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July 06, 2006
Online browsing, offline browsing for MP3 players
I am looking out for a new MP3 player. One with in-line recording for hypnotic tapes, or that is able to convert Audio CDs straigth into MP3 format.
This excludes an iPod, basically but leaves iRiver, Samsung and Creative.
My main way of shopping is to first check the Internet and read product reviews. CNet Asia and ZDnet are obvious choices.
Now, I found a couple of products, ranging across a certain price range. I currently consider the Creative Zen Vision M, the Samsung YH J70 and the iRiver E10. I had a Samsung before and somehow, it sucked quite a bit, so I am reluctant to go for another one.
Naturally, my next step is to go to KLCC, since my office is conveniently in its proximity. None of these three products are available in the few shops available there. Not in Best and neither in any of the smaller shops - I want to test the products, quite clearly, and see how they work, and how I get along with them.
Looking for the Creative Zen Vision M the other day, I went to the shop that apparently sold Creative products, but while the have another Creative MP3, it wasn't the one that I longed for. Instead, I heard the famous comment "sold out currently, comes back next week." I am not quite sure if I should or should not believe this.
Anyway, the point of this post is that these three products are the runner in the review sites that I surfed. Okay, they have their hiccups, but basically, I want to consider them - but also test them.
How come that none of those "online runners" are available in any of the shops? Okay, iRiver is hardly distributed in Malaysia, but Samsung and Creative are quite famous. Aren't salespeople checking online reviews as well, and also the standing and ranking of those products? Wouldn't it a boost for them to actually stock products that are in demand, online, since there might be demand offline?
Don't they lose potential customers? Probably, but since they don't know this, they probably don't care. I wonder.
Posted by Andreas at July 6, 2006 06:10 PM
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