Hands-on iriver's confusing P20 PMP
As good as the SPINN is, we can't rave about iriver's newest PMP, the P20 launching today at IFA. Looks like our early excitement about the product back at CES was misplaced. First off, it's big -- a true brick by today's PMP standards. Also, we're not sold on the implementation of the SPINN interface here. The P20 uses a combination of vertical and horizontally placed thumb wheels, an "ok" button (why not just press in the thumbwheel like on the SPINN?), and touchscreen AMOLED -- a heap of overly-complex overkill based on our admittedly, limited time with the device. The touchscreen was also rendered unusable by menus only accessible by the thumbwheels as well as an incredibly high bezel framing the display thus inhibiting screen touches along the edges. As to the specs, it's everything we heard: 4.1-inch 480 x 272 pixel display, FM tuner, TV-out, voice recording, and integrated DMB TV option, 80GB or 120GB hard disk, and Li-Polymer battery for 12-hours of audio, 9-hours of video, or 8-hours of DMB in a 130 x 97 x 20.5-mm slab. Expected to launch in Korea next month at an undetermined price -- rest of world to be determined.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
MICHAELSD @ Aug 29th 2008 5:21AM
How does the video quality look on that? In the pictures it looks like crap, but if it looks anything like Sony's 11" OLED TV, then this thing could turn out to be really sweet.
qwert @ Aug 29th 2008 5:23AM
Apple fanboys comming here to say that the iphone/itouch/ipod/imeh is no much better in 3 2 1 ...
But really, what where they thinking? personally i prefer function over form, but this thing is really ugly. And from the sounds of it, it could be very hard to use.
so why launch something like this, if you already have better and beatifull devices? Or am i (and the engadget team at IFA) missing something that sets this thing apart fromm the rest?
B.C. @ Aug 29th 2008 6:34AM
Pros: Cool 80's styling. Looks like a high quality walkman from 20 years ago; although I may be biased.
Cons: Thick as a walkman and if that bezel was any bigger there would be no screen to show.
Verdict: If they included screen saver of a cassette being played on the screen while you listened to music, I'd have to buy it.
Phoenix @ Aug 29th 2008 6:47AM
"a heap of overly-complex overkill based on our admittedly, limited time with the device."
Terrible grammar.
Should be "a heap of overly-complex overkill based on our, admittedly limited, time with the device."
>.
konshuss @ Aug 29th 2008 9:35AM
actually instead of the extra commas it should be hyphens, like "based on our - admittedly limited - time with the device." but good try.
Phoenix @ Aug 29th 2008 7:56PM
It could be any form of parenthesis, I was merely going with the mark they'd used. You could use () too, if you wanted to.
Sam @ Aug 29th 2008 7:06AM
Thomas, what lovely fingernails! We neer knew you were into manicures ;)
karmaghost @ Aug 29th 2008 9:35AM
Shit, that thing is ugly. Looks like it was engineered but never designed. And seriously, why have a touchscreen if you don't use it. Aren't touchscreens meant to increase the amount of screen-space you can put on your device?
RAQ @ Aug 29th 2008 9:46AM
I don't think this PMP looks that bad. What I really want is more video codec support. I need a new PMP with decent video codec support and a fairly good battery.
ChuChu @ Aug 29th 2008 10:58AM
It's hard to focus on the product when you have these giant man-hands with bright red nail polish in your face.
Ugh.
Wwhat @ Aug 29th 2008 11:29AM
Is it me or does it seem iriver lost their touch? this is the third product that misses the punchline they released in a row isn't it?