Olive Introduces Musica - 40,000 Songs Throughout Your Home

[Jeremy Charette]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/1371/olive_introduces_musica' target='_blank'>http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/1371/olive_introduces_musica</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Olive Media Products, Inc., a developer of innovative digital audio systems, today announced the Musica, the latest addition to its award-winning line of wireless music centers. Designed to eliminate the PC as the center of digital music at home, the Musica's extensive feature set rejoices the heart of every music enthusiast. Getting music onto the Musica is simple. With the push of a single button users can record, tag and archive their music CD. The ultra-quiet hard drive holds up to 40,000 songs. In addition, the Musica allows users to burn and copy music CDs, update their Apple iPod, record music from analog sources such as turntables or tape decks, and access music stored on a networked Mac or PC1. Combined with the (optional) wireless music receiver, the Sonata, users can enjoy music in up to 20 rooms."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/olive_musica.jpg" /> <br /><br />Wow! I love this thing! I haven't even seen it in person, but I love it! A huge hard drive, 1-touch ripping, internet radio, streaming audio, the ability to update your iPod from the Musica...what's not to love? I only wish someone would make this sort of device for less money. At $1100, I won't be able to afford one anytime soon. :?

[Felix Torres]

Nifty gadget, but not-so-nifty price.
(Kinda like an eVilla or Audrey, actually.)
Which brings up the question: why bother?

The kind of early adopter that might be willing to pay a grand+ for a digital media gadget is also the same sort of person that knows what to do with an MCE or HT PC, which outdo these gadgets at about half the cost and are readily available. Which is to say, this thing needs something like a 60% price cut.

These products remind me of the horde of Linux-based broswer and server appliances that proliferated during the Internet bubble, all aspiring to replace PCs by offering *less* (features, storage, etc) at a higher price. Yeah. Right.

The problem with compteing with media-centric PCs is that PC economies of scale and razor-thin profit margins are so overwhelming they make it hard for alternative hardware platforms to match their price and functionality. And with MCE and its freebie Linux-based competitors offering so much power at such a low price the niche vendors are pretty much left with the technophobic as a likely customer base and, unfortunately, technophobes don't buy fancy electronic gadgets unless they have an Apple logo. ;-)

Back to the drawing board, guys...