Slim has long said that they would like to
concentrate on one product. This may seem
frustrating for users who'd like to see something
else, but for a small company like Slim, it makes
sense:
- reduced inventory
- greatly simplified sales process
- ease of technical support
They also do not want to expand into the video
market and want to devote their efforts on audio.
There have been many people asking for Slim
video, but I agree with Slim. Concentrate on
getting one thing right. Not only that, the
streaming video market is much more advanced than
streaming audio now. There are dozens of
competitors from some very big names. From a
personal perspective, I never understood what the
big deal about video is. IMHO it's much harder to
get audio right.
With regards to the Squeezebox display, I'm afraid
I'm going to have to disagree with you again. It
is as good as it gets! Supremely bright and
legible from at least 20 feet away with the
default fonts, 40 feet with the large font...and I
wear glasses!
Yes, the remote could use work, but since it's so
easily replaced by a universal remote it's a
non-issue. I wouldn't want to pay extra for an
included fancy remote when the SB doesn't really
need one. And if you want one, there are lots of
good universals out there - and of course the
ultimate remote control would be a Nokia 770.
You really should try out a Squeezebox with FLAC
files. You don't know what you're missing. This
is an extremely capable product with excellent
audio performance, better than most consumer
equipment out there.
Linksys may be a big name in networking, but audio
isn't their core competency in the slightest. I
would be very surprised if their product was made
with the same quality and was capable of the same
performance as a SB.
Sonos certainly pays attention to audio but their
closed format and extremely high cost keep me
away. And I don't like the fact that you don't
have a digital output and have to use their own
amplifiers. I'd like to use my own, thank you
very much...
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.
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
>
> I know that there are others, but Roku Wireless B
players don't do it
> for me, and if you read the forums on thier web
page, there are lots of
> problems with stability.
>
> What I want is a Slimdevice system in my house !BUT!
with a really
> really good remote like the sonos. Slimdevices could
also come up with
> a Squeezebox "light" edition without a screen, for
people who want to
> hide it. Maybe a version with less connections?! I
know there are a
> couple of audiophiles out there who would dissagree,
but I (like most
> people here) have a 192kbs collection of MP3's and
only use the analog
> connectors unless the stereo it's connected to has a
spare optial
> input...
>
> What is the most important is the remote. I don't
even care if the
> remote is a Nokia 770 with software running on it
(not a web
> interface). I just don't want to squint across the
room...
>
> Please gods of media players, hear my prayers
>
> PS: What about a slim video player?
>
>
--
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Mark Lanctot
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Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca
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