XM Radio announced today their new MyFi portable audio player. Its about the size of an MP3 player but tunes into their satellite radio service. ... XM news release and picture of the unit at: Designtechnica News link
PC Magazine's story: Radio buffs, your life could change for the better, and soon. Today XM Satellite radio took its competitor, Sirius Satellite Radio, to a new level of competition with the announcement of the Delphi XM MiFi—the first handheld portable receiver for satellite radio. The XM antenna is integrated into the wireless device, which runs on a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery (rated for 5 hours of battery life). It will sell in early December for an estimated list price of $349, plus the cost of an XM subscription. ¶ Approximately the shape and weight (7.3 ounces) of a hard-disk MP3 player, the MiFi can tune in all the XM stations, but it can do much more: You can program it to record specific stations and shows (up to two at a time). And if you are listening to a song you like, just press down the jog wheel and the song will be recorded. The MiFi holds up to 5 hours of recorded content in its built-in Flash memory. The memory is not expandable in this model, though XM Senior VP Dan Murphy says that's a feature Delphi may implement later on. ¶ The player has a six-line scrolling display that can show a stock or sports ticker, if you choose. Included in the box are home-use and vehicle kits and a remote control, as well as earbuds, a belt clip, and a carrying case. The MiFi has a built-in FM transmitter, so you can play it on your car's sound system. While listening, you can rotate the jog wheel and see what other stations are available and even what's playing on them. ... PC Magazine via Yahoo! News link
If your ear has been to the ground recently, then you may have heard that more XM2Go models are coming. Well folks, they're here, and they aren't an improvement.
They are the Giant "Tao", and the Pioneer "Airware". Both models include the full car and home kits that the standard MyFi kit offers, and sadly, the same price as well.
This a bit surprising when it comes to the Tao, as it's literally the OEM version of the MyFi, except with a different black finished shell. Giant, who makes the MyFi for Delphi, has trotted this out in an effort to cash in as well, but instead of the savings you'd expect without the Delphi branding, the unit is still close to $300. The Airware, on the other hand, looks quite different. It is narrower, looking a bit less like an iPod than the other two, bit more like a iPod mini, or a cell phone. It's also less ergonomic in design, with its controls laid out in a grid pattern. It also will retail for around the same price.
At the moment, the MyFi is the way to go, except for that pesky price due to the included car and home accessory kits, which has come down closer to $200, but still ain't cheap.
Delphi, in anticipation of the new XM2Go models, has come to a conclusion...sell the MyFi alone. It's called the MyFi "Lite" and is basically the same unit, but with earbuds and a charger alone. It currently sells for around $100 (You can all breathe a sigh of relief now) ;)
If that is still a stretch for you, then there are alternatives like http://www.freemyfi.info
However you get it, you'll be glad you did.
Posted by: TakenAback | Wednesday, 18 May 2005 at 08:46