01-29-2003, 02:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Media2Go Devices
"One of two major product announcements Microsoft made at the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft "Media2Go" is a platform for portable media players that will begin shipping from OEMs such as Viewsonic in late 2003. From a practical standpoint, Media2Go is essentially a video iPod, albeit with understandably larger dimensions. The devices themselves were co developed with Microsoft partners such as Intel, which designed the original prototype device, but Microsoft was solely responsible for the software side. In this preview, we'll take a look at Media2Go, both from a platform perspective, and from how it works in everyday use."
Paul Thurrott has put together a brief overview of the forthcoming Media2Go platform from Microsoft - a Windows CE .NET-based device - with a few pictures and description of the device. This is basically Microsoft trying to trump the iPod - but, like so many other Microsoft projects, the success or failure will depend largely on the OEMs. The OS might be perfect for this application, the GUI might be lovely, but if the OEMs build ugly devices with poor performance, Media2Go will flop. I wish Microsoft would just build their own device like this - all their hardware is top-notch in quality, and quite nice to look at too! But it's the Microsoft way to build platforms, not devices - time will tell if this is a successful strategy or not.
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01-29-2003, 02:24 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 390
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Can anyone spell "FLOP"?
Before MP3 players, there were CD players, walkmans, etc. all of which have been very successful. However, has anyone seen personal video devices that really took off? I'm betting not. The reason? People can be entertained by a personal audio device and still do other things like drive, jog, and even talk. But when you clog the sense of sight with entertainment, you can do none of these things successfully. I'm betting that the initial cost, size, and the distraction factor will keep people away.
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01-29-2003, 02:33 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
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I'm not quite sure where this product fits in with Microsoft's consumer electronics and Mobile strategies? It handles multimedia files and allows consumers to take their favorite media with them on the go. Uh....I thought that ground was already covered by PPC?
This seems like a solution looking for a problem. What's the point? :?
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01-29-2003, 02:44 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 93
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gotta agree with Foo here. I don't see where this is going. I do not think there is space for 2 such similar devices (Pocket PC and Media2Go). Is MS attempting to hit some kind of virtual jackpot by trial and error, are they testing the market for something a little bit different that works better?
Very strange indeed.
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01-29-2003, 02:51 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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I'd view this more as a proof-of-concept product. I could see a market for a device which would wirelessly download news clips each morning for viewing during a morning commute. I know you can do that with a Pocket PC now, but if this were optimized for that kind of thing, it might attract a certain esoteric following.
It will NOT sell millions, though...
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01-29-2003, 02:59 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 52
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Media2Go is very poorly choosen name, IMO. Sounds like one of those dotcom-disaster company names.
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01-29-2003, 03:06 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Brad Adrian
I'd view this more as a proof-of-concept product....
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Yeah, I think you're right. Sort of a "look what we can do!" type of gadget.
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01-29-2003, 03:10 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 111
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I agree that to a PPC owner this seems redundant. But what might be useful about this device is if the functionality here could be integrated into the next gen pocket PCs. They're talking about screens larger than 320*240, obviously a processor optimized to display full screen full motion video, and built on the next OS. For me this shouts 'better, faster, stronger' ppcs rather than an ipod for video.
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01-29-2003, 03:11 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 93
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by marconelly
Media2Go is very poorly choosen name, IMO. Sounds like one of those dotcom-disaster company names.
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LOL, exactly. Horrible name  .
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01-29-2003, 03:17 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 433
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why would i buy such a device if my pda can perfectly perform this task anyway? :roll:
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