I think I am going to vomit!
34 hours at…64kbps?? Who the hell rips at such a subpar bitrate? The audio quality would make Helen Keller sneer in disgust.
Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Sorry, I just had to let that out. I thought it was bad when comparing a 4GB iPod mini to a 10GB iPod price-wise, but THIS is ridiculous. $50 difference buys you 40x the storage space. Someone please tell me it’s April 1st and iRiver is pulling a fast one on us. What a joke!
-Joel
MDN: Why no link to the source? I wanted to look at specs, if available. No matter, I can Google.
It’s smaller and lighter than an iPod mini, but pretty ugly. I actually has old-style pushbuttons on the side like a tape recorder.
http://www.iriveramerica.com/products/iFP-595T.asp
I think the lemmings are headed for cliffs . . .
or the person who approved this product is trying to get fired.
Thanks for the link Kenny. I thought the article was a good laugh. The thing looks like a f*cking cassette tape player.
Hell for that price you might as well buy the standard 15GIG iPod its $299
Get an iPod and an iPod Mini for a little more than the price of an iRiver. Apple should offer a bundled deal.
It looks like a Sony Walkman spaced out for the new milennium. And d*mn, it’s expensive.
What a Macshit article again. Why do you compare a solid-state (= shock-proof) device with a hard disk based player, you Macmoron. Obviously the former is always more expensive, you Macfag. Why don’t you compare the iRiver 40GB hard disk player with the iPod? Maybe because the iRiver has built-in FM tuner, recorder, digital in/out and 15hours battery time? You Steve Jobs’ little bitches.
oh the jealous troll babies are crying
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But wait guys, it comes with a neck strap and arm band, all the extra money must be for the expensive “elastic testing” trials they had to run.
And to Jobzzzz, the Ipod uses a solid state chip to play the music from, and only spins the drive up to fill the solid state device. And didn’t calling somone “fag” go out in 4th grade? Grow up, and pull the dirt in over you when you slither home.
Its ugly and has an even uglier name. iFP-599T?
We have been running tests on various players in our audio lab … (note the new iRiver models, but earlier units). Their FM radios are a joke – you can get better in a standalone $20 FM radio from Radio Shack. Their audio reproduction is also sub par…
Jobzzz:
I checked out the River product�s pages and I am convinced their products suck compared to my iPod.
I tried to be as objective as possible, but I almost wept to see such perversion of technology and deficiency of design.
Jobzzz:
Go ahead! Go buy the iRiver piece of shit! The iPod speaks for itself…
Everyone just ignore this ingrate. This LEM has NO IDEA what he’s talking about.
Either Mac enthusiasts are the best propogandists in the world or they’re the dumbest set of idiots this planet has to offer. First of all, how do you compare a flash player to a hard drive player? Of course the cheesy Apple iPod Mini with its “huge” 4GB hard drive would look better than a 1GB flash player. HELLO! ANYONE HOME? Hey stupid, flash technology costs more. PERIOD.
If you want to compare something, compare the Apple iPod with the iRiver iHP-100/120/140 models. Each version costs less against the “comparable” Apple iPod. How about the feature sets? Apple iPod is hiding somewhere under a rock. You geniuses have so many different add-ons the price of your iPod just skyrocketed and you didn’t even see it coming. DUH! iRiver GIVES it to you and then some. FM Radio! Recording! Leather Case! Microphone! Inline Remote! Audio Formats! You guys are paying extra for half of these features and the other half you will NEVER see. The base player itself costs almost $50 more on the market. Apple iPod is up to version 4 and it’s the same thing. LOSER!
If you people still see the iRiver iHP series as inferior to the ipod, you were never capable of viewing anything other than an ipod anyway. iRiver has murdered the iPod 100 times over, on every level.