It's An MP3 Player, But Not As We Know It

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When it comes to customised, super fast PCs we expect Alienware to be there or there abouts, when it comes to MP3 players we’re bloody surprised to see them at all.

That said, if you are going to move into IT’s most competitive market you might as well do it with some style and some distinction. And while Alienware’s entry is certainly the second, there will no doubt be heated discussion about whether it qualifies for the first.

Called the CE-IV, this Flash based player (512MB or 1GB) comes with additional memory expansion (though what type remains a mystery – SD, microSD?), and it plays the usual MP3 and WMA audio formats. Alienware claims the SRS WOW technology used in the devices means they will provide much improved sound quality over the opposition. We hope so, but capitalised acronym after capitalised acronym does tend to make us a little sleepy.

Despite this, the CE-IV does offer some reinvigorating features such as the fully integrated HUB docking sound system (one factor now criminally discarded from Apple players) and the promise of drag and drop audio software.

No prices are known yet for this slightly weird looking device from the quirky Alienware planet, but talk is over them starting at the £79 range and moving up to £110 which would make them extremely competitive.

Still, with the iPod nano only just arrived any MP3 manufacturer will do well to even momentarily distract us from Apple’s gorgeous little player. Alienware is trying harder than most though, and if you fancy something from a little further out than left field, it could well provide a pleasantly otherworldly experience.

Catch it hovering into shops from next month, somewhere in the Twilight Zone.

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