iLounge

1

“...nano is not a name that any company can trademark…”

Apple should have called it the “micro”. Uh…oh…never mind.

Posted by Memphisguy on September 9, 2005 at 2:35 PM (PDT)

2

Once again, apple is being sewed for being the superior in the digital audio market.
It seems as if any other rival company can spread a leg for apple so it’ll make her fall.
They’ll do it in a snap. The competitors seem so eager to kick out apple from the race that sometimes I think I don’t know what’s more important for them. I think the most useful thing they can do for now is be a bit more positive. once again apple seems to be the target for seemingly just putting a product that tops all other’s in away they can not beat, So sorry for the rivals but I think that’s the whole apple greatness.

Posted by Curious on September 9, 2005 at 3:11 PM (PDT)

3

I could see this being an issue if the nano was a flagship product for creative(like the micro) but creative has soo many flash players its just another one of the many, hence most people never heard of it anyway.  If anything it will get more sales now because of people buying “nanos” as gifts and accidently getting the creative branded nano.

Posted by enigma on September 9, 2005 at 4:44 PM (PDT)

4

“If anything it will get more sales now because of people buying ‘nanos’ as gifts and accidently getting the creative branded nano.”

I could totally see that happening, especially to parents who aren’t very in tune with the tech world.  I haven’t actually used or know anyone who owns a Zen player, but the mere actions that Creative is taking seem really pathetic.  They already won the lawsuit over the interface patent; then Apple releases the nano.  So Creative makes their own “nano”... yeah… that’s REALLY “creative” (I know, it’s a pun… cringe).  It’s like the neglected child who throws tantrums to get attention.  But no matter how hard Creative tries to steal Apple’s thunder, the Zen nano does not have the color screen, sleek aesthetics, and we haven’t been hearing anything about a “Zen fad” or “Zen rage.” When’s the last time people lined up at a store to purchase a Zen? IMHO, I think this move made Creative’s image worse.  Mice try Creative, but our dollars don’t buy good efforts, we want good results and good products.

Posted by Dave on September 9, 2005 at 6:05 PM (PDT)

5

Apple seems to be slapping Creative in the face as a little payback for the interface patent decision. It’ll be hard to argue that Apple was deliberately trying to steal sales based on the name, as the Zen nano is not exactly a popular player.

Posted by Joshdude in Long Beach, CA on September 9, 2005 at 7:57 PM (PDT)

6

Dave, you should try to get your information from a source other the the Iraqi Information Minister.  There was no “lawsuit”.  Creative had a Nano mp3 player BEFORE Apple, thats why there’s even an “issue” here.  Last but not least, Creative hasn’t made any “moves”, atleast not publicly.  Personally I do hope Apple does get sued (they haven’t been exactly angels in the past concerning lawsuits).  It seems as if Apple was pissed and took a cheap shot.

Posted by yingyang on September 9, 2005 at 10:25 PM (PDT)

7

Count me into the group that hopes Apple gets sued and loses for using ‘nano’.

Posted by Talking Madness in Los Angeles on September 9, 2005 at 11:22 PM (PDT)

8

XBox 360 wins this holiday…PlayStation 3 wins early 2006…but maybe that’s because I already have an iPod.

Posted by Talking Madness in Los Angeles on September 9, 2005 at 11:52 PM (PDT)

9

Whoops, my mistake.  Thanks yingyang, I guess school has fried my brain enough… :D.  In light of this, it is shady of Apple to use the word “nano,” but their version would likely be far more popular than what Creative puts out.

Posted by Dave on September 9, 2005 at 11:55 PM (PDT)

10

There’s a new nano in town and it’s kicking a** and taking names.

Posted by Derrick on September 10, 2005 at 12:11 AM (PDT)

11

Forgetting patents and who’s first in the DAP world with ‘nano’ for now:

I’ve already TRIED at several B&Ms; to reserve a 360…all already spoken for. Well, there’s always after the first of the year. ‘Sides, Halo 3 isn’t due until May ‘06 at the earliest, anyways.

As for Apple’s nano: my wife just HAD to have one, so we picked up a white 4GB at the local Apple store today (black in 4GB was all gone; seems people really ARE getting tired of white, after all).  Any reservations I might have had about iPods and USB 2.0 from my experiences with the Snuffle went out the window with the nano…iTunes 5 with the nano transfers files bloody fast on my Windoze box.

As for SQ, when compared to my 4G the nano is decent but the detail, imaging and sonic presentation is clearly to me more appealing on my year-old HD 4G. Using Ety ER-4s and Senn PX-100s, mid bass on down sounds strikingly muddier on the nano and over the entire musical range presence and clarity is not as precise and well-delineated, IMO. ‘Compressed’ is the word that comes to mind, but it’s not as bad as that actual word implies, but certainly the SQ is not as fluid and natural as my 4G, or even my 3G with its nearly comatose battery. Not as sonically appealing is ultimately how I’d judge the SQ. Mossberg, given your comments about the nano, you TRULY ARE a sonic loser; the WSJ sorely needs to hire a better audio reviewer/analyst (like ANYONE at the Journal actually READS this).

But the bleeping thing IS cute; I’ll give it that, and certainly far more appealing than the cheapo Scuffle, enough so that I’ve gone and done the sucka thang and ordered up a black 4GB off of Apple’s website for myself. Now I’ve got about a week to get used to the feel of that tiny clickwheel; it’s a tad more sensitive in nano form IMO, probably because of the shrunken work environment.

A sap for Apple marketing…tsk, how pitiful.

Posted by flatline response on September 10, 2005 at 12:52 AM (PDT)

12

Maybe the likes of Sony and Creative could top Apple if they spent more time working on their products and less time crying to the media.

All Sony has going for it’s players is battery life. Creative has sound quality and features and they’ve made strides in the looks department but both lose big on software and UI. Sony tends to cram 90 buttons onto it’s players and Creative,rather then getting 2 or 3 players right makes 9,10,11 different ones that all feel incomplete and likely confuse buyers.

Creative could match Apple but they seem to have poor focus and are just interested in seeing how many new players they can make every week rather then making something that works.

Posted by memyselfand_i on September 10, 2005 at 1:27 AM (PDT)

13

memyselfand_i, are you saying that Creative could actually make something as successful and beautiful as the iPod, let alon the new iPod nano? i know for sure that they couldn’t make an iPod nano that cheap, as samsung have a special deal with apple that is exclusive.

good point about the gazillion players though!

Posted by louispavlo in Southampton, UK on September 10, 2005 at 3:36 AM (PDT)

14

memyselfand_i: I agree both Sony and Creative need to concentrate on ALL aspects of the interface design, but when does Sony—at least the hardware side—whine in the press about Apple?  The record company side, ya sure THEY do, but other than constantly over boasting about how “great” their gear is, their hardware house is nothing like Creative’s in complaining about Apple. A fair number of people seem to believe the newest DAP Walkman is pretty spiffy as well, so perhaps Sony is starting to get their act together.

I disagree about any insinuations concerning Sony’s sound quality or lack thereof. The recent Sonys I’ve listened to sound pretty darn GOOD, at least as good and generally better than the best iPod. But the computer software they use has been the major stumbling block; the level of complaints over that stuff would seem incomprehensible to any regular user of iTunes.

As for Creative, their major failing to me is their past ineptitude when executing the complete UI, either in firmware or hardware or often both, as with their earlier Nomad Jukeboxes and Nomad Zens. But the Zen Micro and Touch designs are a vast improvements over the early stuff, even if they’re not as completely integrated and seamless as the current Apple menu/clickwheel UI. I don’t know what their current software is like, but the early programs that managed the NJ and Zen were serviceable, if crude in comparison to Apple’s.

Neither Sony or Creative has the advantage as good as—let alone superior to—iTunes, or more importantly, the iTMS; those pieces are as important as the player design and UI is. And until recently, Sony had even shut out the DRM WMA online stores with most of their recent units; now that they’re releasing firmware updates that will allow WMAs on their machines, perhaps that will make their gear more enticing to a wider audience than the Sony Music Store fans (if there ARE any), but the power of Apple’s AAC and iTMS is going to be hard for anyone to conquer.  Both companies are still learning on how to cope with the Apple juggernaut, and both are also mindful of what happened to Rio as well.

Posted by flatline response on September 10, 2005 at 6:40 AM (PDT)

15

Thank you very much!

Posted by Werea on September 17, 2005 at 1:40 AM (PDT)