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m2bored · Apr 20, 2003, 10:51 AM

Sold in 2gb and 5gb models.

Built-in MP3 encoder so that you can
download music from the radio or stereo
Voice recorder using ACELP.NET technology
Horizontal or vertical display
Lightning fast USB 2.0 technology
Auto-scan FM radio with one-touch recording
Earbud headphones with detachable in-line remote and display

the unit comes in at a svelt 194 grams vs. the iPod's 185 grams. Dimensions of the unit are 106mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.2") vs. the iPod's 102 x 62 x 20 mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.78"). In both cases the iPod is still smaller, but marginally so.

I am waiting to see what the new ipods will be like....but if this weren't usb2...i would probably go for it.

M2

Link: http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/2003/bantam.html

dampeoples · Apr 20, 2003, 11:10 AM

How much? How long is battery life, does USB2.0 recharge? Will it automatically update when I plug it in? Can I use it as a USB drive?

andretan · Apr 20, 2003, 12:31 PM

Now, for the killer question:

Would it work seamlessly on a Mac?

djjava · Apr 20, 2003, 12:58 PM

Originally posted by m2bored:

but this thing is ugly... the iPod is just sooooo much prettier... one of the big reasons why Apple is successful is the looks, right?

how about a sensor scroll? can this thing double as a data storage device? can you boot off of it?

slider · Apr 20, 2003, 01:08 PM

We'll see if this thing flys, but I can tell you that they should have made it a different color. Apple will probably go after it like they did the iMac copycats. A white hard drive MP3, they are trying to go after the success of the iPod. Anyone know what ever happend to the odyssey? I remember people talking about how it was a pump and dump stock company. Did Apple shut it down, or was it just another tactic to inflate their stock?

maxintosh · Apr 20, 2003, 01:46 PM

I think the Philips HDD-100 might be a better contender. I have to admit, it's pretttyyy sexy.

http://www.audio.philips.com/betatest_HDD100.asp

tooki · Apr 20, 2003, 02:39 PM

Curious that Philips' flash demo of that unit uses Chicago as the device's screen font!

tooki

mathew_m · Apr 21, 2003, 01:15 AM

The Philips unit definately could hold it's own against the iPod. What's the price? If you ask me the market is becoming saturated with iPod wannabees. The problem is that they are slowly approximating and improving upon the iPod. The next update will probably be a major overhaul while still maintaining the simplicity. Larger HD's just won't cut it I'm afraid. The people clamoring for audio input (I'm one of them now) will probably get it.

Peter · Apr 21, 2003, 12:42 PM

Originally posted by m2bored:

Sold in 2gb and 5gb models.

Lost already, iPods have 20Gb.
Dude that Phillips thing displays a flash window in the brushed scheme

eScrib · Apr 22, 2003, 04:23 PM

What exactly is the storage media for the Phillips device? It's too skinny to be a hard drive... Doesn't it hold 10s of GB of data???

BrettOZ · Apr 23, 2003, 12:02 AM

I suspect that the new Apple iPod (if that is what is coming next week) will set the benchmark again and the others will need to go back to the drawing board after trying to compete with the iPod.