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Another MiniDisc
I was tempted to buy a MiniDisc player, only to reject it because of ATRAC. For about $100, it offered compact size, great battery life (30 hr+ on a single AA), and removable/rewritable media. In my book, the media made it much more flexible than a flash-based player because you didn't have to reload tunes from your computer--a pocket full of MiniDiscs would keep you listening to different music for a whole trip as opposed to a couple of hours. But who wants to keep collections of music in both MP3 (or WMA) and ATRAC? Compress each CD twice? I just can't believe that Sony didn't learn by its less-than-successful MiniDisc. Advice for Sony--keep the MiniDisc (it's still a great technology) and let it and your new jukebox play native MP3 and WMA. Just adding WMA would open up at least a niche that iPod doesn't have. The MiniDisc would be aimed at the low end of the market, the jukebox at the high end. You have GREAT technology--quit squandering your technological edge. I suspect with more companies introducing miniature hard disks, the window of opportunity to make money in the market for these portable players is rapidly closing. It won't be long before a half-dozen companies have "iPod killers" at $200 or less.
Posted by: Rodney Davis   Posted on: 07/02/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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Viva La I-POD  ericortner | 06/30/04
First in the mind - Apple's Advantage  Brotherdime | 06/30/04
Proprietary music format  parcelbrat | 06/30/04
half-hearted effert  glennhkboy | 07/01/04
REL Proprietary music format  JakAttak | 07/01/04
ATRAC Better quality  rwb1912@... | 07/01/04
Re-compressing compressed files  tic swayback | 07/01/04
Not the Objective  rwb1912@... | 07/01/04
Real world use  tic swayback | 07/02/04
better than 128kbs MP3 maybe...  ryusen | 07/01/04
Comparison in order ...  rwb1912@... | 07/01/04
Comparison in order ...  rwb1912@... | 07/01/04
Yes, but that's not the point.  d_jedi | 07/02/04
Watch the Kiss of DRM  Nigel Johnstone | 07/01/04
The Digital Disconnect @ Sony Connect  cybershoplifter | 07/01/04
Way too expensive...  jdd48 | 07/01/04
...into balance  mabricen | 07/01/04
Let's review  issthatso | 07/01/04
Plus  tic swayback | 07/01/04
Sony doesn't get it  johnek_z | 07/01/04
Sony can't compete against the iPod  FilledOut | 07/01/04
Is Sony related to suicide bombers?  Guayaipe | 07/01/04
Not cheaper than the iPod, it's the same price  tic swayback | 07/01/04
History repeats again and again and again etc etc etc  Squawkbox | 07/01/04
ahhh yes... typical of Sony...  ryusen | 07/01/04
Only for those who are interested in Quality  rwb1912@... | 07/01/04
Stand corrected  rwb1912@... | 07/01/04
Another clarification  rwb1912@... | 07/01/04
Sony's sub-par standards  theding0 | 07/01/04
Read message  rwb1912@... | 07/01/04
Re-compression  Rodney Davis | 07/02/04
Just get an iPod...  Rick_K | 07/01/04
LOL!!! ATRAC Onlyl Storage!  BitTwiddler | 07/02/04
Another MiniDisc  Rodney Davis | 07/02/04
Just wondering about sony products  Guayaipe | 07/02/04
Serving two masters  tic swayback | 07/02/04
.... iPod -like ... iPodish .... iPodly .....iPod-moment ....  An_Axe_to_Grind | 10/03/05

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