Kenwood's M512A3 and M256A3 MP3 players
By Donald Melanson 
posted January 28th 2005 10:00AM
posted January 28th 2005 10:00AM
Kenwood has just unveiled their first portable MP3 player, available in 256MB and 512MB variations. It's a
flash-based player that does in fact have a screen, as well as an FM tuner (we know it's hard to believe, but before
the iPod shuffle it was standard for a flash-based player
to have a display). The 512MB version seems to be available in a choice of four colors, but it looks like the
256MB one only comes in black or white. No word yet on pricing or a possible North American release date.
[Via Akihabara News]
I just bought a Creative 512 w/FM for 99 bucks, why is Kenwood so behind the times? (yawn...)
http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=215&product=9771
This Kenwood is half the size of the Creative you bought - catch up will ya! :)
This looks identical to the Creative DMP-FX120 (http://sg.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=216&product=11010), which is not available in the US.
Update: Even the weight of this player is the same as the Creative DMP-FX120. It looks both are made by the same ODM, with only different branding.
I have a theory about Apple's marketing strategy. I think the iPod shuffle with its lack of a screen WILL like the CEO of Creative says bring more attention to the flash-based mp3 player market. I think in deliberately doing this Apple is encouraging competitors to go for the scraps and leave apple to be dominant in the high end mp3 player market. People with less money to spend will get attracted to the iPod shuffle due its exposure and iPod's halo effect but then they will look aound and say " hey for this money or a little bit more I can get one with a screen, fm tuners and other nifty things" so they then buy the competitors product. Apple competitors in the meantime frustrated by big brother iPod's dominance will say "hey the real money for us is with these smaller flash-based iPods, we are losing money trying to compete in the other end of the market... let the big fish like Sony handle Apple" so they concentrate on the flash-based players leaving big brother iPod to shine in its pedestal. What do you think? Is Steve Jobs shrewed enough to hatch such a plan?
No, steve jobs said "we're losing money because we aren't selling a flash iPod! get one out there, stat!"
The big advantage of having a screen is so you can tell what song is playing, right? What song is playing on that MP3 player?
Stop with the FM tuners. The only person I know who will use one of these mini devices is my mom, and the more features these little things have, the more likely she is to just get confused and not use the thing at all. My dad got her a player last Christmas which she never used, her biggest complaint being that the FM tuner controls kept getting in the way. (Meanwhile I have given my old Pogo 128Meg player to my 2.5yr old, loaded with Sesame Street tunes, and she seems to get the concept just fine.)
I have directed him toward the iPod shuffle, we'll see if that fits the need.
I'd take this over shuffle, i need radio!
gotta have radio for the rest of this year (Howard) then gonna stream Sirius or merged company over my pc...hehehe.
This player _is_ the creative player, just fit into a different casing and with a different battery configuration. Rebadged, nothing to see here, move along.
My Creative Muvo screen looks exactly like that!
"gotta have radio for the rest of this year (Howard) then gonna stream Sirius or merged company over my pc"
I'm in the exact same situation.
FM radio exists right now only for 2 reasons: Howard in the morning, and for days like the blackout, when all you had was the radio for your news.
Come next year, it'll be for news only.
Thats why I would prefer to have AM radio istead of FM. News, traffic report, sports talk, games live broadcasts... WHY nobody produce MP3 player with AM radio?
The display on this thing is identical to my MuVo TX FM, just wider. Wonder why?
Does this thing allow you to do time-shifting with the FM? If so, I would love one (skip through Howards commercials).