Flash, radio, widescreen, photos, speakers and media sharing jazz ’em up
Marc Saltzman
Province
Microsoft’s Zune music player was launched this week. The Zune separates itself from the pack by encouraging song sharing between friends. Photograph by : Getty Images
It’s been exactly five years since Apple introduced its iconic iPod portable media player — now with close to 60 million units sold worldwide, not to mention thousands of accessories such as wireless headphones, designer cases and home-stereo docking stations.
And there doesn’t seem to be any sign of the iPod’s popularity slowing down. A recent report by leading global financial services firm Morgan Stanley found that more consumers want an iPod than a new cellphone this holiday season.
If you happen to be one of them, or if you prefer a non-Apple MP3 player in the stocking this year, the following is a look at a handful of worthy digital media players that will be music to your ears.
HARD DRIVES
– Carrying thousands of songs, audio books and podcasts in your pocket is cool, but imagine also being able to tote around dozens of movies, TV shows, music videos, recorded sporting events and camcorder footage on that same portable device.
The latest iPod does just that. Available in 30-gigabyte models ($299) or 80 GB ($399), the new iPods also offer a handful of improvements over older models, such as longer battery life (20 hours), a much brighter LCD screen and new ways to quickly search through all of your media. What’s more, your iPod can now download games ($5.99 each) from the iTunes store. An 80-GB iPod can store roughly 20,000 songs or up to 100 hours of video.
– Media lovers who want a big-screen experience out of their pocket player should opt for the just-launched Creative Zen Vision W ($359.99 for 30 GB, $479.99 for 60 GB).
Unlike the iPod’s 6.4-centimetre display, the Vision W offers a high-resolution 10.9-cm colour widescreen display. Other features not found in the iPod include a built-in microphone, FM radio, loud external speaker, video-out jack to connect to a television, a flash memory card reader to view or copy photos from a digital camera over to the Zen W’s hard drive and support for multiple video codecs. The 60-GB player supports up to 15,000 songs or up to 240 hours of video.
ZUNE WITH A VIEW
– Microsoft has just launched its first line of digital media devices. The Zune — available in black, white or brown — is a 30 GB hard-drive-based media player with a 7.6-cm screen (viewable in portrait or landscape modes). The pocket-sized player supports up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 photos or 100 hours of video.
The Zune separates itself from the pack by encouraging sharing between friends. Integrated wireless technology means you can share selected full-length songs or custom playlists to a nearby Zune. You’re thinking “But won’t this encourage piracy?” Nope. The recipient of the song can listen to the track up to three times in three days. If you like one song in particular, you can flag to purchase it online the next time you sync with your computer. The Zune also has a built-in FM tuner.
FLASH MEMORY PLAYERS
– Samsung’s iPod nano-killer is the YP-K5, a tiny and stylish flash memory player that has a surprising little twist: a hidden stereo speaker that cleverly slides down so you can enjoy your favourite music without earphones. The slide-out speaker is also used to prop up the device. Or, why not create a slide show with a couple of button presses? Load up your tunes and enjoy your photos on its bright 4.34-cm colour screen.
Other features include a super-slick interface, FM radio, alarm function and audio support for MP3, WMA, OGG and ASF files.
Bundled accessories include a software CD, earphones and USB cable. The YP-K5 is available in one-GB sizes ($179.99) or four GB ($299.99).
– Wildly popular in Europe and now available in Canada, the Sansa flash memory players from SanDisk, the world’s largest supplier of flash memory products, offer a number of features for a competitive price. For example, the Sansa e200 series (available in two GB, four GB, six GB or eight GB sizes; prices start at about $129.99) lets mobile media lovers access their music, photos and videos with a clean on-screen interface and backlit buttons.
These thin devices feature a 4.57-cm screen, FM radio and a built-in microphone for voice recording. It’s also the only MP3 player on the market with a microSD expansion slot for additional flash memory cards (available in one GB or two GB); a secondary advantage of removable microSD memory is the ability to pop the card — which can store up to 500 songs — into a compatible cellphone or PDA.
© The Vancouver Province 2006
