Epson releasing P-3000 and P-5000 photo viewers

Epson's about to let loose a couple of bumps to its line of portable photo viewers / media players, tossing the P-2000 and P-4000 to the curb in favor of the numerically-enhanced P-3000 and P-5000. Both models retain the same 40GB and 80GB hard drives of their predecessors as well as SD and CompactFlash slots (other formats'll need an adapter-- so sorry, dear xD), with each getting a slight boost in screen size to a full four inches (up from 3.8 inches). The biggest benefit, however, seems to be an increase in operating speed -- a mighty 250% faster, according to Epson. The units also continue to blur the line between photo viewers and portable media players, boasting a hefty line-up of video support (including DivX) as well as MP3 and AAC audio support. Look for these to hit stores before the end of the year for $499 and $699, respectively.