Go Play AV: Portable Audio, Video, Media and Game Players

Life in Tech has an interesting opinion piece about why they believe the Nintendo DS has out sold the Sony PSP despite all predictions to the contrary:

When I was looking for a portable gaming system the Nintendo DS was out of the question; It was a kid’s toy and nothing more. Sony’s PSP was much cooler with its larger screen, better graphics capabilities, music/video capabilities and decidedly more mature games (Grand Theft Auto, baby!).

Like many, I saw the DS touch screen as a gimmick. The same could be said for the dual screens. Nor did its cheap-looking plastic compare to the sleekness of the PSP.

Eventually, from the pressure of my girlfriend to play Mario Kart DS, I decided to give it a go. She was having so much fun with hers, after all. For a slick $149 I purchased the DS Mario Kart pack.

Now, nearly nine months later, I’ve found that I never (I mean never) play my PSP. The DS became my handheld of choice. I asked myself how this could be possible, citing all the reasons above and I’ve formed a simple conclusion: the DS is a better value, period.

Read complete article: How the DS beat the PSP (and how the Wii will do the same against the PS3) - Life in Tech

Technorati Tags: nintendo, nintendo ds, portable entertainment, portable gaming, sony PSP, sony

Would you still buy an iPod if Apple licensed FairPlay to other MP3 makers? We see a lot of nice players out there, but as ipod owners ourselves, sadly have to give the others a miss. What do readers think? Should licensing be good or bad for Apple? For the iPod?

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPod

Lance Ulanoff for PC Magazine makes some interesting comments about how Apple can resurrect the ailing portable video player - or portable media player - market:

Despite the efforts by Creative, Microsoft, and Samsung, not to mention Sony with its portable PlayStation (PSP) and a slew of no-brand Taiwan-made devices, Jobs may be right. There is no portable-video market. All the initial hoopla and the subsequent release of players from Archos, Yepp, and others was followed by general consumer disinterest. Almost a year later, virtually no one is carrying the gadgets—a far different scenario than with MP3 players. What went wrong? And how are Jobs and the new iPod 30GB with video and iTunes 6.0 about to resurrect this stagnant market?

Read source article: Column from PC Magazine: Apple iPod’s Amazing Video Feat

Technorati Tags: Apple, ipod, ipod video, personal video player, portable entertainment, portable media player, portable video, video ipod

W hen are Apple going to get some consistency with their iPod interfaces?

Who remembers the old Sesame Street game “One of these things is not like the other?” So let’s play it with some Apple hardware…

Did you pick it? It’s the one in the middle. The good ol’ iPod. The first is the remote for the new iMac G5 and the other is the iPod shuffle.

Why is the button layout for the iPod different to the shuffle and the remote? Is it simply because the need for volume controller on those two made the top and bottom buttons the logical choice? If so, that was a stroke of luck, for the shuffle’s controller is more intuitive than the standard iPod’s. The remote and the shuffle got it right.

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Engadget’s column “The Clicker” this week theorizes on what Apple’s real plan might be for the video iPod.

Every Thursday Stephen Speicher contributes The Clicker, a weekly opinion column on entertainment and technology:

You’ve got to love Apple. Crazy like a fox they are. Oh sure – some of their decisions regarding the new iPod might seem a little odd to the gadget-lovers among us. “No DivX???” is the phrase most often muttered when Engageteers start reading of the new iPod’s video functions. This is often followed by “No fast forward and rewind?!?” These really should be death knells for a portable media player and, as a rule of thumb, gaping voids in product functionality aren’t considered wise strategic maneuvers. However, this is Apple we’re talking about. They just think different, uh, ly.

So, is Apple worried? Heck no, and why should they be? The iPod’s success has been off-the-charts phenomenal. As such, Apple has rightfully made the decision to, like physicians, “First do no harm.” Make no bones about it – there’s a reason this thing isn’t called the Video iPod. Above all, the new iPod is, well, an iPod.

So why include video at all? Steve Jobs has long maintained that a video iPod wasn’t a good idea. He’s firmly dismissed the market for such a player. Why backpedal now? Could it be that this is Apple’s attempt to steer the still nascent market right to their front door?

Below is Apple’s (imaginary and far-fetched) plan to use the new iPod to capture the portable video market.

Source: The Clicker: Apple’s real plan for iPod video? - Engadget - www.engadget.com

Technorati Tags: Apple, portable entertainment, portable video, video ipod

You could guess that Apple will ride an initial wave of video iPod purchases, but if they want to sell videos, why not update the firmware on older color iPods to enable video playback? Rumor is that the functionality is available but is not enabled.

Maybe after the Christmas rush, maybe the new year, Apple will enable this. It won’t sell video iPods, but it with millions of color ipods out there, the potential is exciting for selling videos.

Technorati Tags: Apple, ipod, portable video, video ipod

As reported yesterday, Apple are fighting the record companies in Japan who want to impose a 2% “iPod tax” on MP3 players sold in Japan.

The record industry has been pushing for some sort of revenue share here in the States, but in Japan they’ve decided to pursue a strategy that has already failed in Canada and are petitioning the government there to institute a 2 to 5 percent tax on all portable digital audio players

Not surprisingly, goplayav.com and others spoke out against that.

But now, incredibly, Smarthouse are reporting that Apple are trying to impose their own tax on iPod accessory makers by charging a licence fee for access to the iPod port. Now if you thought even 2% was a bit greedy then you need to be sitting down because Apple want to charge 10%!

Apple is set to slug partners a massive 10% licence fee for access to an iPod port. The move will significantly impact iPod accessory manufacturers with some considering dropping accessories from their portfolio.Among the companies set to be hit is Bose who make the highly successful Bose iPod docking station music system. Dominique Water the head of Bose’s Asia Pacific operations said “All Apple partners were told of the decision some weeks ago. This is a massive licence fee which will not sit comfortable with many partners. Bose is not happy as the proposed fee is excessive by any standar

This really reeks. Apple’s behavior is worse than the recording industry’s. Rotten Apple, very rotten.

Apple need to be careful as accessory makers in response, are talking developing a common port to support Microsoft Windows based MP3 players. Although that would only be one small step, it is the sort of step that Microsoft are masters at exploiting. It becomes a chink in the iPod armor. No one is better at taking advantage of those chinks than Microsoft.

So be careful, Apple - and play fair too.

Read more: Apple To Slug Partners 10% Of All Revenue

Checkout iPod accessories on Amazon

Technorati Tags: Apple, ipod, ipod tax, mp3 player, portable audio, apple tax

If I say “name an mp3 player” what comes to mind? iPod is what most people think of first.

If I say, “name a portable game console” what comes to mind? Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) or Gameboy (Advance or Micro)

Now what if I say “name a portable video player” what comes to mind? Do you have to think about it?

No one owns that space yet.

If (or when) Apple release an iPod video sooner or later as widely expected, the reality is there’s no established player that owns the portable video player (also referred to as the personal video player) market for them to compete with. They could find domination of that market even easier than the MP3 player market.

But is there a market worth anyone going after? Especially Apple? Do people want to watch movies on the go or will it be just a fad? People have been trying to make music portable ever since the invention of the drum, but movies? Where’s the history of people trying to make portable and personal devices for playing them? The portable DVD player is only a recent invention - and is primarily used in cars to keep the kids quiet.

Playing video on the go requires attention. You probably muse as you gaze out the window of the 7:15am city bound whilst the iPod provides a soundtrack to your thoughts. But you can’t do that with video.

Watch this space (it’s for rent). Will Apple fill it? Maybe we’ll have an answer in the next day or so. Interesting times indeed.

Technorati Tags: ipod, mp3 player, portable audio, portable gaming, portable video, ipod video