PVP Goodness From iRiver

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.irivernordic.com/products.php?pid=36' target='_blank'>http://www.irivernordic.com/products.php?pid=36</a><br /><br /></div>We posted on general upcoming iRiver products and I have pointed out several time that I am a huge iRiver fan. Now, more details are available on their new Personal Video Player line and they certainly continue to impress. iRiver, known mostly for their music players (CD as well as HDD based), is trying to enter the PVP market as well, and wisely so in my opinion. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/im1077884060.jpg" /><br /><br />Their PMP-100 (pictured above), slated for release in May - June 2004, will have a 3.5" LCD display, a 20 or 40GB HDD and support playback of a really wide variety of audio and video files (MP3, WMA, ASF, Ogg Vorbis, JPEG, BMP, AVI, MP4, MPG / DivX 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, XviD, MPEG4 SP, Advanced SP, MPEG 1). With a detachable Li-ion battery, USB 2.0 and gaming support, the only thing lacking is a built in cell phone ;-).

[entropy1980]

This is the first PMC device i have seen that actually perked my interest mainly on the fact it's closer to $500 than the other $800+ ones I have seen. I still think they need to get the price lower mainly based on the fact that at anything over $500 is laptop money and people are likely to skip on one of these as a laptop can do much much more for the same price....

[Suhit Gupta]

This is the first PMC device i have seen that actually perked my interest mainly on the fact it's closer to $500 than the other $800+ ones I have seen. I still think they need to get the price lower mainly based on the fact that at anything over $500 is laptop money and people are likely to skip on one of these as a laptop can do much much more for the same price....
Yeah, I totally agree. I really love the feature-set on this device and the price for it is outstanding. My only concern is that the device dimensions look too much like the TI-92 calculator (TI standing for Texas Instrument). For any of your out there that own it, it was/is a fantastic calculator with a ton of features but was just a little too bulky that the slightly lower end TI-85 calculator. I feel that the PMP-100 falls into the not-quite-small-enough to fit in my pocket, but not-quite-big-enough to qualify as a laptop replacement. And this I find to be something of a problem given that it only has a 3.5" display. This is more of a gameboy replacement with a ton more features :).

Suhit

[paulbiba]

It's disapointing that it doesn't have a recorder. I have an older Archos 20GB player/recorder that has really come into it's own now that XM Satellite Radio is here. It records directly to MP3, so I can take the line out from my XM, feed it into the Archos, and have hours of fresh music available at very high quality. Much better than playing the same old converted CDs over and over.

[Jason Dunn]

This thing is no more a laptop replacement than PDA is - hell, even LESS so because it doesn't sync your PIM info with a desktop. Regardless of price point, a PMC isn't designed to compete with a laptop IMO. I think what it WILL do, however, is allow me to take vacation videos and pictures over to a friends house, plug it into their TV, and do it all with a device that will fit in my pocket. Someone would never buy a laptop SOLELY for that purpoase, but they might buy a PMC for that purpose.

[entropy1980]

This thing is no more a laptop replacement than PDA is - hell, even LESS so because it doesn't sync your PIM info with a desktop. Regardless of price point, a PMC isn't designed to compete with a laptop IMO. I think what it WILL do, however, is allow me to take vacation videos and pictures over to a friends house, plug it into their TV, and do it all with a device that will fit in my pocket. Someone would never buy a laptop SOLELY for that purpoase, but they might buy a PMC for that purpose.
No but If you tell someone that a device ONLY PLAYS VIDEOS AND PICTURES will cost as much as a laptop but the difference is that it's smaller and it won't do as muchbut costs the same amount they won't buy it. I believe the current price point prohibits it from being a mainstream hit. Sure to us geeks sounds great but I can't imagine your average joe consumer dropping $500+ on a entertainment device. Look at the Ipod great device but I am willing to bet the $499 model is their worst seller and the Mini is the best seller in at the $250 price point. i think if they get these devices to a $250-350 price point they will sell otherwise this is way to much of a luxury product for most consumers who seem to be only now accepting MP3 players as replacement for CD players....

[Raven]

A bit OT here:
one of the complaints against iRiver has been that they don't provide firmware upgrades soon enough. But has all changed now.
They just announced (http://www.iriver.com/community/notice_view.asp?idx=31) the schedule for release of the next 2 upgrades for the iHP series.

Now with support like this, iRiver customers can never go wrong. woohoo... :D

Man, I've been on road for the past 2 weeks. The iHP has been a real life saver. When this device comes out, I'll give it a real serious look. Would use this any day over my 8lb 2" thick Thinkpad. :oops:

[Jason Dunn]

I believe the current price point prohibits it from being a mainstream hit. Sure to us geeks sounds great but I can't imagine your average joe consumer dropping $500+ on a entertainment device.

I think I need to do a front page response to this. ;-)

[entropy1980]

I believe the current price point prohibits it from being a mainstream hit. Sure to us geeks sounds great but I can't imagine your average joe consumer dropping $500+ on a entertainment device.

I think I need to do a front page response to this. ;-)
I am honored to have insighted a front page post :D