I was intrigued by the Sansa Connect at CES. Based on ZING mobile entertainment technology, the device appears to be aimed more at the Zune than the iPod (and I’m not the only one who thinks so). It’s as if SanDisk heard everyone’s complaints about the Zune (the way Microsoft was supposed to).
The Sansa Connect feature set includes:
- Wi-Fi “Connect” – access or purchase content from select service sites
- Community connections via the Internet¹
- A microSD™ expansion slot
- internal speaker
The device created quite a buzz at the show, and won a couple of awards to boot.
CNET awarded SanDisk’s Wi-Fi MP3 player first place in its “MP3 and portable video” category, while LAPTOP magazine voted it top portable audio player on the show floor.
What will this do to the Zune? Considering that the Zune had already slipped to #5 in December, will the Connect knock it completely out of the park? Considering that both companies are only fighting over the iPod’s crusts, does it matter?
looks like an attractive player – were I in the market for a flash player, I would sure consider it.
re Zune slipping to #5 – I think it is too soon to pronounce the Zune DOA, but this early belly-flop should teach companies everywhere not to rush products to market with about 1/10 the features that they should have. I noticed that Kevin Rose said on the latest DiggNation that he got some skinny that Zune 1.x should be better at exploiting its feature set.
I think both M$s and Apple’s problem with giving their players direct access to online music stores is that they are basically computer-centric companies. That makes more sense for MS than Apple, whose cash cow is now the iPod.
but neither wants to cut the player loose from the computer.
I am going to a “lunch and learn” next week on Microsoft Vista and can keep you posted on their presentation, if you would like. Just let me know. In the mean time I wanted to show you a video I made at the Microsoft Alumni Network’s “After the holidays party”. I think Microsoft makes an interesting anthropological subject:
http://pugettown.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/is-there-life-after-microsoft/
Microsoft responds to complaints? I thought they only responded to lawsuits….
Yes, it does matter. This shows that WiFi in an MP3 player can be done right from the get-go, not through a firmware upgrade down the road. Couple that with the record labels getting gripy about the Zune’s already sketchy DRM restrictions on sharing (wanting to make them even more draconian), and you’ve got doom for the Zune and another boon for SanDisk’s Sansa line.
MS, it’s time to face the (portable) music (players): you can’t win this this market by capitulating to the recording industry.
* “Community connections via the Internet¹” — how about P2P via the internal WiFi? Now that would rock!
Kids in the same room could broadcast and listen to each other’s mixes. Killer feature!
Do you mean to tell me that you EXPECTED Microsoft making a top product on their first try ???? HEHEHE
C’mon guys…How many used Windows 1.0 ??? Helloo…
You can be sure that M$ will have a 1.X version of the Zune , and 2.X, 3.X and 2030.X and so on and so on…
Microsoft is in the MP3 player for the long haul, just like #6 said. They can afford to lose money indefinately on te Zune. They will gradually add features copied from other companies, and gradually ease the price down until they eventually overtake Apple. Then they will not invest another dime on research or adding features.
I think the IPHONE may be Apple’s “Jump the shark” moment with the Ipod, but only time will tell.
Don
#7. I am guessing that both the iPhone and the Zune are both 1.0 products that will prove to be false starts – the Zune by crippling its wifi and the iPhone by choosing Edge and Cingular and by closing it to app developers The iPhone will get a bigger early adopter rush than the Zune did, just because it is crazy cool to look at, but once those reviews start rolling in about how slow Edge is, how tough the typing is, and shortness of battery life, a lot of the initial enthusiasm will drain off.
The iPhone will likely get a second chance with v 1.x, but I wonder if the zune will.
I would say that Apple was dead-ending with the iPods if they don’t releas a widescreen-touchscreen HD-based model with wi-fi but no phone.
Shhhh! Dont tell anyone, I work at an Apple dealer and have a Sansa. It kicks iPods ass in every way but one, the rotary dial of the pod is better, but thats all. Even the pod people I work with are starting to come around, and (keep your voice low) I can change the battery!!!!!! I saw this on CrankyGeeks and got one. Thanks to JCD.