M120 PMP struck with ugly stick, still able to play variety of formats

Just when you thought Chinese PMPs couldn't get uglier or more useless, along comes a fresh target of scorn: the Shenzhen Sinykon Technology M120. Hey, we know that the colorful buttons are tempting, but just imagine the cruel stares and muffled laughs you'll be the victim of when you whip this thing out in public. Sure, it's got a 65,000 color 1.8-inch screen, an FM radio, e-book reader, voice recorder, and can handle your WMV, ASF, AMV, MPX, MPEG, MOV, AVI, MP1, MP2, MP3, WMA, and WAV files -- as well as some other, less important image formats -- but seriously, that thing is ugly. "They" claim that the player is XP, OS X, and Linux compatible, "we" suggest you proceed with caution. Extreme caution.

[Via PMPToday]

[R @ Dec 9th 2007 8:25PM]

I smell a lawsuit from the international Olympic Committee: "Use of Olympic Rings without proper use of taste and style."

[Jeff @ Dec 9th 2007 8:28PM]

Well its for sure Mac and Linux compatible as it simply uses USB Mass Storage for connecting to computer...using the video conversion software...that's another story.

[Flashpoint @ Dec 9th 2007 8:43PM]

What better way to celebrate the Bijing Olympics than with an Olympic Digital Audio player? I'm actually going to the Olympics next year on summer vacation.

This thing IS NOT UGLY.
In fact, if I didn't suspect it was built with cheap Chinese plastic - complete with lead paint - i'd want one.

[paul34 @ Dec 9th 2007 8:33PM]

Are those buttons made of recycled condoms?

[computer.dude.28 @ Dec 9th 2007 8:39PM]

"Warning: Risk of STD. Wash hands after use."

[darren @ Dec 9th 2007 9:00PM]

That's what she said.

[computer.dude.28 @ Dec 9th 2007 8:34PM]

Nobody says how much memory.. Not even on the web site!!

I think this one is uglier

http://sinykon.en.alibaba.com/product/50232625/51204822/_MP4_player/MP4_player_M660.html

[mushrooshi @ Dec 9th 2007 8:49PM]

I never trust shit that says "MP4 PLAYER" or "DIGITAL AUDO PLAYER" or "PORTABLE MUSIC".

Never.

Also... In the list of video format is doesn't say "MP4".

[computer.dude.28 @ Dec 9th 2007 8:52PM]

I think all of the cheap PMP companies in the world have dubbed "MP4" as Video player. Really annoying and stupid. I agree, I would NEVER buy anything that says MP4 on it.

[Dustin @ Dec 9th 2007 9:22PM]

"They" claim that the player is XP, OS X, and Linux compatible
"I" claim it is compatible with the super famicom (super nintendo in japan)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Super_Famicom_Controller.jpg

[applefreak @ Dec 9th 2007 9:23PM]

all hail the mighty samsung P2

this is what I want for Christmas

[PH @ Dec 9th 2007 9:25PM]

You all realize that chinese companies producing these cheap players
use ripped of open source software, usually violating the open source
licenses but also do not pay any of the licenses required to support
most of these formats, ... which is why they can just throw
everything they can find and run on the device.
As such these devices really are illegal and should not even be on the market but who can enforce that in China ...

[Alex @ Dec 9th 2007 9:32PM]

You know all of Apple's products and 99.99% of everything else comes from China right? But lets ignore all the good quality stuff and bash on China for being cheap and dangerous.

[John @ Dec 9th 2007 10:27PM]

Emphasis on "chinese companies". Apple has stuff made in China, and is accountable for that in the US. Companies that put out this junk just grab stuff regardless of licenses - even open source - and the Chinese government doesn't care.

[Pretol @ Dec 9th 2007 9:29PM]

This thing is awesome, I use it, and it blows zunes and ipods out of the water. It comes with 64G of flash memory built-in and it costs only 99$. It's made from polished aluminum (which is painted over with black). It plays every format imaginable. Every one of those buttons is a joystick, so you could scroll in 20 directions (at least). What else could you want? Wow, thanks engadget for actually bringing my favourite mp3 player to the view of the ignorant public...

[mushrooshi @ Dec 9th 2007 9:35PM]

Are you kidding me?!?

How can you be so serious?!?

Way to convince naive consumers to buy this POS.

[mushrooshi @ Dec 9th 2007 9:35PM]

(also, by the way, that was sarcasm)

[Ryan Karolak @ Dec 10th 2007 9:22PM]

It doesn't look *that* bad...

[PH @ Dec 9th 2007 9:54PM]

Alex, you totally missed my point. I am talking about software, not
hardware ! I am talking about Chinese developed software.

Apple and most decent american, european and japanese companies
properly license all technology and third party software they use.
They play by the rules and they make sure their devices are legal.
There are probably some (few) good chinese companies that also do that, but
those making these cheap players most certainly don't. Go and see
for yourself how many chinese companies are licensing the MPEG4
licenses (http://www.mpegla.com/m4v/m4v-licensees.cfm). It's also
laughable to think that they get the licenses from Microsoft that they
would need to support ASF, WMV and WMA or that they publish the
source code of all their software since they most likely use GPL code.

[Randavance @ Dec 9th 2007 10:46PM]

Dear China,

[Randavance @ Dec 9th 2007 11:01PM]

Sorry, didn't get to finish that.

Dear China,
You obviously seem to love making these "innovative" PMPs, and can probably design and produce them at a fraction of the cost we do in America, so if you could, try the following.
1. Make it not Ugly, just a color screen and a D pad will do fine.
2. In addition to normal formats, play flac and ogg, they're open source, it's not that hard to do.
3. Stick a hard drive in it, if you want to go cheap then flash is just silly, as for durability, we're all going to get a new PMP to replace it long before we break this one.
4. Make a simple UI, nothing fancy, hell, if you really want to save some work, just use rockbox (www.rockbox.org).
5. Make it recognized as a USB mass storage device. Plain a simple.

There you have it China, the design work is done, let us know when you've finished.

[sean @ Dec 9th 2007 11:37PM]

Is that a watermark on top of another watermark in the image? Somewhat hypocritical....

[aznofazns @ Dec 10th 2007 12:21AM]

engadget, why do you have to be so damn critical of every single chinese mp3 player that comes out? honestly, this thing doesn't look half bad, and it's got pretty good specs. if you haven't actually used the device, don't claim it's worthless.

[max1001 @ Dec 10th 2007 9:41AM]

Engadget, are you guys planning to do one of these for every one of these mp3/mp4 player because I am sure they have a never ending supply of them.
As for all these China bashing, enough with the dead horse beating.

[Joe @ Dec 10th 2007 2:25AM]

Um, did anyone notice their 'other' range of products? Mobile phones... http://sinykon.en.alibaba.com/product/200038640/201694125/Mobile_phone/Latest_Mobile_Phone_10000/showimg.html

Call me daft, but I would swear that is an iPhone!
WTF Mate??

[DarkLightConnection @ Dec 10th 2007 2:56AM]

And it runs Linux:

http://sinykon.en.alibaba.com/product/200038640/201694125/Mobile_phone/Latest_Mobile_Phone_10000.html

It rules

[DarkLightConnection @ Dec 10th 2007 2:46AM]

Forget the iphone

They have a Nokia 3220 with PalmOS!!!!!

http://sinykon.en.alibaba.com/product/200038640/201756921/Mobile_phone/straight_board_mobile_phone3220.html

[Harry Wagstaff @ Dec 10th 2007 3:41AM]

I love the way the radio autotuner is described in that article - 'strong and big automatic manhunt broadcasting station of different frequencies'. It's not an autotuning radio - it's a bounty hunter for music.

[DarkLightConnection @ Dec 10th 2007 4:06AM]

And don't forget that it "makes you relaxed to the program"

[skhawaja @ Dec 10th 2007 6:52AM]

Hey Joshua,

If you had commented on the totally immoral use of the Olympic symbol, this little blurb would actually have accomplished something.

But seriously, haven't you been here long enough to know that KIRF posts are just a sign of a LAZY author, find something GOOD, please!

[tamoghno @ Dec 10th 2007 8:15AM]

does it support MTV format ? ?????????

[MikeE @ Dec 10th 2007 9:29AM]

Hmm...looks like you could play Simon Says with the buttons...tell me they light up...(who remembered playing with that Colored Ring of Frustration as a kid?)

[toyotaboy @ Dec 10th 2007 1:29PM]

still doesn't play flash though

[matt byrne @ Dec 10th 2007 7:18PM]

Those buttons remind me of cheap arcade cabinets. Y'know, the types that were stuffed at the back, away from Space Harrier and OutRun.