[slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
i am rather new to the wireless game,.. but having just got my SB3 .. I am lovin it I agree with your comments about the remote.. and before learning of the SB3 I thought that Sonos would have been my best option.. but the beauty with SB3 is that it is open to change.. so in terms of my remote .. I use a sony PSP running on their latest firmware which allows you to connect to a wpa-spk encypted network.. I use the hand held skin and is is great for connecting to the server and using as aa remote I agree that a bundled package would be good .. but what with so many options out there it is quite easy to sort out your exact needs... i think the SB3 / PSP remote combo is pretty hard to beat. -- rick's cafe WHEN MUSIC HIT YOU YOU FEEL NO PAIN!!! rick's cafe's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3021 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19943 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
Sike Wrote: > I am a long time Slimp3 user and now have 9 active Squeezeboxes around > my house and connected in different houses via Wireless Bridges. > > But the market is starting to get interesting. First Sonos rolls out an > ugly system with a !WONDERFUL! remote and now Linksys has entered the > game with a "WMB54G". Links: > > http://tinyurl.com/dv7xw > > http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=465 > > If you read that second link - one of the posters claims the Linksys product already been *discontinued*, stalled in development, shelved, etc, due to various issues. LOL. -- Cleve Two-channel system; McIntosh MC2205 amplifier McIntosh MAC4100 receiver Klipsch CF-4 speakers Denon DR-M3 Cassette Deck Cleve's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2048 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19943 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
Gavin: So far for the Video I have a couple of old XBOXes attached to each tv in the house. The Xbox Media center (runs on moded XBOXes is the best player around. i can play ANYTHING) Mark: I fully agree. I don't wear glases (which may be the root of the problem...) but I just love the idea of being able to control the Slim's from anywhere in the room without guessing what it says on the display.. I'll get a Nokia 770 when it comes out over here. Switzerland is always the last to get these things... -- Sike Sike's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2458 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19943 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
I also like Squeezebox the way it is, but it can always be better. Didn't we hear "good is the enemy of great"? :-) Honestly, big does not necessarily beats small, but fast can beat slow. Slim has been an innovative company and it has to continue staying way ahead of others to even maintain its niche market. The reason is obvious: other commodity players will eventually figure out ways to do exactly what Squeezebox does today with a lower cost. That's exactly why Slim should stay ahead by continuous innovation and not play Linksys's commoditization game. Linksys is mostly a middleman, a business based on the ODM model. It does not have a substantial R&D inhouse, and has to rely on Asian manufacturers who have no deep insight into U.S. consumer behaviors to design and develop products targeted for U.S. consumers. The result is evident. On the other hand, Apple has been a rather innovative company. Despite it's a lot bigger than Slim, it's still a small company in its market segment. And it is fast too. Apple have been beaten many times by itself and competitors if looking at its overall history. It has its dark past: sit on its success in its niche for too long and stopped innovation. I would encourage Slim to tackle the so-call giant by playing smarter and faster, and continue innovating. Mark Lanctot Wrote: > > In summary, I like the Squeezebox the way it is. :-) > > Slim would be in danger trying to compete > head-to-head with Linksys. Apple is entering this > market too, with a stationary iPod device. The > very words "iPod base station" would likely > revolutionize this product category and get it > into the mainstream. Slim cannot hope to compete > with Apple and Linksys on their own turf. Apple > has chewed up and spit out their competitors in > the portable market. Slim does have a niche for > itself - making players capable of extremely > high-end performance, powered by free, open-source > software. Apple or Linksys couldn't and wouldn't > meet either of those requirements, so Slim will > live on provided it doesn't try to tackle these > giants head-to-head. > -- wei wei's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2414 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19943 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
dean Wrote: > An excellent replacement for a long RCA cable, but otherwise not that > interesting. LOL! Good for people who *only* pulled cat5 through the walls before sealing them? -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19943 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
Mark Lanctot Wrote: > Regarding the Nokia 770, Canada may win the "last to get it" race. :-) > And it will cost a pretty > penny here - $500 CDN at least. Hi Mark: The only thing I've been able to find about Canadian availability is "no comment". Is there actually a schedule for availability? And a price? Or are you just extrapolating? -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19943 ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
RE: [slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
Sike,
is that the original Xbox? Does it stream off a server? If so it sounds like
a nice cheap solution.
Currently I have an old Pioneer DVD JukeBox which works well but is slow and
running out of space.
thanks
Gavin
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Re: [slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
I believe the poster was referring to a previous product, the WMLS11B, but he certainly doesn't have a very positive view of the product! Slim's *discontinued* products are still fully supported and functional to the best of their hardware ability. There will be no new features, but bugs will still be fixed. Slim's record of squashing bugs is light-years ahead of Linksys' track record based on what the second poster states. I also notice that there's no display. I don't have a networked PC on all the time in the room - it would be a hassle. The SB screen displays just enough info to be fully functional. I have no requirement for networked PC control except for very occasional use. Cleve wrote: > Sike Wrote: > >>I am a long time Slimp3 user and now have 9 active Squeezeboxes around >>my house and connected in different houses via Wireless Bridges. >> >>But the market is starting to get interesting. First Sonos rolls out an >>ugly system with a !WONDERFUL! remote and now Linksys has entered the >>game with a "WMB54G". Links: >> >>http://tinyurl.com/dv7xw >> >>http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=465 >> >> > > > > If you read that second link - one of the posters claims the Linksys > product already been *discontinued*, stalled in development, shelved, > etc, due to various issues. > > LOL. > > -- ___ Mark Lanctot ___ __ Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
Sike: try out the large display font. I can easily read that without glasses. It is *huge*. Regarding the Nokia 770, Canada may win the "last to get it" race. :-) And it will cost a pretty penny here - $500 CDN at least. More expensive than a Squeezebox, certainly. Sike wrote: > Gavin: So far for the Video I have a couple of old XBOXes attached to > each tv in the house. The Xbox Media center (runs on moded XBOXes is > the best player around. i can play ANYTHING) > > Mark: I fully agree. I don't wear glases (which may be the root of the > problem...) but I just love the idea of being able to control the > Slim's from anywhere in the room without guessing what it says on the > display.. > > I'll get a Nokia 770 when it comes out over here. Switzerland is always > the last to get these things... > > -- ___ Mark Lanctot ___ __ Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
The WMB54G is a "virtual sound card" product and is similar to the Airport Express in functionality, except without the access point/ bridging/print server functionality. No user interface, just a driver for software, Windows only. An excellent replacement for a long RCA cable, but otherwise not that interesting. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
Yes, certainly, Slim shouldn't stay put with the status quo. They should build on their strengths and do something no one else does or will want to do. Lots of companies do video, some do audio, but Slim is one of them that does audio *well*. One of the key aspects is SlimServer. Due to the architecture of the SlimServer/Squeezebox system, radical changes in Squeezebox operation can be achieved by software changes in SlimServer. Beat that Apple or Linksys! And since the software is open-source, development is rapid and 3rd party plugins are abundant. A Squeezebox running using SlimServer 5.x or even 6.0 isn't the same Squeezebox running using SlimServer 6.2.1. Another niche for Slim is sound quality. Commodity manufacturers cannot hope to achieve their sound quality. Commodity manufacturers could likely beat Slim on price, but if they attempted to match the Squeezebox's sound quality, the cost wouldn't be that much lower because they'd have to do some serious R&D to come up with such a product. You can't fit all of Squeezebox's operations on a C-Media chip...it'll require serious R&D, specialized, low-volume parts and lots of firmware development. This is expensive, even for Linksys and Apple. It's also quite time-consuming. Slim has a large head start in this department. A Squeezebox bundled with a Nokia 770 would be a great idea. It would be an expensive package to be sure, on par with Sonos at least. But Slim would just be a 770 reseller, the warranty and support for the 770 would be through Nokia, and Slim would be able to get a volume discount. They wouldn't have to stock or produce 770 parts either. wei wrote: > I also like Squeezebox the way it is, but it can always be better. > Didn't we hear "good is the enemy of great"? :-) Honestly, big does > not necessarily beats small, but fast can beat slow. > > Slim has been an innovative company and it has to continue staying way > ahead of others to even maintain its niche market. The reason is > obvious: other commodity players will eventually figure out ways to do > exactly what Squeezebox does today with a lower cost. That's exactly > why Slim should stay ahead by continuous innovation and not play > Linksys's commoditization game. Linksys is mostly a middleman, a > business based on the ODM model. It does not have a substantial R&D > inhouse, and has to rely on Asian manufacturers who have no deep > insight into U.S. consumer behaviors to design and develop products > targeted for U.S. consumers. The result is evident. > > On the other hand, Apple has been a rather innovative company. Despite > it's a lot bigger than Slim, it's still a small company in its market > segment. And it is fast too. Apple have been beaten many times by > itself and competitors if looking at its overall history. It has its > dark past: sit on its success in its niche for too long and stopped > innovation. > > I would encourage Slim to tackle the so-call giant by playing smarter > and faster, and continue innovating. > > > Mark Lanctot Wrote: > >>In summary, I like the Squeezebox the way it is. :-) >> >>Slim would be in danger trying to compete >>head-to-head with Linksys. Apple is entering this >>market too, with a stationary iPod device. The >>very words "iPod base station" would likely >>revolutionize this product category and get it >>into the mainstream. Slim cannot hope to compete >>with Apple and Linksys on their own turf. Apple >>has chewed up and spit out their competitors in >>the portable market. Slim does have a niche for >>itself - making players capable of extremely >>high-end performance, powered by free, open-source >>software. Apple or Linksys couldn't and wouldn't >>meet either of those requirements, so Slim will >>live on provided it doesn't try to tackle these >>giants head-to-head. >> > > > -- ___ Mark Lanctot ___ __ Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Re: Linksys is getting in the game
No I haven't heard anything specific, I'm just going by past "hot products". I can't find the MSRP for it anymore - it's like Nokia has changed its mind about selling it. The Nokia US web site says out of stock and gives no indication of price or when it may actually be in stock... IIRC it was about $350 US. After the exchange rate, add the "gouging bonus" we usually get...$500 CDN at least. And that's *IF* it's ever available. --- Michaelwagner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Mark Lanctot Wrote: > > Regarding the Nokia 770, Canada may win the "last > to get it" race. :-) > > And it will cost a pretty > > penny here - $500 CDN at least. > > Hi Mark: > > The only thing I've been able to find about Canadian > availability is > "no comment". Is there actually a schedule for > availability? And a > price? Or are you just extrapolating? > > > -- > Michaelwagner > > Michaelwagner's Profile: > http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 > View this thread: > http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19943 > > ___ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com > http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss > __ Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
