Mike Anderson;167500 Wrote: > Based on my own preferences, and from what little I know about other > computer users: > > I think you guys REALLY REALLY need a slick, responsive, clean-running > GUI along the lines of the iTunes software. For example, the ability > to drag and drop songs to make playlists. A slider to forward or > rewind through the song. Something that doesn't have to refresh. > Etc. > > I'd be willing to be that the present software interface (and all its > bugs) is the number one reason your average customer shies away from > this product.
As a programmer, I absolutely LOVE the current web-based software approach. As a rational person, however, I couldn't agree more with Mike. You don't have to drink the Kook-Aid to realize that the vast majority of _potential_ (and a good majority of current) Squeezebox owners are running Windows systems and that they have come to expect a more feature-rich user interface. The software interface IS the face of the device to most people. I think a good native Windows application would sell many tens of thousands of Squeezeboxes. Secondly, to appeal to an even greater number of people, the "slim" approach needs to be rethought, perhaps not for all products in the lineup, but certainly an all-in-one solution has been requested by many, many people. The biggest issue is that of needing to run a PC 24/7, and it comes up constantly in these forums. A product that houses a low power consuming server and hard drive(s) within the body of the music device is the logical answer. Last, I think the Transporter missed the intended mark just a little bit. I've seen the analog stage design critiqued by many audiophiles and electronics designers in a number of other audio forums. Not that this makes the Transporter sound any worse (actually, I think it sounds wonderful), just that I don't believe that at its price point it has nearly the appeal to the audiophile crowd as was hoped. If you intend to continue pursuing this market then maybe collaborating with a good, experienced audio electronics designer would be a good idea for future products. -- JJZolx Jim ------------------------------------------------------------------------ JJZolx's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=10 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=31324 _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
