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osxisfun · Sep 25, 2003, 11:23 AM

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030925/255413_1.html

Is that picture shown to the left it?

f-u-g-l-y

heh heh. that is the dumbest looking ripoff of them all. this can't be it can it?

it must be cheaper though since it LOOKS cheaper...

boardsurfer · Sep 25, 2003, 11:41 AM

is that a scrolling wheel in the middle? Strange. I think the shape is nice, but that layout is just..eeww. And do you think they heard all the bitching about iPod not having a blue screen like the picture?

edit:

Dell confirmed its entry into the consumer electronics category today, announcing the planned introduction of a series of Dell digital entertainment products including digital music players, an online music service...

what the.. .am I out of the loop? what the hell are they thinking?

benb · Sep 25, 2003, 11:45 AM

That menu looks strangely familiar.

Edit: Nevermind. The battery icon is on the other side!

osxisfun · Sep 25, 2003, 12:09 PM

taste, style or a passion for excellence (other than to garner more $s) is just not in their dna folks...

i almost feel sorry for him...

Rain · 12:26 PM

My gawd that is ugly.

ETA: Anyone know how big it is? If it's half the size of the iPod then it might not be so bad *ducks*

Phanguye · Sep 25, 2003, 12:34 PM

Originally posted by Rain:
ETA: Anyone know how big it is? If it's half the size of the iPod then it might not be so bad *ducks*

not going to be smaller, unless they have new magic drives

videian28 · Sep 25, 2003, 12:45 PM

I am more worried about their online music service, it will kill iTunes for windows if Apple does not release it soon enough.

dell is not a stupid company, by any means, the will not dick it up like buymusic.com did

Ganesha · Sep 25, 2003, 12:52 PM

Originally posted by videian28:

dell is not a stupid company, by any means, the will not dick it up like buymusic.com did

If the easy of use of dell.com's shopping site is any indication, dell has a long way to go.

Is it just me or does it look like the scroll button scrolls left and right, for an interface that is up and down.

::maroma:: · Sep 25, 2003, 12:52 PM

Ugh. So ugly. And damn, imitation is supposed to be the best form of flattery or whatever, but this is getting silly. Can't ANYONE else innovate?? ANYONE?!?!?

EDIT: But I do see a "Voice Recording" menu there in that pic. I guess Dell DID innovate! WOW!

videian28 · Sep 25, 2003, 01:00 PM

it doesn't matter if they ripped off the idea, that has been happening to apple from day one, and look where it has gotten them 3% market share

this is bad news

osxisfun · Sep 25, 2003, 01:15 PM

apple has the most market share in the mp3 market. and for a while now its been windows as well.

once the itunes music store goes online next month for windows, dell will be saying doh!

videian28 · Sep 25, 2003, 01:28 PM

can only hope so, if the windows version of iTunes had been out 3 months ago, there would be no question that they would be solid, now....not so much

solitere · Sep 25, 2003, 01:40 PM

This quote by Michael Dell makes me puke!

"We are revolutionizing technology for our customers -- again," said Michael Dell, chairman and chief executive officer. "

He should have said truth instead:
"We cant invent anything, that�s why we copy"

LeeG · Sep 25, 2003, 02:15 PM

Well, the music store surprised me, and dell ships A LOT of computers. It will be on every desktop. Smart move. Only thing worse would be a microsoft music store (just a matter of time).

Look around people, most people out there don't care that much about if the product has style (eg all the people using windows, by choice), so if the dellpod presents an easy solution, is CHEAPER than the iPod, and plays those new fangled WMP9 songs that they just wrote a lovely column about in the sunday paper, well gosh, I think I'll get one. Apple? Huh? Are they still around?...

Get the point - people want a solution, and they want it cheap and 'mainstream'. People (gen population) will know WMP9 before they know AAC. This is why dell is so successful - they sell 'a computer', cheap. Which is what people want.

iTunes for windows can't come soon enough - now there is a complete hardware/software solution provided on the windows platform, before the iPod could do the same - DellPod, Dell Music Store, Dell PC.

Lets hope they're coding like crazy in Cupertino-

Lee

osxisfun · Sep 25, 2003, 02:59 PM

can only hope so, if the windows version of iTunes had been out 3 months ago, there would be no question that they would be solid, now....not so muc

you make it sound like apple could have released it 3 months ago..

how in the world do we know this...

apple said 2nd half this year and they are on track.

michaelb · Sep 25, 2003, 05:10 PM

Originally posted by solitere:
"We are revolutionizing technology for our customers -- again," said Michael Dell, chairman and chief executive officer.

Wow.

Was "again" really part of the quote? That's a personal reference to Jobs and his iMac intro's "Hello. (Again.)"

It'd be so nice if no one actually bought the DellPod.

SupahCoolX · Sep 25, 2003, 06:23 PM

Monkey see, monkey do.
And, unfortunately, 95% of the market isn't aware of the proper monkey.

Hehe... "proper monkey"... I crack my self up

::maroma:: · Sep 25, 2003, 06:45 PM

Originally posted by videian28:
it doesn't matter if they ripped off the idea, that has been happening to apple from day one, and look where it has gotten them 3% market share

this is bad news

This isn't bad news. Apple is fully aware of this, and isn't worried.

Pulled from this MacNN News article:

Apple says it will continue to focus on innovation, noting that quality comes before quantity, according to The Independent. "We would like to see our market share grow," Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, admitted to The Independent on Sunday last week at the Apple Expo held in Paris. But he argued: "Our strategy is to innovate. We are the innovator of the industry. Most of our competitors try to copy us. Our strategy has worked really well for us." Another article quotes Jobs as saying "Other computer makers provide one part of the solution; we're the last company providing everything. With the other guys, whenever something doesn't work they all point fingers at each other - it's the software, it's the hardware, it's the network. With us, we make the whole widget."

This is indeed a smart strategy if you want to make money in the computer industry. Also check this article that shows that only Dell and Apple are really making any money in the computer business.

I have full confidence in Apple to do what is smart for Apple. They've been around too long, and have been through too much to not do things without thoroughly thinking them through.

It just cooks my chicken when a lame company just flat out copies Apple and then claims they're innovative. That is my beef with the imitators.