VisorCentral.com - Good things from Good Technology

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VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Article Comments (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=17)
-- Good things from Good Technology (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=7914)

Posted by Gameboy70 on 09-08-2000 01:00 AM:

Preach it, brother!

quote:
Originally posted by Cerulean Why not get a $40 CD player and a $150 CD-R drive and make your own CDs??! Seems like much more flexibility, less cost, more compatibility (pop the cd into your car system, home stereo system, computer, etc..etc..) and more expanbility (your not stuck with just 1 hour worth of music.. You can take as many cds with you as you want!)

Amen to that. MP3 is becoming a lot like email: people are so attracted to the advantages that they forget the disadvatages.

I once worked at a bookstore where I took orders over the phone, the web and email. Sometimes customers would have several questions about the merchandise before committing to ordering it. So a question-and-answer email exchange that might've take five minutes over the phone wound up taking several days. But phones are considered pass�, and the customer's always right, right?

I agree with Cerulean on CDs over MP3s, even if they are considered pass�. A CD-R gives you the ability to store a ton of music and play it on much more ubiquitous CD players (cassette adapters are also available for portable CD players for people who still have cassette decks in their cars (why?)).

I don't have a problem with Good coming out with the MP3 springboard, though. Obviously there's a market for it, and if it turns out to be a blockbuster, more power to Good. Then again, there's a market for romance novels . . .

Posted by narnia_77 on 09-08-2000 01:23 AM:

Re: Preach it, brother!

quote:
Originally posted by Gameboy70
Then again, there's a market for romance novels . . .

Yeah, baby!!! And I'm the one buying them!

(LOL! Sorry, couldn't resist. I told you I like to read fluff.

)

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Posted by lennonhead on 09-08-2000 05:20 AM:

Ok, so how many people are running over to Sandisk.com after their MiniJam arrives and are ordering another $200 64MB card for it????????? That means the MJ cost you $460!

No, either way I would be getting a 64MB max. MP3 player, so why not get the one that you can still use your plastic Visor cover with? The form factor of the Good player is great! I wouldn't think it would be too hard for them to write an app like innogear is for file managment, but that isn't a very large concern, since it is still vaporware for the MiniJam.

My vote goes for the SoundsGOOD player.

Posted by cicatrix1 on 09-08-2000 08:22 PM:

Why do people keep saying there's no info on the thing? Ever LOOK at the webpage?

http://www.good.com/gstore/sgood_frame.asp

It's got loads of info. Maybe it didn't a few hours ago... It comes with headphones, desktop software (like the minijam) and plenty of other stuff. My only gripe with the thing is the price. I don't have any other springboards to worry about, so I could just leave that baby in my visor and listen to MP3s while going from class to class.

It seems to me to be a better deal than the Minijam. So, that has expandable memory. It's too expensive, and there's nothing available over 64 MB right now anyways. Plus, the transfer rate on the SoundsGood seems to be a lot better (they say 250 kbytes/second).

Posted by Gameboy70 on 09-08-2000 09:33 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by cicatrix1 Why do people keep saying there's no info on the thing? Ever LOOK at the webpage?

http://www.good.com/gstore/sgood_frame.asp

It's got loads of info. Maybe it didn't a few hours ago...

Bingo! You answered your own question. On the morning of the press release (9/6), the Good.com website was completely blank.

Posted by echinye on 09-08-2000 09:35 PM:

There's a market for MiniJam and SoundsGood as these are new products that makes people go .. OoH! AaH! WoW! For the price, are you paying for a necessity? By the end of year 2001, all these gadgets will have a tremendous price drop if the components shortage is no longer a problem or if the new standard 128meg MP3 comes out.

Posted by BEN on 09-08-2000 09:48 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by echinye
By the end of year 2001, all these gadgets will have a tremendous price drop if the components shortage is no longer a problem or if the new standard 128meg MP3 comes out.

Well, product makers are predicting an 18 month period where they don't have enough parts. After that hopefully prices will go back to where they were 6 months ago. So, by the end of 2001 prices will be "normal". It will take another 6 month for price to go down IMHO.
I personally don't want to wait nearly two years for any technology. I'll bit the bullet and pay the price now.
BEN

Posted by Gameboy70 on 09-09-2000 12:32 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by echinye There's a market for MiniJam and SoundsGood as these are new products that makes people go .. OoH! AaH! WoW! For the price, are you paying for a necessity? By the end of year 2001, all these gadgets will have a tremendous price drop if the components shortage is no longer a problem or if the new standard 128meg MP3 comes out.

Ah, if only we could live in the future. But let's face it: nobody needs a portable audio player, at any price. That's how capitalism works: create a commodity, convince people that they "need" it (marketing), and rake in their disposable income. If consumers are clearly willing to pay exhorbitant prices for your entire supply, why would you charge less than the market will bear?

Posted by Nhatman on 09-09-2000 12:45 AM:

what i don't understand is why that cassette adapter is not available until october. as if this was some new item in short supply! you could get these things at k-mart, target, best buy, uncle joe's house (if you have an uncle joe)...pretty much everywhere...and you wouldn't have to wait until october! who's the genius at good that couldn't get these stocked until october?

Posted by yardie on 09-09-2000 04:11 AM:

Minijam Better

Personally I thin the miniJam is better value. I like stuff that expands...that it why I bought the Visor. While I won't run out and buy a 64MB MMC card from sandisk right away, I like to know that the option is there and I can add it if I have the money to burn. The MiniJam will eventually allow us to store non-mp3 media on it.. In fact, we can now with the 2MB Flash RaM that is built in (Does the Good Player have that? - No!). I think most people will agree with me and stick with the MiniJam

Posted by sassyvisorbabe on 09-09-2000 02:22 PM:

Sounds Good sounds Bad

I was told by someone in the industry who has played with both of them that the Sounds Good really doesnt sound that good compared to the MiniJam..Remember that sound quality make the difference between night and day..

Posted by Gameboy70 on 09-09-2000 06:17 PM:

Re: Sounds Good sounds Bad

quote:
Originally posted by sassyvisorbabe I was told by someone in the industry who has played with both of them that the Sounds Good really doesnt sound that good compared to the MiniJam..Remember that sound quality make the difference between night and day..

If that someone played the same MP3 file on both players, then that might be a valid comment. But more than a few people aren't aware that the quality of MP3 files vary wildly.

Honestly, I've never heard an MP3 player that sounded better or worse than another. The differences between a good player and a bad one are mostly in the interfaces (buttons, displays, ports), the size/form factor, the memory capacity and the software. I've tested a bunch of products using the same files, and my experience is that sound quality in MP3 players is a constant. The variable in sound quality is in the MP3 file itself -- how it's ripped and encoded.

If you're downloading MP3s from Napster or some other "illicit" source, the quality of the MP3 is pretty much determined by who ripped/encoded it, so you're going to get a lot of variation. The best way to test is to rip and encode your own CDs and compare MP3 players with the same files.

[Edited by Gameboy70 on 09-09-2000 at 01:25 PM]

Posted by Belzebutt on 09-11-2000 03:03 AM:

I have yet to see anyone mention the power sources for the two modules. If I buy a Springboard mp3 player, I will not tolerate it draining my Visor's batteries after only 7-10 hours of play. When I heard that the MiniJam has a car and AC adaptor I thought "this is a must-buy". It doesn't seem like the GoodSound has any kind of external power support so I don't think I'll get it, if only for that reason. It already annoys me that I have to buy batteries for my Visor... is anyone successfully using rechargable batteries with their Visor out there?

Posted by Gameboy70 on 09-12-2000 08:17 AM:

I just want to congratulate James on his great review of the SoundsGood. Especially for testing it out with "Enter Sandman." Metallica tracks should be the new industry standard for reviewers testing out MP3 players. Does anyone have an MP3 of Lars getting booed at the MTV Music Video Awards?

Posted by Hoser_back_home on 09-12-2000 01:46 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Belzebutt
I will not tolerate it draining my Visor's batteries after only 7-10 hours of play. When I heard that the MiniJam has a car and AC adaptor I thought "this is a must-buy".

On the contrary, Belze, when i heard that the MiniJam came with an AC adaptor it scared me AWAY from it! From James' article it looks like SoundsGood has done AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE to make this a formfitting, least power draining, easy to use, MP3 module for the visor.

When i saw that the MJ had AC support the first thing that came to my mind was 'EASY OUT' for Innogear when the battery drain complaints start pouring in.

For taking some music with me on the commute or shopping with the visor, the SoundsGood fits the bill MUCH better. Especially with the battery drain issue and more so with the form factor!

Now just bring the price down $100!!! (Make it the same price as the $179 dollar visor and i think they'd double sales)

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Posted by Morris on 09-12-2000 09:30 PM:

What about the transfer speed?

Did I miss something somewhere, or does noone care about transfer speed? The Good MP3 player apparently transfers data via USB at a fanstastic rate! Is that not important?

Interesting side note on Good v. Innogear: I'm been interested to watch the VisorCentral readers/viewers bash Innogear incessantly while awaiting their product, and then give a dissatisfied review because the MiniJam doesn't do everything Innogear hoped when issuing its first press release. Good, on the other hand, waited to announce anything until the product was done and (more or less) ready to ship. The VisorCentral readers/viewers bash it, too - even though the form looks better, the transfer speed is better, and the price is similar! Guess some people are never happy, regardless of what tact a company takes.

[Edited by Morris on 09-12-2000 at 04:35 PM]

Posted by iam2mean4u on 09-13-2000 03:41 AM:

Sometimes I just don't get it. I look at all the other posts in other rooms, and everyone wants more springboards. I come in here and everyone complains. I not saying I want to buy a MP3 player for my visor, but I have the choice to. Thats what I like, the opportunity to expand easily.

Posted by Belzebutt on 09-13-2000 06:23 AM:

"The VisorCentral readers/viewers bash it, too - even though the form looks better, the transfer speed is better, and the price is similar!"

Actually the price is higher, and there are fewer features and options.

The transfer speed IS a BIG plus for SoundsGood, I didn't mention it because I was waiting for the review. If it's 6x faster to transfer songs, that IS a big plus. Which makes me wonder, if the hardware is capable of doing it then perhaps Innogear will also catch up in a future software update, I'd like to ask them.

The SG is also much slimmer, and smaller is better of course. Maybe the lack of AC isn't that bad - I may just get rechargable batteries since I expect to use this a lot.

On the other hand, the skins and extra features on the Innogear (and the 128 Mb option and cheaper price) make it attractive as well. I think I'll wait a big until both products go through a software update...

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