.A week ago I made a list of things I'm thinking about doing next with my life. Everything from playing poker to starting a video version of Weblogs, Inc. On the list I added a throw away joke about making a better iPod with Peter Rojas (the famous editor of Engadget).
Peter responded to it (and did a followup), and then Dave Winer (the genius behind RSS and OPML) chimed in. Now Michael Gartenberg from Jupiter has chimed in, and what was a fantasy has now turned into a feasibility study.
Peter is meeting with Dave, and I just had dinner with Peter. Maybe the Rojas player (or the RWC player) could happen. Maybe we can do a short run and pre-sell the first 1,000 signature players--all of them autographed by Peter Rojas himself. I'm will to put the money up for the first run if Dave Winer will match me.
For me the key features are:
1. Open source software.
2. Wifi
3. No DRM
4. Removeable media (i.e. Compact Flash)
5. Preloaded with three shows from the top 200 podcasts
As far as standard batteries I'm not sure about this one since portable flash players use so little power and last so long. Maybe having an add-on to charge with standard batteries would be best. I'm of course open to removable rechargeable batteries.
As Dave points out any hint of DRM and the project is over. We don't need any VC money to do this Dave. We just produce the best player and make 1,000 of them--all presold. The money comes to us first and we don't have to put up *ANY* money. After we get 1,000 made we do version 2 six months later and produce 10,000 of them. If that sells out we do 100,000. We are not doing this for the money anyway... if it becomes a 10,000 device a year company and we break even I'm fine with that--I just want a better player!
We're not creating a better iPod--we're just *talking* about making a better iPod
Reader Comments
(Page 1 of 2)2. Maybe I'm missing something... why removable media? Just because it is a standard part that could be easily replaced? I don't want to carry around more than the device. Does anyone want to have to carry around disks of any kind, even just little Compact Flash cards?
Posted at 1:48PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Alan Carr
3. Where do I send my cash? I'm down.
Posted at 1:58PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Otto R. Radke
4. See, I like the idea of removable media. I would prefer SD over compact flash, but I like it. I use SD cards for my digital camera and my mp3 player. It keeps things expandable, especially for long trips away from home like vacations. This is a great idea, with great minds behind it. This idea, with these three people on board, has so much potential, not just in design, but also in the branding/marketing of it. Imagine a Calacanis (as well as Winer and Rojas editions) Signature Edition, preloaded with CalacanisCast/JasonNation and some of JC's favorite pod/vidcasts, rss feeds and other content as well as a custom skin for the device and/or interface. They could even bring in some of their friends/colleagues for "signature editions". The possibilities are endlessly cool.
Posted at 2:28PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Tony
5. It would be cool to have a built-in podcast agregator for updating podcasts on the go. Also recording function with a built in mic. And who knows? With a built in mic and open source sw an enterprising developer could write a wifi voip client for it as well. But I would stick to designing a good basic open source media player.
Posted at 3:32PM on Nov 30th 2006 by bill streeter
6. Isn't the MP3 player dead yet? Who wants to carry around more than one device? Taking off your headphones to answer the phone.
Forget the mp3 player make a phone! The do all everything device that works well and connects to your computer for syncing. 1 part phone, 1 part mp3 player, 1 part camera, 1 part email/IM device, and 1 part electronic organizer. The hard part not making it the size of a brick and make it easy enough my Mom can use.
Posted at 4:14PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Greg Furry
7. Damn Jason, you make it sound so easy. How many software and hardware engineers will you need? Who are you going to outsource it to? How long will it take to ship? You won't break even selling 10k units that first year after you've sunk all sorts of money into development and then into support.
I still think you're better off designing the functionality of replacement software for existing hardware - there are at least three players with your WiFi (Music Gremlin, Zune, Archos 604). Give the software away, set up a web portal covered in Google Ads where folks sync podcasts and share music and video clips.
If you pull it off, I'd like 4% of ad revenue the first 18 months. ;)
8. Make sure you get an industrial designer in on this if you're actually serious about this thing. It will NOT sell if it looks like some 1st gen Rio audio player, no matter how many great minds go into it.
Posted at 5:03PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Adam
9. Jason,
Have read your blog for awhile now and finally am commenting. I agree with D Zatz. You're going into some new territory now. Your past businesses have focused on bytes and an electronic product (i.e. webpages/blogs) with virtually zero product costs vs. an inventory intensive and product development model.
Just my 2cents.
Posted at 5:05PM on Nov 30th 2006 by The Blogder dasher
11. FYI,
Look at portelligent.com for "tear-down analysis" of existing players on the market- you can get BOM (bill of materials) summaries from them too. That shoud give you a pretty good idea on how much it costs to build one. The reports are not free but if you're serious, this is a good place to start a feasibility study.
Other things you have to take into consideration are:
- Cost of Cad tools (Board layout, packaging, emulators)
- Cost of Test equipment lease (O-Scopes, digital analyzers)
- Prototype iteration costs
And that's just on the technical side- Manufacturing will be the easiest part (all they need are the output files from the design tools.)
Not an easy task to start from scratch but not impossible either and it sounds like a fun project.
Posted at 6:52PM on Nov 30th 2006 by notOne
12. Jason, you definitely on to something. I would suggest the following next steps:
1. Brainstorm a feature/function list (scribbling each one on a Post-It is my favourite technique)
2. Group the functionality into four buckets:
- core = must have
- nice to have = squeeze it into Release 1 if feasible/economical
- (one day) will have = for Release 2+
- fogedaboudit = what was we finking anyway?!
3. Use your blog to market research our view of the core feature set and price point (I'd say sub $100).
The smaller the core, the purer the idea, the better the product. Go minimalist, I'd suggest: monochrome screen; no USB just WiFi... or just USB no WiFi; Flash memory.
I'll think about it more and drop you an email.
Posted at 7:03PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Rodrigo Dauster
13. A good software starting point would probably be Rockbox. - http://rockbox.org/
Posted at 9:09PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Tristan McCann
14. While I support you in your effort, I think you would be bound to fail unless you realize one really important fact: people want to *buy* DRM-free music. Currently, the iPod is a DRM-free player of sorts. I can play DRM-free MP3's and AAC files. The iTunes Store is where the DRM is added.
Unless you come up with a way to sell DRM-free music, your project has little to entice anyone to buy it. Apple will eventually match the other features- WiFi and possibly even removable media. The iPod also has a huge embedded base. Car manufactures are advertising their cars as iPod-ready. Try to get Ford, GM, Toyota, or Honda to support your player without selling millions of them, and they'll laugh in your face.
So here's my friendly recommendation: Don't put the cart before the horse. Create a music store that sells DRM-free music, and then concentrate on creating the player. I doubt the major music labels will go for it though. Only eMusic has had any success in this area.
Seriously, *really* ask yourself what good a DRM-free player is without a way to buy new music for it (other than ripping a CD), and without the music-store, how is your player any better than an iPod?
Posted at 10:15PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Scott-O-Rama
15. a potentially relevant data point:
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/blog/mobileojisan/0,39050793,61971060,00.htm
Posted at 11:40PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Ben Miller
17. If you go with a screen, please let it do IM :D
Posted at 12:28AM on Dec 1st 2006 by jonas
18. I think comment no 7 summed it up the best, there is no future in mp3 players, I have an ipod that I dont use because I dont like carrying around a bulky gadget, I much prefer to use the microsd card in my mobile phone, and as technology improves, that is definitely going to be the way of the future. Also, at the end of the day, most people will go for a brand name product that they know will be properly supported.
19. Don't listen to the haters, Jason. They're just jealous that they don't have the means, connections and resources that you do.
Look at the Neuros and the Chumby for the "hackable" factor, not just in the software but also the case (skinning).
If it is $300 or less and can get video podcasts from any wifi point (including password-protected or secure feeds for corporate use) I will pre-order one.
Posted at 3:40AM on Dec 1st 2006 by Ryan Price
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1. I would most def be in for a player that you guys develop. C'mon and make it happen guys!
Posted at 1:43PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Shawn