“I met the MusicGremlin guys a year ago or so, and was prepared to hate them. Founders from McKinsey (and involved in SDMI – run, run away as fast as you can). You know the type: Great SATS, never shipped a product. I was pleasantly surprised to find them not to be the total @ssholes I expected,” David Card, Jupiter’s Research Development VP, blogs. “But my question then, and now, was: how do you find songs on a wireless download device?”
Apparently Mossberg agrees with my prime concern:
To pick a song out of a list, you have to laboriously enter letters of the alphabet using the down arrow, and many functions require lots of arrow clicks and navigating fly-out submenus. Again, the company promises to improve some of this navigation.
Card writes, “Jeezum Crow, I can ‘promise to improve some of this navigation.’ This is the core freaking problem, Walt. Yet he gives them — for a non-Apple product — a blow- very positive review. Pray tell, Walt, why on earth do you think normal human beings should be even remotely interested in this ‘product?’ It’s a concept, at best.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Poor Uncle Walt, slapped in the face with the unvarnished truth right there in front of everyone on the World Wide Web.
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MusicGremlin’s Wi-Fi music player a challenge to Apple’s iPod? – June 14, 2006
Walt is getting senile.
everyone’s entitled to a mistake now and then. He’ll see the eerrror of his ways and turn back to the right path
“He’ll see the eerrror of his ways” I saw the eerrror of mine, that’s for sure
Come on Guys! Just because it is not an iPod does not mean there are not some decent DAP’s out there. iTunes is not the only way to download music. I have iPods and I use iTunes but I am not blind to the fact that some people are just as satisfied with whatever service they use.
“Some people are just as satisfied with whatever service they use.” and that’s why there are so many windows sufferers. Just satisfied with whatever.
Walt made no mistake. He clearly stated all the problems that the player had. The reason why he was intrigued by it was because it offered some new ideas that no other player has done yet.
I don’t think Mossberg was off base at all. Here’s his summation: “”Despite its drawbacks, the MusicGremlin player and service are a great idea done pretty well. There’s nothing else like them in the marketplace, and they represent a fresh approach to challenging the iPod. For some people, a system that cuts out the need for a PC and allows legal sharing of songs may just be the perfect iPod alternative. But the company will have to file off the Gremlin’s rough edges if it’s to succeed.”
I think that sounds perfectly fair and accurate. It’s a different take on a music player, and it shows innovation. I applaud the company for that. I highly doubt it will prove to be serious competition for the iPod, but just because it is competing, doesn’t mean the Mac community should bash it. It also has the added benefit of not being tied to MS in any way.
To: Wandering Joe –
Get a life fanboy.
“Unlike most MP3 players, MusicGremlin compact devices are wireless and automatically connect to Wi-Fi hot spots and private wireless networks.”
Interesting about the private wireless networks. As I recall, some guy in Tennessee or Indiana (can’t recall the state) was arrested and charged with theft for using a person’s home wireless network without their permission (he was in his car using a laptop). This opens up a new can of worms – “Buy MusicGremlin and hope you don’t get caught stealing bandwidth!”
Hey ibuschjr
He was talking about privately owned wireless networks, like the one I have at home, not suggesting that anyone was stealing bandwidth or able to circumvent password protected networks. read more carefully next time.
like i mentioned previously, give credit where it’s due. just because Steve Jobs hasn’t thought of it yet, doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. when Apple items are released with bugs (Macbook anyone?) everyone here cries, “Well, no one’s perfect!” However, if anyone other than Apple has the same pitfall, it’s considered an unworthy product by most of you all here. why?
let’s see if you all call Apple out for copying when they release their wireless iPods. i doubt it.
Apple to introduce a NAND portable Mac in August.
Single processor or low performance dual core.
Very low heat, no fans needed, no hard drive as it will be all NAND.
No cd drive either, but ports for external and iPod hookups.
Digital/analog audio out.
No driving a external monitor either.
Will be priced around $600
blue suit, power tie, type a attitude, and BS do not a product make.
Isn’t the root of this exchange simply “What’s needed is something fresh.”
Unfortunately, these device falls squarely into the “not implemented before because it’s an unworkable idea” camp.
Being a mac enthusiast means enduring a steady stream of me-too imitators, and our clarion call is always “show me something fresh.” I believe we as a population thrive on new stuff more than our PC brethren, yet are quick to dismiss a half-baked idea.
Wireless meets some of the Holy Grail requirements of the AAA device (Anything, anywhere, anytime), but only when wireless signal is AAA…..and we all know that story.
Sounds nascent, at best.
Wireless is coming to the iPod eventually, no doubt about it.
It’s a great idea waiting on a great implementation. I just hope Apple is the one that is the first to show the potential.
I know that this is completly off topic, but…
What has happened to http://www.mac360.com?
Most of us know that Tera Patricks had taken ill again, and I was just curious if that’s why the lull in updates.
blue suit, power tie, type a attitude, and BS do not a product make.
Nor do they make a good President.
People complain about Dell’s poor hardware and support.
Very interesting
http://techdirt.com/articles/20060613/103246.shtml
Don’t ever get MusicGremlin wet. Keep MusicGremlin away from bright light. And the most important thing, the one thing you must never forget: no matter how much MusicGremlin cries, no matter how much MusicGremlin begs . . . never, never feed MusicGremlin after midnight.
I agree with Walt. Must be an age thing.
Yeah, it’s a concept – and an interesting one.
Yeah, it has rough edges – that absolutely must be fixed.
Yeah, it’s not quite ready for Prime Time/competing with the iPod.
Apple needs to look at this product and consider which patents to buy. There’s a world of work before this one ships and shipping won’t mean it’s an iPod killer – but if it ships before Apple integrates some of the neater concepts … what is that mantra we keep repeating when Microsoft comes out with a “new” feature we’ve been using for months, or years?
A little of what makes this doodad interesting would be exceptionally nice on an iPod. Bluetooth, for example, would be a huge improvement over the dock. But, so would a less complex dock.
Static Mesh
farkin hell what an amazing link . . . . dell and windows make a truly astounding combo. Why oh why do people buy this crap. This must change, buy a Mac and get a life.
after 3,000 or so songs, the iPod or any music device becomes redundant; the market is saturated.
Poll facts
Most users have under 100 songs on their iPod/Mac.
Slightly less have between 100-200
After 200 it drops off considerably with only a few having any amount after that.
Somebody stole my 3rd G iPod, I was miffed for awhile as they got over 7500 songs.
So I bought another 60GB 5th G white one to match my similar black one.
Black holds video and white holds music.
I’m in heaven.
England couldn’t even beat Germany if they’re lives depended on it
But I do agree with Walt Mossberg.
typo: “they’re”
should read “their”