Microsoft “Media2Go” is a platform for portable media players that will begin shipping from OEMs such as Viewsonic in late 2003. The Media2Go software platform is based on the next version of Windows CE .NET, code-named Macallan. Read the story at WinSuperSite.
Microsoft “Media2Go” Preview
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So are the OEMs restricted to use MS codecs only? is there some (easy) way for the user to install new codecs?
Anyway, I doubt that they will get a lot of costumers, even if they support other codecs. $500-700 is way too much, at least if there’s not even a built in DVD player.
I’d rather get a portable DVD-player and a couple of TV-glasses thank you
the most obvious question of all. You’re exactly right, rain.
Paul will hither and dither about “well… maybe some OEMs will want to include FireWire… and well, that’ll be an option.” Of course it will and of course OEMs will want to ship models with FireWire.
They will also want to include other codecs, Paul? Can they do that too?
In my opinion, Paul doesn’t know because Microsoft won’t tell him. And its a trade secret to the OEMs involved.
Media2Go is about a player and its formats. But I’m quite sure they would allow OEMs to bundle in codecs but I doubt any OEM would do that. Why? Media2Go already supports the most popular codecs. And even if it doesn’t, it would only effect the popularity of the platform.
Besides, I really hope those photos are of prototypes, and the final product won’t be the same. Why? All of them are ugly. Well, that’s a understatement. And Media2Go should have a UI with higher contrast because users of this would be mobile. In other words, cut the eye candy.
MS powered toilet seats?
Ok I can see how MS are modifying their business model to target media and other devices, but what does this bring to the table that isn’t already available? Say I have a pocket pc, a microdrive and the right apps – I can happily watch a divx movie, listen to plenty of music…
Who needs to carry 8000 wma encoded songs around with them? And $500 to $700? It seems to me that the MS design team are thrashing the same ideas around over and over…
I’m a fan of MS, Windows XP Pro is my OS of choice and it serves me well…but I don’t understand why they have this need to release MS powered everything. If we’re not careful the market place will be flooded with similar products, with no real distinction between them – from cheap pocket organisers all the way to laptops there will be a big vague collection of products in the middle. There’s no need.
Actually, a media player is very different from a PocketPC that plays DivX. Why? Because it is made for it. If it is priced less than $500, I can just see a lot of people having one of these.
Besides, as for 8000 WMAs, I doubt anyone is going to load that much of music. I personally have 20-25GB of MP3s and Oggs, collected from over the years. But if I have this player, most of the space would probably go to video.
Apple proved that there is indeed a market, Microsoft is about to make it cheaper. Besides, I have yet to find a PocketPC or a Palm or any other PDA including the Zaurus that have good sound quality. Even the Clie falls short of expectations. Having something dedicated is much better :-).
“Media2Go already supports the most popular codecs.”
All Paul mentioned was wma/wmv. They’re the most popular? Are you kidding? mp3 is still much more popular than wma, and now mp4 is starting to hit the market. wma has made it into many audio players but not close to all. wmv is made it into fairly few digicams and camcorders. And the format can be played on virtually no home DVD players.
Give me a break.
“Apple proved that there is indeed a market, Microsoft is about to make it cheaper.”
Actually Apple made the best of the existing audio market. Intel has already been selling Media2Go for a year and it’s lame. Who wants to watch a movie 4″x4″ when I can use a 15″ laptop or a 10″ personal DVD player (that’s cheaper by the way).
Microsoft is going to make it cheaper? I’ve watched Apple push the price down over $200 in a year. And I’ve seen Archos and others really compete on price (though they can’t on features). Now MS is going to let dying OEMs produce cheaper, crappier versions for MORE money (and they are still A YEAR AWAY)? How are they making it cheaper?
All Paul mentioned was wma/wmv.
Yes, most probably encoding and decoding support would be given for these two formats. But for the rest of the formats, I’m sure there would be decoding support. Otherwise this thing is doom to fail.
Besides, to quote from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/embedded/pmp/
“Your Video High quality video experience to play your personalized digital video and home movies in Windows Media® Video and MPEG formats.
Your Music High quality audio experience to play your digital music and playlists in both Windows Media Audio and MP3 formats.”
wmv is made it into fairly few digicams and camcorders.
However, wmv is growing with popularity on the Internet, I can find more WMV movies than MP4 ones. Plus, with the amount of money Microsoft is spending to market Windows Movie Maker in Plus!, whom the main export format is WMV, this format has only one way to go: up.
has already been selling Media2Go for a year and it’s lame.
Intel have been selling something similar in concept. But very different to consumers. One of the main difference is in the amount of storage space and the resolution of it. It isn’t “Media2Go”.
While this one, if the final version have a good screen, while maintaining the standard (or giving higher) resolution, this could prove good for Microsoft.
As for the iPod, before it there were many hard disk MP3 player makers, none of them doing it right. If Apple manage to do it right with iPod, I’m sure Microsoft could do the same with Media2Go.