So, how do you compete with the iPod? Well, Virgin are hoping to gain some headway in the ever-competitive MP3 player market by going smaller and cheaper. In the States they have just launched a new 256MB digital music player that is the size of a silver-dollar coin (which our resident American tells us is a little bit bigger than a £2 coin). Weighing just half an ounce and storing about 80 tracks, the mini-players retail for a mere $99 - which is just as well, because they sound like they're very easy to lose. A 128 MB version, which presumably stores about 40 tracks, is also available for a bargain $79.
Commenting on the new players, Virgin Electronics' VP Marketing told reporters: "Good things come in small packages, and the new Virgin
Electronics 256MB Wearable MP3 Player is no exception. The players are incredibly easy to use as they come with a USB cable that transfers music and charges the lithium-ion batteries all at the same time."