Best Buy's Insignia Kix: please make it stop

Look out Apple, Microsoft, SanDisk and anyone else who actually gives a damn about DAP design, features and quality: Best Buy still has a horse in this race. We were positively floored by the unadulterated horror of last year's NS-DVxG DAP from Best Buy's in-house Insignia brand, and now here comes the Insignia Kix to provide a low-cost, 1-inch screened entry to Insignia's shoddy lineup. The player supports MP3, WMA, WAV and Audible, sports an FM tuner, runs for 30 hours on a lithium-ion battery, and stores 1GB of your tunes for $60. We suppose we can't rag on 'em for building a USB mass storage device, but that's about as positive as we're going to get for this one.

[Via dapreview]

[Johnathon Zirkle @ Oct 28th 2007 4:01AM]

Oh cool, they started making blood sugar testers with a color readout? I'm gonna pick one of those up!

[Paul @ Oct 28th 2007 2:53PM]

That actually could be an interesting idea, a Blood sugar tester that doubles as an MP3 player,. Talk about a niche product, hehe.

[MB_User @ Oct 28th 2007 9:54PM]

My brother's diabetic and his insulin pump always gets mistaken by teachers for an iPod when he's at school.

[Brian @ Oct 28th 2007 4:04AM]

so aside from being aesthetically challenged, what's wrong with it?

[jamma @ Oct 28th 2007 7:29AM]

Nothing, but even if you don't care about the look there are tons of better players out there that have readable screens and better controls, for only $30

[Mickey Jones @ Oct 28th 2007 10:31PM]

yeah really.

I though Engadget was off-base when the critized the NS-DVxG which I think works and looks good, especially for the $129 or so I paid for a 4GB player capable of ok video playback...

But this one IS fugly and cheap looking. But in the end, I dont wear it. I use it to play music.

[JD @ Oct 29th 2007 12:56AM]

Nothing, It holds the same amount as an ipod shuffle, but it undercuts it by $20 and has a screen so you can actually pick a song to listen to.

Who'd want that?!

[Dan Parmelee @ Oct 28th 2007 4:04AM]

Insignia brand FTL. Seriously, that and Dynex are the cheapest garbage out there, and the employees try to push it on you like you wouldn't believe. A friend and old Best Buy employee told me that the Insignia stuff is marked up like you wouldn't believe.

[BlissX @ Oct 28th 2007 4:46AM]

Mark up? You really need to re-examine the markets current value for DAP's.

Have you heard of Insignia's Pilot? 8GB, BLUETOOTH, 2.4"LCD and it's priced at $179. Not a sparkling reso, but BT?! From a in-house brand? Please tell me that isn't something evolutionary you'd expect from a major DAP player.

Please tell me a product that does not have markup that also have great bang for buck values and features. Apple's need not to apply.

[chris @ Oct 28th 2007 8:03PM]

no hes right. i worked at best buy and the insignia and dynex stuff generally costs less than half as much as "the real stuff" for employees. yet best buy still makes profit off of employee sales.......

[Arochone @ Oct 28th 2007 12:03PM]

You think _that's_ marked up, take a look at the price of a 1GB iPod nano. $150. And this thing's even got more features than that.

[nate @ Oct 28th 2007 12:58PM]

Ahh, arochone, I see you just arrived from Feb. of 06. Welcome. Apple no longer sells a 1gb nano, it's cheapest is 4gb for $149. Enjoy your stay in 2007.

[Arochone @ Oct 28th 2007 7:58PM]

See, I realize _apple_ no longer sells a 1GB nano, but that doesn't mean it's no longer for sale. Kinda harder to compare a 1GB player to a 2GB player. But anyways, they're going for around $150. A few sites you can find closer to $80 it appears (newegg), but they still have less features for more money, so you can't really say this thing is overpriced.

[darren @ Oct 28th 2007 4:19AM]

You'd think it would do something clever with that design, like flip or slide or twist, especially with that gray part. But it doesn't.

[skhawaja @ Oct 28th 2007 4:46AM]

I don't think you actually went to take a look at the product page itself did you?

anyways, this is most likely for conservative dap users - it has 3 different colors for the grip looking thing - it actually does flip to reveal the standard USB plug - so atleast you don't need a cable to attach it - but then again if your USB ports are already crowded - meh

must be REALLY a slow day at engadget for dragging this into the light - LOL - please leave things like this under the rock you found them!

[yoshi @ Oct 28th 2007 6:43AM]

Sure you can do something with that design. You can flick it. As in flick it like a flat stone across a lake. In fact, that may be what it's best at doing.

[skhawaja @ Oct 29th 2007 3:41AM]

@ Yoshi

You have now been served notice by the lawyers at Motorola for stealing their PEBL idea!

but yeah - SLOW day at engadget for mocking this one - and can we PLEASE get rid of the KIRF posts - those are a greater waste of electrons than this you have a specific site for that already don't you? hint hint

[Panq @ Oct 28th 2007 4:43AM]

To be fair, it looks pretty comfortable to hold and use in your pocket.

[DAZA @ Oct 28th 2007 5:28AM]

DESIGNED BY APPLE IN CALIFORNIA. MADE IN CHINA.

[Safeway @ Oct 28th 2007 4:43AM]

This is proof that americans cant build MP3 players.

[skhawaja @ Oct 28th 2007 4:50AM]

what factory is employing americans to build this???

[JD @ Oct 28th 2007 5:24AM]

I think America's where Apple's from, and Apple has what, 80% of the MP3 player market? Please. I don't even like Apple, but make sense next time.

[Safeway @ Oct 28th 2007 5:59AM]

Just because you own 80% of the MP3 player market doesnt mean you make quality players. Only an ignorant american would think that. Glad i live in the UK, the best country in the world. Stupid americans, eat more mcdonalds.

[Mike @ Oct 28th 2007 6:49AM]

yet you still require us to bail you out every time you screw up, stupid English, drink more tea

[Neebs @ Oct 28th 2007 9:03AM]

What exactly do English manufacture?

Cows?

Oops, they got sick. Now you're buggered.

[Oxfan @ Oct 28th 2007 10:48AM]

Wow, Safeway, some impressive insults there. Your biggest problem is that (and I'm realizing this as an American who presently lives in the UK) you have as many McDonald's here as we do in the States. And guess what, you Brits are lined up out the door at them! So why don't you come over to my flat, I'll put on some tea, and we can dunk your brand new Insignia Kix in it with some biscuits.

[skhawaja @ Oct 29th 2007 3:56AM]

@Safeway

lets stay on topic - you're lucky in the UK with the convergence of technology moving at light speed compared to some other parts of the world - but I'll be damned if I start some junior high school rant about a country I reside in that designs something - unless I was involved in the decision process that created a product and filled retail store shelves :)

How did you like the NFL in London?!?! was it available over DVB or cable only or what?

[stitifier @ Oct 28th 2007 5:18AM]

I'll be honest, I kinda thought it was a vibrator at first.

[Sam Stone @ Oct 28th 2007 7:05AM]

Was it the Play/Pause button that gave it away?

[BarryBee @ Oct 28th 2007 11:30AM]

"I think I found ya lightsaber..."

[Alex M @ Oct 28th 2007 8:13AM]

Ah screw you guys at engadget. I have an NS-dv2g that I bought off ebay and its a GREAT player. It's got a bigger screen than the new nano WITH video playback(and 1.5 years earlier), 2 headphone jacks, user removable battery, microsd card, no commitment to itunes...need I say more? I'm probably gunna get a 4 or 8 gb pilot soon though cuz it has an sd card slot, a bit bigger a screen, more storage, and bluetooth.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 28th 2007 9:07AM]

"We were positively floored by the unadulterated horror of last year's NS-DVxG DAP from Best Buy's in-house Insignia brand..."

Have you seen some of the MyMusix players made for Radio Shack???
Did I mention the three that died on me right out of the package?

No good, just bad and ugly. :(

(waaaa waaa waaaa -boing!)

.

[Galley @ Oct 28th 2007 9:10AM]

It looks like a dog turd (and probably sounds like one, too).

[Eineins @ Oct 28th 2007 9:52AM]

Finally a player that has everything you want in it and you complain it's not pretty enough? even if the quality is crap I'd almost like to buy one of each on the insignia line to prove to the big 3 that this is really what we want in an mp3 player. bluetooth,(even though this model does not have it) fm tuner, convenient standard usb/usb2.0 jack (ditch the custom connectors to sell cables after drm this is where the lobbyists should go) more formats, bigger screen, expandable memory, replaceable battery(once again not on this player as far as I know), Drag and drop music adding.

In my opinion this is a beautiful mp3 player in the feature set and cost. I would pay more for a little more quality and a nice user interface or (not that i can program) a sdk or at minimum an easily skinnable interface like winamp, Mediamonkey, or foobar.

[AJ @ Oct 28th 2007 11:39AM]

Take a look at the Sansa Clip that Best Buy themselves sell for $60 and has 2GB of storage. Then come back and convince me that this Insignia turd is worth it.

Here's the Sansa Clip:

http://tinyurl.com/3ap6q3

[Eineins @ Oct 29th 2007 6:23AM]

Name calling weakens your argument. But a nice feature rich player none the less. But still needs wmp to sync which I don't especially like using. Also the rest of their line seems to use a non standard connector.

So once again regardless of quality as a gadget geek beauty is in the feature set not the design.

[Dznetworks @ Oct 28th 2007 11:01AM]

Now take your blood sugar levels and listen to mp3's at the same time!!

[Jason @ Oct 28th 2007 11:15AM]

For a new user whats wrong with it but someone was right by saying why is this item even on the main page of engadget????

[Hiro11 @ Oct 28th 2007 12:32PM]

Gotta love Engadget slaming Moosberg for being n Apple shill and then engaging a little brand-based bashing of thier own. I bought a 4GB Insignia Pilot a month ago. For $139 I have a player with:
A 2.4" 262K color display with MP4 support
A2DP
FM radio with RDS (yeah, listening to the radio is a viable thing to want to do and RDS is damned cool on a portable)
SD expansion
User-replaceable battery
Works with any management software you want.

Everything works well, sound quality is top notch and thing is even well made (by the same manufacturer Cowon uses).

If Apple released a similar player at this price point, you'd cream your jeans.

[AlexNC @ Oct 28th 2007 5:39PM]

agreed. The Insignia Pilot is a dream player, and you never hear Engadget talking about it. They gave the consumer every feature they wanted. Engadget should be doing a weekly reminder about this DAP s more people know about it. It has EVERY feature you could want.

[9bit @ Oct 28th 2007 1:15PM]

What is this? 2005?


It's actually a very good deal by 2005 standards.

[nmason @ Oct 28th 2007 1:17PM]

2005? Try 2003.

[Chiablo @ Oct 28th 2007 3:01PM]

I must be missing something somewhere... That seems like a resonable MP3 player that the average Joe Shmoe would pick up and enjoy. Seems rugged enough to handle being put in your pocket with keys and...

Oh wait, with the launch of the new OS-X, this is Engapple now, my mistake.

Continue with your non-apple product ranting and Microsoft bashing, sorry for being rational for a second there.

[Deuz Augustine @ Oct 28th 2007 3:44PM]

Engapple?

Can we please stop merging words like this? Winblows and Microsuck/Microshit/etc. are all just as bad, by the way.

I lament the days where we could just write a company's name and insult them in the sentences preceding and following it.

[Saffy @ Oct 28th 2007 5:00PM]

Deuz, it's not merging words, it's "smooshing." Just ask DJ Jesus about the "Tialioniger" :)

[Le Master @ Oct 28th 2007 8:37PM]

It's called a "portmanteau," look it up.

[Shibathedog @ Oct 28th 2007 8:20PM]

hmm didn't know Insignia was a Best Buy brand. At least their stuff is cheap :/

Crappy...but cheap. (Every time I go into a Best Buy I'm floored by how overpriced everything is - Although they do have fantastic sales every once in awhile)

[JimBob @ Oct 28th 2007 9:21PM]

Maybe if the people weren't so cheap and frugal, Best Buy wouldn't have to build cheap junk for them to buy!

[Mike @ Oct 28th 2007 9:31PM]

You know, this really sucks.

I like to go to Engadget and Gizmodo to keep up on the latetest.

It really wasn't too bad until the last few months. It's the personal comments from both sides in their articles that really sucks. Let us decide what sucks or not, just report on the facts please. Both sites are guilty of this. I just don't know what to do. What sites am I supposed to go to?

Engadget, Gizmodo, please, keep your personal thoughts out of this. The people above that posted about the Pilot are right. They are giving the consumer what they want, and people should know about it.

Why don't you try being un-baised (and I don't care about who) for once and just report on the facts.

[paul34 @ Oct 28th 2007 11:20PM]

Anyone remember that old in-house brand Best Buy used to have? They used to build computers that *seemed* to be a pretty good value for a pre-built system.

Anyone remember? Danget I can't remember the name!

It disappeared from the shelves just a few months later.