Interview with Neal Leggett, European Brand Manager, Continued
THG: Will the docking station be available shortly? At what price? What are its benefits?
N.L: We are producing a number of accessories one being the PC Dock, this is under test at the moment and will be available shortly. It means you will be able to dock your Creative Jukebox 3 to your PC, making it more convenient to use. All I/O's are connected to the Dock and the Creative Jukebox 3 communicates via the PDE bus on its underneath. It will be a simple snap in and out operation, and once set up, you will not have to bother with the connectivity of the cables.
THG: Do you see a bright future for portable MP3 players?
N.L: Yes, it's still in its early stages, even though it has been around a few years. It may not necessarily be MP3 in the future, as this has issues associated with it (e.g., Peer to Peer sharing, not secure, etc.) but the likes of WMA with DRM are being adopted by the major record labels to support their web-based distribution methods. MP3 will have its place though for a while and is the driving force behind ours and other manufacturers' devices.
THG: Is there any plan to develop anything like the Archos Multimedia Jukebox 10 (color screen, Divx compatibility for playing AND recording)?
N.L: Creative is always analysing technology and looking at other potential markets. Who knows what's in the pipeline? In this instance we will have to wait and see. From my experience multi-function devices have their place but do not necessarily appeal to the mass market. People tend to like having separates and upgrading their component parts as necessary.
Conclusion
The Jukebox 3 has most decidedly corrected the youthful mistakes of its predecessor. Its battery life is good, its size small, it can record directly in MP3, has a substantial hard drive and an attractive SB1394 connector. Of course, it could be criticized for its appearance (which is perhaps too rounded), its debatable portability and the lack of a USB 2.0 port. But overall it is a success, a mobile solution which allows you to carry not just your entire music library around with you, but also any other kind of file. And it has advanced audio features and an outstanding wealth of connections.
The usefulness of the environmental effects is open to question, as is the inclusion of the two analog outputs. But that does not detract from the product itself. It would be a good idea for users if Creative Labs revised the overall ergonomics of the software and drew inspiration from the Notmad Explorer and its rival Archos. Not being able to use the player as a logical unit in Windows does not make for easy intensive and intuitive use. And the price $399.00 of the Jukebox 3 means it is still only for the wealthy. For those who like the system, don't forget the Jukebox 1 is still around and, though less attractive than its descendant, its price has gone down $140.00 and this makes it a very good alternative.