Yes, they are having some "issues"

They have planned to release the new firmware this week or next.

Yep, but there's been a subsequent update from them, just last week; the new firmware is due at the end of July/beginning of August. With that timeframe as close as it is to the announcement I suspect there's a good possibility it will actually happen.

Oops - didn't read carefully.

With the current gen of minidisk, you can't (but big deal: carry a UBS pen drive), but the next gen of minidisk (set to launch pretty much anytime will allow you store data on it - I think 1 GB, but i could be way off). Some audiophiles thing that the sony ATRAC codecs are superior to mp3, but in a plane I don't think it really matters all that much...

Does this mean it will not make any noise?

The 4th gen iPod batteries are advertised to be good for 12. For typical use after a number of months, I'd estimate they'd settle in at 10 hours. Not as good as the Dell, but plenty good to get you across any ocean.

This, along with the fact that it integrates nicely with iTunes and plays the AAC music bought from the iTunes Music Store, might have something to do with my 12 hour workdays lately.

The feature description HERE looks promising. Maybe I will hold off returning the player for another week.

I have a Dell and a mini IPOD. I havent used the Dell since I got the IPOD. The limitation of the IPOD is certainly battery life. Mine ran out on a MR yesterday but pretty close to the end so it wasnt too much of a hassle. I usually charge it off my Powerbook but wasnt carrying that yesterday. There are a number of charge options available for IPODs to boost the playing time however. 8 hours or so, which I get off the mini isnt really enough. Even 10 isnt enough while I have used my Dell almost non-stop on JFK-SFO-PVG. I will be buying some booster or in flight charger or both for mine to deal with this.

Despite that, and the new IPOD has a better battery by the way, the reason I use the IPOD is the software for ripping, buying and loading music. In my opinion iTunes is vastly superior to the software that comes with the Dell. So much so that I cant bring myself to even deal with adding more songs to the Dell although I should work up the courage eventually.

I've had good luck with Archos products. My player will make MP3's in realtime from an analog input (very handy), will play mp3's of any quality, uses NiMH bateries that are USER-REPLACABLE (for you Apple fans) with any AA NiMH batteries.

The batteries are AA sized, so you can drop in 4 regular AA's in a pinch.

You can now get 20GB versions (mine is an old 6). They use a non-proprietary USB cable, and double as an external hard drive for any filetype.

New ones are also HS USB (USB2)...practically as fast as firewire.

They're also tough with big rubber bumpers on the corners. Great for travel.

Apparently, they lied. Now there is talk about end of August

I recomend the creative labs nomad, the newest model is the touch, check them out at nomadworld.com I have had my trusty zen for a while now, and it survived my rough handeling, only problem in the 2 years I have had it is a dead battery, which is now user replaceable.

Step over ipod, the Archos Gmini400 is here!!!!

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/arch...wed-020330.php

Step over ipod, the Archos Gmini400 is here!!!!

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/arch...wed-020330.php

I would personally disagree strongly with this quote. I feel 112 is adequate but below that you can clearly hear it is poorer if you compare the 2.

Now if you are using cheap headphones, maybe....

Yep, in retrospect they lied (althougth I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they simply miscalculated the effort needed to implement the desired features) but there is a real beta firmware out there now; one of the mods at MisticRiver is on the beta team.

OK, ScottC, we knows you don't like the iPod. But do you have to post this twice?