Selling Mp3 players

Dartman111 · 02-09-2001, 08:10 PM

I know a lot of us would like to sell mp3 players, but it is almost more work than it is worth. What about designing a basic mp3 player part by part so we know that we can find everything and know before hand how much everything would cost. If we were all trying to sell this system we could maybe do a group buy of parts every couple of months to save money. It would be a lot easier to sell these things if I knew exactly where i was going to get all of my parts from. Also it would let me sell something before i bought the parts, since i knew everything would be available before hand. Does this sound like a good idea, an official mp3car machine. I'm open to all criticism.

Jammer · 02-09-2001, 10:23 PM

ok

Weston · 02-09-2001, 11:40 PM

Doesn't really seem feasible. Everyone on here has different budgets. Some people reuse old hardware to save money, others buy the best new stuff they can get.

Also, since we now have commercial mp3 players on the market, I think the days of the mp3-computer-players are numbered. We now have in-dash DVD & MP3 players, and someday the Phatbox, all for less than $500. Yes, the first versions we have seen so far are crap, but I think they will get better and cheaper.

Now, I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I just don't see it being profitable or worth the time. If you could source some really cool hardware (very small motherboards, dc-dc power supplies, small,cheap vga-displays, tiny keyboards, etc.) that can't be found other places (easily), that might work, but only if it's cheap. And if it's cheap, how do you make a profit?

Just my $0.02

Yoshi · 02-12-2001, 12:09 PM

Well, me and a friend are thinkin of goin that rought. a sytem with MP3, DVD, Divx, and GPS, all in a nice fiberglass case. But I am now thinkin it will cost to much, and the people that want systems like this have the knolage to build them themselves.

Jammer · 02-12-2001, 12:42 PM

I remember back in 97 there was a person(s)that made fiberglass cases for sale on mp3car with computer and lcd,gps,dvd they were really good.(they vanished, I guess they weren't selling really fast)

[This message has been edited by Jammer (edited 02-12-2001).]

Jammer · 02-12-2001, 12:49 PM

Oh It's was called the Moliath (spelling might be off)

Aaron Cake · 02-13-2001, 09:02 AM

I wish I could sell these things, but unfortunately each one would be a one-off until there was any volume. Thus, the price would be quite high (around $700 US).

------------------
Aaron Cake
London, Ontario, Canada

Player: Cyrix 200, 32MB RAM, 10.2Gig Quantum HD, Onboard EtherNet/Sound/Video, Custom Lexan Case, Arise DC-DC, Win95 Kernal w/Custom Player
Car: '86 Mazda RX-7 w/Basic Performance Upgrades

Craig Chatterton · 02-13-2001, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Also, since we now have commercial mp3 players on the market, I think the days of the mp3-computer-players are numbered.

I doubt that. The Commercial MP3 players will just change how the people-who-buy-all-the-best-new-stuff-they-can-get play their MP3's. The guys who still reuse old parts and go for cheap will still go that way.

I put together my MP3 player for less than $500 - all new parts:

$150 CPU and Motherboard
$150 HD
$40 CDROM
$40 LCD
$40 Power Supply
$40 Inverter.
$20 Keypad.
----
$480 and I could have done it for less if I bargain shopped. Plus that wasn't all in one chunk. CPU/MB one month, HD the next. Just like making payments.

------------------

Weston · 02-13-2001, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Craig Chatterton:
I doubt that. The Commercial MP3 players will just change how the people-who-buy-all-the-best-new-stuff-they-can-get play their MP3's. The guys who still reuse old parts and go for cheap will still go that way.

I put together my MP3 player for less than $500 - all new parts:

Well, my point was that you can now buy something like the Creative Nomad Jukebox with 6Gigs of space for about $420 dollars, and I feel better and cheaper units will follow. Why spend $500 building something from old parts when you can have something better for less money. When I built my MP3 car player, the only thing you could even buy was the Empeg, and that was expensive and had a year waiting list.

I am seriously debating whether to update my current bookPC based MP3 player (which I have hundreds of dollars into) with a better, faster, newer PC, or go with a commercial unit. A single-DIN sized player that fits in the dash is very appealing over the mess of wires I currently have, or a Phatbox in the trunk hooked up to my JVC head unit would be nice.

Gunmaster · 02-14-2001, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Weston:
Well, my point was that you can now buy something like the Creative Nomad Jukebox with 6Gigs of space for about $420 dollars, and I feel better and cheaper units will follow. Why spend $500 building something from old parts when you can have something better for less money. When I built my MP3 car player, the only thing you could even buy was the Empeg, and that was expensive and had a year waiting list.

I am seriously debating whether to update my current bookPC based MP3 player (which I have hundreds of dollars into) with a better, faster, newer PC, or go with a commercial unit. A single-DIN sized player that fits in the dash is very appealing over the mess of wires I currently have, or a Phatbox in the trunk hooked up to my JVC head unit would be nice.

wheres the web page?

Weston · 02-14-2001, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gunmaster:
wheres the web page?

I don't know what web page you want, but here are some commercial units I have my eye on:
http://www.phatnoise.com/
http://ssiamerica.com/products/cj5100/
http://store.autotoys.com/cgi-bin/wf...ct/BOSSDVD5000
see also: Sony, Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood, Aiwa

And if I stick with the car-computer theme, this will probably be my next car PC:
http://www.msicomputer.com/products/...?ProductID=161
It's small, has 2 pci slots, 1 serial port, i815 chipset, and firewire!

Gunmaster · 02-14-2001, 11:03 PM

your mp3car webpage.