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Coby's netbooks seemingly real, taking pre-orders

by Laura June posted Aug 27th 2009 at 6:51PM

Sure -- we haven't seen or heard anything about Coby's netbook line since way back in January at CES, but that didn't stop them from showing up for pre-order, did it? Color us a little surprised, but here they are. Two models have appeared on Amazon for pre-order. The 12.1-inch Coby NMPC1220XPBLK apparently boasts a 1024 x 800 resolution, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive, while the NBPC1022XPBLK is a 10.1-incher with identical specs. The first runs $423, while the 10.1-inch model is $318. So tell us: will you be ordering one?

[Via Liliputing]

Coby's MP836 hands-on

by Jacob Schulman posted Jan 8th 2009 at 9:24PM

It looks like the plush gray carpet in the Coby booth at CES isn't the only thing that might make you stumble. Coby's flagship PMP here at CES is the MP836, and it's safe to say it rubbed us the wrong way. The device itself wasn't that horrible to look at, but the interface and general aesthetics were both major turnoffs. It'll be available in 4, 8, and 16GB variations when it does eventually hit the marketplace, but we couldn't get a solid MSRP from the booth staff. Be sure to check out our vids of the device in action and the gallery as well.

Update: Coby called to let us know that the MP836 we saw was actually a pre-production model, and the hardware and software were still being tweaked, which likely explains the glitching we see in those videos.

Gallery: Coby's MP836 hands-on: when 'not quite ready for primetime' is a gross understatement

Continue reading Coby's MP836 hands-on

Coby's sub-$200 netbooks handled at CES

by Jacob Schulman posted Jan 8th 2009 at 9:21PM

Remember those sub-$100 Coby netbooks that we deemed a hoax? Well, it looks like they might not be as hoax-y as we originally thought. Here at CES, Coby has a bunch of base models on the show floor in a myriad of color combos. The rep who showed us around made it clear that this was a "market research project" but that the 'books would ring in at under $200. There were a bunch of different configurations, but nothing too different from the usual Atom setup. The six color offerings might pique your interest, but after playing with them for a few minutes, we don't know how eager we'd be to run out and pick one up -- they felt pretty low-end. However, the only way to differentiate oneself in the crowded netbook market is with price, and Coby certainly has that working for it. We'll see if these ever make it to market, and reserve final judgment until then. Check out the non-junky gallery below.

Gallery: Coby's sub-$200 netbooks handled at CES

Coby prepping sub-$100 7- / 9-inch PoqetMate netbooks UPDATE: It's a hoax

by Darren Murph posted Dec 4th 2008 at 3:28AM

We'd argue that 7-inches is bordering on UMPC / MID territory, but given that Coby's PoqetMate-7 is expected to boast a full QWERTY keyboard and a chassis like that of most traditional laptops, we suppose it'll pass. Reportedly, the company is looking to enter the increasingly crowded netbook market next March with the aforementioned PoqetMate-7 and PoqetMate-9, with the youngin' checking in at just $99.95. So, what will a nickle under a Benjamin buy you? A miniaturized laptop with a Chinese-sourced Loongson processor, though specifications outside of that are still under wraps.

Update: Our pal Ross Rubin noticed that his quote was two years old and did some digging -- yeah, this looks like a hoax through and through. So much for that.

[Via thegadgetsite]

Coby rolls out HDR-650, HDR-700 HD Radios

by Donald Melanson posted Jul 21st 2008 at 12:40PM

Your HD Radio options are hardly as limited as they once were, but if you're still shopping around for one, you may want to take a gander at Coby's latest offerings, which promise the usual better-than-FM sound for a decent enough price. On the lower end, $100 will get you the HDR-650 component radio, which includes some standard RCA connectors to let you hook it up to your existing home audio system, as well as a headphone jack if you want to use it on its own. The $150 HDR-700, on the other hand, is a fully standalone unit, and includes an integrated rechargeable battery to let you take it outdoors, an SD card slot, and a line-in jack to accommodate the portable audio device of your choice. Look for the pair of 'em to hit stores sometime in August.

Update: Coby has informed us that these radios are, in fact, the result of a co-branding effort between it and Revo, which accounts for the striking similarity between them and Revo's Pico and Mondo radios.

Coby MP-835 touchscreen PMP almost puts those horrible boomboxes out of mind

by Paul Miller posted Feb 14th 2008 at 5:33PM

In what can only be seen as further evidence of Coby employing to totally different design teams for its PMPs and its fiery boombox product lines, the MP-835 doesn't look half bad. The 10mm thick touchscreen player has a 3-inch, 480 x 272 LCD, and while the 2GB or 4GB storage options are pretty weak, you can augment that with microSD. MP3, WMA, OGG, AVI and WMV are supported, but we'd like to see some AAC and some better video codecs -- but hey, it's Coby, let's not get ahead of ourselves. No word on price, but the player does apparently have FCC certification, so we might be seeing it in the States before long.

[Via PMP Today]

Coby recalls 12,000 DVD boomboxes due to fire hazard

by Nilay Patel posted Nov 10th 2007 at 3:35AM

We've all broken down and done a little late-night discount pharmacy gadget shopping, so we promise not to judge -- but if you've got a Coby DVD boombox stashed away in your place, you might want to run and unplug it real quick. Coby's just issued a recall of 12,000 TF-DVD170 and TF-DVD176 DVD boomboxes sold between May 2006 and October 2007 because they have the unfortunate habit of overheating and starting fires. This isn't the first time we've mentioned the words "Coby," "overheat," "fire" and "recall" all in one post -- looks like 2006 was a bad year to be a Coby fanboy.

Memup's 30GB Orizon PMP looks oh-so-sleek

by Darren Murph posted Jul 2nd 2007 at 8:41AM

Mmm, nothing like a sleek, glossy black PMP to get your juices flowin'. If you tend to agree with that sentiment, Memup's Orizon should suit your fancy quite well, as the 30GB unit comes in an ebony outfit, sports a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution display, and even includes an SD / MMC card slot to watch media clips stored on your flash memory. You'll also find a text viewer and built-in FM tuner to complement the obligatory MP3, WMA, MPEG4, JPEG, BMP, and GIF file support, but the ability to play nice with Motion JPEG and XviD are welcome extras. Unfortunately, you're going to have to love the looks some kind of fierce in order to find value in the purported $378 pricetag. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via AnythingButiPod]

UPDATE: Looks like this creature may actually be a straight up rip of another. Check out Coby's PMP4330 to see for yourself.

Coby recalls boomboxes due to potential fire hazard, crappiness

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 25th 2007 at 1:15AM

Coby's quest to become more than the de facto house brand of street vendors and pharmacies worldwide by shipping semi-respectable PMPs and DAPs has always been held back by the company's insistence on making chinzty little boomboxes and CD players, and now it looks like it's paying the price: Coby is being forced to recall nearly 15,000 MP-CD475 boomboxes because they ~~sound like tin cans~~ pose a fire hazard. You may remember the MP-CD475 as the legendary unit that redefined the dual-voltage AM/FM/CD/MP3/USB boombox market with its iconic design featuring the word DIGITAL on the top in huge letters. If you were desperate in a Walgreen's, um, we mean lucky enough to buy one of these between August and December of 2006, Coby says you should unplug it immediately and call them to arrange a refund. Hit up the read link for contact info and a list of affected serial numbers.

Coby highlights lanyard rings with its new pendant DAPs

by Evan Blass posted Mar 16th 2007 at 9:50AM

The first thing you notice about Coby's new MP-C8xx and MP-C6xx series of flash-based DAPs is the big honkin' lanyard ring wrapping pronouncedly around the bottom of each model -- if nothing else, we bet your keys would stay attached to these things for like a million years. We actually have to give Coby credit for trying to pull off a bit of an unconventional and decidedly un-iPod-like look with these DAPs, although it's sort of a necessity as the company tries to move a little more upmarket. The devices themselves are nothing out of the ordinary, offering numerous configs with respect to capacity (256MB to 2GB) and screen (regular LCD or backlit, high-contrast one), along with the standard bells and whistles package of FM radio, voice recorder, SD slot, blah blah blah. The really important info -- pricing and availability -- isn't even clear yet, so we'll wait to see if we hear anything more before we get too attached to these scrappy young players.

Switched On: A tube for toting your tunes

by Ross Rubin posted Jan 31st 2007 at 3:44PM

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:

Here's to the frugal ones -- the discounters, the copycats, the bean counters, the followers who knock off established flagships, the ones who do things cheaply. They're not fond of design patents and they have no respect for the sine qua non. You can mock them, ridicule their brands, deride their usability or quality. But the only thing you can't do is lowball them. Because they sell things. They push the average price downward. And while some may see in them the parasitic blight of top-tier corporations, we see the efficiency of low overhead and outsourced manufacturing. Because the ones who are bold enough to try selling commoditized products for less are the ones who do.

Before the iPod overtook the Hampton Jitney as New Yorkers' favored way to escape New York, a far less expensive portable music device graced many a Manhattan neck. Popular at closeout havens like the defunct Odd-Job and still sold in drug store chains, the Coby Mini AM-FM Radio with Neck Strap -- well-represented by model CX-7 -- delivered low-tech downmarket chic. Coby and its ilk have thrived offering aging portable audio formats. Among its extensive line of 12 CD boomboxes are models that resemble bygone designs from Sony and JVC. And that's just a warmup. The company's Web site lists a mind-boggling 43 models of portable CD players. It seems that some Coby products take longer to retire than the Rolling Stones.

Over the past few years, though, Coby -- which now boasts the lofty tagline "Innovations for Every Lifestyle" -- has dabbled in hipper products such as LCD televisions, two 20GB portable MP3 players (one even with a color screen and touch controls) and even a trio of portable video players, one of which has a 40 GB hard drive and 7-inch screen! Yet, I was quite surprised when I saw something at Coby's 2005 CES booth that actually came to the the US market in late 2006 -- a smal, inexpensive, flash-based boombox/alarm clock. The unambiguously named MP-C341 Portable MP3 Boom Box with 256MB of built-in flash memory and an SD card slot includes an AC adapter and removeable carry rope, although removing it makes it look like the product has a single earring. This is an obvious marketing ploy for the pirate market.

Continue reading Switched On: A tube for toting your tunes

Coby MP-C951 spotted at J&R in New York

by Cyrus Farivar posted Oct 10th 2006 at 4:40AM

It wasn't so long ago that we caught a glimpse of Coby's new media player, the PMP4320. But what we'd really like to get our hands on is Coby's apparent competitor to the GoGear SA9100 and SA9200, the MP-C951. Although it too was first demoed at CES, Coby has been saying on its site that the player would be "coming soon - Summer '06" for the last few months. According to Coby, this little MP3 player has a 20GB drive, plays MP3 / WMA / OGG files, supports USB 2.0, packs an FM tuner, a voice recorder, and a line-in jack. However, no one had actually seen one of these players in the wild until today, when DAPreview spotted one today at electronics retailer J&R in New York. The site found after holding and playing with the MP-C951 for a few minutes that it had a "solid build," remarking on its touch-sensitive d-pad, noticing that the buttons seemed a bit too sensitive and observing that it had two mini USB jacks on the bottom (one probably for USB On-The-Go. The MP-C951 has an MSRP of $300, but sells at J&R and Amazon for $210. Be sure to catch an additional hands-on pic of the interface on the next page.

Continue reading Coby MP-C951 spotted at J&R in New York

Coby's 20GB PMP4320 previewed

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 9th 2006 at 11:23AM

The folks at CNET recently got a chance to look at a pre-production unit of Coby's new PMP4320 portable media player and, while they're reserving final judgment until they get their hands on a finished device, they don't seem to have been all that impressed. Specs-wise, the PMP4320 treads along the low-end of the PMP spectrum, with a glossy 4.3-inch, 320x240 TFT display, 20GB of storage, SD expansion, FM tuner, and audio/video recording capabilities -- not bad, though you may expect a bit more for the $350 list price. Unfortunately, it looks like the PMP4320 has more problems than just price, with CNET finding the interface and thumbstick control decidedly lacking and the build quality sub-par, though that could well be due to its pre-production nature. On the plus side, it is compatible with a wide range of formats and has a built-in kickstand, which wouldn't be all that notable if not for the fact that some manufacturers seem to continuously overlook it. We should have word on how the real deal stacks up soon enough, with the PMP4320 set to launch later this month.

[Via Digital Media Thoughts]