“Is this the face of Microsoft’s alleged own-brand iPod clone? That’s certainly what a number of gadget websites are claiming. It’s said to be codenamed ‘Argo’ and to have the go-to-market name ‘Zune’, but there’s little else that can said about it,” Tony Smith reports for The Register.
“It’s impossible to say how big the device is from the pic, but from the look of the controls we’d say it’s bigger than an iPod,” Smith writes.
Full article here.
“Sent to us from an insider working on the project, we’re told the device pictured above is indeed a part of “Project Argo,” and from what we can tell it definitely jibes from the blurry pics we caught a while back; though if the piece from earlier today is to be believed, this could just be one of numerous Microsoft portables,” Ryan Block reports for Engadget.
Full article, with larger photo, here.
“Microsoft does not try to keep upcoming products under wraps. It never has and it’s so-called iPod killer now turned Wi-Fi Xbox family of handheld devices is no exception,” Stan Beer writes for iTWire.
“All of a sudden we have a name – project Argo, the man in charge, vice president J Allard, and the fact that a family of handheld devices that will be released under the Xbox brand. Oh and they’ll be Wi-Fi enabled media players and internet access devices – but we already knew that,” Beer writes.
“Aside from the Xbox branding, the project name and who’s in charge, however, what appears to have changed is that the new Microsoft device could emerge as a possible competitor to Sony PSP as well as iPod – or both in one device,” Beer writes. “There is little doubt that Apple probably has a Wi-Fi or mobile phone iPod up its sleeve. What it doesn’t have, however, is a comparable games platform to PSP. Then again, neither does Xbox – yet. All this probably won’t matter to music and media buffs who love their iPods. However, it’s a new type of device that could possibly tempt the kid making his or her first or next portable device purchase.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dirty Pierre le Punk” and “G Spank” for the heads up.]
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has the m in mdn changed to microsift of late or is it me ????
maybe even to microsoft!?! lol oops
Read this stupid headline. Then read the stupid article underneath it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=395159&in_page_id=1770
I think there are more posts complaining about what MDn posts than the posts themselves.
If you can’t see the validity of reporting about what a competitor might do to fight Apple, then you must be pretty dense.
Monstrosity – and that’s before it even gets started up when the real ugliness will show up…
the device looks great. should be a nice battle. still the device is only 1/10th of the equation for success.
Oops,
yeah, it’s awful;
the usual Daily Mail standard.
macromancer = MDN in disguise
Yeah I think they did a good job on the look of the thing, although I wonder if they are violating a copyright for Apple with the scroll wheel. Putting the production in the hands of the XBox team was certainly a good idea – probably MS’s best work in a long time has come from those guys. It should be interesting to see if they can match the rest of the equation though.
I also give ’em props on the working name – “argo” the ship that Jason and the Argonauts rode in on. Pretty geeky cool.
Comment:
From: not bad
Jul 11, 06 – 12:50 pm
the device looks great. should be a nice battle. still the device is only 1/10th of the equation for success.
——————–
wha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
one of us is blind…..
For a new ‘crossover’ device able to play music AND games, it doesn’t have many buttons/controllers on it.
MDN word: days. As in: Microsoft – your end of days approaches…
Funny, I’ve been using my iPod(s) and enjoying their functionality and never once have I thought “Gee, if only I could download songs wirelessly.” It’s a non-issue to me, and I buy stuff from iTunes all the time. Is this what Microsoft is counting on to convince everyone to dump their iPods, just because Microsoft suddenly wants to buy another market? F them and their cheesy iPod ripoff.
Zune???
We have not posted in this thread until now.
Rest assured that we always clearly identify ourselves when we do post the rare message in reader feedback.
Thank you.
G-Spank wrote:
“I also give ’em props on the working name – “argo” the ship that Jason and the Argonauts rode in on. Pretty geeky cool.”
Reminds me of the 1963 “Jason and the Argonauts” film, which was called “Jason and the Golden Fleece” here in the UK.
Very appropriate, as Microsoft have certainly ‘fleeced’ a lot of people over the years…
macromancer: “If you can’t see the validity of reporting about what a competitor might do to fight Apple,”
Well at least you finally admit that Microsoft is a very valid competitor to Apple and you are afraid.
It’s even white(ish) like an iPod. How original Microsloth!
And, Elvispanda,
You, like me, are probably over 30. The issue of downloading tunes wirelessly is big with the younger crowd, especially the teenagers. They are so impatient they want everything 2 minutes ago. Now is not soon enough.
Where’s the CTRL, ALT, DELETE buttons?
i really hope this is microsofts answer.
its looks like shit, and probably works like shit as well.
but no seriously i really like microsoft. arghhhh!!!!…must wash mouth out.
I would like to see an “iPod killer” that actually looks good. I’m so tired of feeling guilty and disgusted at myself for thinking that maybe the reason I haven’t liked any of the others is that I’m only biased towards Apple. After seeing the photo above, I so hate myself, still.
Andy:”has the m in mdn changed to microsift of late or is it me ????”
M$ directly affects Apple. And this gadget in specific was written as a challenge to the iPod. Why wouldn’t it be MDN worthy news? Duh!
10 Reasons Why the Microsoft Portable Music Player Will Fail:
http://metroxing.blogspot.com/2006/07/10-reasons-why-microsoft-portable.html
Turd,
That is not a user function. You must consult
your local A+ certified M$ lame-o iPod ripoff
technician to perform that task. you are not
worthy.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”cheese” style=”border:0;” />
MDN MW: girls, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Microsoft is betting that kids, the world’s best impulse buyers, will download tunes direct to the device, at an inflated price, just like they do on their phones.
What they forget is that you only need a few ringtones. They also forget that all tune downloading stops when dad gets the first monthly bill in the low 3 figures.
People want technology that works.
Good luck with that new iPod killer Microsoft.
one of the other things associated with jason and the argonauts was the golden fleece. yeah, that seems appropriate.