[joltguy]

Blatant and unashamed RIP-OFF:

http://www.luxpro-corp.com/e_575d.htm

[iREZ]

That's pretty pathetic if it indeed is real.

[spacefreak]

About 5 hours ahead of you... http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...hreadid=248469

+1

[joltguy]

Damn didn't see that one. Oh well, my thread title is better anyway.

[spacefreak]

Originally posted by joltguy:
...my thread title is better anyway.

You're absolutely right. I say we ride this thread. I just wanted to give some kudos to the original poster.

NOW... where can I get one of these things?

[andreas_g4]

WTF? Can Apple sue them or at least sue out that these things are not allowed to be sold in certain countries (USA, Europe, Japan etc.)?

[DigitalEl]

That entire Luxpro website seems like a spoof of some sort, or somebody's lame web design final. It's all about music players, but the canned "art" on all the pages shows business meetings... Or like on the Q&A page, two decidedly unhip dudes smiling at one another. It's like everything on the site came from one of those clip art CDs that are mailed to ad agencies and design houses.

Example 1

Example 2

They can't be serious!?

[spacefreak]

As for the weak web design, your observations stand for the majority of Asian manufacturer websites. It's like they're 6 years behind the western world in terms of web design.

[spacefreak]

Originally posted by andreas_g4:
WTF? Can Apple sue them or at least sue out that these things are not allowed to be sold in certain countries (USA, Europe, Japan etc.)?

Just as long as I get one before the ban.

[crooner]

You have GOT to be kidding me! Unbe-f**king-lievable!

"Yes, hello, Apple Legal, I hate to take your attention away from those nasty rumor sites, but I think there's something you should see..."

[teknopimp]

that is sweet. i'm really surprised they didn't cram an lcd in there so you could see what fm station you're tuned in to. gotta hand it to our brothers in the east for copying and improving on our inventions once again.

[The Ancient One]

The real Luxpro folks ain't gonna like this.

http://www.luxproproducts.com/

[Darkmimic]

It has to be fake - its too blatent - right down to the name

They can't think this won't get Apple's attention.

[yoyoman]

How much is it. Only down side is no aac support. I would get one if it supported aac support for the same price if not cheeper. FM and recording mad cudos. optical out?

[1800-whatever]

65 Euro's for the 512 MB version and 95 euro for the 1 GB one.

[GORDYmac]

This is China. They could make it, sell it, and have a patent before Apple Legal strikes. That's how communist economies work.

[AC Rempt]

It appears they ain't kidding, and that the Shuffle isn't all they're stealing. Look at the ad banner.

Click here

[crooner]

Originally posted by AC Rempt:
It appears they ain't kidding, and that the Shuffle isn't all they're stealing. Look at the ad banner.

Click here

Jesus. I feel insulted.

I wonder if this could somehow allow Chiat-Day to get involved...

It's true, however regarding GORDYmac's comment. It will be an uphill battle enforcing a copyright in China.

This just ain't right.

[SoGood]

Originally posted by GORDYmac:
This is China. They could make it, sell it, and have a patent before Apple Legal strikes. That's how communist economies work.

Gosh! Those supporting DPP are going to get you over your statement!

LuxPro is a company based in Taiwan (Republic of China), they are not on the mainland (People's Republic of China). Making statements like your just show what a geographical ignoramus you are. Dumb axx!

[Andy8]

Originally posted by SoGood:
Gosh! Those supporting DPP are going to get you over your statement!

LuxPro is a company based in Taiwan (Republic of China), they are not on the mainland (People's Republic of China). Making statements like your just show what a geographical ignoramus you are. Dumb axx!

Exactly!

[MrKlin]

Originally posted by crooner:
Jesus. I feel insulted.

<snip>

This just ain't right.

Agree that it ain't right and it should be taken down but I am amazed how some people here can get so emotionally attached to a corporation. No wonder we are called zealots.

[Bobby]

I think they should have chosen a slightly different color scheme... The ring button around the play button should be red, and the center of the play button should have a red circle...

[SoGood]

This is just a big calculated PR stunt by LuxPro! They would be really stupid to bring it onto the market. What they are doing is to ride on iPod's publicity to for their own PR gains. Up to this point they have infringed nothing and Apple can't sue them for a dime. But what it has got them is worldwide press coverage, a hot discussion point at CeBIT trade show. That's what LuxPro wanted. Those who are getting over excited are just suckers and have no idea how businesses work.

[digdog]

Basically, Luxpro is just a shell, its mother company Tounsen rips many products in Taiwan over 30 years.

http://www.tounsen.com.tw/about01_e.asp

[phillymjs]

If you look closely at the photo of the 'silhouette' ad from CeBIT you can see that the earbuds appear to be integrated into the lanyard.

That looks a lot cleaner than having all those separate wires hanging, and IMHO is how Apple should have done it-- or at least offered them separately for maybe $10-15 so there wouldn't be incessant bitching by people who want to use a lanyard but their own headphones/earbuds.

Other than that, yeah, this thing is a shameless ripoff and Apple needs to blow these guys out of the water like they did the snapperheads who copied the original iMac back in '98.

~Philly

[turtle777]

Originally posted by digdog:
Basically, Luxpro is just a shell, its mother company Tounsen rips many products in Taiwan over 30 years.

http://www.tounsen.com.tw/about01_e.asp

> Annual sales: Exceeds 10 billion (year 2001)

Of what ? Potatoes ? Mexican Pesos ? or Turkish Lira ?

-t

[Loren]

Originally posted by Bobby:
I think they should have chosen a slightly different color scheme... The ring button around the play button should be red, and the center of the play button should have a red circle...

LOL Bobby!

You have to hand it to the Taiwanese-- great energy and can-do spirit.

Although like others I suspect this is just a trial balloon (there's no pricing anywhere and none of their other products looks remotely like it) -- this is exactly what I want from a 21st century "stick of gum." While all the others are making tired cases and socks for player devices-- here's a really useful enhancement that covers the audio waterfront-- and I really dig voice recording!

Apple of course might sue for Trade Dress. But Apple could also trump them with one additional enhancement utilizing the added FM feature, and if they did it they would simply knock over Sony, Rio, and Dull, even for a hundred more:

wireless earbuds.

They've got to lose the entangled wires on these devices. They're just not right. They did it on the desktop, why did they transfer the mess to the players? Come on, Cupe...

I'm getting out my wallet....

- Loren Miller
Author, Tech Editor, Video Editor, Refugee Utilities guy, KeyGuide� guy
www.neotrondesign.com

[himself]

Originally posted by joltguy:
Blatant and unashamed RIP-OFF:

http://www.luxpro-corp.com/e_575d.htm

They gets no respect.

[turtle777]

Originally posted by Loren:
Apple of course might sue for Trade Dress. But Apple could also trump them with one additional enhancement utilizing the added FM feature, and if they did it they would simply knock over Sony, Rio, and Dull, even for a hundred more:

Uhm, when did THAT ever happen, Apple adding features in response to a knock-off ?

Dude, Apple is going to sue, and that's it. The shuffle is already selling like hotcake, even w/o radio and voice rec. Apple is doing NOTHING wrong, but everything right with the existing product.

-t

[SoGood]

Originally posted by turtle777:
> Annual sales: Exceeds 10 billion (year 2001)

Of what ? Potatoes ? Mexican Pesos ? or Turkish Lira ?

New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) obviously. Roughly divide by 20 to get USD.

[SoGood]

Originally posted by himself:
They gets no respect.

Who cares about "respect" from anybody? There's no bad publicity!

[drbones666]

Hope I can find one for sale here in Malaysia. I'll buy it real quick. Apple needs a bit of pissing-off after what they're doing to the rumor sites.

AND

I still haven't forgiven them for lying about the .mac address for life for free.

[crooner]

Originally posted by MrKlin:
Agree that it ain't right and it should be taken down but I am amazed how some people here can get so emotionally attached to a corporation. No wonder we are called zealots.

Okay... so maybe I was in a bit of an over emotional mood when I first saw the thing.

That being said, we are, admittedly, a flavor of zealots when it comes to Apple, the Mac and companion products. I mean that in the best possible way. It's what sets Mac users apart from rest of the world. Is it a "healthy" way to think? Sometimes not, as Apple, now and then, pulls some stunt that truly pisses many users off. Still, however, at the end of the day, it's Apple that we love.


Just my 2�.

[indigoimac]

I think I read somewhere ASUS is making the iPod Shuffle so my question is, who owns the patent?, if its ASUS they can sell it to who they please

[SoGood]

Originally posted by indigoimac:
I think I read somewhere ASUS is making the iPod Shuffle so my question is, who owns the patent?, if its ASUS they can sell it to who they please

Nope! They are contractors. They just make with no intellectual rights, unless they add something to the technology.

[zzarg]

The original HDD iPods (and iPod mini) are pretty much category winners there - although starting to slip against Creative and BenQ offerings amongst others so unless they comes up with some improvements on firmware, battery and technology (the rumours of a wireless product are interesting for instance) they may start to struggle in that market space (I have a 40GB 4th gen iPod, the Photo model had no compelling reason to buy). The look of the iPod is clearly influencing the competitors, although no-one has managed to improve on the click-wheel.

The Shuffle is a great product, but doesn't win on features or price, but function (or at least look) is again a winner. Sadly in this space looks are easily copied and there is nothing really unique about a Shuffle - the unusual arrangement of the standard keys is not as innovative as the click-wheel by any stretch of the imagination. That said, I also have a Shuffle to take places I wouldn't want the bulkier 4G... on the beach with the dog, or to a rough neighbourhood at night.

Is someone can add a few more MB of storage or support a few more formats or add an FM radio or a small LCD screen to something that looks like a Shuffle and sell it for a few bucks more or less... it's going to be really hard to stop them - so Apple have to innovate again and make the Shuffle a niche winner. I'd like to see them do it while at least offering some firmware updates to reward the early adopters as well.

In Europe, the US and maybe some other parts of the world Apple may be able to use the trademark and patent protection they undoubtedly have to make life hard for Luxpro and other cloners... but would they be better off by producing a quality product at a good price point with an enhanced lifespan thus getting consumers on their side than risk adding more fuel to their reputation of Lawyering-up at the slightest excuse that is starting to become public perception....

Personally... I'd buy or recommend an iPod (especially if they add bluetooth headset and wifi sync capabilities and splashpower charging) because I'm very happy with mine. a next-gen Shuffle with a screen would likewise be an option for hard earned $ for the same reason if folks ask what laptop to buy I recommend a PowerBook - quality and innovation... but that's only as good as the next product cycle, and to an extent also depends on how well existing (early adopter and mid-lifecycle) customers are treated

[lavar78]

Originally posted by zzarg:
The Shuffle is a great product, but doesn't win on features or price, but function (or at least look) is again a winner.

The Shuffle doesn't win on price? Since when? If it's not the lowest-cost flash player, it's at least close.

[joltguy]

Originally posted by drbones666:
I still haven't forgiven them for lying about the .mac address for life for free.

Please tell me that was a joke.

[zzarg]

Originally posted by lavar78:
The Shuffle doesn't win on price? Since when? If it's not the lowest-cost flash player, it's at least close.

don't know about the rest of the world but in a fairly typical local computer hardware supplier (where I was to buy a HDD and case) they had two or three 512MB Flash USB music players (MP3 and/or WMA) that where marginally cheaper than what I just paid for my Shuffle.

They didn't look as nice, the buttons where tacky, they don't have screens or any other advantages over the Shuffle but it proves that if that if the no-name manufacturers want to compete on price then they have the capability.

I saw nothing there to make me regret the Shuffle purchase (in fact, now I've got it I wish I had the 1GB unit) but if the Super Shuffle starts shipping in quantity and shows quality then a few more $ for a radio and WMA support might be interesting. Add a simple (1 line 32 character) screen for about the same price and the Shuffle is on shaky ground....

them's the breaks in a price sensitive, low end, consumer market that's more about impulse buy than overall package - which is where the iPod wins because it's expensive enough to take into the 'researched product' space where it has clear advantages - at the moment

[Jonathan-Tanya]

I personally think that designs should be protected, but if the people of Taiwan don't feel the same, that is their choice, and if its legal there, there isn't anything morally wrong with selling it there...

as for the U.S. market, well, even though that luxpro looks like a great improvement over the ipod... I think apple should have a monopoly over its design...it does limit choice, but over time, being able to profit from one's work, has the opposite effect...it increases choice, because it makes for a more vibrant marketplace.

and.......HA CHOOOOOO!

Someday I really will have to figure out, why I make all these posts....must be psychological.

[indigoimac]

Originally posted by SoGood:
Nope! They are contractors. They just make with no intellectual rights, unless they add something to the technology.

Some1 added an FM Tuner