The $20 "iPod Killer"

Kingsnapped · Mar 8, 2004

Read.
Still looks hella' nicer than some Rio thing.

Dippo · Mar 8, 2004

Kingsnapped said:
Read.
Still looks hella' nicer than some Rio thing.

I hope they have a lot of well paid lawyers

Counterfit · Mar 8, 2004

It's not $20. It's $20 after you buy the Pocket PC. The cheapest iPAQ on Pricewatch is the H1910 at $249. The same price as a mini. It has 64MB of SDRAM, 46MB of which is accessible to the user. It uses Secure Digital expansion cards. Size wise it's between the mini and the regular iPod. So $250 for the hardware, and then $20 for the software, and it already costs more than the mini while holding less music. iPod killer this ain't.

Also, they seem to have change the name and layout. It's now "pBop" and the buttons are below the wheel. Will it help avoid a lawsuit? I don't know, and I don't care, this is hardly a threat to the iPod.

KC9AIC · Mar 9, 2004

While Counterfit is certainly right about needing to factor in the cost of the PocketPC itself, it should be remembered that the PocketPC will be slightly more functional than an iPod, because of its ability to input data using handwriting recognition and being able to use a number of applications (including ones to watch video).

Mr. Anderson · Mar 9, 2004

You'd think they could have come up with a different name and interface that looked less like an iPod....

Makes sense for it to happen, but I'm sure Apple will take notice.

D

jrv3034 · Mar 9, 2004

My favorite quote (next to the full size image):

Developed by the British software firm StarBrite, the pPod is a software-based iPod that runs on Pocket PCs, Microsoft's Palm-like operating system for handhelds.

Hmm... a copy of an Apple product that runs on a copy of a Palm product. Sounds like a very original concept.

agreenster · Mar 9, 2004

I saw this when it came out (probably here at MR) and thought it was lame then.

I dont mind people innovating, but c'mon, a DIRECT ripoff?

Lame.

Kingsnapped · Mar 9, 2004

Counterfit said:
It's not $20. It's $20 after you buy the Pocket PC. The cheapest iPAQ on Pricewatch is the H1910 at $249. The same price as a mini. It has 64MB of SDRAM, 46MB of which is accessible to the user. It uses Secure Digital expansion cards. Size wise it's between the mini and the regular iPod. So $250 for the hardware, and then $20 for the software, and it already costs more than the mini while holding less music. iPod killer this ain't.

Also, they seem to have change the name and layout. It's now "pBop" and the buttons are below the wheel. Will it help avoid a lawsuit? I don't know, and I don't care, this is hardly a threat to the iPod.

No, I seriously believe this is the iPod killer. I am trading in my 3G 10 gig iPod after school for an iPaq.

Thanks for the tech specs, counterf(e?)it.

Backtothemac · Mar 9, 2004

Ha, service unavailable is what I am getting. Looks like Apple's lawyers have already struck.

mmmbop · Mar 9, 2004

Backtothemac said:
Ha, service unavailable is what I am getting. Looks like Apple's lawyers have already struck.

It's been like that for most of the day.

There's a screenshot at wired and an article on cnet saying Apple has requested they change the name to pBop (along with some other on-screen changes).

Either way, they've driven a lot of traffic to their site.

rueyeet · Mar 9, 2004

Backtothemac said:
Ha, service unavailable is what I am getting. Looks like Apple's lawyers have already struck.

If they actually had the stupidity to bill their software as a $20 alternative to getting an iPod (once you have the PocketPC, of course) then they should have known what was coming. Going by the pictures at Wired, they really did copy it as closely as possible (well, except for the ability to play iTunes' protected AAC format).

Dumbest comment in the Wired article:

I think iPod interface is going to be the new Linux. People are going to try and put an iPod interface on just about everything.

Last I checked, Apple hadn't GPL'ed the iPod interface.

gwuMACaddict · Mar 9, 2004

oh to be a lawyer for apple... they never run out of business! hahaha! it has GOT to be fun to stick it to the retarded companies that come out with these blatent ripoffs... like shootin' fish in a barrel...

MrMacMan · Mar 9, 2004

gwuMACaddict said:
oh to be a lawyer for apple... they never run out of business! hahaha! it has GOT to be fun to stick it to the retarded companies that come out with these blatent ripoffs... like shootin' fish in a barrel...

Yeah really... every day a new case... thats why their legal dept is nice and large...

They renamed their product to pBop... yeah real original Rip-Off of the iPod software... not.

Kingsnapped · Mar 9, 2004

We need a pic of the origional, so somebody can superimpose the word "pwned" on it.

Counterfit · Mar 10, 2004

Kingsnapped said:
Thanks for the tech specs, counterf(e?)it.

ONLY ONE E THANK YOU!

Counterfit · Mar 10, 2004

KC9AIC said:
While Counterfit is certainly right about needing to factor in the cost of the PocketPC itself, it should be remembered that the PocketPC will be slightly more functional than an iPod, because of its ability to input data using handwriting recognition and being able to use a number of applications (including ones to watch video).

Right, but who would buy one unless they need that other stuff? Buying one for music only would be a waste of money.

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