Archos, a popular maker of Portable Media Players and Mobile Internet Devices, is joining the Netbook fray by releasing one of its own.
Earlier this week, the company announced the availability of its new 10-inch Netbook on its online store. The Netbook was originally slated for release in April, but because it was announced at CES in January, I guess the company felt ready for prime time. Finally, Archos is said to be working on several new versions based on Intel's Moorestown platform, which will replace Intel's current Netbook and MID platform sometime in 2010.
(Credit:
Archos)
For now, let's take a quick look at the specs of the Archos 10, which will sound awfully familiar, especially to those people who've either purchased a Netbook or done some research on getting one.
- Microsoft Windows XP Home edition
- Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz Processor
- 160 GB hard drive
- 1GB DDR2 RAM
- Multi-card reader slot, Wi-Fi, and 3G USB ready
- 3 USB ports
- 10.2-inch WXGA screen at 1024x600 resolution
The Archos 10-inch Netbook is now available for purchase for $399 with the standard three-cell battery, or for $449 with the extended six-cell battery.
I recently had the opportunity to conduct this interview with Jeff Owens, Label Manager for the Ghostly International record label. To give you some context, Ghostly International is an independent electronic music label based out of Ann Arbor, MI. They've been releasing music since 1999, and their latest release, Matthew Dear's Asa Breed has been drawing praise from tastemakers such as Pitchfork and Filter.
Ghostly International headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI.
(Credit: Donald Bell / CNET Networks)From my perspective, Ghostly is a unique example of an independent record label that is quickly adapting to today's bizarre and demanding music marketplace. Their music can be found everywhere from iTunes, to Borders, to MySpace. Ghostly also interests me because they are a rare combination of a cutting-edge music label that is still heavily invested in releasing their music on vinyl. In fact, their Spectral Sound sublabel has the distinction of selling the majority of their music in either vinyl or MP3 formats, with just a handful of releases on CD.
It's amazing to me that in the past thirty years we've seen the dramatic rise and fall of music formats like cassette tape... Read more
eMusic's Remote application is basically a Web browser with a download manager stuck on the side.
Online music retailer eMusic launched their 'eMusic Remote' application today, which is currently downloadable for PC, Mac, and Linux. While Remote doesn't exactly revolutionize the eMusic customer experience, it does consolidate the eMusic online store and and eMusic download manager application into one space and increases support for syncing eMusic content to jukebox applications like iTunes, Windows Media Player, or Winamp.
We still wish there was a way to preview tracks without getting kicked over to another application, but this is definitely a step in the right direction for eMusic. It's a much better strategy than trying to offer up a competing jukebox app like Rhapsody, Urge (RIP), or Winamp.
eMusic
(Credit: eMusic)Today, AT&T and eMusic introduced a new mobile music service that will allow customers to use their cell phones to preview and purchase songs from the second largest online music seller, without having to deal with pesky PC transfers. The eMusic Mobile service gives AT&T customers access to a catalog of 2.7 million tracks from independent labels, and in addition to an over-the-air (OTA) download, a DRM-free MP3 file will also be available for download to your PC at no extra charge. Pricing starts at $7.49 for five tracks, which is about $1.50 per song--hey, a little pricey, don't you think, guys? By comparison, the Sprint Music Store offers OTA downloads for $0.99 and you get more major-label artists. Verizon also has its V Cast Music Service, but OTA songs cost an even more eye-popping $1.99 each (or 99 cents via PC). eMusic Mobile will initially only be available on a limited number of AT&T's music cell phones, including the Samsung SGH-A717, the Samsung SGH-A727, the Samsung Sync, and the Nokia N75. Not surprisingly, the Apple iPhone is not among the compatible handsets because, oh wait, that's right...it doesn't allow for direct downloads. Check out CNET News.com for more on this story.
Alltel wireless
(Credit: Alltel Wireless)Alltel Wireless has partnered with Frog Design and eMusic to offer Jump Music, a free application for transferring music from your PC to your cell phone.
Similar to the iTunes Music Store model, consumers can navigate to eMusic directly from the Jump Music interface and purchase songs from eMusic's vast catalog of DRM-free MP3s. New Jump Music users can take advantage of a special introductory offer of 35 free eMusic songs. All this, and you can transfer your existing music collection to your cell phone as well. It's initially compatible with only five Alltel phones: the LG AX8600, the Motorola Krzr K1m, the Motorola Razr V3m, the Samsung u520, and the Samsung Wafer.
Alltel hopes to add more phones to the list. You can purchase a Jump Music accessory kit--featuring a 256 MB memory card, a USB cable, and a stereo headset--for $49.99 from the Alltel store.
With all the iTunes/EMI DRM-free ballyhoo going on, it's easy to forget that sites like eMusic have already been offering inexpensive, DRM-free downloads for years. While Apple and Microsoft casually backpedal out of the DRM mess they've made, eMusic is announcing a very attractive new monthly subscription model that offers 25-cent downloads of DRM-free MP3s. It may not be Apple's reported 256kbps AAC quality, but for the average user a 192kbps MP3 sounds just fine--especially at 25 cents a song.
eMusic's new plans (called Connoisseur) come in three types 100, 200, and 300 downloads per month, priced respectively at $25, $50 and $75. While these are more expensive than rental subscription models like Rhapsody or Urge, at the end of the day you actually keep the music you've downloaded. That's keep--as in forever.
Be warned, eMusic's Achilles heel has always been selection. With major labels historically wary of DRM-free downloads, few have joined in with eMusic's mostly independent catalog. The recent iTunes/EMI deal may signal a sea change in this way of thinking and hopefully reward eMusic for its consistent endorsement of DRM-free music.
If you're an existing eMusic member, here's a link on how to upgrade your plan.
Coby's 20GB MP-C951 MP3/video player
If you buy one of Coby's new MP3 video players when they become available this spring, you'll also get a coupon good for 50 songs from eMusic.
The flagships of Coby's new models are the 20GB MP-C951 ($249) and the 30GB MP-C961 ($279 to $289), both stylish players with red-backlit, touch-sensitive buttons arrayed on a handsome black plastic case below a bright, 2-inch LCD. Both units can handle a variety of A/V formats--MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, and Xvid--and include an FM radio with recording capabilities and a voice recorder.
Also eligible for an eMusic coupon are the smaller (1.66-inch LCD) but similarly styled and featured MP-7055 (512MB, $69.95), the -7085 (1GB, $79.95), and the -7095 (2GB, $89.95) flash players, as well as the white mini MP-C7052 (512MB, $59.95), the -7082 (1GB, $69.95), and the -7092 (2GB, $79.95), which sport a 1.8-inch LCD and the same set of features and format support.
All of these players come with an installation CD, stereo earbuds, and a USB 2.0 cable, and all are compatible with Windows and Mac OS X.
On Sale Now: $141.25
View the latest prices for Coby MP-C951 (20GB)
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