Pioneer Innos out in April for $400

Been waiting to snag one of those sweet Pioneer Inno XM players that took the cake at this year's CES? Well your patience will be rewarded at some point this month -- they may have missed their first quarter launch, but XM's got the Pioneer Inno on pre-order for that expected $400 cash money. Not a peep yet regarding the Samsung Helix we were extra specially stoked about, but this should do the trick in the mean time for portable live sat rad.

[Thanks, candlebougie and Dave M]

[Johnny 5 @ Apr 3rd 2006 10:37AM]

I love the contradiction that is the portable satellite radio. I've had the XM2GO for about a year now and even purchased the optional higher gain antenna and I still can't get reception unless I am standing on my head in the corner of my room by the window.

It's great if you are at a park or something...stationary and facing a particular direction I suppose(running turns this thing into a broken record).

I just don't get how they think people will be pleased with satellite radio until you can actually listen to the thing where you want.

I heard Howard Stern bitching about how all his "fans" are cheap and lazy because they wont come over to satellite. Well unless you drive a car all day or your desk is right next to a northern facing window, you cant even use these stupid things...and that's after dropping $400 and paying 10 bucks a month.

[Steve @ Apr 3rd 2006 10:38AM]

I don't see anything on that site about the Inno. And is it supposed to come out before the Helix? The Helix is already up for pre-order on amazon.

[PEZ @ Apr 3rd 2006 10:49AM]

John5, you are an idiot. Being an Xm subscriber, you obviously listen to tabloid television to get real news.

Also, maybe thats what xm2go is....... how about staying out of your house and going to a park to listen with your xm2go - its meant as a SUPPLIMENT to your other sat radios, for on the go. I highly doubt you are always on the go - you fat retard.

[Dave M @ Apr 3rd 2006 10:51AM]

They have the item behind a protected portion of their site...

I've blogged the details on the pre-order, here: http://telepixels.blogspot.com/2006/03/inno-vative-pre-order-restrictions-on.html

A photo of the device in the protected store is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gadge/120867375/

Engadget just posted a link to their general store... So to speak.

[David @ Apr 3rd 2006 10:58AM]

"I love the contradiction that is the portable satellite radio. I've had the XM2GO for about a year now and even purchased the optional higher gain antenna and I still can't get reception unless I am standing on my head in the corner of my room by the window."

It depeneds where you live. I have pretty good signal where I live and if I go to NYC with my portable I get awesome signal. I get signal inside the buildings and anywhere on the streets!

[cb @ Apr 3rd 2006 11:10AM]

XM launched a new promo-site today

http://www.xmradio.com/inno

[David Smoot @ Apr 3rd 2006 11:45AM]

Can somebody tell me how much memory this thing has? I went to the product website and all they say is up to 50 hours of satellite content. If I want to pack in my own MP3's I'd like to know how many gigs are available. I can't believe they "accidentally" forgot to mention this spec?

I want satellite radio most of the time but I also want audio books so I'd like to know what I get if I buy.

David

[Steve from Yellowstone @ Apr 3rd 2006 12:02PM]

It has 1GB of flash memory. They are going with the "make them all buy one now and then release bigger capacity units later" plan. Rumors of a fall revision with 2GB & 4GB of memory + SD slot.

[Your Mom @ Apr 3rd 2006 12:27PM]

"I heard Howard Stern bitching about how all his "fans" are cheap and lazy because they wont come over to satellite. Well unless you drive a car all day or your desk is right next to a northern facing window, you cant even use these stupid things...and that's after dropping $400 and paying 10 bucks a month."

I'm no fan of Howard Stern, the guy has no room to complain about fans being too cheap after the $500m he's raking in plus another $250m approx in stock bonus, but your portrayal of satellite radio is inaccurate. These $400 players are the top of the line brand spankin new portables. You can get a unit that works in your car and home for under $100, and sometimes free with a rebate once you activate service. Oh, and if you do work somewhere with no window nearby, do what I do and stream it over the internet. ITS FREE WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION! I can't imagine too many people who sit at a desk all day don't have an internet-connected computer.

[LC @ Apr 3rd 2006 12:39PM]

"I'm no fan of Howard Stern, the guy has no room to complain about fans being too cheap after the $500m he's raking in plus another $250m approx in stock bonus"

You are correct. You aren't a fan. If you were a fan, you would be well aware of his sarcastic humor and joking nature he had while making that statement.

As for signal quality, for a device like this, you will benefit greatly if your location had a good repeater network. The reason it works so well in NYC is because XM and Sirius have them all over the place.

[Johnny 5 @ Apr 3rd 2006 12:44PM]

"John5, you are an idiot. Being an Xm subscriber, you obviously listen to tabloid television to get real news.

Also, maybe thats what xm2go is....... how about staying out of your house and going to a park to listen with your xm2go - its meant as a SUPPLIMENT to your other sat radios, for on the go. I highly doubt you are always on the go - you fat retard."

-"Suppliment" is spelled with an E you stupid moron. Actually I'm an active duty US Marine stationed in Camp Lejeune, NC. I would venture to say that I spend far more time outside then I should at the moment. I purchased the XM2GO because downloading Mp3's is a bitch on a 56k(the only connection they have available to the barracks).

These things are terrible. I wish I could see the reaction of the thousands of people who purchased these portable units and realized that you need to be virtually stationary and facing a particular direction. It's amazing how they spin this crap off on the consumer as if you can listen to satellite radio in your pocket(yep, this thing works when I am outside stationary, but when I put it in my sweatshirt front pocket it breaks up.)

The sound quality is 56kbs, which is crap.

I understand that NYC and San Fran are full of repeaters that boost the reception to allow it to work indoors in some places. If you don't live in those areas, don't waste your money. I have been to Charlotte, Cleveland, and Washington DC and the reception is terrible in each unless you are in a car.

Border line Fraud marketing these to people as a viable portable solution.

Also, regarding the idiot who said to just stream the feed if you cant get reception. That's great moron, that really addresses the problems inherent to the unit, or for that matter the topic of this argument. Nobody purchases a portable satellite player so they can sit in front of a computer and listen to a stream all day.

If you aren't a truck driver(if you are why not just get the cheaper unit anyways) or you don't sit in front of a computer all day that has Internet access(again why not buy the cheaper unit to dock at home and in the car) then this is a GREAT INVESTMENT.

[Yeti @ Apr 3rd 2006 12:52PM]

Wow Johnny 5, you sound like a very angry person. Is that because of all those amphetamines they pump you full of?

[Jake @ Apr 3rd 2006 1:32PM]

Yeti, you're a prick.

That said, Johnny 5, I'm fairly sure XM's sound is 128kbps.

But whatever, the utility of an XM2GO product most likely depends on your location. That's that. It didn't work for Johnny 5, it's worked for a few other people. Just get it somewhere with a return policy.

[expungablerobot @ Apr 3rd 2006 1:59PM]

There are no repeaters at an Army base- of course you're not getting a decent signal. These things are all about repeaters. You're right- if you're completely dependent on the sky sometimes you'll have trouble getting a signal. That's why you should research a product before buying it. And if it didn't work for you, take it back.

[Frangible @ Apr 3rd 2006 4:09PM]

"Wow Johnny 5, you sound like a very angry person. Is that because of all those amphetamines they pump you full of?"

That's the Air Force, not the Marines. At least get your slander right.

[xzi @ Apr 3rd 2006 6:09PM]

Sounds like the people with bad xm2go experiences need to buy an ANTENNA. The new line has an improved antenna. And you do know you can record for offline use when you don't have signal, even with the originals right??

Keep loving your S50...

[Jason @ Apr 3rd 2006 11:39PM]

i'm befuddled as to why some people continue to have problems with their xm2go radios...

either the specific radio they have is defective, or they have no idea how to use it.

i've had my xm2go radio for over a year now...and i can take it outside, go running, and it's fine (reception is mostly satellite only)

when i listen to it at home, i just leave it in one place and broadcast it to my radio (reception then becomes mostly terrestrial)

if i can't get a signal at all, i just playback recorded material from the previous day (up to 5 hours)

when i take it with me when driving, i get 99 percent reception...the key is to setting the antenna up correctly inside the vehicle.

the xm2go is awesome!

[Bob A Booey @ Apr 5th 2006 10:07PM]

The Inno and Helix have an improved antenna that improves the reception by 3dB. Yes, 3dB. That's doubling the reception quality over the first generation.

Goto orbitcast.com for a detail review of the new Inno with a full slate of pictures and a video demo of the functionality.

http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/pioneer-inno-xm2go-orbitcast-review.html
http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/pioneer-inno-xm2go-hands-on-photos.html
http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/video-hands-on-with-the-pioneer-inno.html

[don phillips @ Apr 12th 2006 11:02PM]

To the guy in New York, you get good or great reception because NYC has ground repeaters.