iPod mini killer? RIO CARBON, 5 GB mp3 player

[brucekatz]

Digitalnetworkusa is selling Rio Carbon limited edition 5 GB mp3 player for $249, with 3 months of Napster service and 20 songs, plus laser engraving. (Amazon will have it for $225, player only). 20 hours of battery life is true advantage over iPod; it doesn't look bad, either.

This player is treated as comeback for Rio, a couple of early reviews favor it over iPod, read them Pocket-lint, and IGN.

Edit:
Although iPod is new religon for many, some still want alternative.

Here is an official review from PC World, check it out, if you are in market for a mp3 player; no need to totally dismiss Rio Carbon before you read it.

Edit again:
Another review from Gear Live, 9 out 10 rating. If you are in the market, worth a look. By the way, I am not personally for Rio Carbon, or against iPod mini. Only because, my mama told me, you better shop around.

Edit one more time:
The micro drive should be the same drive as in Creative Ramps MuVo 2, you can see how the 5 GB drive is removed at vr-zone. Good deal for the microdrive alone.

Edit one extra time:
Rio Carbon microdrive was removed at greghughes, it can be used in Nikon D70 digital camera, to see is to believe.

 

[JafCo]

Real cool piece of hardware. 5 gigs is a drawback for some, but it is still a ton of music.

 

[dethman]

killer? highly doubtful.

apple will always retain name recognition, and until someone releases something similar to the ipod for half the price(and not ridiculously ugly or large), it will remain market leader. tech reviews mean nothing to the general public.

but it's always nice to see more competition drive prices down.

 

[Seizure]

Yea, it still doesn't have the sleekness and chic design of the ipod. Apple industrial designers are just top notch.

 

[ai42]

WTH how is it supposed to be an ipod killer if they only make 500?!!

 

[PoPPeR]

Originally posted by: ai42
WTH how is it supposed to be an ipod killer if they only make 500?!!

lol

 

[MaxDSP]

is it just me or does this thing look cheap and fugly? Even if this thing was $200, I'd probably pick the Mini @ $250 over it.

 

[50]

Hopefully this will drop the price on the older version (rio nitrus). IMO the nitrus looks a lot more sleek, plus I don't need 5 gigs of space. Thanks anyway

 

[Bakku]

looks ugly

 

[imported_SNP]

I wonder it's hackable...like MUVO 1, anyone has more detail of it?

 

[k124]

yeah, looks fugly to me -- just got myself a 40 gig ipod and am very pleased -- at first i thought it was silly to have so much space and that i could just keep switching up what i had on a 4 gig mini, but it's very convenient to be able to throw most of my collection on there and not worry about running out of room or having to delete stuff to add new stuff

 

[Clocker]

actually i think the muvo2 looks better than the carbon even if the screen is smaller. also i hate the ipod engineers or apple engineers since they make everything look so damn good.

 

[gspyer]

I am never going to understand why other companies can't design their products to look as good as Apple's. If they brought this fugly thing to me, and asked me, I could have told them it was fugly. I have a theory on this actually. They don't design these things in America because American industrial design artist want too much money. They must design there things where they manufacture these things: China or India or Korea... countries not exactly known for their "art eduction". The art designer of this POS probably pulled double-duty as an engineer too. It's like when games used their own developers as voice actors.

 

[konakona]

Originally posted by: gspyer
I am never going to understand why other companies can't design their products to look as good as Apple's. If they brought this fugly thing to me, and asked me, I could have told them it was fugly. I have a theory on this actually. They don't design these things in America because American industrial design artist want too much money. They must design there things where they manufacture these things: China or India or Korea... countries not exactly known for their "art eduction". The art designer of this POS probably pulled double-duty as an engineer too. It's like when games used their own developers as voice actors.

lol so is that why american car companies make most aesthetically pleasing cars? add US to that list of countries that arent know for the "art education"

 

[hans007]

the ipod is a status symbol.


it doesnt matter if its worse, its an apple ipod.

its like a bmw 5 series vs a cheaper faster car that isnt made by bmw.


i see people like... they have the white apple headphones on and people KNOW they have an ipod for that reason alone and it gives them that i own a $300 piece of crap that holds way more mp3s than any person could need status.

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: VanillaH

Originally posted by: gspyer
I am never going to understand why other companies can't design their products to look as good as Apple's. If they brought this fugly thing to me, and asked me, I could have told them it was fugly. I have a theory on this actually. They don't design these things in America because American industrial design artist want too much money. They must design there things where they manufacture these things: China or India or Korea... countries not exactly known for their "art eduction". The art designer of this POS probably pulled double-duty as an engineer too. It's like when games used their own developers as voice actors.

lol so is that why american car companies make most aesthetically pleasing cars? add US to that list of countries that arent know for the "art education"

chrysler 300c is a great example. looks like ass , like a really bad looking rolls , and the rolls never looked great anyway. yes us americans are so artistic and tasteful

 

[weepul]

haha. it looks like an egg to me. maybe cause i've been watching too much I Love Egg:

http://www.newgrounds.com/collections/iloveegg.html

//krunk (^_^x)

 

[Wookieboy]

http://gmail.google.com/gmail/...-a023acc959-b59e443e0d

Nothing to see here, move along.

 

[yougotdeals]

There is the regular carbon and then there's the SE one. There isn't really much difference between the 2.

I'll stick with my Karma.

 

[ChoppedBroccoli]

Lol...you guys are real funny!

Honestly, why do you care how it looks? Do you go around showing this player to pick up girls or something? Half the time the player is going to be in your pocket or in your hand. I hope you don't honestly think anyone cares that you have some cool looking DAP in your pocket....do you?

There are some arguments against the Rio Carbon that are RELEVANT:
1) Interface/Navigation: click wheel is nice
2) Screen size: screen size is a bit small on the Carbon

Other than that, the Rio Carbon wins out or ties on most every other IMPORTANT category:

...from a Mac forum:
----------------------------
Size: Carbon
Storage: Carbon
Battery Life: Carbon
Sound Quality: Carbon
Equalizer Settings: Carbon
Voice Recording: Carbon
Supported Formats: Carbon, since it will support iTunes, WMA
Ease of Use: Carbon, since you don't have to go through iTunes
Included Earphones: Even
One Handed Navigation: Carbon
Menus: Even
Price: Even, expect both to drop
Backlighting: Carbon
Looks: Mini
Accessories: Mini
3rd Party Accessories: Mini
FM Tuner: Neither
Other Functions: Mini
Software: Even
Transfer: Even
Tilt: Mini
Warranty: Mini
Reliability: Even
----------------------------

The Carbon is smaller, has more storage, has better sound quality...it may not be an iPod Mini killer, but it is definitely fair competition, especially in the categories I would care about. And the battery life comparison isn't even close. The Carbon says 20 hours, but users on riovolution.com have been reporting 23 hours. The iPod mini comes in around 6 hours.

Take look at THIS PICTURE for a SIZE comparison.

Here is a thread at the riovolution forums comparing the two players.

Note:
I am not saying you shouldn't buy the iPod mini over the Karma...the mini is a nice player, but people should try to be informed about a player before buying it for the sake of looks.

Also the title should be changed to "iPod mini killer", since the iPod and the Carbon target two totally different DAP segments.

 

[trikster2]

I think the main question is:

I could care less about the mini vs carbon debate.

The main question: Can I rip the 5gb hard drive out, use it in my digital camera, and put a cheap card in the carbon for my music?

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
is it just me or does this thing look cheap and fugly? Even if this thing was $200, I'd probably pick the Mini @ $250 over it.

I agree. I don't know why they couldn't have gone with a more conservative shape. It does stand out and does distinguish it from the iPods. However, it doesn't look appealing to me.

 

[ChoppedBroccoli]

Originally posted by: trikster2

I think the main question is:

I could care less about the mini vs carbon debate.

The main question: Can I rip the 5gb hard drive out, use it in my digital camera, and put a cheap card in the carbon for my music?

Why not just buy the HD by itself, and get a flash memory mp3 player?

 

[Passions]

FUGLY FUGLY! YOU MAMMA SAID YOU FUGLY!!

 

[cheap]

Dunno why all the bashing, looks pretty slick to me. Maybe a bit too much on the wide side.