The Dell DJ Ditty has a FM tuner, a blue LCD screen, and comes in silver, just in time to compete with the iPod Shuffle for holiday sales.
Really, it’s all about iTunes. If someone wants to download songs from iTunes and carry them around in their native AAC format, it’s going to take an iPod to do that. Getting into an inexpensive iPod means taking a look at the Shuffle, which starts at $99.
For others looking for a little more functionality than what the Shuffle offers, Dell has brought out its DJ Ditty player. Right now the 512MB player prices at $99, just like the 512MB iPod Shuffle. Since Apple doesn’t license its Fairplay DRM scheme, users who don’t want to go to the trouble of converting iTunes purchases to MP3 format will have to look elsewhere for content.
The device will support MP3 and WMA file formats. Dell lists compatibility with Napster To Go as well as audio book publisher Audible. Downloads from Yahoo’s Y!Music can be made via the Musicmatch Jukebox, a longtime fixture on Dell’s OEM machines.
The company says the DJ Ditty will hold about 220 songs, and has a battery life of around 14 hours. The battery fully charges in 2 and a half hours. Like the Shuffle, it connects to a PC via a built-in USB connection. DJ Ditty measures only a half inch thick, and includes a blue backlit LCD display. Users can also listen to FM broadcasts via the integrated tuner.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
