MP3 players that shaped 2007The year touchscreens and the Web hit mainstream PMPsOh, the touchscreen. You either love it or hate it (or maybe you're indifferent). Regardless of your feelings on the matter, there was no stopping this new interface's infestation in the portable media player market. No doubt, it has some benefits, one of them being increased control functionality on relatively compact devices. This has helped manufacturers include Web applications on MP3 players, such as the iPod touch and the Archos 605 WiFi. Both players utilize their wireless capabilities for handy, on-demand video functionality. There's nothing like a promise of instant gratification to get more consumers snatching up devices. Other players of note: The Bluetooth-friendly Samsung P2 and the Cowon D2 which doesn't offer wireless features but is awesome just the same.
The year flash memory took over the worldThe slow extermination of the hard drive in MP3 players has been met with mixed feelings. On the one hand, flash memory is more stable, consumes less power, and just seems to get cheaper and cheaper each day. On the other hand, we're a ways off from file-hoarding 120GB capacities in solid state form. However, manufacturers have made their choice and it's flash, so you might as well start getting used to it. On the plus side, you can take solace in the fact that 2007 saw the introduction of an MP3 player--the Creative Zen, to be exact--with 32GB of internal flash memory as well as an SD card expansion slot. Also, things got really cheap over the last year, with SanDisk pushing out a great-sounding, handily designed 2GB Sansa Clip for less than US$50. Other players of note: Pretty much all of them. This article originally appeared on CNET Crave.
|
- Talkback
-
