Comments on: One More Spin of the Format Upgrade Cycle for Music Industry: Preloaded microSD Flash Cards

By: Brian Hellauer

Brian Hellauer — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:49:27 +0000

Once flash memory cards shrank beyond the size of a postage stamp, their utility was greatly reduced. With microSD, you want to get it into the device ASAP and leave it there. slotMusic might be a nice novelty purchase but that’s about it

By: Mike McGuire

Mike McGuire — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:35:46 +0000

Nick,
Thanks for the review.
1) True enough, but this effort really isn’t aimed at all current online music fans. My personal take is that this has everything to do with providing multiple market alternatives to the iPod/iTunes ecosystem. compatibility with iPods wasn’t, or doesn’t appear to be a priority.
2) True enough. I would caution, however, trying to insert a microSD card, or any other flash memory card, into a device while driving is about as smart as texting while driving. So I don’t think that’s a big market inhibitor.
3) True enough. That’s why it’s important to rip the contents to a hard-drive as soon as possible.
4) I suggest you and I (and I can barely read the teeny tiny font in the “reply to comments” window) might not be the target for this one.

By: Nick Jones

Nick Jones — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:05:57 +0000

I can see lots of challenges with this and not many advantages. Such as: (1) lots of music players – like iPod, don’t have micro SD slots. (2) inserting a micro SD into most music enabled handsets is really fiddly and involves opening little hatches in the side of the handset. Certainly impossible to do with one hand or while you’re driving. In a couple of cases you have to remove the back of the phone to indert a card. (3) microSD is so easy to lose because it’s tiny. (4) I can’t read the label on it without my glasses. I can’t yet see why I’d want one of these.