From: Mike Holden <rockbox_at_mikeholden.uklinux.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 15:52:03 +0100 (BST)

Shawn Watson said:
> The JBFMR is smaller because the four batteries have been removed and
> replaced with a lighter and less bulky but fixed! Li-ion, not because of
> the radio. If the radio is just a simple chip why didn't they just add
> it to the JBR and leave everything else as it is? It seems none of these
> MP3 player manufacturers want to refine a good player, instead they
> create new models with the features that customers asked for, but the
> features that they were happy with before removed (actually, the iPods
> seem to be the only ones refining). The JBFMR is not a refinement of the
> JBR, or a step forward, it's a step sideways. The Creative Nomad Zen NX
> is not a refinement of the Creative Nomad Zen, it's also a step
> sideways.

Fair enough - that clarifies it!

Basically there's no money in refining electronics these days. They don't
want to compete with their own older products, but they will compete with
new products from competitors. A (seemingly) minor update may be costly to
them, and not make much market impact, so effectovely loses money. Easier
to restyle and produce something that looks different with a couple of new
features every so often (FMR and Multimedia models) rather than try to
improve battery life of the old models for example.

Same applies to the firmware. Archos don't appear to really develop new
versions of firmware for old models. Again it costs them money, and gains
them nothing since it's only really of use to people who have already paid
their money. People who already have a working firmware aren't going to
pay money for a revised firmware.

-- 
Mike Holden
Rockbox page: http://www.mikeholden.org/~rockbox

Received on 2003-08-14