Packard Bell AudioStar coin-sized DAP
By Barb Dybwad 
posted Nov 20th 2005 5:45PM
posted Nov 20th 2005 5:45PM
Here lies proof that absolutely every company is bound by law to throw an offering into the tiny DAP ring: Packard Bell is offering this AudioStar coin-sized voice recorder and MP3 player. Weighing in at 49 grams, the unit does have PlaysforSure support so can do the DRM WMA thing from the usual subscription services suspects like Napster et al. Its 1.8-inch color LCD will display photos and video, although you'll have to first encode any video into PB's proprietary "MTV" format — no, we're not kidding, and god knows we wish we were. Battery life won't wow anyone at 10 hours, but nevertheless Packard Bell fanboys can walk off with this 1 GB wonder for the low, low price of $190.
first post.
what kind of coin are we talking here?
Packard Bell is still around?
Yes Packard Bell is still around, they were bought by NEC after going bankrupt. They still sell products in England and the rest of Europe if I remember correctly.
This lost the "me too" MP3 player war already just by having the name Packard Bell on it. Well, lost in the USA. Coming up next, Yugo-branded hybrid cars.
Last time I saw a packard bell comp was back in the 20th century. Why use the packard bell name on an dap anyway? All packard bell is known for is for it's somewhat ok comps back in the 90s and for going bankrupt. I am not going to buy one no mater what the size just cuz it says packard bell. Get real here, who wants to say they have a packard bell mp3 player in comparison to lets say an iPod? iPod just sounds so much cooler. I would be more likely to buy this player if it were branded NEC.
#1
First Post? This is engadget, not slashdot.
Brian
What packard bell fanboys?
Maybe this DAP consists of used parts sold as new. (The final nail in PB's coffin back in the '90s)
I always confuse Packard Bell with the other washout Bell & Howell. Maybe this unit will join their ranks on QVC and infommercial hell. Personally I it'd sell better if they put Packard Bell in teeny little type...on the back.
good product, i like it.
Are you kidding me rizali...you could buy a nano for 10 bucks more and get twice the storage and much smaller. Sure, you wouldn't get videos, but I doubt the video quality on that this is that great. You could also watch videos on the nano with ipodlinux.
Basic Point: this product is a bad deal!
I knew at least ONE PERSON would reference Packard Bell's habit of using USED parts in NEW computers... that kinda behavior should get you blacklisted for life... thumbs down on this DAP (I don't care what the specs)...
Okay, I had to chime in. Packard Hell? I didn't know they were still around. I bought two of their pc's -- I think it was from there Legend series -- The 'legend' was that they were decent pc's and upgradeable.
I can't say I'd piss on Packard Bell anything if it were on fire.
The "coin-sized" part had me thinking that those must be giant earbuds until I read about the 1.8" LCD.
the price is not low at all. and wat up with the picture... its not even video playback
Since when have Packard Bell fanboys existed? I knew there were PacHell haters but fanboys? But I guess it only makes sense... everyone loves cheap computers that break down after 3 months.
Was I the only person who had to call Packard Bell long distance and then pay $125 for tech support?
Wow. Packard Bell is still around!? My thrid PC was a Packard Bell. Blazing fast with a 133MHz Pentium with MMX and 16MB of RAM. Not to mention a full meg of video memory and a 14.4 modem! Piece of shit it turned out to be :)
Here is something to look at the Bluestorm A9
with video and music.512MB/1GB/2GB
www.bluestorm.nl
Well, I think it looks neat. I wouldn't buy it at all. It's too bad Apple bought all of that flash memory cheap. There is a real market for cheap mp3 players to undercut the iPod. Companies like Creative, Sony, Archos and now Packard Bell selling DAPs that aren't iPods for iPod price is just a stupid strategy to me. Why bother with a $300 Creative Zen when the iPod is so much easier to use?
It's like buying a Ford Taurus for $30,000 when you can get a BMW for the same price.
Oh god! They are STILL around?!?! I'm still recovering mentally from owning a PB in '95. My first desktop computer that I owned. What a complete and total mistake. That one desktop just about sent me screaming to the Mac when I got rid of it in 98. (Wasn't all that impressed with OS 9 so I stayed with 9x...until I found NT.)
That company needs to be nuked from orbit.
Ganz Toll! www.packard-bell.de
your all geeks, ive got one of these, its great, easy to use, video quality is as good as ipod video (ive got one of thos tow which i know is better but vid quality is the same). And it is cheap, i still dont quite trust ipod so i would buy that over the nano, im taking a risk with ipod video but i have bought product cover so im :D. (PB < good product, and in the uk and europe it has a good name for itself now.)