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September 9, 2004 |
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It's official: our readers love anything with an i in front of it. This week, Apple's iMac and the HP-branded iPod made big splashes, but Microsoft snuck in with a possible iTunes attacker. Meanwhile, wait until you hear what you get for being Cingular Wireless's 25 millionth subscriber.
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Apple iMac
You have to hand it to Apple: it knows how to bring the buzz. After intense speculation, nonstop rumors, and even faked photos (people, it's not the Loch Ness monster over here), the new iMac finally landed with a big, big bang. Flat, self-contained, and looking more like a monitor than an entire computer, the iMac G5 can be mounted on a wall like an LCD TV and costs less than $2,000. Now, the hype-killing chill: will it actually ship this month as promised?
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Windows Media Player 10.0
On the other hand, you have Microsoft. No top-secret development, no hushed whispers and rumors, no dramatic unveiling. Just the slow stomp of an 800-pound gorilla entering the room. Microsoft released its trifecta of digital music entrants last week: the Creative Zen Portable Media Player, Windows Media Player 10.0, and MSN Music. It came as no surprise to the Buzz which product grabbed your interest. Here's a hint: it's the one that goes head-to-head with iTunes.
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Canon EOS 20D
None of Canon's new cameras escaped your searching fingers, so don't miss our roundup of the latest models. The brand-new EOS 20D dominated the searches, though. Here's the deal: 8 megapixels, a top shutter speed of 1/8,000 second, and fast shooting--5fps capture for up to 23 JPEG or 6 RAW files at once. Plus, it's the highest resolution available in the under $1,500 category. Talk about a fantasy camera--we say "fantasy" because given the number of searches for this semipro digital SLR, it's a good bet you're not all actually shelling out the $1,500. If you were, we'd probably know that, too. We're scary that way.
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HP-branded iPod
What, you thought we'd get through a week without an iPod onboard? Forget it. Your iPod interest will never wane, and news of a Hewlett-Packard-branded iPod brought you to CNET's search boxes in droves. Here's the skinny, and we bet it won't be what you're looking for. In a nutshell:
1. Looks the same as a regular iPod.
2. Costs the same as a regular iPod.
3. Works the same as a regular iPod.
The big "news" is that you can customize the HP model with special casings called tattoos. Presumably, uh, you could also put the tattoos on your iPod that you bought at Apple. ¿Cuál es el punto?
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Motorola V220
There it is, in all its basic-features, picture-snapping, sub-$100 price tag glory. So, what's the big deal? Well, that's what John Brooks III of Medfield, Massachusetts, was asking himself last week. Brooks became Cingular Wireless's 25 millionth wireless customer, and the company really pulled out the stops for the celebration. They donated $2,500 to the Joslin Diabetes Center's Camp for Children (Brooks's choice) and, with much pomp and circumstance, presented him with a brand-new, hot from the factory Motorola V220. Wow! Just as a side note, this phone is currently available from Cingular for $29.99 after rebate. Sorry, John. But hey, there were probably balloons, right? That's something!
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