I would argue that 3G connectivity would be nice for ubiquitous music streaming and downloading.
Steve O'Hear (editor)
· 2 years ago
@Coleman
That's a good call, if it weren't for the mob. networks getting in the way. On the other hand, a beefed up iPhone with proper third-party dev support would quickly match the spec for an ideal PMP that Ryan has outlined. With 3G a possibility too.
Drew Peacock
· 2 years ago
NERDS!
me here
· 2 years ago
I can tell you that yes, there are SSD drives that can read/write at those speeds. I work in hardware test/develop and have testyed these drives. Can't wait to create my own media player using one of these drives.
james lafollet
· 2 years ago
Yeah everyone wants one of these because it is unrealistic at this time. To have all of these specs and keep the size and price down is an absurd idea. Stories like this are bring digg down. Thanks for making digg a dumber site. Much love
Sturmey
· 2 years ago
I already have most of this using a Dell Axim, (although any handheld would probably work) with a compact flash card and an SD card. I use TCMP to play almost anything, and it only takes a few seconds to pull the card out of my Axim, jam it into the computer and load any file I want.
I just wish I could use something better than Windows mobile POS software on it.
as far as flash card size, the only problem is $. it takes a bunch of dollars to get to 64GB. personally I wish I could put in a SATA laptop drive, but I also wish I could hook up a printer. then I wouldn't need a laptop.
Daishi
· 2 years ago
The closest I've ever come to the perfect player was the iRiver iHP-120. It was a player years ahead of its time: - Support for MP3, WAV and Ogg Vorbis - Remote control with LCD that replicated all the functionality of the player - Integrated microphone, with recording function in MP3 and WAV - OPTICAL LINE IN AND LINE OUT. No other player has ever had this! - Support for playlist, database, and file navigation - Actually decent body that doesn't get scratched by your jeans' cloth (iPod I'm looking at you) - Integrated radio. - 20 GB capacity. Nowadays you can replace the drive for 60 GB.
Of course it's very think by today's standards, and the interface was in black and white. But the general idea as far as features went is still unmatched today, more so now that it can run the custom Rockbox firmware that adds even more features.
Chris Hills
· 2 years ago
I doubt that support for "all" video is of any use. Is it really desirable to play DV or high-def content on a portable device? What I would like to see is a simple plugin system for formats, similar to how Winamp accomplishes the task.
Chris
· 2 years ago
All audio/video formats? You realize that the only way portables have good battery life for playback is when they have dedicated hardware decoder chips, right? I'd put your little fantasy device at least 10 years away- 6 years for the technology to come and another 4 to get the interface right.
Stop whining. I will give an analogous example of my ideal car:
Styling: sleek lines, unique look, excellent aerodynamics from low-profile design.
Performance: 500hp gas engine 100mpg with hybrid drivetrain of 300 mile battery-only range. Cornering should be above 1g on skidpad, 4-wheel drive too.
Features: Must carry family of 8 and 4x8 sheets of lumber while towing my boat. Must have 8" ground clearance for my off-road trips. Entertainment system should sound like I'm in a concert hall even when I'm tearing up a dirt trail.
Maybe if you understood anything about how portable players are designed you could know the difference between being realistic and just naming every feature you can think of. A device with everything you ask for has already been made. They're called laptops.
Sean
· 2 years ago
Worst article. Ever.
heltoupee
· 2 years ago
A few of your software-related complaints (mainly file format support) can be addressed by using RockBox (http://www.rockbox.org/), a 3rd-party OS/firmware for many PMP's. I actually have a 4GB 1st-gen nano, use Rockbox, and LOVE it. Support for the 1st-gen nano is almost flawless. The screen is so small that you'll need a magnifying glass to watch video on it, though.
Kasper Skov
· 2 years ago
I totally agree, though I think that 64gb is a bit overkill. 2gb of podcasts ? Sorry but you're just weird if you have that many that you have yet to listen to, or just way too much time on your hands.
Phil
· 2 years ago
Drag and drop functionality is indispensable for me and too few players have it. I don't want iTunes crap on my computer.
Ian
· 2 years ago
It absolutely, positively, without a doubt must have a stereo line-in jack and be able to record to stereo 128kb MP3 or to 44.1/16bit WAV/AIFF. Preferrably with a built-in stereo mic as well.
That's why I love my Neuros, even though it's huge and arcane.
Required
· 2 years ago
Yeah, I don't understand the point here, I admit. If you are basing the specs for your ideal music player on what is *currently* available, then your player is going to wind up at least as large as a Zune, which everyone will agree is too large. On the other hand, if you are ignoring what is currently available, then I I feel sorry for your lack of imagination. If your ideal player is pure fantasy, then why not ask for a projection screen, noise cancelling (mic + dsp processing), and a dancing hula girl that pops out of the screen on rainy days to make sweet love to you?
Dude
· 2 years ago
I must say that an internet browser that uses the wifi would be awesome, I had a PSP and I used the built-in browser almost daily, it was great.
Parker
· 2 years ago
www.archos.com You can even draw a little i in front of the name if it makes you feel better....
Don
· 2 years ago
check out the HTC TyTN
Dennis
· 2 years ago
If you want the perfect Video PMP, you should check out the Archos 605 WIFI 4GB. It is flash based, plays all video formats (ie DIVX), has Wi-Fi, and a touch screen. And it is only $229!
BTW, Walkman was a bad example. Xerox or Kleenex would have been better.
jeems
· 2 years ago
Fail. Epic fail.
My old karma has 20gb of space, 16+ hours of battery life, support for mp3/aac/ogg/FLAC/wav, an excellent eq, great sound quality and a nice interface. It's a little fat, but aside from that it kicks any ipod's ass.
All you iFanboys make me sad.
Joe Felice
· 2 years ago
This piece is pretty unimaginative. I'm obsessed with the pull between small size and big screen, and I think the near-term answer is a device that folds. The distant answer being a device that displays content close to or perhaps directly on your eyes.
Graham
· 2 years ago
I like BlackBerry actually..
moot
· 2 years ago
How about Nintendo DS w/ and R4
David Mackey
· 2 years ago
Nice summary of needed features, hopefully we'll see a product with all those features in the near future.
Keith
· 2 years ago
To me, iPod nano remains the most lightweight portable player in the current market.
SK
· 2 years ago
It is so easy to say....I want 64GB memory, light weight and portable, should play all types of music files...." I work for a chip company and man what you get is the best ..it can't get any better. It is not just the question of price as you can see with Apple iphone, but it is the question of having all the features in a good design. Apple might be considering ipods with full screen and touch controls...that 't the max you can get...wake up to the real world my friend....
sultan
· 2 years ago
I can't believe anyone would admit to using iTunes. Are you sad enough to still be using a mac or were you just dropped on your head as a child.
FARMER MAN
· 1 year ago
whhhoooaaaa, narly dude, to nurdish for me, im out
All Comments
That's a good call, if it weren't for the mob. networks getting in the way. On the other hand, a beefed up iPhone with proper third-party dev support would quickly match the spec for an ideal PMP that Ryan has outlined. With 3G a possibility too.
in hardware test/develop and have testyed these drives. Can't wait to create my own
media player using one of these drives.
Much love
I just wish I could use something better than Windows mobile POS software on it.
as far as flash card size, the only problem is $. it takes a bunch of dollars to get to 64GB. personally I wish I could put in a SATA laptop drive, but I also wish I could hook up a printer. then I wouldn't need a laptop.
- Support for MP3, WAV and Ogg Vorbis
- Remote control with LCD that replicated all the functionality of the player
- Integrated microphone, with recording function in MP3 and WAV
- OPTICAL LINE IN AND LINE OUT. No other player has ever had this!
- Support for playlist, database, and file navigation
- Actually decent body that doesn't get scratched by your jeans' cloth (iPod I'm looking at you)
- Integrated radio.
- 20 GB capacity. Nowadays you can replace the drive for 60 GB.
Of course it's very think by today's standards, and the interface was in black and white. But the general idea as far as features went is still unmatched today, more so now that it can run the custom Rockbox firmware that adds even more features.
Stop whining. I will give an analogous example of my ideal car:
Styling: sleek lines, unique look, excellent aerodynamics from low-profile design.
Performance: 500hp gas engine 100mpg with hybrid drivetrain of 300 mile battery-only range. Cornering should be above 1g on skidpad, 4-wheel drive too.
Features: Must carry family of 8 and 4x8 sheets of lumber while towing my boat. Must have 8" ground clearance for my off-road trips. Entertainment system should sound like I'm in a concert hall even when I'm tearing up a dirt trail.
Maybe if you understood anything about how portable players are designed you could know the difference between being realistic and just naming every feature you can think of. A device with everything you ask for has already been made. They're called laptops.
That's why I love my Neuros, even though it's huge and arcane.
http://www.archos.com/products/gen_5/archos_605...
http://www.amazon.com/ARCHOS-605-4GB-Flash-slot...
BTW, Walkman was a bad example. Xerox or Kleenex would have been better.
My old karma has 20gb of space, 16+ hours of battery life, support for mp3/aac/ogg/FLAC/wav, an excellent eq, great sound quality and a nice interface. It's a little fat, but aside from that it kicks any ipod's ass.
All you iFanboys make me sad.
I work for a chip company and man what you get is the best ..it can't get any better. It is not just the question of price as you can see with Apple iphone, but it is the question of having all the features in a good design.
Apple might be considering ipods with full screen and touch controls...that 't the max you can get...wake up to the real world my friend....