...and I'm sure it will be worth the wait

I'm not sure why anyone considers the 4G iPod to be a "next generation" product. It is a very minor refresh on the scale of things - Karma still out guns it on features (OK, on *relevent* features).

Rio have some pretty cool plans and a pretty cool strategy which I'm sure they will reveal when the time is right.

Rob

Yeah, it's the new (Audible compatible, yeah!) 5GB Carbon that bursts the 4GB iPod mini's bubble (at least, we all hope).

Speaking of which, I presume everybody's seen the CNet Labs "First Look" video?

I had a chance to see the Carbon prototype. Its a sweet unit. The pictures don't really do justice to its sleek shape.

Can't say I like the memo function. That definatly rules out taking it to work.

I think a misplaced apostrophe is a minor detail when it's just too easy to stumble on the "shipping later this summer" line. My company does it too, but I'm sick and tired of paper announcements. They're very unnecessary and just plain silly when the competition has already been out there with a similar product for the past year (iPod mini).

The best marketing strategy Rio could hope to adopt would go something like this: "Now available. Everywhere."

Having the "best product no one can buy" doesn't cut the mustard. Again, I feel the same pain where I work.

A portable in my future will require a minimum of 60GB and a path for clean and clear dockable car installation (that implies allowing for a readable display and convenient/integrated controls). As I've said before... I love the empeg and won't give it up... But if I could have it in a hand-held form factor.... Mmmmm.

Bruno

Problem is, sales channels are leaky. Either it gets pre-announced within a realistic time of street availability or people start finding it on eStores and don't get an accurate picture (the accuracy of descriptions on stores is often far from perfect).

ISTR the iPod mini was announced a couple of months before you could actually get it. The G4 was announced a few days before it was available, leaving retailers with hard to shift stocks of G3's - something which doesn't exactly endear Apple to many resellers.

Hugo

The channel leaks also caused pre-order pages to go up all over the place (with dates) for our Mac RADEON 9200 PCI card. We just shipped the CD out to production last week. Some stores had it listed for pre-order with an availability date of mid July.

It's definitely easier when introducing something that is not intended as a direct replacement for a previous product (such as our release of the Mac 9800 Pro - streeted a few days after announcement and shipped same day from our online store).

I just get really bothered to see a press release and product pages and then have the product slip for months. If it is a definite, then by all means announce with a 30 day window. But I don't like to see Doom3 or Half-Life 2 scenarios where specific dates are promised while the company knows fully well they're impossible to meet.

Now, how do I update my GF's 256MB Chiba to a firmware version that supports Mass Storage? More importantly, Soup views...

Bruno

When Rio released the Forge and Carbon press release Forge was already in mass production and Carbon went ino MP a few days later. No charges to answer Your Honour.

Rob

From Gizmodo:

Leaked information on the website of an online retailer has revealed more information about Rio's upcoming hard disk-based player, the Rio Chroma. While most of the data we already knew, such as the onboard SD-card expansion slot (although it's listed as SDIO in the specs, which might mean possible peripherals, such as Wi-Fi cards could conceivably be added), there are at least three confirmed bits of information that are very interesting. The first is that the Chroma will indeed come in a 20GB version (I had been betting on a 40GB version). The second is the price: listed at $390, but "on sale" for $319. And the final bit of info is just a little more information on the screen, which is listed as "16-bit," which can be read as a 65k-color screen.

Original speculation had put the Rio Chroma release date as next Spring. Should we expect it sooner? Bear in mind this information is not from Rio itself and could be inaccurate.

Still, can we get a picture, Rio?

I'll post the Technical Details information after the jump in case it is pulled. (Thanks, Aaron!)

· 20 GB BUILT-IN MEMORY STORES UP TO 330 HRS OF MP3 OR 660 HRS OF WMA
· PLAYS MP3, WMA, FLAC, OGG VORBIS, AUDIBLE® & WAV FORMATS
· 16 BIT COLOR SCREEN
· VIEW ALBUM COVER ART & PHOTOS
· VOICE RECORD
· SDIO EXPANSION SLOT ALLOWS TRANSFER OF PHOTOS FROM A DIGITAL CAMERA
· DRAG & DROP OF MUSIC & DATA FILES
· 12-HR RECHARGEABLE BATTERY
· 5-BAND ADJUSTABLE EQUALIZER WITH PRESETS
· COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS® 98SE, 2000, ME, XP
· INCLUDES DOCKING CRADLE, REMOTE CONTROL, CARRYING CASE, EARBUDS, USB CABLE, INSTALLATION DISC, QUICK-START GUIDE & WARRANTY

Matthew

This eBay auction claims to have the Rio Carbon "READY TO SHIP". True? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...ssPageName=WDVW

The press release went out on August 2, and Rob mentioned the Carbon went to mass production a few days later. Do you really think they're already in the channel?

--Dan.

Now to play the waiting game..

Patience is a virtue.

True, patience is a virtue. But you could be listening to a Karma right now...

Well if that is what it looks like, it seems Rio has adopted a standard look across the line between the low and high end Carbon, and now possibly the Chroma. I'm just hoping Best Buy carries it, since my Karma still has a good 3.8 years of coverage. Right now if the Karma breaks down, they wlll likely replace it with an iPod.

Standard look is nice and well, but does anyone know what kind of software is running on Chrome?

It was developed by the empeg guys. I'm sure it has the same base as all of their other products.

Only a 12 hour battery life

Screen looks a little small, and only having an SD slot seems like a weakness, will there be a CF adaptor?

Not that I will be buying another Rio partable, at least until they start offering even the most basic of add ons.

Cheers

Cris.

I wouldn't read too much into battery life just now. At least wait until its been formely announced. I think CF would have made it to big - looks like they want to keep the form factor etc as small as possible.

Greetings!

Much speculation about an electronic image from an unknown source of a device that has never been announced, published by a web site that is known for its hype of previous "products" that never existed.

Disclaimer: I am a Rio beta tester under NDA, so I cannot say anything useful or informative.

Discalaimer - I was at last years Euro meet, so I also can't comment on anything I didn't see there