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The latest digital media player to be released by iriver in the US is the super compact Lplayer. Boasting OGG, FLAC, and XviD support, the flash player packs a 2-inch TFT display, D-Click navigational system, FM radio, and other extra features into a glossy casing that could be sitting in your hand today for just $82 (2GB), $101 (4GB), or $141 (8GB) from Warehouse123.com.
Read my full review below to find out if the Lplayer is right for you.
Although iriver is best known for its innovative and sleekly designed digital audio players, one of the company's latest CES-unveiled DAPs to hit the market is the rather ordinary-looking USB stick device known in various regions as the T7, the T7 Volcano, or the Stix.
The 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB players are due for release in the US soon but can already be ordered from Warehouse123.com. The T7 may not win anyone over with its uninspiring design, but with OGG and FLAC support, FM tuner, and prices starting at under $50, it's certainly worth a look.
You may remember that one of many new products unveiled by iriver at CES 2008 was the Wing, a little white clamshell featuring a 4-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, flat QWERTY keyboard, wi-fi, 2-megapixel camera, and embedded Linux Kernel 2.6 (see 10 live photos).
While several devices have been released since then (e.g., E100 and W7), not a word has been spoken about the iriver Wing during the past 4.5 months. So I got in touch with iriver PR to ask for an update. I was hoping for a price point, press shots, and some information on availability. Instead, I was told that just about everything about the Wing, including its specs and design, are all still "tentative."
Though the news makes me wonder whether the Wing will meet the same fate as both W10s (the UMPC shown in 2006 and the PMP that essentially became the W7), iriver does seem to still be working on it. "Once we determine all final specs," the company's PR person told me, "we will have updated photos." Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but the use of the word "once" is much more promising than the word "if" would've been.
If the recent appearance of the iriver D5 multimedia e-dictionary at the iriver America e-store had you thinking that the original Korean user interface was replaced by an English one, then you're not alone. Why else would the official US store sell the tiny clamshell without mentioning anywhere on the product page (see below) that unless you could read Korean, everything appearing on screen would look like indecipherable lines and boxes? I don't know but unfortunately, that's what the company is doing.
Since many e-dictionaries, including my iriver D26, don't include an English option and the D5 was clearly running Korean firmware when shown at CES, I contacted iriver to find out for sure. This is what they said: "Yes. User interface is in Korean. It is not able to be changed into English. At this point, we don't know when D5 that is compatible with English will come out."
So, that's that. The D5 now available at the iriver America e-store is not in English.
Thanks to Pocketables reader pk, I just learned that iriver America has quietly begun selling the metallic D5 multimedia e-dictionary at their online store. Available in both black and white, the 2GB ($299.99) and 4GB ($349.99) clamshell media players are the first e-dictionaries in the company's Dicple series to ever be sold in the US.
Iriver doesn't mention whether the UI is in Korean [Update: It is], as it was when I played with it at CES 2008 and as it should be given its intended audience, but they do reveal that the tiny handheld ships with a pouch, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, installation CD, and printed start guide.
This year's winner of CNET's Best of CES award in the MP3 and Portable Video category was the iriver W7, a widescreen (480 x 272) digital media player that features a touch-based interface, Flash Lite 2 support, miniSD card slot, and GPS capabilities through an optional car cradle.
Already available in Korea, the 4GB/8GB flash player is said to be slated for release in Europe and the US soon. But until a firm date is given, you'd be better off paying a visit to Warehouse123.com, who bundles the 8GB device (in violet) with a charging cradle and a third-party bonus kit.
Read on for my full review.
If you've been waiting for the official U.S. release to pick up the iriver E100, the company's first digital media player to support FLAC, then click on over to Amazon.com with your credit card in hand. The mega-retailer now lists all five colors of the 4GB ($110)
Highlights of the device include a microSD card slot, line-in recording capabilities, and built-in stereo speakers. For an in-depth look at the player, including photos and a video demo, check out my iriver E100 review.
At CES 2008, iriver unveiled a panoply of new digital media players it planned to release in various regions throughout the year. First out of the gate in select countries and scheduled for a U.S. debut by early April is the iriver E100. In addition to being the company's first device to natively support FLAC, the E100 has built-in stereo speakers, line-in recording capabilities, and a microSD card slot.
Read my full review below to decide if you'll be first in line to pick up an E100. And if you can't wait for the official release, Warehouse123.com is standing by with 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models in stock and ready to be shipped to you today.
The iriver Mplayer, better known as the Mickey Mouse MP3 player, recently made a new friend.
It's called the iriver Mplayer portable speaker, a precious 1.1-watt speaker that can connect to practically anything and isn't yet available in the US. Not without the help of friendly importers like Warehouse123, anyway.
Read my full review and check out a smattering of pictures below.
If you've been considering the iriver clix 2 as your next digital media player but haven't been too keen on the price, you'll be pleased to know that iriver America is honoring a special discount coupon good for 25% off a 4G clix or clix Rhapsody. The coupons were available at the company's CES booth, where the player was represented by the newly released (in Korea) DMB-enabled clix+, so they're only good for a limited time.
