iRiver Prism Eye MP3 Player To Take Photos

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobilemag.com/redirect.php?content=2770' target='_blank'>http://www.mobilemag.com/redirect.php?content=2770</a><br /><br /></div>"iRiver has released information on their future digital camera mp3 combination device, the Prism Eye. The iFP-1090 256MB comes in black while the iFP-1095 512MB is champagne coloured, both units sport the exact same features aside from their colour and storage capacities. The Prism Eye devices will use a 0.3 megapixel CMOS image sensor to capture photos at 640x480 resolution, it is also capable of 3x digital zoom."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/2770_super.jpg" /><br /><br />It will supports MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis and ASF files. However, it will communicate only via USB 1.1, and there is no room for expansion memory. The form factor is extremely small, only 91.1 x 34 x 31.3 mm. The iFP-1090 and iFP-1095 should be available some time this summer with a retail price tag of around $280 USD.<br /><br />So as you all know, I am a huge fan of iRiver and all of their products. But I am not quite so sure about this one. The small form factor is great, but there are several features here that have problems IMO. The camera is about the same quality as that of most cellphone cameras and we all know how useful they are (not). And USB 1.1? Plus, the unit is non-expandable. Hmm, I don't quite see the consumers base that they were aiming at when designing this device.

[Phoenix]

I have to agree with you, Suhit.

Without meaning to sound like I'm just repeating what you said, here's my take on it:

I like iRiver's products. They're very compact and nice to the eyes. I would definitely welcome one with a color screen. I think that's slick.

But I absolutely believe that for this unit to be a success and for it to be worth the asking price, it would need to incorporate the following changes...

1) The camera resolution needs to be 1.2/1.3 megapixels with a flash. Everything is moving in this direction (I have a 1.3MP image sensor in my binoculars!, and soon in my phone, with flash) and for anyone to be focusing on just VGA resolution is a waste of time. I understand that maybe smaller file sizes due to limited memory may have been a factor in determining what kind of sensor to include, but there's a solution to that (See #4 below). MP sensors are a must.

2) Get rid of the digital zoom. Digital zoom is worthless. The day that companies can start putting optical zoom in these tiny devices will be a great day, but digital zoom creates crappy photos, so it's mostly worthless. Besides, if anyone really needs to zoom in on an image, they can do it in software.

3) Where's the USB 2.0 Hi-speed? USB 1.1? All laptops and desktops offer USB 2.0 Hi-speed nowadays, and so should iRiver. Don't focus on the past, focus on the future. Hi-speed is where it's at. Gotta have it.

4) It's great to have the built in memory - although it isn't much, but it's nice, nonetheless. However, for a device like this to be worth the trouble, without offering a multi-GB HDD, which it really couldn't in its current form factor (I like the form factor, by the way), it really needs to offer expandable memory. There needs to be some way of popping in another SD card. Especially since this device is now sharing its memory that was once only for music, with photos now as well. Expansion is a must. If iRiver doesn't wish to do this, then they really need to change the form factor, redesign some things, and embed a 4GB HDD in there (like the one's the Ipod Mini's have).


Bottom line...

Add a 1.2/1.3MP sensor with flash, trash the digital zoom (some may want the digital zoom), add support for USB 2.0 Hi-speed, and add in an SD slot for expansion.

If iRiver did that... Wow, they'd really have a killer product on their hands!

But until then... it wouldn't be worth the money.