“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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I heard it’s going to be called XpOD.
They have no shame.
Hey, John,
Are you macdude in disguise?
Perhaps you need to read around this site a bit before pronouncing who is an MDN plant.
I think you’ll find that “macromancer” is definitively NOT MDN…
Nor am I, for that matter. Stick to the story (though that’s the fun in this site – it’s not always the case – and things can sometimes get pretty dicey, sticky, inflamatory, or downright esoteric).
Like I’ve said before – now sticking to the story…
I’ll believe M$ has released an iPod-wannabe when I see it with my very own eyes. In person. Without anything between me and the object, except perhaps my glasses. Then again, I may have to take my glasses off just to make sure someone hasn’t painted anything on them.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
What a crappy looking brick, bring it on!
Microsoft should forget about Vista and release DOS 7.0 (DOS 6 was tha final version, if memory serves me correctly). They got THAT right, at least.
Hopefully that isn’t real because that looks retarded. Who is going to buy a product that looks like that. At least make the whole thing that dark grey color. Wow that is horrible, as far as completing with the psp who cares the psp sucks. As far as games go for the psp sure they look nice but they all are the same. The analog button is bad as well, I would challenge anybody in a first person shooter game to my Nintendo DS and demolish a PSP user. The DS has so much more in controls it wouldn’t be fair to compair the two. If you have ever played Metroid Prime Hunters you know what I am talking about. As far as ipod killer I would rather walk around with my ipod mini instead of this ugly piece of crap. People buy an ipod for one reason and one reason only. THE MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if I want games I use my nintendo ds. I am not going to run with a psp attached to my hip am I ?????? when will they understand this.
G-Spank: The Click-Wheel is an Apple PATENT actually, it’s not Copyrighted… and I don’t think MS is using a Click-Wheel either, here’s why. This is supposedly ALSO a gaming machine. How would you control a game console with a Click-Wheel? It’s fine for Parachutes and Solitaire, but it won’t work for any action game. This wheel of theirs has to be a D-Pad trying to look like a Click-Wheel so people will accidentally buy it thinking it’s an iPod. That’s the only way THIS device could also play games. Unless it’s going to have a touch-sensitive screen and work like a PDA. Nobody would want those games however. Except Brain-age junkies.
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it looks pretty good – much better than i expected i will say that. i like the look of my ipod much better though. wish the pic had something to view on the screen of the device (an error message perhaps? haha)
if and when this device comes out, i don’t really expect that much of a “shake up” in terms of current mp3 buying behavior. i love my ipod and i see no reason to buy something else. just my simple opinion.
it is too early to tell anything from just a pic…
MDN MW: green. as in, people that rush out to buy this device will be green with envy when the next generation ipods roll out.
Microsoft’s attempt at an “iPod Killer” brings to mind one word:
Derivative.
As in this device is derivative of Apple’s iPod. Too bad. I think if anyone has the potential to design a ground-breaking device for the Windows world it is Microsoft. But… they always get things wrong so why should an mp3 player be any different?
Fake. The first clue is the square around the screen.
What I’d like is an Apple Xbox.
Running a Halo-killer based on Iain M Banks’ universe or even Discworld.
Ah well, wishing time’s over!
And just where are you going to go when you have a problem with your new toy? Mail it in to Microsoft? The only response you get from any retailer (after a small grace period) if you have a problem with your iPod is to go to the Apple store. Is Microsoft going to open up stores or stores within stores to handle these sort of problems?
If it is what they say than Microsofts track record being what it is on anything other than software, then this is not going to be much of anything at all.
If it’s a money looser ala X box then Microsoft flirts with more anticompetitive practices. If they are going to offer to pay for all your iTunes music to be ported over to this thing than that is as good as paying a customer to use their product over the competitors.
This may be another sort of Netscape Exlporer fight in some way.
Anyway, that remains to be seen.
The market for portable gaming machines is far more limited and specialized than the market for DAPs. While the Sony PSP can play music and even movies, those who purchase it are primarily doing so for its gaming capability.
Apple doesn’t need a gaming platform, but they do need a device that does more than play music and video, wi-fi would be a step in the right direction, add an FM transmitter and they are golden.
We have not posted in this thread until now. Oh, wait… well,whatever!
Rest assured that we always clearly identify ourselves when we do post the rare message in reader feedback.
Thank you.
It is basically a gaming device not an iPod killer.
Different markets altogether.
And its made by Xbox NOT Microsoft!:)
Microsoft makes an Xbox console, so why not make an Xbox portable? It’s only logical.
I’m sure there will be a cross demographic with iPod buyers, but for the most part, I can’t imagine many adults choosing an Xbox player over an iPod.. There’s a good chance that MS will win over the gamers though..
Meet the new boss,
same as the old boss.
Thank You
PSP and Microsoft need to watch out!!!!!!! You can’t just make a game look like a console version and expect people to fall all over it. Its about design, and fun factor. Hmm that sounds a little bit like another company I know =P
IGN.com
July 6, 2006 – If you keep up with the Japanese game scene, you’ll know how hot the DS is over in Nintendo’s home territory. The DS is so hot, in fact, that it wasn’t just the number one selling piece of gaming hardware for the first half of 2006, but number two as well!
Enterbrain, the publishing company behind the Famitsu magazines, has released sales stats for the first half of the year, covering 12/26/2005 to 6/25/2006. Three portable systems topped hardware sales for the period. DS Lite took the top spot, with the standard DS coming in second. Together, the two DS variations reached sales of 3.9 million units, far above the third place PSP, which managed 1 million.
While this may or may not be real…
WiFi on this device makes no sense to me. Bluetooth maybe, but WiFi, no.
1) Where’s the interface to log into a hotspot? Is the screen touch sensitive with a graffiti or ink type interface? (I believe Apple holds several patents on handwriting recognition from its Newton days, aka Ink.) Without such a means to log in users will be limited to wide open hotspots.
2) If someone downloads songs/movies/games directly onto the device where’s the backup or master file set? What if you have files not purchased through M$? Is M$ going to hold all those for you? If you need a computer to back all this stuff up would it not be easier to just download everything to the computer then transer it to this device (a la the iPod).
3) WiFi is a significant power drain of many laptop designs and they have significantly larger batteries than any “iPod Killer”. Will people be willing to eat up a significant fraction of thier battery’s power to run WiFi? I doubt it.
I’m sure there are many other drawbacks but I cannot think of them at this moment.
Converserly, I know of several people who own iPods who’d love some form of “high speed Bluetooth” so they don’t have to have yet another cable between their devices and their computer.
That can’t be a Microsoft MP3 Player – it’s got too few buttons!
Actually, M$ did release MS-DOS “7.0”, just not as a stand-alone product. It was the version of DOS that was built-in to Win95.
I just learned from my source deep within Microsoft that this iPod killer’s dimensions are 1 foot by 3 feet and 5 inches think. However, it only weigst 10 lbs due to the diminutive battery that holds 14 min of charge.
Apple watch out. The nano will NOT be able to compete with this.
When this finally comes out, I can’t wait to run down to my local Bi-Mart, Payless Drugs, or WalMart to check it out. I can pick up some cheap toilet paper and oreos on the same trip…
the daily mail
the sun with less tits , well , apart from the one who wrote that mindless load of twaddle
Oh, I forgot… damn, that thing’s uninspiring. They really should have Samsung make the things for them. Oh yeah, I forgot… Samsung, and all the other mp3 player makers might just be a little pissed and not care to cooperate with their backstabbing competitor. But, it’s par behavior for MS. Copy. Backstab.