Gadgets! Microsoft iPod clone pic, a HUGE TV and a Flash-based PC...

[Chris123234]

Next-gen are important features which everyone will use.

- Screen real-estate is the full length of the player
- As far as other codecs are concered with. It is a nice feature, but there are many people like myself who have a tool to convert from other codec to (quicktime) mp4 for ipod screen and resolution. Just has to be done once and thats it.
- Proper wifi or wireless usb. To allow for streaming from the pc or infact, another ipod. Lets say you are on the plane and you have a friend on another aisle and they are happily playing music, but have a film you want to see. Why not connect to him? Or how about the airplane has a server. That you can log onto and stream a movie of your choice? Or how about you are in a cafe and there is a pc with literally 1000's of songs and you can listen to them for free?
- Again, wireless that allows you to surf the net and watch decent sized and resolution clips.
- How about a touch screen, with a pen and with IM can chat using an msn or yahoo clone. Ipod brings up a HUD with keyboard and you just either push the buttons or use a pen to chat.
- 4pm Camera. I really want this, so I can ditch having a seperate device to carry around. Also can be used to capture video and as a webcam for when you are online.
- Phone? Only thing you need is a bluetooth headset to answer or make calls.
- PDA functionality. Calendar, email, sms, IM, etc.

Those are truly next-gen. My hope is that one day, there is a one device that does all. That whilst it is long, its very thin and portable.

I wont currently ask for a portable games device thrown into the mix. Whilst Zune could one day do that role. Unless there are paddles which slide in and out of the player to give on the left directional control and on the right some buttons and the full length screen allows you to play games. Its going to be a tough one to implement whilst allowing the player to be small and portable. The PSP is currently too big for me to purchase and carry around with me all the time. Like I do with the Ipod Video.

Maybe one day, I'll be on that plane, on a long hall flight. Chatting to other users on a wifi peer to peer network, checking out other videos or music that they have or even playing 8 way mario-kart? A typical 8 hour flight will just melt away.

Well, I can dream right? Although shouldnt be that far away, the components are there. Who is brave to give it to me? Apple, Creative, Microsoft?

You just described something thats not an mp3 player at all but simply a pda type device that plays mp3's. They already have those.

When you said next gen mp3 player I assumed you meant something with mp3's and video and the main focus. Not a glorified Symbian phone.

And if a simple ipod costs 400 dollars and plays video and music (with no extra codec support) what do you expect your dream machine to run when it hits the market? Wifi, giant high res touch screen, 4mp cameras, and cell phone electronics is going to cost you a pretty penny when the Ipod name alone costs you hundreds. Some N-series nokia phones are close to a 1000 dollars and they don't even have all the features you want.

Its also a shame that you didn't mention better battery life to support those energy draining additions.

 

[Skrying]

Every single person who tried my Sennheiser or Sony phones went out and bought something of the likes. With comments like "Thanks, I never knew what I was missing".

For me (not a geek but a working musician since 22 years), using the earbuds delivered with the IPod or Zen is absolutely out of question. Not even funny.

Let alone that I still miss some stuff due to mp3 encoding even with 384kb (dull sounding cymbals, missing harmonics/overtones etc.).

Exactly, people hardly ever realize what they are missing till they hear it. You give someone some time with a decent headphone and they're amazed. You can buy quality at a decent price, you just have to know where to look.

A pair of Koss KSC75 clip ons is a major upgrade over those crappy ear buds that come with an MP3 player and you can pick them up often times for just a bit over $10. They're amazing sounding for the price.

Every person who has took a listen to one of my headphones be it my Ultrasones, Beyerdynamic, or Sennheisers have all been amazed. Even people who think they've heard good sound on a Bose headphone soon realize what decent sound actually is.

I just find it so funny these days that when we're suppose to be going through some sort of audio revolution and the ability to carry your entire collection in your pocket yet people still use ear buds where they miss half of their songs? They've never even heard all the parts that make them good. In the end I've just come to the conclusion that the iPod is more about fashion then music.

 

[demonic]

You just described something thats not an mp3 player at all but simply a pda type device that plays mp3's. They already have those.

When you said next gen mp3 player I assumed you meant something with mp3's and video and the main focus. Not a glorified Symbian phone.

And if a simple ipod costs 400 dollars and plays video and music (with no extra codec support) what do you expect your dream machine to run when it hits the market? Wifi, giant high res touch screen, 4mp cameras, and cell phone electronics is going to cost you a pretty penny when the Ipod name alone costs you hundreds. Some N-series nokia phones are close to a 1000 dollars and they don't even have all the features you want.

As I see it convergance is not if but when. As you see it now being a glorifed symbian phone, then whatever. But other people will see it differently.

When you talk about it becoming 1000 dollars, are you seriously kidding? As time goes by, things get smaller and they get cheaper. If you told someone in 1975 that you'd have mobile phones with cameras and able to play music and they were lightweight. They'd tell you that you were crazy. Look at 1TB drives, they will be released this week and are planned for the desktop.

So what I am saying, dont discount what you think to be reality. Im sure there is a product in one of apples labs that does exactly what I want. They are just waiting for the process to be ready and features to get to the point that they are free. Just look at mobile phones. Alright, so the cameras arent that good on most mobile phones, but they are free.

Its also a shame that you didn't mention better battery life to support those energy draining additions.

Its a shame you didnt think that has move things were added, power requirements would have gone up and then battery life would have been extended.

 

[demonic]

Every single person who tried my Sennheiser or Sony phones went out and bought something of the likes. With comments like "Thanks, I never knew what I was missing".

Then please set up a stall on your high street with "WHAT YOU ARE MISSING" and get people to upgrade their headfones and up the bitrate.

Funny, today I didnt see anyone on the train to work with anything other than the crappy out of the ear phones that apple sells.

Maybe one of the vendors will catch on and price their player just a little bit more and include better headfones. I guess we can all hope.

 

[zsouthboy]

Surely they will merge. I just hate bulky devices. I go for a walk and want to listen to music and not be bothered by the phone for example. Or I want a small phone with nothing else in it, but nope, the market wants a phone which is an mp3 player and a camera as well, although it's bulkier then a early 90's mobile phone. Duh.

IPod Nano, or even moreso the Shuffle was the right thing to do. Sony T600 was the right thing to do for a phone. Small, tiny, easy/simple to use and not annoying.

I'd pay a small fortune for a mobile phone which does nothing else but phoning and sending text messages and is half as big/thick as the Razr V3. Even just a simple two-colour display would be fine there.

What's interesting is that the "market" doesn't really decide anything - Marketing, however, does.

Faced with the odds of selling a very small CELL PHONE ONLY device, vs. cell phone / mp3 player, coffee maker, and penis enlarger in one, which do you think is an easier sell?

I point this out because I also hate "value-added" things.

See also: video game consoles (WOW IT PLAYS DVDS TOO!), compact cameras (WOW IT PLAYS MP3S TOO!), and anything the cable company is selling(WOW A THOUSAND DIGITAL CHANNELS TOO!)

 

[_xxx_]

Then please set up a stall on your high street with "WHAT YOU ARE MISSING" and get people to upgrade their headfones and up the bitrate.

Why should I, not like I cared if the people get better sound or not. I got mine.

Funny, today I didnt see anyone on the train to work with anything other than the crappy out of the ear phones that apple sells.

Maybe one of the vendors will catch on and price their player just a little bit more and include better headfones. I guess we can all hope.

I think most people just aren't interested in the first place. And for those who are, there are enough options for decent sound out there for small money, as Skrying mentioned above.

 

[London Geezer]

Ok so if i want a nice pair of in-ear headphones, and knowing that i've been used to the Sony ones (you know... the Sony ones), what would you recommend? Needless to say i don't intend to spend anything above 30 quid. Even 20 is pushing it.

At the moment i can't stand how high frequency sounds more like a hiss than a real sound, but then again, my headphones are phukked, the build quality is so bad that i can see the copper wires. Seriously. Still work though...

 

[Skrying]

Ok so if i want a nice pair of in-ear headphones, and knowing that i've been used to the Sony ones (you know... the Sony ones), what would you recommend? Needless to say i don't intend to spend anything above 30 quid. Even 20 is pushing it.

At the moment i can't stand how high frequency sounds more like a hiss than a real sound, but then again, my headphones are phukked, the build quality is so bad that i can see the copper wires. Seriously. Still work though...

If you want some in ear then I'd look at the Creative EP630 or the Sennheiser CX300. The CX300 will probably be a bit out of your price range depending on if you can find them on a deal or not.

If you want the best sound for your budget, but not in ear, then I'd suggest you look for the Koss KSC 75 clip ons. AMAZING sound quality for the price. Plus you can do tons of mods such as quater mods and such to the pads.

 

[London Geezer]

If you want some in ear then I'd look at the Creative EP630 or the Sennheiser CX300. The CX300 will probably be a bit out of your price range depending on if you can find them on a deal or not.

If you want the best sound for your budget, but not in ear, then I'd suggest you look for the Koss KSC 75 clip ons. AMAZING sound quality for the price. Plus you can do tons of mods such as quater mods and such to the pads.

Thanks!

I think i'll stick to in-ear. They're annoying as hell sometimes (not sure why but at least one day a week it's just very painful to stick the thing in...) but i love how they block a lot of the outside noise, and the great reduction of sound leaking to the outside, which is nice when you want to be discreet.

I'll Amazon the ones you mentioned!

 

[_xxx_]

I prefer Sennheiser PMX-60 or OMX 50 VC, the most comfortable there is and a very good sound for the money.

 

[London Geezer]

Well i just ordered the CX300. Total impulse buy, but what the hell...Got them for 21 quid! Until they started going funny, i loved the Sony ones, so anything equal or better is fine for me.

 

[_xxx_]

They're okay too. I just don't dig the in-ear type, uncomfortable for me. Gives me earache after some time.

 

[Skrying]

Some in-ears are better than others for comfort. I know my ears handle the CX300 a lot better than a pair of say Shure E2c. Make sure you try all the tips. With in ear its ALL about getting the correct seal with your ear, and sometimes a first time in ear user doesnt get it and hates those IEMs from then on without ever really getting any real experience with them.

 

[_xxx_]

It's not about physical comfort, it's the lack of air and the fact that I can hear my breathing as a sort of loud rumbling then and everything I say resonates extremely amplified in the head because the ears are "sealed". Can't take that.