Cowon's 16GB S9 PMP ships early to America

We know, it's not December 19th just yet, but Santa's being super proactive this year. As of right now, Cowon's 16GB S9 PMP is on sale and shipping to US consumers from JetMall. You already know what the $239.99 will buy you -- the question is, are you able to hold off?

[Giga @ Dec 17th 2008 3:42PM]

Looks good, and not that badly priced!

[Techie @ Dec 18th 2008 9:04AM]

Cowon is just awwww.... "mouth watering" good!

[htd @ Dec 17th 2008 3:43PM]

consider 8G microSD is just $18-19 (newegg/meritline), I dont think I have to go with 16G internal storage.

[Kris120890 @ Dec 17th 2008 3:53PM]

Fantastic.
But where do you plan on sticking the micro SD

[Dez @ Dec 17th 2008 5:22PM]

"Also, why do other companies keep coming out with stuff like this when apple has already come out with the best product possible."

You heard it here on Engadget, folks. The Ipod touch / Iphone are the best, ever. No matter what.

/sarcasm

Ya, pathetic. How about superior sound quality and no dumbass logo on the back of it? I think if consumers would get their head out of their asses, they would be buying this way before an ipod.

[Big GIANT Balls @ Dec 17th 2008 3:46PM]

It isn't an iPhone, so who cares? Can it play the iPhone apps? Does it have app store? can I use the sweet apple made app shazam to find out what song is on the radio? I need to know these things. Also, why do other companies keep coming out with stuff like this when apple has already come out with the best product possible.

[The WC @ Dec 17th 2008 3:48PM]

Another person who forgot his [/sarcasm] tag? Wit is so hard to discern on the internet...

[ran @ Dec 17th 2008 3:51PM]

Go away!

[Brian @ Dec 17th 2008 3:53PM]

let's see here...

1. I can load ANY flash app onto the device, including line rider, bloons, etc.
2. see above for app store
3. Apple didn't make shazam, and BTW i had a song ID program on my LG chocolate from 06.
4. Apple doesn't make revolutionary products, however they have a good advertising team.

[Muhammad @ Dec 17th 2008 3:53PM]

If you don't like it, and knew right off the bat it wasn't an iPhone, why did you click the link? This isn't a review/comparison you douchebag. Just some information for people who appreciate GOOD SOUND QUALITY from their MP3 MUSIC PLAYERS. Imagine that!

[CDice @ Dec 17th 2008 3:58PM]

Got that right. You can't even use Shazammmm.... Of course it does actually have FM radio, so...

[trevor @ Dec 17th 2008 4:00PM]

u probably dont even have balls do u.

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 17th 2008 6:50PM]

I'd be freaked out if my balls started talking... Especially fanboy crap like that.

STFU

[Boarderwoot @ Dec 17th 2008 3:51PM]

JetMall? Is that like skymall? I'm tempted to search it out but if it's simmilar I'd probably also end up buying the slippers with an iPod i mean COWON adapter and my wife would leave me again...

[Brian @ Dec 17th 2008 3:53PM]

Jetmall is cowon's US retailer.

[User7 @ Dec 17th 2008 3:52PM]

I've never seen a picture of this phone with the screen turned on.

[RemDX @ Dec 17th 2008 3:52PM]

It's not a phone...

[thegr8deprsion @ Dec 17th 2008 3:53PM]

what phone?

[shugg @ Dec 18th 2008 2:41AM]

its a pmp/mp3.,n this is supposed to kill the apple touch,give me a break,only idiots would buy this r either stupid or cowon fanbois.,tell me how that wifi touchscreen browser is working for u or accelerometer.,IT DOESNT HAVE ONE.,lets see touch $229 with wifi browser or cowon no browser.,hmm hthinking thinking,tuff choice if ur a tech loser.,cowon will tank quick.

[Ab @ Dec 17th 2008 3:52PM]

is it just me or does this look awfully (in a good way) like Lenovo Android phone?
http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/12/lenovos-android-phone-for-china-hotter-than-a-g1-with-a-defecti/

[RemDX @ Dec 17th 2008 3:54PM]

Except this one has been out a good deal longer than the Lenovo "phone".

[ran @ Dec 17th 2008 3:52PM]

Looks amazing. I hate comparison, but dare I say it looks better than the touch.

[nephersir7 @ Dec 17th 2008 4:03PM]

In comparison with the ipod, It has an AMOLED screen, is 50% lighter, has way better sound/video quality, has bluetooth, flash support, many codecs support without transcoding, both drag and drop and mtp, fm radio, mic, the battery lasts 55h for audio and 11h for video, has a greater capacity for the same price, it is likely to have a SDK. No contest, i take the S9

[0megapart!cle @ Dec 17th 2008 4:30PM]

It doesn't support AAC. That means no sale for me, and anybody else that encoded their libraries in the best possible recording format that is fairly widely compatible.

[Dez @ Dec 17th 2008 5:25PM]

I swear, some of the stupid crap that you hear on Engadget... forget AAC and go with lossless. Or just shut up.

[Jeebus @ Dec 17th 2008 9:32PM]

"AAC [...] best possible recording format"

BWAHAAAHAHAHAHAAAA. Try lossless. Any kind.

[Sy @ Dec 17th 2008 3:55PM]

The UI is not polished ...feels rather clunky. Also, its not a true multi-touch interface. The touch interface is rather rudimentary, basically just point, click and occasional slide.

The tech specs are impressive though. But why just buy a PMP when you can buy an iPod Touch with application support and the App store?

[Kris120890 @ Dec 17th 2008 3:58PM]

Better audio and video quality is worth more than apps probably. Although it does support flash content.

[Gnormie @ Dec 17th 2008 4:02PM]

Because some of us can't stand the mediocrity that the iPod Touch sends through it's 3.5mm jack, or the distinctly average/below average battery life. Also this is cheaper (in the UK) and has a much, much better screen.

Though don't listen to me, I'm already a fanboy! It's in stock in a couple of UK online stores and I must admit to having ordered it.

[nephersir7 @ Dec 17th 2008 4:07PM]

maybe because the Cowon didnt want to ripoff the ipod touch design and rather wanted to improve it's previous players touchscreen interface.

[0megapart!cle @ Dec 17th 2008 4:35PM]

What are you talking about? The UI is very fluid according to the videos that are out so far, and it is the closest thing to the Touch in overall smoothness I have seen thus far. It is still probably not quite as slick as the Touch, but it is close. The App Store is definitely a huge boon in the Touch's favor, though.

[Sy @ Dec 17th 2008 4:45PM]

Yes, I saw the youtube demo videos. Are you serious, smooth? Have you seen that big arse scroll bar to increase screen size? Hello Cowon? It's call multi-touch gestures. This is just one example. If you know what to look for, there is no comparison.

[Gnormie @ Dec 17th 2008 5:02PM]

@ Sy
Hello! It's called APPLE PATENTS. The S9 is perfectly capable of multi-touch as are all other capacitive and most resistive gadgets. And although Apple doesn't own multi-touch per se, they own all the gestures they have used, so they have effectively locked down the market (oh what a surprise...) so that other PMP makers can't use them without Apples permission and do you think that would be forthcoming? No...

And also are you blind? It is really smooth! Not in the way of the iPod where everything has a fancy and largely pointless animation that makes everything take longer but in that it reacts quickly and responsively with very little noticeable lag, which believe it or not is the kind of market Cowon targets. And people buy Cowon because of sound quality - just to iterate this point

Apple CEO - Mr. Jobs, known to be slightly deaf as he made first generation iPods louder so he could hear them
Cowon CEO - Mr. Park, who worked for LG for many years and earned himself the nickname 'golden ears' (the ability to distinguish between tiny differences in sound)

[CDice @ Dec 17th 2008 3:57PM]

Looks sweet. Too bad I already got my iPod Touch, or as I call it my cheap little Stanza ebook reader.

[Wolfticket @ Dec 17th 2008 3:57PM]

Mmmmm... 11 hours video, 55 hours audio.

[thegr8deprsion @ Dec 17th 2008 4:01PM]

I would really like to see a comparison between this, the Samsung YP-P3, and the iPod touch. The app store is a pretty cool thing to have, but I've managed to use my PMP's without it thus far, so it's not really a deal breaker for me.

[0megapart!cle @ Dec 17th 2008 4:47PM]

Looking at some of the video previews of the P3 so far, I wouldn't get my hopes up. The screen is definitely improved as far as video quality (brighter and clearer colors). They have removed the stupid light blip at the bottom, front of the player, and the transitions have been improved. But the touch response still seems incredibly slow compared to the Touch, and the s9 looks much better as well.

[electron @ Dec 17th 2008 10:33PM]

actually I have the demo vid for all three players on my YP-P2... the iTouch has a better demo video, but a worse product...

[Muhammad @ Dec 17th 2008 4:01PM]

Superior sound quality? Maybe some people actually use it for listening to "stuff." Silly people, don't they know music/PMP's players are meant for playing video games, not for watching video/listening to music in excellent sound. Barbarric people with their equalizer settings and the like. Anything not Apple is so, sooooo, properly used, not down with that.

[Muhammad @ Dec 17th 2008 4:03PM]

He does, they say "Property of Steve Jobs"

[RemDX @ Dec 17th 2008 4:04PM]

@ Sy: People get cursed out so much for saying what you just said yet you keep crawling out of the wood work to spew garbage out again and again.

Apple makes great stuff yes, but they are almost never revolutionary, just well advertised. You, who frequents gadgets sites such as engadget should know this.
People buy stuff other than Apple's crap when they don't feel the need to keep handing Apple money whenever they want a new game/ song/ app and then not be able to use it elsewhere other than on the device bought from Crapple.
They don't like the fact that you get 'the greatest mp3 player' out there and they come bundled with the worst earbuds money can buy.
They don't like that any accessory that has the letter 'i' a ridiculous price tag for no other reason than the fact that they didn't need to use use any pain because all their shit it white anyway.

For these and many more reasons, people are thankful that other companies still try to offer consumers a choice!

[Gnormie @ Dec 17th 2008 4:09PM]

Also the development cycle with Cowon is a huge plus point for me, Apple generally refreshes their line up every 6 months to a year, whereas Cowon's last major release in Europe of a PMP was 2 years ago with the D2, and it still graces the top of many charts as it is still an excellent little player, and Cowon have continually supported the D2 with (admittedly buggy) firmware updates and new features.

[Sy @ Dec 17th 2008 4:31PM]

What was that? Didn't I say the tech spec was impressive? Did I say something that was not true? Are you saying the UI is better and more polished than the iPod Touch? The S9 supports multi-touch?

I do appreciate companies like Cowon. They push the envelop on the technical side. Hopefully, Apple will eventually ante up and update their hardware to keep up. There will be a major hardware refresh come 2009 with iPods I bet. Apple needs to increase screen resolutions, battery life, etc.

At the end of the day, most will gravitate to what is familiar and well supported by 3rd parties whether it is in software or hardware accessories. The iPod family have no competition in this regard.

[FILA @ Dec 17th 2008 4:08PM]

To bad it doesnt have atleast 80GB, these little 16 players suck, you would of never heard that talk thou 7 years ago.

[matt @ Dec 17th 2008 4:35PM]

PMP with 80GB flash memory? I didn't know they were available yet

[FILA @ Dec 17th 2008 4:38PM]

well i mean HD, they make small HD's, and really they could do 80GB in flash they just dont, although it would be expensive

[Game_playa @ Dec 17th 2008 4:28PM]

Expect that the PSP is better and cheaper

[Kali4 @ Dec 17th 2008 4:33PM]

I sure hope that there is a missing /sarcasm after your comment.

[Richard Lai @ Dec 17th 2008 4:34PM]

The Lenovo OPhone looks a bit like this Cowon PMP...

http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/16/more-shots-of-lenovos-android-powered-ophone-love-on-the-rock/

[Gnormie @ Dec 17th 2008 4:42PM]

The concepts of this have been floating around for much, much longer. And the oPhone was developed in China, the Cowon S9 was developed in S.Korea.