“The first handheld gadgets to play music and movies on Microsoft Corp.’s ‘iPod killer’ software will be available in Europe in the second half of 2004, the world’s largest software company said on Thursday,” Bernhard Warner reports for Reuters. “The gadgets will run on Microsoft’s yet-to-be-unveiled Portable Media Center software in a direct assault on iPod, Apple Computer Inc.’s hot-selling digital music player.”
“Working with a host of manufacturing partners, Microsoft is introducing a device that plays movies and stores digital photos as well as songs in a bid to grab a share of the fast-growing digital media player market,” Warner reports. “‘We think this is going to be one of the hot devices for Christmas 2004,’ said James Bernard, product manager for Portable Media Center.”
“The U.S. software giant has enlisted Creative Technology Ltd. and Korea’s Reigncom Ltd’s iRiver International unit to develop devices for the European market. The Creative players will be sold with 20 gigabytes or 40 gigabytes of storage capacity, the latter would provide 175 hours of video playback or 10,000 songs, Microsoft said. The devices play MP3 files as well as audio and video content recorded in Microsoft’s digital format. The devices run on the Windows CE operating system,” Warner reports.
“The Creative player weighs in at 330 grams (11.5 ounces) — roughly three times as thick as an iPod and roughly twice as long to accommodate its television-quality colour screen. It has a USB port and comes with audio and video outputs cable to play media on a television or stereo hi-fi. Microsoft’s Bernard envisaged a scenario where the owner of a Portable Media Center gadget would be able to store hours of their favourite music and movies on the device. They could then download from a news-oriented Web site a round-up of the day’s news to watch on the train,” Warner reports. “To that end, Microsoft is busy assembling media partners to provide content including movies, music videos and news. It has signed up music label EMI and digital music outfit Napster.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Here comes the “Cavalry of the Mediocre” to try to save the day for Microsoft in the digital media arena. Let the battle begin!
SPOILER: don’t tell anyone (we wouldn’t want to miss this impending dustup for the world), but when all is said and done, this time the Indians win.
isn’t that anticompetitive behavior?
okcalla is right, just a pda without much functionality from the sounds of it.
I also agree with Peter, it would be great for when I stand in line. I go to the DMV once every four years, fly even less, and eat lunch at home. It is a gadget for gadget lovers, but not much more.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3516504.stm
This is how it will look like…. pretty en (not)
Sailfish – if only she had purchased a mini, he might still be alive!
As for MS’s iPod killer. I just don’t see it. It’s way too big. It really shouldn’t even be considered to be in the same category as the iPod. You can’t use it to exercise because you’ll probably need two hands to hold it. I’d be surprised to see them even take it to market.
The battery technology isn’t there for playing hours of video off a mini hard drive. What’s more, the mini hard drives are not made for constant access. They will either have to go with larger, more reliable hard drives or have a very large solid state anit-skip memory card installed as well. They will go through mini hard drives faster than Enderlie thinks the iPod goes through batteries.
Actually ine report (The Register?) says 3 hours of playback. It is hard to make a player like this with a long battery life. iPod et al. gets their long playback on a single charge with the help of the RAM. However, for movies which requires huge bandwidth, it will need to constantly access the HD and disc spinning consumes battery charge. I suspect the thickness and weight are dictated by the size of the battery.
Regardless, I would not pay $500 just so I can watch a clip while standing in line or eating. Believe it or not, there are other good old fashioned ways to occupy your brain like reading the inky thing imprinted on some tree-product made to look like letters *gasp!*. On average, good books beat good movies anyway.
Great news for the backpack industry!
i can’t wait to see people struggling with this behemoth…3 times a thick as an iPod and twice as long. i wonder how heavy it’ll be and how it’ll go through batteries? where will people carry it? what pocket will it fit in? and what belt will they wear it on withoug it dragging their pants down? the thing is, people listen to music while out-and-about because it doesn’t interfere with your sight. you can’t do portable movies very easily while your transporting yourself!
Creative, Napster, iRiver, Others must have total shit for brains. Entering into a collaboration with Microsoft has benefited how many companies in the past? Maybe they think they’re dealing with a kinder, gentler Microshaft…
Puh-leeeze�
It’s not an iPod killer because it won’t compete directly with iPod. However, it will compete with where the big iPod is going now that iPod mini is taking over the DMP throne.
The difference in philosophy is apparent, here. Apple starts with a focused product that is as elegant and friendly as current technology will allow, and from there moves toward more functionality. Microsoft starts with everything they can stuff into a box, and will become more focused as they discover why people will lug a brick to work with them.
This won’t do as badly as we all hope. Many will buy it just because it claims to compete with the hated Apple product. It has a TV-quality screen, which some will love.
Personally, I never liked those itty-bitty TVs, and I won’t like this stupid thing. I hope Apple never tries to integrate a TV screen into iPod. I would much rather buy a bigger screen that the iPod will snap to when needed.
Tango: also great news for chiropractors
Steve Ballmer: same old story. It’s hard not to be enticed by the possibility that you could be the leader in that captive 95% market. Even though the reality ends up being far different. But then you already knew that.
in case you hadn’t noticed, the story about the lady beating the guy’s head in with an iPod is fake. look at the url.
liquidgeneration makes fake news like the onion.
Cool…Micro$in is gonna invent the iBook. Ha
But I don’t catch a train to work, I ride a bicycle….
This thing will be useless, and has no chance of catching the iPod. Full stop.
iPod killer? Secure OS? Longhorn release date?
MS has a credibility problem as far as I am concerned. I suppose if your’s is a world monoploy whatever you say is news regardless of it’s hype or lack of veracity?