Dell has announced their new US$99 Dell DJ Ditty which they hope against hope will be an iPod shuffle killer.
Dell DJ features include:
• 512MB of storage for up to 220 songs (Assumes audio format is 64kbps WMA encoding with average song length of 4 min. MP3 audio format at 128kbpS compression: 512Mb – up to 110 songs.)
• 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack
• Integrated FM tuner
• 26x11mm LCD screen
• USB 2.0
• 3.6 x 1.1 x .5 inches and weighing 1.29 ounces (vs. Apple iPod shuffle: 3.3 x 0.98 x 0.33, .78 ounce)
• Rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery with up to 14 hours of battery life
• Includes earbuds, lanyard, and black & blue USB Cap only
• Easy and affordable downloads via Musicmatch Jukebox by Y!Music
• Compatible with Napster to Go
• Compatible with Audible
More info here.
Advertisements: iPod shuffle. Starting at $99. Free shipping.
Apple iPod nano. 1,000 songs. Impossibly small. From $199. Free shipping.
Now we know what floats through Jonathan Ive’s nightmares. Why does Dell even bother? If you want a smaller-sized, equal-capacity, good-looking, cross-platform player, get an iPod shuffle 512MB for the same price, 1GB for $30 more. If you want a screen, then Apple’s iPod nano is a no-brainer starting at $199. Dell ought to just forget about the digital music player market and concentrate on assembling commodity Wintel boxes.
[UPDTE 2:51pm: changed $50 to $30 in “Take,” thanks “macnut222.”]
Related articles:
Dell plans expansion of Dell DJ portable music player line – September 14, 2005
Dell CEO: Apple can’t just have one product and then say they’re the innovative leader of the world – February 22, 2005
BusinessWeek: Rather than dismissing Apple products as fads, Dell should try starting a few – January 31, 2005
Dismissive Dell CEO not impressed with Apple Mac mini, calls iPod a ‘one-product wonder’ and a ‘fad’ – January 17, 2005
Mossberg: Dell, Rio, Creative ‘iPod mini killers’ lag badly behind Apple iPod mini – October 27, 2004
Dell offers $100 rebate for Dell DJ buyers who send in Apple iPods ‘for recycling’ – June 30, 2004
Dell vows ‘to chip away at Apple’s market-leading iPod and iTunes combo’ using Dell DJ, MusicMatch – June 14, 2004
Columnist: Dell DJ a junky knockoff of the superior Apple iPod – May 28, 2004
Dell preps its own ‘iPod’ hard drive portable music player – September 23, 2003
Dell re-signs Apple iPod retail contract – April 16, 2003
Dell to sell Apple’s iPod – October 29, 2002
I think PUFF DADDY might have a lawsuit here ….
oh wait, that’s spelled DIDDY – not DITTY…
Sounds the same though …
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Ho-hum. Another iPod killer. Competition is a good thing
dum ditty…..
iPod Shuffle Killer? Ha ha… I needed a good laugh today.
It should be spelled “shitty”.
Do the people at Dell even have eyes? I’ve seen Zippo lighters with more style and design acumen. Hell, I’ve seen things floating in toilets that looked better. Placing it next to the shuffle is a low blow, iPodDN, but I love it!
Actually, a 1 GB shuffle costs $30 more than their 512 MB model.
What’s the matter, Dell? Your name on it once is not enough? If that was my product, I’d be trying to hide the name of my company.
Let them keep trying, it consumes resources and lets people see them as failures in the marketplace.
mw = economic!
This ditty is heavy!
iPod shuffle: .78 oz
iPod nano: 1.5 oz
Dell ditty: 1.29 oz
The ditty is .2 oz lighter than a nano – a product with a REAL interface and 1.5″ color screen. Pathetic.
MW: distance
Not as ugly as their desktops. Wait, maybe it is. Oh I’m not sure. Hell, just bring back beige. I… uh…
MDN word: able (not ABLE to pass design school)
doesn’t ANYBODY other than Apple have a clue about design?? really, it can’t be _that_ hard. and I’m sure every teenager wants to flash around that cool DELL logo (yeah, right…). DELL = DULL
oh well look for this one in the Best Buy bargain bin in a couple months…
Are they kidding??! It’s nothing more than a repackaged MP3 player from some other company!!!
lol, i love some of the responses. haha
MacDailyNews Take: “Now we know what floats through Jonathan Ive’s nightmares.”
Ouch… Diet Coke laughed through my nose…
I am sure they will sell a couple of them … I am sure Michael Dell has some nieces or nephews.
Why do they still bother? Once that comes regular dell costumers will be so repulsed they’ll just turn to apple (which they should have done long ago)
The shuffle pretty much – no never mind – it totally owns that hideous thing…
I forgot to mention … they display the company name on the screen to show what size of font would would need to see anything on it.
Dell, uses the Sony tactic of lying about capacity and quotes 220 songs at 64kbps WMA which, of course, will sound worse than the stupid FM tuner they’ve included in the world’s first silver and black bar of shit.
I want to meet the lobotomy victim (Andrew Kantor) who buys one of these.
Michael Dell woulda been better off if he kept selling
the iPods ….
But…. no one ever accused him of having brains !!
i just think its funny that by the time they get something to compete with the shuffle, apple unveils the nano…
they just don’t get a break, do they? =D
There it was just a sittin’ on the shelf singin’
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do
Beggin’ me to buy sayin’ gonna kill iPod singin’
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do
It looked good (looked good) It looked fine (looked fine)
It looked good it looked fine, and I nearly lost my mind.
Before I knew it it was on my belt clip singin’
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do
Fillin’ my ear just as natural as can be singin’
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do
I logged on (logged on) To Napster (Napster)
I logged on to Napster, #^%%#^@%^$#^&#!!!!!!
Oh, I knew I fell for the wrong player.
No this was not the player I was dreamin’ of.
I’m so unhappy nearly every single day singin’
Poo wah shi++y shi++y dum shi++y poo
I’m unhappy and that’s how I’m gonna stay
Poo wah shi++y shi++y dum shi++y poo
I need an iPod (iPod) And iTunes (iTunes)
I need an iPod with iTunes, foget Dell and Napster.
Oh, I knew I bought the bobo player.
Yes I did so I bought the iPod I’ve been dreamin’ of.
Now we’re together nearly every single day singin’,
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do
We’re so happy and that’s how it’s gonna stay singin’,
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do
Well I’m its (I’m its) And it’s mine (it’s mine)
Well I’m its and it’s mine, wmy music choice is oh so fine.
Oh…Oh yeah
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do (We’re singin)
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do
It’s ugly ass, just like their PCs. I remember back in the 90s when Acer came out with a cool-looking Aspire desktop with a case designed by Frog Design, Inc. It was a trend-setter. After that, everything got uglier and uglier. It’s as though PC makers don’t have a clue. The iPod Nano now blows everything away. Dell and its chief doughnut boy need to bow to the king–Apple!!!
i’m sorry, Tommy Boy, but it doesn’t even fit the rhythm…