Dell releases iPod mini rival, announces Linux alliance

Round Rock (TX) - Dell will introduce Thursday a small music player to compete with Apple’s iPod mini. The new Pocket DJ 5 offers one GByte more memory, but is priced $50 less than Apple’s market dominating player. Dell also said that it will announce a strategic alliance with a major Linux player next week.

Suddenly, the choice for a mini audio player is not so obvious anymore. After the Virgin Player and the Zen Micro, which were introduced earlier this week, Dell will unveil today its move into the mini portable audio player segment with a pocket version of its DJ family.

The new Pocket DJ 5 rides on Dell’s known strategy to offer a bit more features for less money. In direct comparison, the device integrates five GByte storage space (iPod mini : four GByte) and weighs about 4.4 ounces (3.6). The device will sell for $200 ($250). Analysts expected the move for several months, quoting the need for Dell to support the value proposition of the PC, the firm’s core business. "We expect to see an increasing number of consumer-electronics related devices from Dell, and right now, portable music players are growing in popularity," said PJ McNealy, an analyst with American Technology Research.

While none of the players introduced so far are expected to take over the dominance from the iPod and iPod mini, the new players will grab sales from Apple and make choices for a trendy and functional audio player more interesting. Dell will also introduce on Thursday a range of other consumer devices such as a photo printer for pictures in sizes 4-by-6" and smaller as well as plasma flat-screen TVs with sizes up to 42 inches.

Among the new product buzz, the company also said that it is set to announce a new strategic partnership with a global Linux player next Wednesday at the LinuxWorld conference in Frankfurt, Germany. Dell has been working with RedHat and several Linux organizations such as the One Source Alliance for some time.