Kevin O. Lepard;148294 Wrote:
If you're not buying it because it doesn't perform, that's one thing.
If you're not buying something that does perform, but because it says
Logitech on it instead of AUDIOPHILE EXPENSIVE BRAND X on it (or
for that matter SlimDevices), then I stand by my original
why are BO and Bose so popular for example?
I believe it is due to successful marketing combined with adequate
performance. I'm not claiming either provide audiophile or even
best-for-cost performance, but both are well-marketed and perform
well enough that the majority of their customers
Quoting CardinalFang
[EMAIL PROTECTED]:
.
You've just described the audiophile market :-)
Again, we're back to the Slim Devices name having value.
I agree that Slim Devices has earned some street cred.
Now Logitech will have the gear to bring value to their name in new
markets as well.
put the same spec Philips TV next to the BO one and people go
for the badge.
You're probably right, to a certain extent anyway.
There are definitely some who don't care about the badge or cost,
only results. And if the results can be had for fewer dollars, so
much the better. A good
konut;148335 Wrote:
I look forward to the day, in 5 years, when I'll have a SB6 in my shirt
pocket. A flash based 2 terabyte device that uses QUAC( quantum
universal audio codec) files, controlled by a Harmony fob, in my pants
pocket, and viewable on the Logitech MONacle( media optical
First of all, congrats to the SD team! It is a challenge to find an
exit strategy that preserves the value of the Intellectual Property
that you have created.
In my limited experience in MA, I have learned that there are dozens
of factors that determine the outcome of an acquisition. The two
Michaelwagner;148338 Wrote:
To claim that you know, as a certainty, that this is going to be a
disaster, is whining.
No it's not whining and you're just being insulting. I have no problem
with whatever happens, I have my Squeezebox and I'm happy with it. I
have a point of view based on
CardinalFang;148379 Wrote:
I *do* expect Sean and team to leave and set up other companies at the
end of their earn-out - that's fairly typical for these situations and
is why there is an earn out. We got the products we paid for, the
company grew up and got taken over, that's the way of the
CardinalFang;148379 Wrote:
you're just being insulting.
No insult to you, Cardinal, intended. Sorry if it was taken that way.
However, there is an insult going on here.
The real insult that I see is the insult to the principals in the
merger.
Most in this thread have assumed that they, who
sorry guys,
except for sean and the inner circle that benefit from the $20m this is
extremly bad news.
I understand that the sd management prefered to take the money instead
of taking the risk of the next innovation step on their own bill. since
the really great idea of a slimp3 years ago the
On the contrary, I think Slim has an excellent record of innovation.
The hardware has evolved, in only a few years, from something that was
useful but clunky and inelegant, into a best-of-breed product which
looks great, sounds great, has vastly more functionality, and is the
same price as the
docbee;148401 Wrote:
since the really great idea of a slimp3 years ago the innovation has not
been at a noticeable high level
On the contrary, between the SB1 and the SB2 they completely redid
everything inside, going from an MP3 chip they bought off the shelf to
something they totally
nicketynick;148373 Wrote:
Anyway, the corporate beast simply will not have the flexibility or the
focus (serving the masses takes a lot of resources) to remain on the
cutting edge of product development. It's a pretty reliable cycle -
small companies do cutting edge, get bought out when
Why would you hesitate to buy a Transporter due to the Logitech deal? The one you get will doubtless still say SD on it...On 10/20/06, mauidj
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Personally I do fear for the core values of SD and I am currently
holding my finger over the buy now button for a new Transporter.I
Hi,
sorry, i still dont see that there has been any major product
innovation since the slimp3. You are right, they did engeneering work
on the initial product, but from my perspective just a lot of minor
improvements (which were all wellcome, no doubt on this).
What backs my claim (at least for
CardinalFang;148311 Wrote:
Most ordinary consumers take the Volkswagen, the same way that they'll
taken an iPod and not an equally good alternative. Results actually
don't matter that much to most people and they won't do the comparison,
they'll take the brand they won't be embarassed about.
Mitch Harding;148414 Wrote:
Why would you hesitate to buy a Transporter due to the Logitech deal?
The
one you get will doubtless still say SD on it...
[/color]
Yes I know that.
SD on the front or not...no worries.
...but what will be behind it? (support, upgrades etc)
That's what concerns
docbee;148415 Wrote:
Hi,
Each time I think of really replacing the slimp3 I come to the
conclusion, that the slimp3 does the same as a new sb3 for me. So all
the new prodúcts in this line are just minor improved, but none of
them really opens a door to something basicaly new. If you think
docbee;148415 Wrote:
What backs my claim (at least for me) is that I am still using a slimp3
and I often thought of replacing it by one of the better looking, new
models (I have a sb3 in another room). Each time I think of really
replacing the slimp3 I come to the conclusion, that the
No huge innovations, but plenty of very useful refinements.
Why would you need a new Lexus when the old Tin Lizzie is essentially
the same thing? They both have 4 wheels and can propel you to the
store.
--
Pale Blue Ego
Phew...finally reached the end..30 pages and counting...could be the
mother of all threads!
As I sat here, listening to my 8-month old SD SB3, scrolling through 30
pages of comments on my Logitech MX laser mouse, and now typing on my
Logitech MX Keyboard (both of which I actually RECEIVED a
Even if they never release another version of Slimserver, your Transporter will continue to work. If there are any show stopping bugs and if, for some reason, SD decides not to fix them, you can bet that the community will try to do so.
I dunno -- that reasoning just doesn't make sense to me. If I
Thoughts:
I don't blame anyone for cashing in. They've worked hard and deserve
to be rewarded. But only $20 million for the world's leading player in
a rapidly emerging field? Where are the guys who negotioted the YouTube
deal when ya need 'em?
Maybe Slim believed they would be steamrolled
Most people dont like the idea of a small independant company with a
good track record being taken over by a large multi-national; always
fearing (often rightly) that product quality, support takes a nose
dive. This may happen even now - we can hope not and that certainly
over the next year or so
SteveEast;147456 Wrote:
So I bought a Harmony remote and Logitech bought Harmony. Then I buy a
Slim Devices SB and Logitech buy SD. OK, I'm gonna buy a wood chipper
this weekend - let's see Logitech buy Yard Machines.
Steve.
Got up this morn and had to do a doubletake, as I ordered an 885
And to think that I just bought a Logitech 880 last week to enhance my
SB experience
I've used Logitech mice for years - they are great products. Sorry, but
I just can't get enthused about Logitech high-end audio gear.
Don't get me wrong, I'm always Mr Glass Half Full Optimist - I just
Hi,
What are the plans for continued linux support?
Logitech doesn't appear to support use of it's devices under linux at
all - is this set to change?
Ed
--
ehjones
ehjones's Profile:
ehjones;147587 Wrote:
Hi,
What are the plans for continued linux support?
That is the plan. It is a small effort since our software is
fundamentally platform independent anyway, and NAS support is also an
important and growing part of our business. Oh, and SqueezeNetwork runs
on Linux. :)
Congratulations, Sean team - I'm on my 4th SD device and have
recommended to many others - only recently retired the SLiMP3 -
together with my tivo, these are the best range of electronic devices
that I've ever had the pleasure of owning, and hope the research and
development continues to push
I think it was inevitable, a small company like SlimDevices wouldn't be
able to compete as larger companies would have basically copied the SB
and made it cheaper sooner rather than later.
So an acquisition by Logitech, whereas everyone has concerns over small
innovative company swallowed up by
junien;147441 Wrote:
Actually I am not sure I see a dicotomy between tech-led development and
user-friendliness. In fact I was personally impressed about the ease of
installation and of use of my Squeezebox. The user interface of the
Slim Server could probably become more consumer oriented.
Sean
You mentioned NAS support - well it would seem a logical development to
have a NAS branded device (even with the recent tie-ups). If you /
logitech / infrant do end up on the NAS route please *please* PLEASE do
not lock the system down and allow it to be configurable. Decent NAS
blocks
I've watched and been involved in acquisitions several times. The usual
timetable is that the founders leave as soon as the financial handcuffs
come off (earn-outs, restricted stock selling etc.), key staff go
somewhere else where the small compoany spirit still exists (or where
there is
junien;147410 Wrote:
Let me introduce myself. My name is Junien Labrousse, Logitech SVP of
the Entertainment and Communication Business Unit.
The first thing I'll say is that we are very excited about the
opportunity that Slim Devices will bring to Logitech. This is
a great extension of
Dear Sean and Julien,
I sincerely hope and ask you will find opportunity to answer this one
question:
What will happen to openness in regard to platforms and data formats?
I use BSD and keep all my music in FLAC. Concisely put, this is a
principled conscientious choice. I would be very sad to
Dear Sean and Junien,
I sincerely hope and ask you will find opportunity to answer this one
question:
-What will happen to openness in regard to platforms and data
formats?-
I use BSD and keep all my music in FLAC. Concisely put, this is a
principled conscientious choice. I would be very sad to
junien;147410 Wrote:
Let me introduce myself. My name is Junien Labrousse, Logitech SVP of
the Entertainment and Communication Business Unit.Dear Junien, if you treat
them well you'll be rewarded by a very loyal
community of early adopters, opinion leaders and trend setters.
I'm personally
I'm likewise in the congrats camp. Sean and the team at SD, as well
as all those other contributors from the developers forum have done a
fantastic job and developed a great product in the Squeezebox. But I'm
not surprised that SD has decided to come under the umbrella of a larger
organisation
seanadams;147487 Wrote:
Their press release has not gone out yet - I wanted us to announce it
here first.This deserves a separate thank you. I've personally been involved
in a
corporate acquisition and giving info the go on an internet forum
speaks volumes about your dedication to customers.
Hi,
Speaking as a Windows desktop user and Logitech purchaser (mouse,
keyboard, pc speakers, Harmony) I suppose I should applaud the news,
but I do think those with the most concerns will be the open source
community who may fear a forking of development and maybe being left
with a product with
flattop100;147616 Wrote:
Seems to me that only happens in companies who don't love what they
make. I get the totally opposite impression from SD.
The snappy answer is that they currently enjoy what they do, that may
change for the worse or it may get better. Don't forget it isn't
strictly SD
-What will happen to openness in regard to platforms and data
It's been mentioned before: SQN is running on Linux (or even BSD?) -
they'll have to further support *x systems if they want to continue SQN.
--
Michael
-
CardinalFang;147634 Wrote:
as I said a Logitech Transporter doesn't appeal to my hifi snob
sensibilities, but perhaps it'll evolve and look even cooler.Well... you
already said it: you know what's inside. You could mod it to
your heart's content and have the greatest player in a totally cool
Re: Continued linux support:
seanadams;147594 Wrote:
That is the plan. It is a small effort since our software is
fundamentally platform independent anyway, and NAS support is also an
important and growing part of our business. Oh, and SqueezeNetwork runs
on Linux. :)
Don't expect
Congratulations to the Slim Devices team, and to Logitech as well. I
share the concern of many others about where the new ownership will
take the product line, and especially what will happen to its open and
cross-platform nature. An earlier favorite gadget of mine, Xircom's Rex
6000 micro-PDA,
Dan Sully;147560 Wrote:
Too late, Sean already has a Porsche.
Can he park it any better than the Merc he had a few years ago?
:P
--
funkstar
funkstar's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2335
View
CardinalFang;147634 Wrote:
...as I said a Logitech Transporter doesn't appeal to my hifi snob
sensibilities...
This is bang on the mark. The high-end audio marketplace is *extremely*
badge-sensitive, and the Transporter branded as a Logitech product will
not sell, period.
What ought to come
I think this is good news - what Slim needed to progress to mass market was more RD investment, access to mainstream, global, distribution and cheaper manufacturing costs to get the end product price down.All of that should come with Logitech. They're one of the high end aftermarket peripheral
Let's be realistic. When you are in business, there are offers you
simply can't refuse.
I'm only sorry I don't own SD stock.
Congrats to all at SD
--
Sir G
Sir G's Profile:
Congratulations!
I see no immediate impact on my own Slim relationship, but note happily
that this deal just possibly might be a beachhead into mainstream
consumption of electronic gadgets, for a heavily open sourced community
product development participation model. Hopefully more mainstream
cool, i hope this will let slim get devices into more households...
and you can say you were there when it all began!
I'll put my slimp3 next to my 1st gen ipod in the trophy cabinet
also i hope that this will enable a more consumer-product (as oopose to
geek-toy) approach. I'd love to
When I purchased my SB, I immediately started to worry about the
viability of SlimDevices. Will they be there forever for me? I
worried even more after I fell in love with the product, the service,
the forum, even the server software (despite some fits and starts). I
work for a company that is
Dan Sully;147560 Wrote:
Too late, Sean already has a Porsche.
Hopefully it's easier to park than the last one.
MC
--
ModelCitizen
Now what?
Squeezebox3 (linear PSU) Benchmark Dac1 Naim NAC 82 Naim NAP 250
Shahinian Arcs. Plus other irrelevant, superfluous and annoying black
boxes.
funkstar;147652 Wrote:
Can he park it any better than the Merc he had a few years ago?
Low blow! :-)
And where was the link to that picture?
--
Michaelwagner
Michaelwagner's Profile:
One thing I have to ask ... will the cash infusion mean that a homeplug
version might be possible now?
And I second the comment about having to being prepared for a bunch of
newbies in the beginner forum.
--
Michaelwagner
Anyone who has worked in software development knows how expensive it can
be, even in open source.
One of the problems we have seen already is the lack of proprietary
formats and DRM support. This requires licensing, which requires
money.
Now Slim Devices has some deep pockets behind them to
I think it's definitely too early to tell how this is going to impact
the future generations of the SqueezeBox and Transporter lines ... my
personal feeling is that they're going to loose some Street Cred
if/when logitech puts thier big goofy-looking logo on the product.
I am quite happy that I
I am an old Amiga user - bought the original 1000 when it hit the
shelves.
Amiga was bought by Commodore. Commodore was no stranger to computers,
having been involved with the 6502 development and having brought the
PET and the 64 to market.
And yet, they didn't understand what they had
Paranoid thoughts:
If Logitech, who just launched a product in this category, saw Slim as
a major threat, then $20 million is a drop in the bucket. If they
wanted to kill the SB so it wouldn't compete with their own product,
this is a cheap way to do it.
--
Pale Blue Ego
)p(;147694 Wrote:
The design of the 1000 sure comes close to the brushed metal rounded
corners look of the sb3 already...seems like a pretty good basis for
creating the sb remote everyone seems to want ;)
peter
Judging by a comment Sean made some time back and the new SD ownership
I'm sure
I hope Logitech understands what they have bought.
If you're interested in a postive example, I'm assuming that Logitec
purchased Harmony, and that's why the remotes are named Logitec
Harmony.
For me, congratulations to the Slim Devices people!
--
Joe
Congrats Slim and Sean - well done with taking your business where it
has to go to continue to grow like it needs to in order to survive :-)
I don't tend to get emotionally tied to product, just go for the best
compromise I can find at the time I am looking. Will watch this space
with great
Michaelwagner;147672 Wrote:
And where was the link to that picture?
http://flickr.com/photos/ycantpark/25737470/
Sean did sucessfully defend himself here:
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showpost.php?p=47272postcount=9
seanadams;47272 Wrote:
First of all, that is exactly where they told me
I have been mulling this over all day thinking about my reactions to
what was actually quite a shock first thing this morning. I have two
concerns at this point.
1. One of the major attractions for me about the whole SS/SB thing has
been the incredible responsiveness to user demand and its
Congrats to Sean and the folks at Slim. It's hard to turn down cash when
it's staring you in the face.
But unfortunately I just can't help but think that this will be the
demise of Slim as we know it. My thoughts went right to negative as I
read the news this morning.
I may now wish that I had
notanatheist;147545 Wrote:
Then again, if we can get individual units for $199 or less as a
reseller then I'm on it. Just please keep things as they are with
SlimDevices and don't try to customize or cheapen it with a crappy LCD
or proprietary software.
Err, aren't you asking for
kdf wrote:
From the working side of the picture, I can certainly imagine that
expanding user base with the existing small club will be crippling.
As is often the case, kdf's comment is among the most insightful
among the chatter. The one thing I fear about this change is
The thing that worries me is that the first post made by a Logitech
employee included the word leverage...
run away!!!
--
kanoot
kanoot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4324
View this thread:
Mark Lanctot;147478 Wrote:
The Transporter is their first, and only, very high-end audiophile,
niche product. Depending on how things work out, it could be that Slim
Devices may not be able to introduce new products to this market - they
may no longer have the credentials for this. I hope
totoro;147718 Wrote:
But if the quality stays the same or better, who really cares if the
audiophile credibility goes down? At $300, the sb3 already
doesn't have enough, and is cheap enough to go pretty mass market.
I, for one, couldn't care less, since what I want from the thing is
sound
I still love my original SliMP3 and I've steered many friends and family
into buying a Squeezebox. Great stuff. I hope you guys have all been
handsomely rewarded for building such a great company.
--
icky2000
icky2000's
Congratulations Slim Team!
Like others in this forum I feel that this will be the end of innocence
for SD. In most cases where small innovative/independent companies are
acquired by large bureaucratic publicly traded companies... innovation
becomes the first victim. The killer(s)?... A: The
Mark Lanctot;147722 Wrote:
I didn't say that I buy based on bragging rights either, I buy based on
quality and performance.
I was just saying that that segment of the market may have to be
dropped, because Slim Devices may be able to sell Transporters, but
Logitech might not, even if they
Pale Blue Ego;147695 Wrote:
Paranoid thoughts:
If Logitech, who just launched a product in this category, saw Slim as
a major threat, then $20 million is a drop in the bucket. If they
wanted to kill the SB so it wouldn't compete with their own product,
this is a cheap way to do it.
Good
Congratulations, team! You've developed some great products needed in
the market!
--
schalliol
schalliol's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1854
View this thread:
Maybe I'm in the minority, but my SB sits alongside my one and only
hi-fi system (i.e. home theater and music system). It's the only
IP-networked element in that system.
So, SD has managed to get footprint in my HT before any other IP-based
device has (e.g. Apple or Microsoft). I would love to
totoro;147733 Wrote:
Sorry if I sounded snippy.
You didn't, that's OK. :-)
I guess we just disagree about whether losing that particular market
segment is truly a shame :).
Not exactly - as I said, I don't really think it pays the bills for
Slim Devices. The SB3 is their bread and
Mark Lanctot;147709 Wrote:
Err, aren't you asking for contradictory things?
Drop the price to $199.
Don't cheapen it.
He did say $199 to the resellers.
--
Michaelwagner
Michaelwagner's Profile:
Mitch G;147743 Wrote:
One final thought, I always forget that Harmony is owned by Logitech.
In other words, they are Harmony remotes - not Logitech remotes. I
don't see why this same phenomenon won't occur for SD products.
Mitch
The BIG unknown in this equation is SD's Open Source and
Congrats guys!
--
datavortex
datavortex's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8064
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821
Was Harmony open source prior to the acquisition by Logitech? If not, it seems like apples and oranges, as far as that goes.On 10/19/06, tamanaco
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Mitch G;147743 Wrote: One final thought, I always forget that Harmony is owned by Logitech. In other words, they are Harmony
davep wrote:
2. The Transporter is my second area of concern. I can see how the SB3
might fit into a Logitech product line-up as they are obviously moving
into that area, but not the Transporter - it just not feel like a match
for a company founded on mice and keyboards. And, as others have
Wow, less than 12 hours after the announcement and people are already
predicting doom and gloom that they don't have bragging rights or
niche status with their Squeezeboxes any longer.
Folks, I thought it was about the music. Logitech can probably help
Slim reduce costs on the more mainstream
Like the guy above, I bought a Harmony remote one month before Logitech
bought them, and I bought a Squeezebox 1 month before Logitech bought
them. My buying habits are obviously of intense interest to Logitech.
In that case, I can tell them that a major reason I bought the
Squeezebox was that
I'm relatively new to SD, but I have been impressed with the quality of
the product and the responsiveness and enthusiasm of everyone involved
both from the company and active forum contributors.
The SD product appealed to me not only for its high spec but also
because it was a techie and
Mitch Harding;147762 Wrote:
Was Harmony open source prior to the acquisition by Logitech? If not,
it
seems like apples and oranges, as far as that goes.
I know it looks like apples and oranges, but not when you look at SD
and Harmony as small nimble companies that were able to turn the
First: Congrats to all of the SlimDevices owners and employees. Make
sure Sean buys the rounds tonight.
Second: While I was going to wait until Christmas to purchase my second
SB3, this pushed me over the edge. I read through all 14 pages (and
counting I'm sure) of this thread and pressed the
Certainly congratulations are in order for the SlimDevices crew.
It makes me nervous primarily because of the issue of product focus.
Slim was always very focused. Logitech is much larger with a much
more diverse product line, and I fear that the product focus may be
lost.
Of course, with
hello all,
i did the industrial design and most of the product design engineering
for the squeezebox 3, transporter and the new remote. from my
perspective, logitech's acquisition of slim devices bodes well for new
product development. finding and affording quality vendors to do the
various
Congratulation's Guy's,
I hope the acquisition finally gives you the opportunity to integrate a
nice video solution (of cause open source based) and I also hope that
you don't have the same destiny as Empeg had when they were acquired.
--
larry104
Joe Craig;147701 Wrote:
If you're interested in a postive example, I'm assuming that Logitec
purchased Harmony, and that's why the remotes are named Logitec
Harmony.
So will the new devices be named Slim Logic?
:\
--
Mike Anderson
'FREE RADICAL
RADIO!' (http://nvo.com/cd) Hours of
junien;147441 Wrote:
The user interface of the Slim Server could probably become more
consumer oriented. Yet this is not a priority.
It should be. If you guys want to market this to a broader group of
consumers, it really, really should have a slicker user interface along
the lines of the
Will new SB3's and Transporters be shipping with the Logitech logo on
them at this point?
--
PhilNYC
Sonic Spirits Inc.
http://www.sonicspirits.com
PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837
jmpage2;147760 Wrote:
likely one big benefit of the acquisition is that prices will go down.
I'll believe that when I see it. Logitech already has a $199 product
in this category, which isn't half as good as the SB3.
BTW, I paid $199 each for the last 2 SB3s I bought, getting wired
models
congrats guys!
Just don't do what Empeg did:( (got bought out by sonicblue/rio, which
promptly killed the product by poor marketting.. oh well... still the
best mp3 car head unit i've seen even 6 years later...)
-mark
--
diomark
jmpage2;147760 Wrote:
Wow, less than 12 hours after the announcement and people are already
predicting doom and gloom that they don't have bragging rights or
niche status with their Squeezeboxes any longer.
Folks, I thought it was about the music. Logitech can probably help
Slim reduce
totoro;147733 Wrote:
...at this point, rowland is selling icepower amps with el cheapo asp
modules in them for 5k-- the whole scene has jumped the shark, imho.
A poignant remark indeed about the audiophile community, and
hopefully NOT too prescient regarding the fate of Slim Devices
First off, congratulations to LogiTech, you have made a wise investment
in a great company.
I hope you will keep the SlimDevices branding. LogiTech has a good
reputation for making quality products at an affordable price but it is
viewed by consumers as a mass merchandise company.
I find myself agreeing with rick's cafe in some respects.
I bought my SB3 because I'd read on another forum that some folks were
finding that their SB's were giving some serious hi-end players a good
run for the money. If someone was saying that whilst sat on a £10k
player investment then I
Hey! stop being selfish. Give SD an Logitech a chance to prove
themselves. I dont use to post a lot, but I can speak for myself in
this regard:
This is great news for SD and the hard work they done so far, so I must
say CONGRATULATIONS. Events like this prove the excelent company SD
evolve into,
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