iLounge

1

A video IPod in January….Cool

This is a market that is exciting Sony and Philips, both of which plan to launch personal video players next year. It has also got Microsoft going too, although the launch of its Media2Go format (now rechristened Portable Media Centers) for this product niche has now been put back until the second half of 2004. Of course Apple may get there first anyway. Its video iPod is rumoured to be one of the products it debuts at its exhibition in San Francisco in January.

Posted by scrins on November 1, 2003 at 4:25 PM (PST)

2

When Apple debuts a product at an exhibition, is it immediately available for purchase?  Is this a way to display conceptual items, or they introducing them to the market?

Posted by 12:10 in NYC on November 2, 2003 at 6:32 AM (PST)

3

“A video IPod in January….Cool”

I was waiting for a video iPod for the last year, but unfortunately it isn’t Apple that finally made it, but RCA. It’s called the Lyra and it’s simply fantastic.

I traded up from a 3G iPod to a Lyra and I am getting the same mad buzz from it that I got from my 1G iPod all those years ago.

My Lyra has 20GB. Full color, backlit. CF Type 1 slot. Records audio and video. The display quality is simply gorgeous. And it lasts a *long* time on a charge. Boots up within 5 seconds—much handier than a laptop when I want to transfer over images from my Canon’s CF cards.

Thanks to the crashing dollar I ordered mine from abroad for $350! I see it’s at Amazon now for $400.

The only thing I miss on the Lyra is a jogwheel for stepping frame by frame through video… that woould be awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008VFCU/
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00008VFCU.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00008VFCU.01.PT01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

The Lyra is not the only option in PVPs (Personal Video Players). The Archos, Vosonic, FlashTrax, Sharp, and Panasonic are also kick a s s.

More details here (they even have a mock up of the rumored video iPod)

http://shanebrinkmandavis.com/homepage/JBMM/Competition/

Posted by Lyra on November 2, 2003 at 9:39 AM (PST)

4

Those 1.5GB players are pretty tempting.  If they were only cheaper, I would have gone that path instead.  Their size might be the thing to hurt Ipod’s dominance.  If Apple was smart, they’d make another line for the Ipod, but with a smaller HD or a microdrive.  A replaceable battery could be useful too.

Posted by tetro on November 2, 2003 at 10:07 AM (PST)

5

Hey Lyra
Are you working for RCA?
You are just promoting the Lyra all the time, simply copying/pasting your comments all over the place. Gets kind of annoying and doesn’t help the product at all. Best thing about it is that the thing is not even available yet.

Posted by STR on November 2, 2003 at 3:53 PM (PST)

6

http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/62654/Monty_Python/Spam/

Lovely spam, wonderful spa-a-m,
Lovely spam, wonderful S Spam,
Spa-a-a-a-a-a-a-am,
Spa-a-a-a-a-a-a-am,
SPA-A-A-A-A-A-A-AM,
SPA-A-A-A-A-A-A-AM,
LOVELY SPAM, LOVELY SPAM,
LOVELY SPAM, LOVELY SPAM,
LOVELY SPA-A-A-A-AM…
SPA-AM, SPA-AM, SPA-AM, SPA-A-A-AM!

Posted by Gyra on November 2, 2003 at 8:44 PM (PST)

7

It would seem Lyra likely works for one of those nouveax “Stealth Marketing” firms, the types that get people to use their items and casually describe how wonderful they are without doing a direct “sale”. They are known to inhabit chat rooms and message boards in a home-spun-type method to sem authentic. Especially since they arent even availbale yet, this post makes me sick . :(

Posted by Angry Black Man on November 3, 2003 at 8:09 AM (PST)

8

“I ordered mine from abroad for $350!”

Which part of “abroad” did you people not manage to understand?

Because the US is so far behind in cool gadgets, it often happens that I have to order from Europe, Taiwan, or Japan to get the coolest, latest toys. It was so for my P900, it was so for my Lyra, and I fear it will be so for my new fuel-cell Toshiba laptop.

But fear not, I gather after a wait of almost six months, you are now able to order Lyras direct from Amazon and Circuit City.

Posted by Lyra on November 3, 2003 at 8:48 AM (PST)