Slacker Portable G2
We loves the iPod. We really do. I’m an immensely satisfied owner of the first generation iPod Touch (seriously, it’s all about the apps), and Lauren’s iPod nano 3G never leaves the purse. Apple’s success in the digital audio player battlefield is directly attributable to the various iPods’ sexy, minimalist-chic designs, silky smooth interfaces, and tight integration with iTunes. While no company’s music player has managed to out-Apple Apple, one has been able to do what even the iPod has been unable to do: give the masses free music. No fuss, no muss, no hidden agendas.
Slacker, the fine organization behind the excellent internet radio service, has donned its armor, gripped a bastard sword, plunged deep, and ripped a new one into the backside of the iPod juggernaut with Slacker Portable G2. The palm-sized device uses Wi-Fi to sync up with the web-based Slacker music portal, enabling users to take their favorite stations, be they pre-fab or created, with them on the road. The music isn’t steamed; it’s stored on the player so you can rock out even when a Wi-Fi signal isn’t available. And whenever you get into hotspot range and hit “Connect”, Slacker Portable G2 will update your channels with more music.
Best of all, you have the full functionality of the website in the palm of your hand: album art, artist bios, and album reviews, which aids in music discovery. Simply put, if you love Slacker, the Slacker Portable G2 is sure to please as it squeezes everything you love about the site into a bite-sized handheld that doesn’t cost you a cent beyond the price of purchase. The $199 model can store 25 channels; the higher capacity $249 model can store 40. You can even add your own MP3 and WMA files to the mix (a Windows-only feature).
With an iPod, no matter which version you purchase, you have to constantly feed the beast with new music, either by buying tunes from an online music store (Amazon MP3, iTunes), or an ol’ school brick-and-mortar store and ripping the CDs. The money spent on those purchases can be thrown into a nice lil’ checking account or savings account, and be used to pad your pocket–not the RIAA’s. Slacker is 100% free music.
Basic Slacker accounts are subject to a few limitations: You can only skip six tracks per hour, and; you can’t listen to a particular song when you wish. But if you carefully tailor your channels by favoriting songs that you like and banning those that make you want to chuck eggs at grandma, those points become fairly moot. Lastly, like traditional radio, free accounts are ad supported. Unlike traditional radio, Slacker’s ads don’t ramble on for 5 minutes at a time. If that sounds a bit unappealing, Slacker also offers a $7.50 per month premium service that eliminates all of these limitations. If you even buy one full-price album per month, you can save, on average, at least $2 to $3 per month.
Of course, if watching video, tinkering with apps, and super-slick aesthetics are vital to your entertainment needs, the iPod nano and iPod Touch are fine selections. But if you’re a total music junkie who wants to create a dream listening experience that harkens back to a time when radio actually had heart, the Slacker Portable G2 trumps all other players. It’s music done right.
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