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Apple yells back. And somewhere in the distant background SanDisk can be heard,
in what’s barely a whisper; how about songs on an SD card instead?
I admire the effort, SanDisk, I really do.
Here’s what they’re offering up:
Albums preloaded onto reusable SD cards;
files at 320kbps and DRM free. Couple that with a $20 SlotMusic player ($35 for
a brand bespeckled player) and you have a very accessible format. The player
also supports regular old SD cards, which means you can purchase a rather
inexpensive card and load it up with your own tunes for quick easy
listening. No iTunes syncing, no registering computers for usage. And with
albums priced at $15 a pop, it’s just reasonable enough to persuade the frugal
crowd.
But there’s also a hefty downside. Years of
iPods have basically set the standard for mp3 players, and that means text
menus at the least, preferably colour. The SlotMusic player offers no feedback.
And although it’s DRM free, people seem to be getting used to the idea of
cutting out the middle man and buying online (evidenced by iTunes position as
music retailer to the world); rousing folks to not only return to the ‘physical’
music store to purchase a brand new format might be a hard sell.
How about this, though; a niche market in
the casual music listener? SD cards don’t take up much shelf space, lending
themselves to counter-top displays or perhaps even vending machines. A $20 player
could be a decent airport pick-up or a gas-station purchase for a road trip. Its
limited feature set nearly forbids it from becoming your go-to player, but as a
back-up or for casual listeners, it fits all the criteria. What’s more is that
the DRM-free tunes can just as easily be loaded onto your iPod when you get
back from your vacation. Thoughts?
Certainly one huge factor that’s going to
determine the success of the SlotMusic format are the bands they offer. To
date, the line-up is as follows (they've got some work to do...:
+ ABBA
+ Chris Brown
+ Coldplay
+ Connie Talbot
+ Daughtry
+ Don’t Quit Fitness Bundle
+ Elvis Presley
+ Five Finger Death Punch
+ Jimi Hendrix
+ Jimmy Buffet
+ Katy Perry
+ Keane
+ Kelly Clarkson
+ Kiss
+ Leona Lewis
+ Lynyrd Skynyrd
+ Metro Station
+ MIA
+ Nelly
+ New Kids On the Block
+ Ne-Yo
+ Nickelback
+ Pussycat Dolls
+ Rihanna
+ Rise Against
+ Robin Thicke
+ Saving Abel
+ Shwayze
+ Solange
+ Sugarland
+ Tim McGraw
+ Toby Keith
+ Usher
+ Weezer
+ Young Jeezy
For the official word, check out the official page.
