Dell launches new music player
Computer giant focuses on peripherals, unveiling two printers, upgrades to its Axim handhelds and a music player to rival the iPod Shuffle.
The DJ Ditty weighs 1.29 ounces and has 512MB of storage, which the company claims can hold as many as 220 songs. The device, which has a 1-inch screen for managing playlists, starts at $99. The 512MB version of Apple Computer's iPod Shuffle also costs $99, although Apple rates its storage at 120 songs; a 1GB version sells for $129 and holds 240 songs, according to the company's Web site.
Apple, of Cupertino, Calif., has about 75 percent of the market for digital music players, according to NPD Group in Port Washington, N.Y. IPod sales account for about one-third of Apple's total revenue.
The Ditty follows Dell's Pocket DJ, introduced last year to challenge Apple's iPod Mini. The Pocket DJ holds up to 2,500 songs and costs $199.
Dell also introduced two printers, the Photo All-In-One Printer 924 and 944, which have improved photo-printing capabilities, designs and wireless options, the company said.
The 924, which prints as many as 20 pages a minute, sells for $89, while the 944 model prints 21 pages per minute, has a 2.4-inch screen for stand-alone photo printing and costs $149.
The Dell Axim X51 and X51v handheld computers are upgrades of existing versions and use Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 software. The devices are priced from $299 to $499.