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#160045 - 09/05/2003 06:47 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
booey
member

Registered: 31/12/2001
Posts: 113
wow, man that Pearl looks nice!!! I will definately get one.
I kinda have a feeling we wont see this unit before Christmas or so..
I hope im wrong though and still on track for release.
Im also so tired of all of these players boasting these 10-11 hour battery life times, misleading people, not stating that your mp3's gotta be encoded at 64kb, which is a joke.
Rob, can you shed any light on how long the battery life is?
I noticed the screen is pretty big, and backlit.
Excellent design, looks so sharp! man i cant wait to order one!
brian

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#160046 - 09/05/2003 07:08 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: booey]
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
I'd be willing to bet my life that its out well before Christmas - its too big a market to lose out on for another year to iPOD. I'll guess August - October time.

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#160047 - 09/05/2003 07:44 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: booey]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
It should ship way sooner than Christmas - late summer would be more the target. Stated battery life for our products is based on mid volume 128K MP3, which is a reasonable and fairly common criteria. Obviously you won't get the same battery life if you play 256K Ogg files at full volume the whole time.

We haven't announced the battery life for Pearl yet, however - unofficially - I believe it will be substantially greater than the iPod. The iPod is extremely thin because of its tiny battery, but I think we'll have the better trade off of form factor vs capacity and battery life.

Rob

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#160048 - 09/05/2003 07:48 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
Ezekiel
pooh-bah

Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
Rob-

If you can say (I don't recall seeing it previously), what is the PC/Pearl data connection type (USB2, firewire etc)?

-Zeke
_________________________
WWFSMD?

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#160049 - 09/05/2003 07:50 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: Ezekiel]
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
I remember reading USB 2

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#160050 - 09/05/2003 07:52 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: Ezekiel]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
what is the PC/Pearl data connection type

USB 2.0 or 100Mbit Ethernet. One of the Ethernet features is being developed by a well known contributer to the empeg software community, but I couldn't possibly say any more

Rob

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#160051 - 09/05/2003 07:56 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
Ezekiel
pooh-bah

Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
That's perfect. I'm sold!

-Zeke
_________________________
WWFSMD?

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#160052 - 09/05/2003 07:59 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
genixia
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/02/2002
Posts: 3411
The Lord has many gifts.
_________________________
Mk2a 60GB Blue. Serial 030102962 sig.mp3: File Format not Valid.

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#160053 - 09/05/2003 08:03 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: genixia]
booey
member

Registered: 31/12/2001
Posts: 113
im drooling now.. ill take the pearl form factor/battery life over less battery life any day.
man, i cant wait.

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#160054 - 09/05/2003 08:13 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
JeffS
carpal tunnel

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2858
Loc: Atlanta, GA
Rob,
I just wanted to say that that thing looks really cool! I'm sure the software is great too, knowing you guys.
_________________________
-Jeff
Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

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#160055 - 09/05/2003 08:14 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
cushman
veteran

Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
Looks great, Rob! I had forgotten it supports OGG Vorbis. When you guys have a webpage for the Pearl, you should definately get it posted on Slashdot (remember to unplug your coffee maker and plug in your extra webservers). Every story about a new MP3 player always gets 50 bajillion posts to the tune of "Unless it supports OGG, I won't buy it". You guys can give them a big steaming cup of STFU.

Of course you'll also get the posts wanting a color screen, video player, integrated handheld computer, video games, mobile phone, hand lotion dispenser, convert into gas-powered scooter, etc.
_________________________
Mark Cushman

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#160056 - 09/05/2003 08:17 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: cushman]
JeffS
carpal tunnel

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2858
Loc: Atlanta, GA
Of course you'll also get the posts wanting a color screen, video player, integrated handheld computer, video games, mobile phone, hand lotion dispenser, convert into gas-powered scooter, etc.
You forgot GPS.
_________________________
-Jeff
Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

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#160057 - 09/05/2003 08:20 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
Rob is that early summer date for the US? Could you *guess* at a UK release?

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#160058 - 09/05/2003 08:36 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
I can't even guess at a UK release, as I'm not in the loop with the sales folks on this (too busy developing the products!). Whether it means anything or not, we have been told to go ahead and localise the software for our usual European languages (plus Japanese) in time for release 1.0.

Rob

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#160059 - 09/05/2003 13:04 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
bonzi
pooh-bah

Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
we have been told to go ahead and localise the software for our usual European languages (plus Japanese) in time for release 1.0.

So, who is doing Croatian translation?

Seriously, this is the first time I saw the thing, and I can't stop drooling. And, you say, 3.0 SW is the baseline? Fantastic!
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos Q#5196 MkII #080000376, 18GB green MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue

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#160060 - 09/05/2003 18:00 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: cushman]
andy
carpal tunnel

Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
Every story about a new MP3 player always gets 50 bajillion posts to the tune of "Unless it supports OGG, I won't buy it". You guys can give them a big steaming cup of STFU.

I won't stop the normal "why would you want to spend that much money on it ? I could build one myself for 50 cents" posts...
_________________________
Remind me to change my signature to something more interesting someday

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#160061 - 09/05/2003 18:16 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: andy]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
What? You mean I can't make one from a mini-ITX motherboard and a few rolls of duck tape? It's like that "amazing" video sniffer that was on there recently. Turns out it was the guts of a receiver duck taped to a portable TV and battery...

To be honest, actually reading the comments on a slashdot story is useless half the time. You get about 50 first posts, around 30 useful comments and around 300 trolls. I'm glad that the empeg BBS actually has a non zero signal to noise ratio:)

Anyway, must go to sleep. It's like 2:15am here. Unfortunately my next door neighbour is having some party or something and it's driving me nuts. They're all having a big sing along but it's in Greek so I've got no clue what they're going on about!

- Trevor

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#160062 - 09/05/2003 20:09 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: tman]
tonyc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
To be honest, actually reading the comments on a slashdot story is useless half the time. You get about 50 first posts, around 30 useful comments and around 300 trolls. I'm glad that the empeg BBS actually has a non zero signal to noise ratio:)
And the scary part, people now PAY to read Slashdot stories 20 minutes early. So that instead of being two days out of date, the stories are 1 day, 23 hours, and 40 minutes out of date.

The funny thing is, (and I know Tom wouldn't even consider it) I would gladly pay Slashdot's subscription rates (and then some) if, in some alternate dimension, this BBS were subscription-based. I know many others would do the same.

Funny how things work like that.
_________________________
- Tony C
my empeg stuff

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#160063 - 09/05/2003 20:49 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: tonyc]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I could come up with a payment rate, if you'd like.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

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#160064 - 11/05/2003 03:26 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
JaBZ
addict

Registered: 08/08/2001
Posts: 452
Loc: NZ
I want one....
Since sonic blue is gone, where will Rio products be sold from?, new website? Will it allow international ordering?

I'd rather order it from US than UK, as our US exchange rate is healthier I'm in NZ...


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#160065 - 12/05/2003 10:58 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: JaBZ]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
You'll probably have to find a US retailer willing to ship to NZ. There will be a new US eStore at www.rioaudio.com but I don't think the shipping policies will change. I would expect the UK store to close entirely as SONICblue's European sales office turned out the lights today (they were not acquired by DNNA).

I suspect that international sales will start to come online drawing on existing D&M channels but I don't know how soon.

Rob

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#160066 - 12/05/2003 12:35 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
mschrag
pooh-bah

Registered: 09/09/2000
Posts: 2303
Loc: Richmond, VA
I'm a latecomer to this thread ... This picture looks much much cooler than the first one you posted a couple months ago. The orange buttons won't be missed.

Are the physical dimensions still the same as shown in http://empeg.comms.net/files/133662-ipodcompare.jpg ?

ms

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#160067 - 12/05/2003 12:41 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: mschrag]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
The dimensions haven't changed.

The first docks arrived here today - very cute! You get line level audio out of the dock, as well as Ethernet, USB and power in.

Rob

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#160068 - 12/05/2003 12:43 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
mschrag
pooh-bah

Registered: 09/09/2000
Posts: 2303
Loc: Richmond, VA
a well known contributor, huh ....

fascinating ....

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#160069 - 12/05/2003 12:45 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
mschrag
pooh-bah

Registered: 09/09/2000
Posts: 2303
Loc: Richmond, VA
Do we get to see pictures of the dock, or have we pushed our luck already?

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#160070 - 12/05/2003 15:30 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: mschrag]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
I'll check with marketing. If they're happy I'll post a photo or two.

Rob

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#160071 - 13/05/2003 11:04 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
They were happy.

This player is missing it's blue thumb wheel thingy but you get the idea.


Attachments
159074-dockfront.jpg (466 downloads)


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#160072 - 13/05/2003 11:05 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
..and the rear, with coke can for scale.


Attachments
159075-dockrear.jpg (420 downloads)


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#160073 - 13/05/2003 11:05 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
Please don't repost those pics anywhere else. I got special permission to post them to the empeg BBS.

Rob

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#160074 - 13/05/2003 11:10 Re: Best Portable player right now? [Re: rob]
JBjorgen
carpal tunnel

Registered: 19/01/2002
Posts: 3584
Loc: Columbus, OH
so Rio Karma is Pearl's real name?
_________________________
~ John

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