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Gateway Announces MP3 Photo Jukebox Aimed at iPod

by , 3:15 PM EDT, October 28th, 2004

Two days after Apple announced the iPod Photo, Gateway has announced its own music player and photo viewer device called the Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox. The device offers 4GB of storage, a 1.6" (128 x 128 resolution) color LCD display. This compares to iPod Photo's 1.8" (220 x 176 resolution) color LCD. Gateway said the unit will ship in mid-November, and is priced at US$249.

The MP3 Photo Jukebox supports JPEG and BMP image files, and MP3, WMA, and AAC music files (iTunes Music Store downloads are not supported). This is one of the few devices that supports the AAC format outside of Apple's iPod product line.

In Gateway's press release, the company said "The new Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox will make anyone currently on a waiting list for other mini-digital music players think twice," clearly positioning the new device against the iPod. Apple has heretofore found it difficult to meet demand for the iPod, particularly the iPod mini, and Gateway wants to position its product to take advantage of that.


Gateway's MP3 Photo Jukebox

Gateway has partnered with Napster's Napster To Go music download service, and is giving away one free month of the service to customers who buy the MP3 Photo Jukebox. The device will support other WMA-based music download services as well.

You can find more information on the MP3 Photo Jukebox at Gateway's Web site.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Subject:

Maybe it's just because my family's first computer was a Gateway, but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for them.

This thing looks better than most of the others I've seen paraded through here...hope it does ok for them...

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Poor marketing strategy

"The new Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox will make anyone currently on a waiting list for other mini-digital music players think twice,"

That has to be one of the worst marketing ploys I've heard of.

"You may want to consider jumping to us because we can foist our inferior prodct on you faster"

Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Subject: Re: Poor marketing strategy

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
"The new Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox will make anyone currently on a waiting list for other mini-digital music players think twice,"

That has to be one of the worst marketing ploys I've heard of.

"You may want to consider jumping to us because we can foist our inferior prodct on you faster"


Heh heh...yeah, if I was one of these companies I would be SCREAMING about Windows Media Player and how I could sync with it. There have to be plenty of people out there who had huge music libraries in WMP before iTunes came out on the PC and they don't feel like switching programs.

JUMP on those people and you'll have plenty of business! Even if it's a small percentage of PC users it's still a huge market.

Close Name:John F. Braun -   TMO Staff Posts: 233 Joined: 11 Jun 2001
Subject: So Close...

Why is Apple the only company that seems to be able to figure out that people may want to display their photos on a screen other than the one built into the device? The least they could have done is offer a larger screen than Apple...

Close Name:Biff Posts: 1479 Joined: 08 Apr 2004
Subject:

Ah I remember back in the day when Gateway was just starting out and they had those ads in PC World with the big pictures of the farm... ah the good ol' days. Hehe.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: price,

ya, iPod is better, BUT am I the only one who thinks that the $599 price is just CRAZY!!!!! I mean, this is $350 less than Apples!!!! I thought the iPod was too much at first, still do actually, but it sells. No matter what, I do not thing the $599 iPod will sell at all!!! WAY TO MUCH!!!!

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

So, does anyone think Apple will eventually release an iPod Photo mini? I don't know squat about this player but if they can sell if for the same as the mini with a color screen why can't apple lower the price of the mini?

Close Name:Guest
Subject: What a Joke

The very idea of Gateway doing consumer electronics is such a joke. I have to LOL!!!!!

I'm sure the Gateway Jukebox will be a big hit right after their TVs, you see them everywhere right?

Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Subject: Re: What a Joke

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
The very idea of Gateway doing consumer electronics is such a joke. I have to LOL!!!!!

I'm sure the Gateway Jukebox will be a big hit right after their TVs, you see them everywhere right?


Well hey, I don't think this is fair. Their TVs didn't go anywhere because they tried to sell something before it was cheap enough to be popular.

To me, this is the same as the Apple Cube. The would have sold MUCH better if they were cheaper, but at the time that's as cheap as they could make them.

It was just too early in both cases.

I don't make fun of the cube for failing, do you?

Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Subject: Re: price,

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
ya, iPod is better, BUT am I the only one who thinks that the $599 price is just CRAZY!!!!! I mean, this is $350 less than Apples!!!! I thought the iPod was too much at first, still do actually, but it sells. No matter what, I do not thing the $599 iPod will sell at all!!! WAY TO MUCH!!!!


Well, for starters, this one is 4 GB and the iPod is 60 GB. I mean, I think Apple has to charge for those extra 56 GBs, you know.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Not too bad really

probably the best looking iPod killer I've seen yet.

Close Name:aaronsullivan Posts: 87 Joined: 22 Oct 2001
Subject: It has ONE advantage over iPod photo

From the info page:

"Love photos? With its camera-connect capabilities, the MP3 Photo Jukebox can also store your favorite digital pictures. Just plug in your camera to download images to the player. It even features a 1.6" color screen, perfect for sharing pictures with family and friends."

It does have this one advantage: It can hook up to your digital camera directly. Why Apple left this off the iPod Photo I don't know, but they left an achilles heal. Of course, also in this quote is the reason this Gateway thing is a total failure: You can't show your photos on a TV.

Close Name:randompro42 Posts: 236 Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Subject:

this seems to be better suited for competetion with the miniPod

i think this may be the first product to take on part of the iPod lineup directly, and it would be the gateway photo and iPod mini

gateway
advantages
color screen, photo viewer
disadvantages
inconvienent location for specs-- hard to find (and discern to the lay person)

miniPod
advantages
actual information, easy UI, brand name quality (instead of shutting down stores, new ones are opening)
disadvantages
production issues

there are goods and bads to both-- i may have to actually walk into a best buy and look at one of these to see UI, battery life info, and such-- as $249 is tempting

TRO

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Battery

First off, it's not an iPod. But it is much better looking than that Dell DJ.
Secondly, it has a removable battery!!. Very Cool, and it looks like a standard Motorola V80 phone battery to boot.
Plus it does play AAC.

This has to be one of the best alternatives to the iPod.

Will I get one? Nope... already have my iPod.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: If they have product, people will come.

Apple can do all of these fancy handstands, but if they don't have product people get dissapointed and alternatives.

Apple's slipping market share could be attributed in part to the lousy supply chain Apple employs. Our office waited six months to get an X Serv. We ordered them as soon as they came out at the first of the year. Our IT department had a fit we were bringing one in, and a bigger fit that they had to keep an open spot for 6 months. Twice we almost lost the spot to a cheaper, more readily available server they were going to "buy for us" in place of the one Apple couldn't produce. Needless to say it was an embarrassing 6 months, especicially after Apple cancelled our order several times due to supply issues.

I see the same thing at our local CompUSA, bad enough you have to buy it from them, good luck if they can get it from Apple. People bought the display models for the new iMacs the first day because that was all Apple sent out. The local Apple rep had ordered a ton of product only to have Apple refuse to ship it due to supply issues. He's pretty much convinced his Christmas order isn't coming either.

We've tried to convince our IT department to try a few desktops just to see if they might not diversfy the load of what they have to do. The biggest argument to not try Apple is based on the XServe wait and similar stories they have heard from other IT departments about a lack of expensive product.

I'm not a big Gateway fan, but if they have product, people will come.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Sync

But does it sync with my photo library? Or do I have to manage the Gateway MP3 player library separately from the my computer-based library?

Does it copy my photos as is or does it reduce the resolution (and file size) to what is needed on the player?

And how easy will it be to pick music to accompany my photos?

There's certainly much more that Gateway has not yet revealed about their product.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Re: If they have product, people will come

Dude, quit spitting on the keyboard when you type and you wouldn't have as many missing words and confused thoughts.

Apple is doing ok, did you see the stock price today? So what if you had to wait 6 months, wasn't it worth it to show off? People will wait, they always have.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Gateway's model is the one that's too expensive!

Quote
Guest wrote:
ya, iPod is better, BUT am I the only one who thinks that the $599 price is just CRAZY!!!!! I mean, this is $350 less than Apples!!!! I thought the iPod was too much at first, still do actually, but it sells. No matter what, I do not thing the $599 iPod will sell at all!!! WAY TO MUCH!!!!


Well, I just got my 60 gb iPod Photo - I called the local Apple Store, and they had just gotten their shipment in. When I picked it up, I asked how many they had sold - the manager wouldn't give me an exact figure, but one of the salesguys who I've bought from before told me 10 were sold in the last 3 hours, and half were the 60 gb version. And this is on a Thursday night in a fairly quite mall.

As far as price points - let's look at the numbers: $249 for 4 gb - that's $62.25 a gb. The 60 gb iPod Photo is $10 a gb. Seems to me that it's the Gateway is the one way, way overpriced. I guess Gateway is looking to horn into the Mini's market.

I have always been an early adopter - I bought an iPod when they first came out - paid $400 for 5 gb. I resisted upgrading because I didn't like the 4 button version - and by time the 4th gen was released, I really needed a large iPod and there were always rumors about the 60 gb Hitachi drives. Frankly, manually loading and unloading paylists on the 1st gen got so old that I stopped using it except when travelling. Never had problems with the battery - I was able to get more than 8 hours of playtime - put on the music when I took off from JFK and didn't stop the music until the captain announced we were about to land in Paris - usual request to shut off all electronic devices. I think I could have gotten another 2 hours out of it.

Anyway - I wish Gateway the best of luck - they are going to need it. The iPod Photo is another triumph of design and engineering. And I can't wait to show it off!

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Apple can do all of these fancy handstands, but if they don't have product people get dissapointed and alternatives.


Well - in the case of the iPod Photo - they are available right now. I just got mine from my local Apple Store, which is expecting 2 shipments a week from Apple for all flavors of iPod, through the Christmas season. If you've been paying any attention to the tech news - you'd know that Apple's been stocking up on the Hitachi drives.

The iPod Photo is a thing of beauty - works like a dream. I couldn't be happier.

Another triumph for Apple - long may Steve's RDF reign!

Close Name:Bookman Posts: 543 Joined: 22 Apr 2002
Subject:

This will definitely steal some sales ... from Dell, Rio, and Creative.

Close Name:lorienken Posts: 2 Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Subject:

We should wish them luck. Competition is always good - drives costs down and speeds up progress. Imagine what Apple could do, if they already have such great products when no one else even comes close to them, if they had viable competitors.

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Yeah they charge for storage but i could buy a brand new computer for 80 more gb's. iPod needs to reconsider that price, somewhere around 300

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Mac idiots.

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