News Dell debuts iPod killer, music store

From the Register:

Ironies abounded when Microsoft recently criticized Apple's digital music strategy. Redmond said Apple’s end-to-end strategy, locking DRM to the iPod, restricted customers choice. Today we'll get a chance to see how much that choice is really worth, as Dell introduces its own online music store and iPod clone.

In partnership with MusicMatch's online stores, Dell will offer songs for download for 99 cents. It's also offering an iPod clone with longer battery life and a lower cost than Apple. Made by Creative, the Dell DJ player will sell for $299 for the 20 GB version after a mail-in rebate, or $249 for the 15 GB version. Unlike the iPod, it plays Windows Media files, and works with Real and Microsoft jukeboxes on the PC. Dell claims 16 hours of battery life, twice as long as the iPod.

Full story here

So it's just a rebranded Zen NX, eh? (and an ugly rebrand at that - the NX looks so much nicer) And MusicMatch? After using iTunes I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. We'll see. There tends to be an iPod killer anounced every month these days, and it's still the HDD based mp3 player of choice.

 

Everyone wants to dethrone the king. I suspect the iPod will rule for quite a time to come though.

 

Anyone with sense would pick the iPod over anything else. Unfortunately there's not enough of those sorts of people.