Tomato disappoints with its 'Video Touch' knockoff

While Korean manufacturer Tomato has never produced the most eye-catching PMPs, at least the company was pushing out some original looking products for awhile. Not so with the measly 2GB or 4GB 'Video Touch,' which doesn't even try to deviate from Apple's tried-and-true design, although it does a great job in lowering the bar with its 320 x 240 QVGA screen. Supported file types include MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, MPEG-4, and AVI, although you'd really be doing yourself a favor by putting those 59,900 ($63) or 79,900 won ($84) towards a higher capacity, higher resolution device.

[Via PMP Today, image courtesy of mpnavi]

[hctusa @ Jan 24th 2008 3:33AM]

Who cares? I just bought one, the 4GB memory version. Today. If I start running around with that thing in my hand and doodling on it all the time, who'd know the difference? I'll sure will get some eyeballs regardless. :)

[FRZ @ Feb 20th 2008 9:18PM]

This is the outcome of having every US product manufactured in asia. All they have to do is sell off the blue print to some third party manufacturer and there you have it. Copied!

[Stevo @ Apr 6th 2008 12:04PM]

I think its great looks the part and plays FLAC a lossless codec that is superior to apples which converts from cd to its own lossless format taking up more memory space than the original file, wtf. also if you people would use google you'd find that even though it only holds either 2Gb or 4Gb there is a slot on it for an additional 2Gb microSD card. Apple Software sucks hairy balls.

[a ham sandwich @ Jan 21st 2008 2:40AM]

keepin' it real fake?

[waiownsyou @ Jan 21st 2008 2:43AM]

Tomato? Is that their actual operating name?

[Alex @ Jan 21st 2008 10:32AM]

Yeah, it better mean something other than I am thinking in Korean...

[iofthestorm @ Jan 21st 2008 2:53AM]

Tried and true? It's been out for how long? Existing for less than a year does not make it tried and true... and I suppose $63 isn't that bad for a 2GB video player with a screen of that size, even if the resolution sucks. Plus you could feel people pretty easily with it.

[m @ Jan 21st 2008 4:27AM]

if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your tomatoes to yourself, pal.

but maybe you meant "fool."

[iofthestorm @ Jan 21st 2008 4:30AM]

LOL. I did mean fool. WTF...

[Greg @ Jan 21st 2008 9:23AM]

Of course it's a tried and true design, it's from Apple, don't you know that makes it perfect?

[Abuzar @ Jan 21st 2008 4:12PM]

You get +1 because you wrote feel.

[Randavance @ Jan 21st 2008 4:37PM]

Plus it plays flac and probably is recognized as a mass storeage USB device.

Do you realize how much I would kill for my iPod Touch to have those two features.

I run Linux for christ sake.

As does every person in my family.

It's such a pain in the ass to put on music.

Plus, I'm sure many others out there would love to be able to detach from iTunes.

[iofthestorm @ Jan 21st 2008 6:18PM]

Yeah, seriously, they say better to save your $63 because it only has 2GB yet it's OK for the Touch to only have 16GB and cost $400? I know it has wifi and a bunch of non-media playing features but still, I'd say that for that price that's a pretty good deal, as long as it doesn't break right after you buy it.

[ChrisG @ Jan 21st 2008 2:53AM]

what I don't get is how they could name a fake Apple product, Tomato. I mean it would have been better if they named it after a cool fruit like a pomegranate, they taste pretty nice. lmao

[Tony C @ Jan 21st 2008 9:32AM]

Tomato is the name of the company, not the device.

http://www.engadget.com/search/?q=tomato

[jhazen @ Jan 21st 2008 3:11AM]

Who else offers a touchscreen that also offers FLAC as an audio codec?

[Reader @ Jan 21st 2008 3:39AM]

Meh if the touchscreen is as low quality as the one on the venus than it's not worth it.

[Vinn @ Jan 21st 2008 4:14AM]

Cowon's D2?

[aoi tsuki @ Jan 21st 2008 4:08AM]

i thought this was about the UK design group, Tomato.

http://www.tomato.co.uk/

[vincent @ Jan 21st 2008 7:50AM]

If there is anything good in the world, we copy with pride!! Get over it!!

[Andrew @ Jan 21st 2008 9:18AM]

Sure, copying is flattering but also illegal. At least if you want to market and sell your product in markets where modern trade laws apply. And for most of the world that's the case. I doubt South Korea is underdeveloped in any sense - and thus I cannot understand why they produced this blatant rip-off! They could at least have changed it a little! Speaking as a lawyer I hope they get sued by Apple for their disregard for patent law! (if and where possible)

[shabbis @ Jan 21st 2008 11:33AM]

It's a "Video Touch" yet it's a direct copy of the iPhone, no iPod touch. Notice the placement of the speaker as if it was a phone?.Why would a video player need a speaker located right there? What a terrible copy.

[reno6 @ Jan 21st 2008 2:29PM]

This should be in "keepin' it real fake".

[nickfawwaz3 @ Jan 22nd 2008 3:41AM]

tomato tomato.. either way you say it they still look like apples

badum pshh