Why Logitech SB is the best thing since sliced bread!

[castalla]

It's so flexible and easy to use ... compare any of the other streaming options, from internet radios to smart tv's.

Almost every other streaming solution just locks you into what the device manufacturer gives you - and in most instances you get a pathetic jumble of services. The rush to smart tv's and STB's quickly exposes the limitations of these newcomers. The Roku is useless as an audio player limited to mp3, the WD TV streamer is so clunky to use that it's embarassing.

Long live the Logitech in whatever form it evolves into!

[Labarum]

Shout it LOUD

[MelonMonkey]

The new products are coming about primarily because SB is not easy to use and completely inaccessible to the general public.

I love the flexibility of SB and have been using it since 2006, but this product line and the server software are not mass-market products and can never be without drastic change. IMO, it would be easier to start almost from scratch with the design/development than it would be to try and patch the music server to make it more accessible. Which is pretty much what you're seeing Logitech doing now - they're using the same code base, but from a presentation standpoint, they're refactoring everything. They need to in hopes to gain at least some little relevance in music. The SB product line is really a non-contender in the market up until now.

[Ikabob]

If:

Simplifying,LOGITECH will be a contender and a leader in the wireless entertainment field if they:


1: introduce diverse devices above and beyond the Radio; ie, Touch or SB3 equivalent.
2: include synchronization among all devices.
3: maintain the confidence,credibility and respect of previous LOGITECH supporters to include continued support of past LOGITECH wireless music devices.

IMO, they definitely have the means to be the top contender/leader.

[Labarum]

I agree Squeezebox is not for everyone, but for those that can handle its complexity it is a glorious product.

Perhaps the new products should embrace a simpler approach, but have an advanced menu item to turn back on all the more difficult features we have mastered and love.

It would cost Logitech nothing in the whole scheme of things, but would keep lots of old customers buying, and recruit more advanced users from the increasing numbers of young folk who use computers without confusion or fear.

[SBT2010]

Simplifying,LOGITECH will be a contender and a leader in the wireless entertainment field if they:


1: introduce diverse devices above and beyond the Radio; ie, Touch or SB3 equivalent.
2: include synchronization among all devices.
3: maintain the confidence,credibility and respect of previous LOGITECH supporters to include continued support of past LOGITECH wireless music devices.

IMO, they definitely have the means to be the top contender/leader.

+1

[SBT2010]

I agree Squeezebox is not for everyone, but for those that can handle its complexity it is a glorious product.

Perhaps the new products should embrace a simpler approach, but have an advanced menu item to turn back on all the more difficult features we have mastered and love.

It would cost Logitech nothing in the whole scheme of things, but would keep lots of old customers buying, and recruit more advanced users from the increasing numbers of young folk who use computers without confusion or fear.

I've wondered the same thing, too. 1. What would keep them from doing this? 2. Could they not incorporate a check box in the menu or option to switch between LMS & UEMS?

[Mnyb]

"not easy to use" !? really, you point at songs and they play ?

The real timesink and learning curve has been ripping and tagging , no one want's to spend that much time riping 1000's of CD's and tag them properly nowadays .
This is whats make it non "mass-market" you must be a collector and music enthusiast with some rudimentary order in your file collection to have any use for LMS/SBS/SC/SS .

Networking may get in the way too but thats true for any product that uses your network you can't fix that by dumbing down the product ever .
The Squeezebox experience may be the first time most people try to communicate between local stuff on their network and that may prove to be another thing compared to "get on the internet" .

How do we define "mass-market" ? everyone ? then it's online streaming only , but their must be 100 milloins of people with a bit of music interest that have personal file collections , squeeboxes reached only some very small percentage of that market .
I stilll thinks the Squeezebox concept could have been much bigger if they marketed it better, big enough to be good bussines .

Seems that Logitech aims at "everyone"
No wonder that they turns the table and makes the online stuff prio 1 and local files an afterthought .

"easy to use" is a relative measure , People are happy to learn how to use their personal computers who are far more complex and confusing than a squeezebox . A counter example is a Phone if I have to read any instructions to be able to use one it it's a failure .
So it's not about gains only it is a bit of a mystery .

[Labarum]

"not easy to use" !? really, you point at songs and they play ?

Well they do, when you have everything set up correctly; but you have covered the networking issues, and reinforce my pont about an icreasing number of ordinary folk with reasonable computer skills.

The real timesink and learning curve has been ripping and tagging , no one want's to spend that much time riping 1000's of CD's and tag them properly nowadays .

This is what makes it non "mass-market". You must be a collector and music enthusiast with some rudimentary order in your file collection to have any use for LMS/SBS/SC/SS

Agreed. I have less than one third of my 500 CDs ripped, and the tagging is a complete mess. (The systems are geared to pop and not classical music.) Life is too short.[/QUOTE]

So yes, I can see all the advantages of an online (subscription) service, but I don't use any of them. I always was a radio listener and continue to be so; but now I have a much bigger choice of classical music stations - and I flip around till I find something that suits my current mood - Squeezebox makes that easy, but there are many other ways to achieve my ends.

[MelonMonkey]

If you want to see how a mass-market product is, well, marketed, look at the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Look at most people's music collection in iTunes. Then imagine (or verify) how that would play out with SB. Collectors (us/we) are a rare breed and always have been, it doesn't matter what decade you look to, 50's, 60's, etc.

I don't believe Logitech have the required design talent in the positions required, or with the power, to make this happen. At least they have not until today. Besides mice and keyboards, their most mass-market product is the Harmony series of remotes, which in my opinion, while they have used their distribution experience/leverage to move and promote the product, they have not made it any better. They have no engineered a better mouse trap than the one they acquired. The same can be said for Squezebox. Logitech have not made any significant changes to improve the product since they acquired the technology. The remote have done well for them, but could be a lot better. Squeezebox has apparently not done so well and we all know could be much better as well.

[pallfreeman]

The last few posts have got me wondering... what are the most expensive and/or upmarket products that Logitech have sold? Are other things being EOL'ed?

I'd somehow be happier if I thought they were cutting all of their high-end products, rather than targeting SBs.

[Mnyb]

The last few posts have got me wondering... what are the most expensive and/or upmarket products that Logitech have sold? Are other things being EOL'ed?

I'd somehow be happier if I thought they were cutting all of their high-end products, rather than targeting SBs.

My guess is the Transporter .

Logitech High End Products ? computer speakers and mice and keyboards ?

[erland]

The last few posts have got me wondering... what are the most expensive and/or upmarket products that Logitech have sold? Are other things being EOL'ed?

I'd somehow be happier if I thought they were cutting all of their high-end products, rather than targeting SBs.

They have high-end products in pretty much every market segment they have products in. It of course depends on what you mean with high-end but mass market users definitely doesn't get a keyboard for $179, a mouse for $99, a universal remote for $349 or in-ear head phones for $1999 and all these are products currently sold by Logitech.

[Mnyb]

They have high-end products in pretty much every market segment they have products in. It of course depends on what you mean with high-end but mass market users definitely doesn't get a keyboard for $179, a mouse for $99, a universal remote for $349 or in-ear head phones for $1999 and all these are products currently sold by Logitech.

Forgot they actually bought UE doh

[pallfreeman]

They have high-end products in pretty much every market segment they have products in. It of course depends on what you mean with high-end but mass market users definitely doesn't get a keyboard for $179, a mouse for $99, a universal remote for $349 or in-ear head phones for $1999 and all these are products currently sold by Logitech.

Bang goes my theory then. The drowning man clutching at straws, or something like that. They are targeting SBs.

At first I thought you were joking about the $2K headphones. Made me smile until I saw it was for real. Thanks.