PortableMediaCenter
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Microsoft slide chronicles the journey from Portable Media Center to Windows Phone 7
In case you missed it, Wired has a new piece out on the (very brief) history of Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately, the article pulls all punches, and skates through some bizarre statements from Microsofties, including calling Kin "a worthwhile risk that resulted in important lessons," and the real head scratcher of the piece: "Software is like making a movie and building a skyscraper. You're not quite sure how it's going to stand until it comes out in the end." Still, we were glad to find this slide (pictured above) in the article's photo gallery, chronicling the journey of the Metro design language from Microsoft's ill-fated Portable Media Center, to the vaguely successful Zune products, and around at last to the newly available Windows Phone 7. A bit of comeuppance for 2004's ahead-of-its-time, PlaysForSure-laden iPod killer? We like to think so.
Toshiba's gigabeat prototype sports a 3.2-inch OLED display
Hey hey, lookie here, a Toshiba gigabeat prototype unearthed by Akihabara News at CEATEC. No real details except for the display: a vivid 3.2-inch, 240 x 427 pixel OLED. Yeah, we also noticed the curvier profile and missing Windows flag from the interface keys. A subtle clue, perhaps, as to how much longer Toshiba is willing to support Microsoft's defunct Portable Media Center platform.
Toshiba's 80GB Gigabeat V801: the last Portable Media Center
In what constitutes a death rattle for Portable Media Center devices, Toshiba just sputtered forth the latest in the V Series of Gigabeat players: the 40GB V401 (¥49,800 / $409) and 80GB V801 (¥59,800 / $491). Each packs a new 4-inch, 24-bit color, 480 x 272 pixel display with built-in brightness sensor for automatic adjustment to local lighting conditions. In addition to supporting WM DRM10 and WMA 9 Lossless as you'd expect in a Microsoft PMC, the device also packs an improved 1Seg tuner and EPG for plenty of digital TV viewing (and recording) while on the go. The latest Gigabeat also features improved sound quality and 24-mm thickness and a battery capable of 28/10/8 hours of playback audio/video/1Seg TV, respectively. Available June 1st in Japan.[Via Impress]
Microsoft Portable Media Center, RIP: 2004 - 2006
Microsoft, you've really got to let us in on these kinds of things. We knew when the Zune was announced that the writing was on the wall for Portable Media Center. After a couple of years of flops running the XP-esque embedded OS, we knew it wasn't long for this world. And it was especially clear that PMC was the media device OS which seemed to provide the foundation for the Zune; then all those next-gen PMC devices stopped trickling out. In fact, you could say we're still haunted by the memory of the Gigabeat S, the one truly amazing PMC device that literally provided the Zune hardware framework -- but all that's legacy now. Finally officially confirmed by a Microsoft employee, the story goes that last year Redmond sent out a letter to hardware partners that was heretofore unbeknownst to us, the gist being PMC 2.0 is the last version you're gonna see, so wrap up your devices now, we're not supporting it anymore. We'll definitely miss you PMC, from your syncing with our Media Center PCs, to the wacky variety of devices you rode in on. We're still a little unsure of your successor, but perhaps with time that little brown wireless player will actually pull it together and do you proud.Check out the Portable Media Center devices of a bygone age.[Thanks Eliot, via Mavromatic]
New Media Life's TAVI 030 portable media powerhouse
We're a little confused as to how this former Portable Media Center ODM design reminiscent more of a Nintendo DS (or the later Game Boy Advance SP) than a mobile media workhorse got such a makeover from New Media Life, but the TAVI 030 sounds like it'll be anything but a slouch. Set to be announced soon enough, it'll supposedly come equipped with wireless IPTV, podcasting support, and satellite TV -- even some HDTV support. Not that it's going to do you a whole lot of good on a QVGA display (or whatever it'll inevitably have), but this will definitely be one to watch out for Q107.
Toshiba drops a bomb: Gigabeat V in the US
Well, well, well -- it seems that Toshiba's been up to more in the portable media space lately than just helping Microsoft out with the Zune manufacturing. In fact, ole Tosh has been working on a DTV-less version of its Japanese OneSeg-capable 30GB V30T; shake off the TV tuner, and you've got America's own MEV30K. This model borrows many of its features from the popular S series -- including Microsoft's Portable Media Center software, WMV9, WMV10, and PlaysForSure video playback, plus support for MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, WAV, and Windows DRM 9 / 10 audio files -- but, like the V30T, tosses what will probably be some well-received spec bumps into the mix. Besides the addition of a built-in speaker, the main changes here involve screen size and battery life: the V30K sports a 3.5-inch TFT LCD (compared to the 2.5-incher on the S, though both share the same QVGA resolution) and promises up to 8 hours of video or 25 hours of audio playback on a full charge (as opposed to the meager 2.5 and 12 hour lifespans for video and audio, respectively, on the S). We're sure that there are more than few people interested in this stamina-filled $400 Gigabeat, so the good news is that pre-ordering begins today through Crutchfield and Amazon, though a nationwide rollout is not expected until sometime in October. Let the iPod comparisons commence!
Philips PMC7230 Portable Media Center
Remember that Tatung Portable Media Center that first turned up at Computex almost exactly a year ago? No? Don't worry about it, because it turns out that Philips is OEM'ing it. The Philips version, which is dubbed the PMC7230, comes with a 30GB hard drive (though the version we played with had only a 20GB drive), 3.5-inch display, PlaysForSure compatability, and a little kickstand on the back so you don't have to hold the thing in your hands for two hours while you're watching a movie. Should be available in September with a retail price of $349 (which is probably about fifty bucks too expensive). Click on for some more hands-on pics.
Cringingly blurry pics reveal Microsoft's "iPod killer"?
An anonymous tipster sent us a bunch of pictures he shot last night from the outside of the Saturn Cafe in Santa Cruz. While we don't normally toss up random pics we get in the tip jar, this guy claims the pics depict the filming of a commercial of a possible "iPod killer" from Microsoft. We can't vouch for the validity of this, or for this guy's camera steadying abilities, but there does appear to be something going on here. The device's screen ratio reminds us of the Gigabeat S, so Portable Media Center seems likely. Keep reading for even more nauseatingly blurry pictures of the device.
Toshiba Gigabeat V30T: a Portable Media Center with mobile TV
While we've been patiently waiting for the US launch of the Gigabeat S (set for release today tomorrow according to Amazon), Toshiba has been quietly prepping their new Gigabeat V series of Windows Portable Media Centers. Sure, the V30T player looks nothing like its sleeker sib, but that's due to the fact that this portable flaunts a new Wansegu (AKA, OneSeg) ISDB-T tuner for viewing the Japanese-flavor of mobile digital television launched last month -- in other words, the T-DMB / DVB-H / MediaFLO of Japan. Now on top of extracting that sweet TV from the ether, the V30T features a 3.5-inch, 320 x 240 display, support for WMV/WMA/MP3/WAV/JPEG and PlaysForSure WMA formats, and a brawny battery capable of up to 7/9/25 hours of TV/video/music playback, respectively, while keeping it all less than an inch thick. But this is all about the TeeVee Jack, so the V30T packs in a 30GB drive which, when combined with the EPG, allows you to record broadcasts up to 24 hours in advance for a maximum of about 130 hours of recorded, portable video. Expect the V30T to drop late June for about $450 in green.[Via Impress Watch]
Video feature: Toshiba's Gigabeat S
One of the fav products around CES among the ranks of the Engadget Army has definetely been Toshiba's Gigabeat S-series. On Wednesday's podcast we aired the interview with John Starkweather of Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Devices; today you can peep the device for yourself.FormatQT MPEG4, 1:28, 5.69 MB[Download Here]
