Carlsbad, California-based Digital Mind (DMC) this week announced an update to its Xclef 500, a Mac- and PC-compatible digital music player that the company claims is the first to offer 100GB of storage capacity.
The Xclef 500 connects using a USB 2.0 interface and also accepts input from a built-in mic, line-in audio connector, and S/PDIF optical mini plug.
It features 20+ hour battery life using a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and supports built-in MP3 encoding, voice recording, FM radio, recording capability, and more.
It's recognized as a mass storage device by the host Mac or PC, and supports MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, WAV, and ASF audio file formats. AAC--including those Digital Rights Management (DRM)-protected files purchased through the ITunes Music Store--is not supported.
Higher Capacity
The Xclef 500 measures 5 x 3.2 x 0.8 inches and weighs approximately 9 ounces. By comparison, Apple Computer's 40GB IPod measures 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.69 inches and weighs 6.2 ounces, but has less than half the storage capacity.
The secret to the Xclef's comparatively massive storage capacity and the reason for its hefty weight and larger dimensions is that it uses a standard 2.5-inch laptop hard drive mechanism. In fact, DMC sells a do-it-yourself version of the Xclef 500 without a drive for $149.
40, 60, 80, and 100GB versions cost $249, $299, $349, and $449 respectively.
Ad Choices