MP3 Insider

This week, Donald and Jasmine talk up the new iAudio players from Cowon and how they're going to have Apple shaking in its boots (not), and also take an inordinate amount of time to espouse upon something that has very little to do with digital music: a possible monthly subscription plan for online video from iTunes. Plus, some very unsubtle earbuds from Stonedcandy--er, Skullcandy--and some listener feedback on iPod usage.

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Update: CNET's full review of the Archos 5 is now available.

I've had my hands on the Archos 5 Android internet tablet for more than seven days now, and to be honest, I'm still not sure what to make of it. What's hanging up the review isn't the price (which starts at $249), or capacity (up to 500GB), or the impressive selection of features; it's the devices spotty performance. So far, some stuff just doesn't work as advertised.

GPS reception on the Archos 5 takes several minutes to lock-on to a valid signal. Frankly, I don't often use GPS, but if Archos is going to promise it, then I want it to work.

(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)

If this were Apple or Microsoft, these performance glitches would probably have me spitting venom right now, but Archos is a relatively small company. Chalk it up to looking out for the little guy, but I'm going to give Archos the benefit of the doubt that many of the issues I'm experiencing will be fixed quickly with firmware updates and swept under the rug. In fact, a firmware update earlier this week (v1.1.01) already addressed a problem I had accessing content from microSD cards. In a perfect world, products wouldn't leave the warehouse half-baked--but every company is guilty of it to some degree.

My contact at Archos says there will be another firmware update available next week. Assuming this next round will iron out the kinks, I'm going to hold off on a formal review until then. Of course, I'm also advising that potential buyers wait until our rated review is up before investing in an Archos 5. Considering that Amazon recently froze sales of the 160GB model of the Archos 5, I think it's safe to assume that I'm not the only one having some issues.

Now, true to the title of this piece, my time with the Archos 5 has had its share of bright spots too. Most notably, its video player is one of the best I've used on any device. Unlike previous versions of Archos PVPs, the Archos 5 ships with all the critical video codecs installed, instead of requiring users to purchase codec plug-ins individually. My HD video podcasts, XviD torrents, AVIs, and WMVs all play flawlessly. Videos look great on it too, with the 4.8-inch 800x480-pixel resolution LCD that gives a rich and razor-sharp picture that holds up well, even in daylight. By extension, photos also look great on the Archos 5--although thumbnail previews and transitions aren't nearly as fast and fluid as on the iPod Touch.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet--photos

If you ask me, the Archos 5's video player alone is worth the price of the whole device, assuming that digital video is really your cup of tea. Unfortunately, as a company, I think Archos is a little tired of being cast as a portable video player manufacturer. Looking at the packaging for the Archos 5, you'd hardly know the device played videos at all. According to the box, this is an "Internet tablet," a term Archos has whittled down from the "Internet media tablet" we saw last year. The choice of phrasing seems particularly odd considering that the device's media features are stronger than ever. I assume Archos wants people to understand in no uncertain terms that they are in the tablet business, in spite of seven years spent manufacturing media players.

The CNET Prizefight you've been waiting for is here: Zune HD vs. iPod Touch. Just like the Thunderdome (minus Tina Turner and the post-apocalyptic wasteland), two portable media players will enter the ring, but only one may leave.

And for the first time, dear CNET readers, our Prizefight page has been redesigned to allow comments. That's right, now all your catty flames, insightful objections, or outright whining can be preserved forever, right on the Prizefight page. Another upshot of the page redesign: it looks soooo much better than the old version.

So head on over to the iPod Touch vs. Zune HD Prizefight and dump all your disappointment/elation into that newfangled comments box. You'll feel better, really.

With Jasmine out on vacation, Donald brings CNET Labs' Eric Franklin into the studio for an epic nerd session on audio quality measurements, including recent test data from the Zune HD and iPod Touch. We've got charts, folks!

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Another little detail Apple forgot to mention about the third-generation Touch: The screen quality has improved.

(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)

OK, I know a lot of you out there are beside yourselves with disappointment over the fact that Apple neglected to grace its latest iPod Touch with a video camera. I feel your pain. As a tech journalist and gadget nerd, I'd love nothing more than to gush about how the iPod Touch can record your toddler in HD or bring augmented reality to apps and games. Well, it can't.

It's annoying when wishes don't come true. To objectively write my review, I had to go though all my stages of grief. I stood on the roof of CNET and shouted, "I forgive you, Steve, for not giving the iPod Touch a camera." Well, not really--but I thought about it.

The truth is, the iPod Touch is still the best portable media player out there. No other product is going to give you games, e-mail, Voice Control, video rentals, Bluetooth, Internet radio, YouTube, podcasts, music downloads, video downloads, app downloads, voice memos, and the nearly limitless extensibility provided through apps (including subscription music) and third-party hardware. If you can't find something to love about the iPod Touch, you've seriously have a screw loose.

So, here's my full review of the third-generation iPod Touch. If it looks like the same score I gave last year, you're right...sort of. My score for the 8GB model is a half-star lower to reflect the fact that it lacks the same capabilities as the 32GB and 64GB models. Also take note that I haven't handed down an Editors' Choice award. It still might happen, but I want to see the full extent of what Zune and Archos are cooking up before I start handing out ribbons.

Are you still irate over Apple's unspectacular refresh of the iPod Touch and the unrealized potential of a Touch camera? Pour your pain into the comments section. Just be sure to read my affectionate Zune HD posts before calling me out as some kind of Apple-loving, commie, OK?

Apple iPod Touch (third generation)

Please, just stay charged.

Update: Microsoft has updated their previous figures to a more admirable 33 hours of music playback and 8.5 hours of video, with Wi-Fi off. Charge time is approximately 3 hours. I've officially stopped fuming.

Microsoft has finally come out with its battery life estimates for the Zune HD, and the numbers may surprise you. With Wi-Fi turned off, the Zune HD is expected to deliver 24 hours of music and 4 hours of video.

The numbers aren't shabby, but they're not great--and certainly nothing that will make Apple tremble. In fact, last year's flagship Zune--the Zune 120--was rated at 30 hours of audio and 4 hours of video. The second-generation iPod Touch, by comparison, boasts 36 hours of audio playback and 6 hours of video.

What happened, Microsoft? The Zune HD is packing a power-conserving OLED screen and one of the most impressive and efficient mobile processors on the market.

OK, at this point I know I need to file this post in the "unhinged rant" category, but this is genuinely disappointing. For Microsoft's sake, let's pray we're looking at a typo (Update: it was!), because when Apple drops a new iPod Touch in September, you can bet its battery life won't be going backwards.

The Mintpad.

(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)

The Mintpass Mintpad is a cute, little, portable media player by way of Korea, offering loads of features in a space about as large as a Post-It pad. Behind its responsive 2.8-inch touch-screen display you'll find extensive file support (MP3, FLAC, WAV, WMA, OGG, DivX, XviD, MPEG-4, WMV), a Wi-Fi-enabled Internet browser (with Flash support), photo viewer, microSD memory expansion, voice recording, a beautiful vector-based drawing program (cooler than it sounds, folks)--plus, there's 1.3 megapixel camera on the back that can record video or stills.

In short: the Mintpad is pretty dang cool. It's also import-only at the moment, with a 4GB model selling for around $170.

Mintpad media player photos

That said, even though I found the Mintpad to be a fun distraction to my week, I'm not sure I would wholeheartedly recommend it over a similar product like the Cowon D2+ or Iriver Clix. The Mintpad may have twice the features of the competition, but many of those features just don't seem practical for everyday use--especially considering that the built-in stylus is pretty much a required tool for navigation. ... Read more

The Creative Zii Egg is officially announced, and Jasmine is very confused about the whole thing. Donald's muted attempts to offer clarity are unsuccessful. Also, the MP3 Insiders have caught wind of the potential new S-Series Walkman and are none-too-taken with the Disney design leanings. Plus, a dead-simple (and ugly) new MP3 player from Archos draws scorn, and Donald and Jasmine respond to criticism about talking about Apple too much...and then proceed to dedicate the last third of the show to iPhone apps and the potential for cameras on the iPod.

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How good does a streaming-music service need to be before it replaces your collection of MP3s? That's the question Apple is asking itself right now, as it deliberates on approving the Spotify app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Here, finally, is a streaming-music app (and desktop application) that promises to stream any of over 6 million songs on-demand, give you the ability to create and save ordered playlists of songs, and best of all, Spotify can save your favorite tunes offline so you can play them even when you're not connected to the Internet.

Sound too good to be true? Well, you might be right. Spotify has been catching on like wildfire in Europe, but the company has been understandably cautious about coming to the U.S., where similar services such as Pandora, Last.fm, and Slacker have all been subject to strict licensing and streaming arrangements that would make a service like Spotify seem unthinkable. Another wrinkle in the Spotify mobile app's appeal is that it will only work for users who've upgraded to Spotify's ad-free premium service ($14/mo). To use Spotify for free, you'll have to relegate yourself to the desktop application.

Here's a look at the Spotify desktop application. To understand Spotify, just think of all the music you could download on iTunes; now, imagine not having to pay for any of it. It's legal and it's coming soon the the U.S. whether Apple likes it or not.

(Credit: Spotify)

Legal and financial barriers aside, the idea that Apple would let Spotify onto the iPhone seems a little far fetched. For starters, it competes directly with the iPhone's own iPod music player app. Its second offense is that it may require a substantial chunk of memory to cache offline content (a feature not granted to Slacker's app). Finally, Wired's Eliot Van Buskirk reports that songs played using the Spotify app do not include links for purchasing the songs using iTunes. While linking songs to the iTunes store isn't explicitly required by Apple, it certainly hasn't hurt the majority of streaming-music apps that have included the feature.

At this point, all we can do is wait and see. With or without Apple's approval of the Spotify mobile app, there's still some reassuring signs that the Spotify desktop client will hit the U.S. before the year's out. If Europe's speedy adoption of Spotify is any indication of eventual U.S. success, the online music landscape (especially subscription and streaming-music services) could be headed for another shake-up.