from China: a 20-GB PMP and a 20GB CE.net 4.2 PPC????

A Chinese digital manufacturer Init Technology recently annouced its 20GB Portable Media Player Dream’eo a320 at the promo. price of $361. Nothing new. nothing attractive. Why post the news here?

http://www.init.com.cn/chinese/products2/?P_ID=32&ID_Lv1=1

Let me tell you. what catches my attention is that this PMP is based on the CE.net 4.2 OS and the user can turn this PMP into a 20GB Ce.net PPC with a single click.

once powered on, this PMP is a PMP. U can play tons of movies with its 20GB hdd. but on the root menu, there is a menu item called PDA. CLick on it and the xxxx turns into a standard Ce.net PPC.

the speci. are not bad.

PXA 250 CPU 400MHZ (drains 2 much power??). 32MB ram (too small??) 20GB HDD. TV out spdif out，s-video out 2200mah battery 3.5in 320*240 tft disp.

USB 2.0 slave. USB 1.1 host+cf slot. u can plug in your cf card and transfer your DC's photo to the 20GB hdd.

Some users (even the semi-official info from the manufacturer)claim a CF GPS is possible, then this PMP becomes a GPS machine. U dont have 2 worry about the big big maps. Dont tell me u r travelling around the glboe??? Hey man, u still 20G to fill.

as we all know, after tweaking, ce.net can run some and vital PPC appz, this could prove extremely useful for some users.

some Cons.

uses 2.5in hdd. makes it too thick. at least 2 times of a Dell x50V

130 mm *85 mm * 31 mm

the user can sometimes feel the vibrations of the hdd, especially the PMP is powered on. I doubt a320 uses some out-dated 2.5in hdd.

the software in ce.net status can not be installed to RAM coz a320 is still not a real PPC: the internal RAM is not powered at all once the PMP is turned off.

any ideas???










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a320a.jpg (45KB - 38 downloads)
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iamjoe, you have brought some really interesting stuff to these forums. This pmp is really wild! Is the interface in chinese? Could you post a shot of it turned on?

I think that one day, based on the interesting examples shown, we'll all be using gear from China. Nobody else can compete on a cost basis, and the current big companies will OEM from original Chinese designs. Not today or tomorrow, but it will happen.

The pmp is too costly, IMO, I can buy a jukebox and used good used hpc for less in total. But the concept is fascinating.

Keep on bringing the unusual devices to our attention. They make interesting reading.

Interesting...

But, it's got QVGA - kinda small screen.

And did I understand this correctly: you basically said this thing would hard reset everytime you "turn it off"? That is quite a serious inconvenience...

Anyway, a 20 GB PMP that can run CE is indeed a first.

In china, the prices of PMPs are still generally high, compared to the average people's income. In addition, these PMPs cost more in China than in other countries due to the domestic taxation system.

Such a $361-20GB-PMP is among the lowest priced ones in the country, partly due to the fact that it uses 2.5inch hdd.

interface in China, of coz. no eng. version yet. the co would probably sell it on the internatioanl market or just OEM it for other companies.





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This PMP does not belong to me. I just share some pics with you. But I would try to keep the Info as accurate as possible.

---thing would hard reset everytime you "turn it off"? That is quite a serious inconvenience... --


I heard such a bug from an a320 user. i would try 2 confirm it.






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If it DOES use a 2.5" HDD, you can always plop in a 100GB model :-)

Every time you suspend it erases all data.
That is really weird. That is a very bad defect (if it's true)