Slacker's first-generation Wi-Fi portable media player sold for $200 when it hit in 2008. Today it's just $50.
(Credit: CNET Networks)There was a time in the history of MP3 players when new models were clearly superior to hardware that had been on the shelf a few years. If you were one of the unfortunate souls who bought an iPod Photo a few months before the iPod Video came out, you know exactly what I mean.
These days, the MP3 and portable video player landscape has hit a plateau of sorts. Sure, you've got your iPod Touch and Zune HD out there to keep things interesting, but for the others, features such as sound quality, format compatibility, screen size, and capacity have stayed relatively unchanged over the past few years. In fact, when it comes to storage capacity, your choices are more limited today then they were a few years ago--back when the hard drive was still king.
The point is, you can get some killer deals on a one- or two-year old MP3 player, without sacrificing much in way of features. Sometimes we get so caught-up in what's new, we forget to acknowledge those choice pieces of gear that are still relevant and excellent in spite of how long they've been on the shelf.
To honor these remarkable elders of portable audio and video, we've rounded up our top picks in the following slideshow. Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments section.
For more tips on wallet-friendly MP3 players (both young and old) check out our Budget MP3 player list, as well as MP3 players under $100, and MP3 players for under $50.
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.
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
Donald and Jasmine discuss the third-generation Zunes and Slacker's new personal radio player, the G2. Plus, find out just how useful the iPod Nano's new text-to-speech function is.
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Episode 114 |
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All signs point to a new crop of iPods in September, and while I'm as interested in the rumors and blurry "leaked" photos as the next fanboy, I'm also preparing myself for disappointment. Deep down, I know there are iPod features that will never see the light of day. Sure, Apple always trots out a few iPod-related surprises like iTunes movie rentals and Cover Flow, but I've all but given up on the following innovations.
1. Subscription music
You're telling me that Apple sees potential in subscription music just as one of the industry's biggest names put their service on the back burner in favor of an MP3 store? You must be high.
If the rumors are right, I'll be chewing my toes on this one, but I just don't see any motivation for Apple to take up a subscription music model. Could they make it work? Absolutely. Apple's closed iTunes/iPod universe is the perfect playground for DRM-encrypted subscription music that needs to be escorted and licensed between computers and devices. After using the Zune and its proprietary Zune Pass music subscription service for about a year, I have a pretty good idea how a similarly seamless iTunes subscription music model would operate. It would be awesome, and you may never want to "buy" music again--and that's the problem.
If you think Apple's iPod business is profitable, you should check out the money they make selling you music at 99 cents a track. iTunes is the most recognized name in online music retail and they make a killing at it. The idea that Apple has any motivation to tweak its golden formula for success is preposterous. In fact, an iTunes subscription music model could be a disaster for Apple.
Last week, I heard Tag Strategic's Ted Cohen lecture Rhapsody's David Krinsky on the Achilles heel of the subscription music model and I've never been so convinced that a successful music retailer like Apple wouldn't touch subscription music with a ten foot pole. The problem: It's not in the best interest for subscription music companies to have their users downloading too much music.
Putting a camera on the iPod Touch would be awesome, but Apple is probably reserving the feature for its star attraction.
(Credit: CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze)Politely discouraging users from gorging on unlimited music will be tough for iTunes, considering the retail efficiency they've honed after years selling songs piecemeal. Without a total overhaul of the iTunes store or a revolutionary approach to subscription music, offering consumers an all-you-can-eat music plan at a flat-rate would cause Apple to bleed money into the pockets of record labels.
It would also be a PR disaster for a music retailer just coming out from the shadow of Fair Play DRM to dive back into a rights-managed music scheme. Sure, Apple would create lifetime customers who are locked into monthly/yearly subscription plans for fear of bricking their music collection, but the risk of burning consumers again with DRM just isn't worth it.
2. Camera/GPS (aka phone-less iPhone)
With the 8GB iPhone 3G's $199 up-front price, there's a fine line Apple has to tread not to cannibalize sales of their iPod Touch (and vice-versa). Make the iPod Touch too good, and people might settle for a cheap phone and an awesome media player; make the iPod Touch too restricted (or too pricey) and people feel like idiots for buying it over the iPhone.
Including A2DP Bluetooth on the iPod would be nice, but letting third-party vendors tackle the feature allows Apple to maintain high marks for battery life.
(Credit: CNET Networks)For someone like me who's around Wi-Fi most of my day, a less expensive iPod Touch with a camera, GPS, and maybe even a speaker, would be an easy win over the iPhone--which is exactly while we'll never see it. The iPhone 3G is the star of the show these days, and Apple won't let it be upstaged by the iPod.
3. Bluetooth (A2DP)
With more and more Bluetooth-enabled speakers, car stereos, and headphones hitting the market, Apple is ripe to finally roll wireless audio capabilities into their iPods, right? Not likely. Bluetooth is everywhere, but it's a big drain on battery life and it still confuses people. If Best Buy is making money by having a Bluetooth-pairing kiosk at its stores, than the technology just isn't ready for prime time on the user-friendly iPod. I'm sure Apple has considered adding Bluetooth to the iPod, but honestly, this is one of those features that's much better for the accessory market to figure out (although we haven't seen a great one yet).
If you want a radio so bad, go buy the Apple Radio Remote accessory. It will never, ever, come included.
(Credit: Apple)4. FM radio
I think most of the people holding their breath for this one have finally collapsed. At this point, Apple has to keep radios out of their iPods simply on principle. They've dismissed the idea of adding an FM radio to the iPod for years, and with the recent accolades over the addition of Internet radio to the iPhone and iPod Touch, Apple can't be feeling much regret over the FM snub. Anyhow, if having a built-in FM radio is such a hot feature, Apple's gotta wonder why radio-wielding competitors haven't made much traction.
5. Song sharing
The wireless device-to-device song-sharing feature on the Microsoft Zune is a brilliant feature stuck on the wrong player. For a feature like this to be any fun, you need to have a critical mass of active users to share with in your daily life. The iPod and its 70 percent domestic market share is really the only MP3 player that can pull off casual device-to-device song sharing--but it never will.
It's not easy to get Social with your Zune's built-in Wi-Fi, because the user base just isn't there. The ubiquitous iPod would be the perfect player for a device-to-device sharing feature, but don't keep your hopes up.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Why? Because pulling off a song-sharing feature requires a shedload of the DRM-encryption Apple is trying so hard to distance itself from; iPod Touch Apps like Last.fm already get the job done without waiting around for files to transfer; and adding Wi-Fi to the Apple Nano or Classic lineup would zap precious battery life.
The sure bets
So what's left for Apple to bring to the table? Well, I think the rumors of a full-point upgrade for iTunes rings true. That behemoth is long-overdue for an upgrade. iTunes has been stuck in Version 7 since 2006! With any luck, Apple will streamline iTunes, boost its performance, and somehow integrate it with their MobileMe service (c'mon remote MP3 locker!).
I also agree with the rumors that Apple will move away from the squat design for the iPod Nano, and go with a sideways screen orientation similar to the Flash Zune. The reason behind this isn't to stop the chubby jokes, but to allow for a wider screen capable of showcasing the iTunes store's increasing amount of widescreen format video content.
Beyond that, the iPod Classic will stay "classic" and probably receive a price drop and the iPod Touch will receive an overdue price slash (I'm thinking 8GB for $199), maybe a slightly bigger screen to differentiate it from the iPhone, and a few bundled Apps and games (Spore, maybe?).
If you've got other predictions, be sure to share them in the comments section.
Donald and Jasmine discuss new touch-screen PVPs from Cowon, some sleek and slender Etymotic earphones, as well as wireless MP3 players and portable devices for those who like to live dangerously. The winner of the iHome ZN9 is also announced.
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Episode 111 |
Cowon teases three new touch-screen PVPs
Belkin GoStudio on-the-go recorder
Mophie Juice Pack for iPod Touch
*iHome ZN9 contest winner announced*
Looks like iTunes Wi-Fi music store will remain...well, Wi-Fi. Why couldn't Apple enable 3G music downloads for their new phone?
(Credit: CNET Networks)According to Apple's iPhone 3G product page, the mobile version of the iTunes music store will remain accessible only over the phone's Wi-Fi connection, and will not take advantage of the new 3G capability. I guess it shouldn't come as a shock that the wireless version of iTunes (dubbed "iTunes Wi-Fi") should remain a strictly Wi-Fi service. Still, it does seem like Apple has missed an obvious opportunity to allow users more ways to purchase music.
With services such as Napster Mobile and Rhapsody already allowing wireless music downloads over 3G networks for many iPhone competitors, Apple's reluctance to jump on board likely comes down to an unwillingness to share per-track revenues with AT&T. After all, when you own the music service and the hardware, why concede any profit to a wireless carrier if you can help it?
Only Apple knows for sure why music downloads have been locked out of the iPhone's 3G capability, but personally I'm disappointed to not see it included. The iPhone is so close to becoming a great music discovery tool, but limitations such as this and lack of Flash audio support are big barriers for online music fans. Oh, and don't get me started about the lack of streaming Bluetooth audio.
Microsoft's latest Zune is full of surprises.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)Anyone who's read my review of the Zune 80 knows that my take on the Zune is overall positive. In fact I rated the Zune 80 a few ticks higher than Apple's iPod Classic, which was a surprise to me considering that between Jasmine and me, I've been the biggest defender of Apple's deserved supremacy in the MP3 player marketplace. Though I doubt that the Zune will truly match the iPod's market footprint anytime soon, I can safely say that it's made this iPod fanboy prepared to make the switch. My recent Zune infatuation isn't all wine and roses, however. The following list details five aspects of the Zune (both good and bad) that I could spend hours ranting about. I did my best to keep my official review lean and to the point, so I'm going to take this opportunity to dish the more meaty details on my Zune experience.... Read more
Welcome to my first post on the newly relaunched MP3 Insider blog. I'll be updating this blog regularly with MP3 player-related rants and predictions. If you're a fan of the MP3 Insider podcast I co-host with Jasmine France, you'll probably enjoy this blog as well. I wanted to start with something classy, but instead, let's get the ball rolling with a juicy product smackdown.
When it comes to interface and killer features, the challenger that Microsoft should really keep an eye on is the yet-to-be-released Samsung YP-P2 I reported on back in August. Although Samsung hasn't released pricing information yet, things could really heat up if the YP-P2 can get close to the the $149 and $199 price points of the iPod Nano and Flash-based Zunes. Not only does the YP-P2 offer a 3-inch touch screen and built in Bluetooth, but it also has the advantage of not being Microsoft. Honestly, after Apple's successful "I'm a Mac" smear campaign, it's tough to convince people that Microsoft makes cool gear (unless you've got Halo 3 as bait).
We've been able to dig up two videos on YouTube that demonstrate the interface for both the Zune and Samsung YP-P2. To be fair, the Zune video shows a demonstration by a product rep, while the YP-P2 is handled by someone who seems barely familiar with the product. In my opinion, both interfaces look equally stunning. Still, here's the four questions that I can't shake:
1. Is there a way to pronounce the YP-P2 without saying "pee-pee"?
2. Which is more useful, the YP-P2's stereo Bluetooth transmission, or the Zune's wireless syncing capabilities?
3. Are touch screens really a superior interface, or has the iPhone hype simply created that impression?
4. Just how well does the new Zune handle podcasts?
I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Until then, I'll be studying these videos. Sound off in the Talkback section if you've already declared a winner.
Microsoft Zune 80GB
Samsung YP-P2
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Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
