X-bit labs

CeBIT 2007 Coverage: Part X (page 8)

Category: Editorial

by Anton Shilov

[ 03/26/2007 | 09:56 PM ]

CineWalker: TakeMS Brings Cinema to the Palm Top

Whenever a new digital media player with some interesting features is released, the media immediately calls it “iPod killer”, be it a new player from Microsoft, or a new offering from an unknown Chinese vendor. In the vast majority of cases Apple’s market share remains unaffected by the release of a yet another “killer” device.

Most definitely, CineWalker from takeMS company is not a killer for the iPod, but it may be good substitute for iPod shuffle, as at the same price-point with iPod shuffle it has a colour screen and video support. Even though the CineWalker is not as slim and neat as iPod nano and cannot offer capacities of the full-sized iPod, it may be a nice option to consider by those who want to have a portable media center at a very affordable price-point.

 

The CineWalker from takeMS features 2.5” screen with 320x240 resolution that can display up to 260K colours, 128MB of integrated memory and a slot for Secure Digital memory cards for further expansion. The device can playback music (MP3, WMA, WAV files), view images, playback videos (MP4, ASF files), record voice and even play some basic games (Snake, Tetris). The CineWalker player may be useful for those who do not listen to music all the time, but need a player for infrequent use, for instance, during short-haul air flights (the battery inside will hardly survive a long trip).

Currently CineWalker is available for about €89, the price-point of Apple iPod shuffle, in some countries in Europe. Given its feature-set, the solution from takeMS may be an interesting alternative for those who do not need a player for everyday use, but would like to have a mobile multimedia center at a low price-point.