PMP Today

Though Sony may have been looking forward to having their latest PMP, the NWZ-A820, compared to the iPod or th Zune, someone in Korea had a different idea in mind. The iRiver E100 is the lowest spec’d player to have come out of iRiver’s remarkable showing at CES 2008. I know everyone is looking forward to the launch dates of the LPlayer and SPINN, but what we have already available is the E100, a 2.4-inch A/V player with FM tuner and cheap MSRP. The Sony A820 is the same-sized player and even weighs exactly the same number of grams (59) as the E100, but has Bluetooth and storage that tops 16GB. So how these two similar players match up, and which one will you be tempted the most?

The chart and a poll after the break.

[via gmp3, photo: moveplayer] Read the rest »

CES superstar iRiver has released the E100 in Europe. The first of the series of devices, iRiver previewed at CES 2008, the E100 is a 2.4-inch QVGA player supports FLAC, MP3, WMA, ASF and OGG, MPEG-4, WMV9 and XVID (video playback at 30fps). It has stereo speakers and a built-in FM tuner. The internal memory is supplemented by microSD cards. Price is very reasonable starting at $119 for the 2GB and topping at $194 for the 8GB.

[via engadget]

Apparently, you can take your music with you when you go diving using the iRiver iFP-380T. I’ve never actually gone scuba diving before but I imagine that part of the experience is listening to the sounds of underwater life. Well, to each his own. The iFP-380T runs on one 9-volt battery and one AA and comes with its own with its own headset and waterproof case. Clip it on to your mask and take with you up to 200 feet underwater for only $99 (formerly $199).

[via gizmodo]

The iRiver X20 has been around for a while but its new and improved 8GB version has just been released in the UK. The 8GB iRiver X20 comes with 22 hours of battery life, a microSD slot, support for a wide variety of audio and video formats, and a white clickwheel that doesn’t really work as smoothly as the iPod’s. You gotta get new earphones if you want better sound quality though and looks-wise, something like the Creative Zen trumps this one any day. Still, the X20 isn’t so bad for its battery life, video playback, and relatively affordable price at £130.

[via 2dayblog]

The video was taken a month ago during CES. We’ve only seen pictures of the iRiver SPINN and liked both the external design and the functionality, has Bluetooth and FM tuner, which iPod Nano doesn’t have.

Though CNET couldn’t show the new iRiver GUI, Molly Wood got to paw a very sleek PMP (she calls it an MP4 player) that can be a serious rival to the iPod Nano. The iRiver SPINN will come in 3 capacities: 4GB, (white) 8GB and 16GB (silver). The SPINN will launch May this year. We can’t wait.

CES 2008 will be known as the trade show that made iRier a major player in the portable market. After introducing several drool-worthy PMPs (iRiver M20, P20, Unit 2, SPINN, LPlayer) for US distribution this year, it pulled another bunny from its sleeves to oohs and ahhs from the audience. Introducing the iRiver e-book tablet with handwriting recognition. Will this finally be the end of paper and the beginning of a truly paperless world?

Note: the picture above shows the iRiver tablet supporting iage display alongside the hand-written text. Something to think about, I guess.

[iRiver via engadget]

If you think that the Mickey Mouse shape of the iRiver Mplayer is a little too childlike for your tastes, the guys at iRiver updated its look to cater to trendy fashionistas. The 1GB Swarovski-covered MPlayers come in different colors and patterns and will be released in time for Valentine’s Day and White Day. No, White Day is not some sort of celebration based on ethnicity exclusion. Apparently, it’s tradition in Japan for girls to give chocolates to the guys they like on Valentine’s Day (February 14). Then if the boy feels the same way about her, he gives the girl a gift a month later, on White Day (March 14). I’d love to be on the receiving end of one of these things. Not only do they cost USD$150 per and are made in only 500 units per design–they’re also available only in Japan. If a guy went through that much trouble to get me one, I guess he must really like me!

[via gadgetspy]

The Korean company iRiver has been the super star of CES 2008. After introducing a bunch of new models for the US market, it’s not much of a stretch to call iRiver the Nokia of the PMP industry. The new iRiver P20, SPINN, M20 and LPlayer reminds us slightly of Nokia’s Nseries phones. Closer even than the aforementioned iRiver models, the Unit II (Unit2) is the very definition of convergence. The 7-inch monitor is a touch screen and communicates with the media center base wirelessly. It’s got everything, Web connectivity, VoIP, multimedia playback and a camera - we mentioned it was a 1.3 megapixel lens but as the guy in the video mentions, they can add a lens with a higher megapixel count on the product they’ll eventually sell. The remote opens up to reveal a keypad and also works as an IP phone when folded. It’s cheap for $700. Unfortunately, it will be available in Korea late 2008 and in the US in early 2009.

[source]

Frankly, iRiver’s LPlayer makes use of its size better than the iPod Nano or any of the other PMPs in the market, including iRiver’s own Clix. Unfortunately, the LPlayer will not be using the new SPINN technology but will rock the old D-Click interface, which so far has been working brilliantly for iRiver (they’ll get 0 complaints.) As you can see, the LPlayer 2-inch screen takes up the entire front of the casing. The LPlayer has got to be up there with the iRiver SPINN and the iRiver GSM Phone for best news at CES.

Onboard the LPlayer is 8GB of storage. While the price and screen resolution remains unknown, we’re betting the LPlayer will give the video-playing iPod Nano a run for its money.

[iriver] Read the rest »

Yes, yes, another iRiver PMP bound for the US market. Aren’t we lucky? This one first appeared 2 months ago in November, wowing us with its 7-inch WVGA touchscreen and WiFi connectivity. Unit II or Unit 2 will come with a docking station and, magnificently, a removable drive. So, besides your FM tuner, TV tuner microSD slot, DD, WiFi, you will have a CD/DVD player for your media needs. Additionally, you will get RCA, RGB, HDMI and an Ethernet ports.

The Unit II will be the base of your own personal media center. The docking station will provide goodies like VoIP and GPS and external speakers. Lest we forget, we have spotted a 1.3 megapixel camera above the screen towards the right side.

More pictures after the break.

[iriver via gmp3] Read the rest »