Hey folks, Valkor here. I’m actually gonna touch upon a topic that was brought up during CES 2006. (Yup we’re STILL not over that hump. We will get over it eventually but for now just humor us). Ok so I was talking with one of the reps over at Philips about the GoGear and I actually caught myself making a mistake that I've criticized many others before. I asked “How does the GoGear compare to an Ipod?” DOH! What makes this even worse is I don’t even OWN an Ipod! Double DOH!! Now I’ll bet you’re wondering “where’s the mistake?” The answer lies within, for you see the Mp3 world does not revolve around the Ipod. In fact, the MP3 world is so saturated with MP3 players before and after the IPOD, it’s no wonder anyone would ask that question… And many have!!
I made a point to note that I am not really all that impressed anymore with MP3 players in my pre-ces report, only because they’re just so damn many players to choose from, that it simply comes down to taste. But it saddens me that people only look at Ipods for their MP3 needs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hatin on Steve Jobs and all that he has done for the MP3 format, because he's helped bring into the light MP3 players and the power that these devices hold. Hey I give the man much praise for all that he’s done and the fact that he can continue to gather the masses with each new incarnation is astounding. Start out with the Ipod, the people gather and rejoice. He comes out with an Ipod with color, Ipod mini, ipod mini with color. The people gather and rejoice some more. Then the Ipod NANO makes its debut, even more people gather and rejoice, and now their new incarnation: The Ipod with Video and flocks upon flocks of people swoop down into the pockets of Steve Jobs and they empty their wallets into them, all in an attempt to cash in on the next best thing. Kudos to you Steve, you are one heck of a guy and you really know how to milk the masses for all their worth. Because basically people all those Ipod trophies you have… their essentially the same thing. One does video and one doesn’t. Nice.
And here is where I make my point: The world doesn’t revolve around Ipods and if you don’t own one, you're not out of the MP3 loop. Yea the Ipod is the shiz to some, but you know when it comes right down to it, it’s an MP3 player with little options, only being able to play music and video. But then you have people who overlook players from companies such as Creative, Sony, Samsung, Philips, and a host of other companies out there whose players do more than what the Ipod can do. As far as I am aware the Ipod doesn’t have an FM tuner or record songs from said tuner, and it doesn’t have a voice recorder. Creative’s does, Samsung does, so does Philips. How about video? Your limited to that small square, how about getting a PSP for the same money as you pay for that Ipod Video and you get a wider screen to enjoy movies with. Samsung, PQI, and even the Archos does video on a much wider screen giving you a much broader view of your films. Trust me you can really, REALLY see the difference. And don’t get me started on that battery life. I had the chance to do a side by side comparison with a coworker who owned an Ipod video vs. my PSP. We both fully charged our devices and commenced to play a movie. After 3 hours, the Ipod video was conkin out and my PSP had enough juice left over for some gaming.
Again people I’m not hatin on the Ipod, I think it’s a wonderful product and it certainly deserves to be at the pedestal it’s on now. However when it comes to other options, I think many folks out there need to think outside the Ipod box and delve into what else exist on the horizon. And if they come to the conclusion that the Ipod is the choice for them, GREAT! At least ya took the time to explore. If you’re reason is “because everyone has one!” then Booooo to you. Come on, that’s 1st grade talk. An Ipod is an expensive device, money most 1st graders don’t even have (Unless you’re like a child of Bill Gates or Donald Trump). To end my rant, some people love the Ipod world they choose to live in and hey who can blame ‘em? But I think the grass is greener on my side of the fence and I wouldn’t have it any other way.