Disney's MP3 players for preteens

Going after a market that includes children as young as 6, Disney on Thursday unveiled a new line of portable digital audio players for preteen consumers.

Disney Mix Sticks are digital audio MP3/WMA players designed to download music files or copy from CDs. They also accommodate memory cards, called Mix Clips, that feature prerecorded music from Walt Disney Records.

"Digital music is exploding and is ready to take off with kids," Chris Heatherly, Disney Electronics vice president, said in a statement. "The Disney Mix Stick-Mix Clips combination is the perfect way for kids to get started with digital music because it's easier to use than players that can only be used with a PC, and it is just as capable."

Disney Mix Sticks have a storage capacity of 128MB, enough for about 60 songs, and work with a USB 2.0 connector. The MP3 players also feature an SD/MMC card slot for as much as 1GB of storage, or approximately 500 songs.

The Mix Clip memory cards carry full-length albums from Walt Disney Records and are compatible with computers, cellular phones and other devices.

The MP3 players are scheduled to ship in mid-October to major retailers and are expected to sell for about $49. The Mix Clips will be offered separately in the same price range as CDs.

Disney isn't the first to attract young consumers with a media player. Apple's iPod has caught the attention of young teens and toy maker Hasbro also carries a portable digital-music recorder, PlayItNow.