In reply to:Hmm.. I find their review of the MPTrip mp3 player disturbing
Having read their reviews of both the Empeg and the MPTrip, it's apparant (to me, at least) that they're reviewing both items from the POV of Joe Public. The reason they rave about the MPTrim (even when criticising it - see the bit about the inbuilt record option) and not the Empeg is that the Empeg is all new; it's a completely new way of doing things. The MPTrim, on the other hand, is nothing new - basically it's just a CD player with extra capacity. The MPTrim is a much easier device for a journalist to review.
All this wouldn't be too great a problem but, unfortunately, the Empeg manual isn't very good at explaining exactly what can be done and how to do it.
By way of example, there's no mention of:
Dimmer,
Fader (rear/front),
Loudness,
Function of remote's number buttons during playback,
The entire 'settings' menu,
The musical notes icon in the playlist menu,
All the icons Emplode uses
And there are a few more.
It would be hardly surprising if a reviewer doesn't 'get' the full flexibility of playlists during the shortish time they'll have the unit for review.
Another example - Several of my work colleagues couldn't read the text in the image on page 16 because it was so small. The image is pretty crucial in explaining how playlists work, yet the text size is so small as to make the image look like a fancy page filler.
Now, I'm not having a go at anybody here or the guys at Empeg. I'm a fiddler and I'm quite happy to experiment on my own. I guess everybody here is pretty much the same.
However, is it realistic to hand a reviewer a unit and the present manual and expect them to sing their praises from on high?
Oh, and the other thing - I'd put good money on the fact that most of the Empegs to be reviewed in the popular press won't get anywhere near a car for the duration of the testing.
Nick.
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18Gb blue - s/n 080000299 (original queue position 8724)
In reply to:right now we have something unique, and whether it's worth that much is a very individual decision
Indeed, and to me it is. To my cow-orkers it most definitely isn't.
In reply to:My main issue with this review is that I believe the very low score was based almost entirely on the price
My opinion is that reviews should concentrate on the facts and functionality, and let the reader/viewer decide how much they're willing to pay for it.
OK. Here's what I think happened. I'm not saying I'm correct, but the explanation certainly fits the facts.
The review is short, fluffy and has no depth. Now, assuming that that was the kind of review they wanted to write, surely it's reasonable to base the review on the supplied documentation, after all, that's all that Joe User is going to get.
So, they don't see anything new about the way it works - they see the Empeg as just a PJB (for example) for the dashboard. If that is the case, then judging the unit purely on price would, to them, be reasonable. If all the Empeg is perceived to do is done by something else and the only obviously differentiating factor is the price, then price it shall be judged on.
Obviously I'm assuming a lot here, but my original point stands. The documentation could really do with a really snazzy sales section - "Your Empeg is completely unique - it's the only machine which can do X, Y and Z (oh, and A to W too)." and then go on to explain each of these functions in full.
I bought a stereo. It was a simple minidisc/cd/tuner affair. The instruction manual was full A4 and was twice as thick as the Empeg manual (actually, it is about 8 times thicker, but is in four languages). That's 4 times the content, and that was for something as simple as a normal everyday run of the mill household stereo.
Now, I know I have a habit of not explaining myself and consequently being misunderstood on this board, so I'll say this now. I'm not complaining, I'm not angry and I'm not having a go at anybody. It's just that I try (yeah, yeah, I know I'm not always successful) not to cast stones. If the Empeg has been misunderstood, then my first question would be "What have I done to make it be misunderstood". My second would be "What can I do to make sure this doesn't happen again".
Maybe there's a case for the people here to write up some docs for the Empeg too, or am I the only person who thinks this way (say so now and I'll shutup).
Cheers,
Nick.
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18Gb blue - s/n 080000299 (original queue position 8724)
In reply to:If you adopt that approach then if they were to review a BEO stereo it may well get 2 out of 5....
Yes, except:
1 - Empeg doesn't have a name as a builder of quality hardware... yet. You can't expect to be treated as a [insert high quality brand of your choice] without proving it.
2 - Nowhere in the http://www.empeg.com/ web site, or in the user guide is the superb quality of the unit stated. Nowhere. It's alluded to, yes, in the same way as Amstrad/Saisho allude to it, but nowhere does it stand up and shout it.
Rob, you know it's high quality. I know it's high quality. Everybody on this BBS knows it's high quality, but unless you sell it as being high quality, it won't be seen as such by a journo or prospective buyer. As much as I despise marketing types, they're vital. Everybody on this BBS is too close to the product. We all know it's wonderful because we've been here for so long. Joe Public doesn't see it the same way.
Nick.
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18Gb blue - s/n 080000299 (original queue position 8724)
In reply to:So here's what you do. Don't print up new manuals, just keep them updated in PDF format so they can be downloaded and printed by those of us who want them. You could even have an option of including the PDF file as part of the fileset you get when you upgrade the player and emplode software. Whenever you run out of the printed ones, then send the newest PDF version to the printer for your new stock.
That would work for me.
tanstaafl.
My thoughts exactly. A continuously updaated PDF file would be a great gain, instead of having to hunt through the BBS and release notes. (it took quite the effort to look back through the release notes to find out what the numeric remote buttons did on playbeack).
||| loren.cox
||| 080000446
||| 12GB blue
In reply to:Prowse? I forget: What did he play in H2G2?
Wasn't he Hotblack Desiato's bodyguard at Milliways?
Geoff
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Got one of the first Mark 2 empegs...
In reply to:It should at least be incrementally updated with each new release, with the developer responsible for a new feature also being responsible for a brief amount of updated documentation to be included by the documentation bloke.
Careful - if you force engineers to not release something before they document it, we'll never get any new features:)
-mark
MK2: 36gb
Tivo: 90gb
CPU: 120gb
...I think drive manufacturers love me!