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Disposable MP3 Player for Nine Bucks

WEDNESDAY APRIL 12 2006 12:00 PM

Submitted by WilWheaton. Edited By WilWheaton.

CoolTechZone just gave me a little geekgasm with the news that we'll soon have acces to a disposable MP3 player:

The simply designed player runs for five hours off of a single AAA battery, and can hold as many songs as you can cram onto your SD card. That's right; Evergreen keeps the cost very low by letting the consumer provide the memory. Considering most of us either have SD cards lying around or know where to get one for cheap, this is a pretty reasonable idea.

So as RAM continues to drop in price and eventually becomes as disposable as paper (something my futurist geek friends have been predicting since 1990), MAKE-ers will be able to come up with all sorts of cool projects. I, for one, think something like this would be really cool as a travel bug.

CoolTechZone also says that this would be a great gift for a kid who isn't ready (read: responsible enough) for an expensive iPod.

How long before someone whose business model is threatened by this declares that it will be used by "The Terrorists," do you think?

18 Comments

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EndedBen

Grand Rapids, MI

August 2004

APR 12, 2006 12:08 PM

This could be great for those who can't afford a more expensive player or those who aren't tech savvy enough to work with complicated menus and settings.

I don't understand circles, sor-ry.

Also, did they mention how you would transfer songs to the SD card? Would you need a reader or will the player hook up to your preskool typewriter?

[Edited on Apr 12, 2006 by SuperNintendo]

GeckoFabulous

Hawaii National Park, HI

October 2005

APR 12, 2006 01:52 PM

captainoats

Bronxville, NY

September 2005

APR 12, 2006 05:42 PM

I'm not a hardcore environmentalist, but it always bothers me when I see a new, completely unnecessary, disposable product. Like when aluminum foil companies put out commercials suggesting you line your pans with their product so you'd never have to do dishes again. Or people who buy disposable Gladware instead of reusable Rubbermaid.

I know someone probably said the same thing when they came out with disposable diapers, but Jesus Christ, disposable Ipods?

Hooraydiation

Boston, MA

October 2005

APR 12, 2006 05:52 PM

So the sound quality really sucks or they break easily or what?

What makes these things disposable as opposed to just really cheap electronics?

[Edited on Apr 12, 2006 by Hooraydiation]

AceTracer

Hollywood, FL

January 2004

APR 12, 2006 05:59 PM

captainoats said:
I'm not a hardcore environmentalist, but it always bothers me when I see a new, completely unnecessary, disposable product. Like when aluminum foil companies put out commercials suggesting you line your pans with their product so you'd never have to do dishes again. Or people who buy disposable Gladware instead of reusable Rubbermaid.

I know someone probably said the same thing when they came out with disposable diapers, but Jesus Christ, disposable Ipods?

Pipe it hippie, the future waits for no one.

Darke

Trego, WI

June 2005

APR 12, 2006 06:24 PM

AceTracer said:

Pipe it hippie, the future waits for no one.

Until, of course, the future gets crushed by a pile of its own detrius.

Jack_Straw

Fairbanks, AK

December 2004

APR 12, 2006 06:48 PM

maybe they just break really easy. I know a few people that have already thrown out half a dozen nanos

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH

April 2004

APR 12, 2006 06:53 PM

I actually reuse my Gladware.

quagmirething

I'm lost

June 2005

APR 12, 2006 08:49 PM

It doesn't sound disposable really. You can change the battery and keep on using it like you would anything else. So, unless it breaks really easily, I'd say it's really cool

Use rechargeable batteries

EmbersOfChaos

I'm lost

February 2006

APR 12, 2006 09:33 PM

i know, seriously they could make a cheap one with a lith-ion battery and a friggen solar cell on it, use geranium crystal earbuds and the power would last forever. put a crappy 500 meg chip in it, and thats 200 songs, its not a lot, but thats about 10 hours of mp3.
and no matter how cheaply it's built, can it be as bad as the nano?!

dingoes8

Milwaukee, WI

March 2004

APR 12, 2006 09:36 PM

What's this SD Card you speak of?

Someguysteve

USA

September 2005

APR 12, 2006 09:49 PM

You can throw yours away, I'm keeping mine.

animalwound

Belize

March 2006

APR 12, 2006 10:00 PM

I like cds! Still! I would like a new media device, but more chip based. Buy a chip of your favorite band! YOu could hook those up in vending machines, no need for the retailer. Disposable mp3s does sound kind of dumb, but hey I can see a Mcdonalds "value" meal costing that much eventually so whatever floats your nuclear submarine.

Speedphreak

Climax, MI

February 2004

APR 12, 2006 10:02 PM

Clov said:

I actually reuse my Gladware.

I've got some I've had for years.

Helter

Chester, PA

OLD SKOOL

APR 13, 2006 01:15 AM

CoolTechZone needs to look into their coding practices... Full database error messaging is a development toy, that stuff shouldn't make it into production.

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