abi>> A Year In Review

By: Grahm Skee on December 29, 2007 8:44 PM

So 2007 is coming to a close and this will be the last post on abi… until next year. It has been a bit slow around here due to a personal relocation and the holidays, but abi>> will be back on top covering 2008 starting with coverage of every gadget fan’s favorite time of the year- CES 2008. There have been a bunch of really cool players released over the last few months for the holidays; my personal favorites being the Zune 80, Clip, P2, and the T400. I also have a hunch that we will see a few new players by top manufactures announced at CES 2008 to kick the year off to a good start.

2008 will be a great year for the consumer bringing many more choices to the table than any previous year. It is no longer just an iPod world and we have companies like Archos, Cowon, Creative, iriver, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba. The advancements and innovations have been a treat to watch unfold. I give a special tip of the hat to the product teams and firmware programmers that work hard to bring us the features we want all while listening to our countless demands. Thank you all.

It has also been a great year for anythingbutipod.com...

In 2007 abi>> launched of a brand new design and the addition of a really cool comparison database. (If you haven’t checked it out, abi>>compare is an amazing resource to help you choose your next MP3 player.) But I think of the more notable accomplishments this year came near the end with PC Magazine naming abi>> one of the Top 100 Undiscovered Websites of 2007. Thank you PC Magazine for the recognition.

The abi>>forums have become a vast community that continues to grow to be bigger and better every day. Behind the front page you will find the largest multi-brand MP3 player forums with members willing to solve your device woes, hack your player, and help you decide on your next purchase without fansite bias. So I thank all of the members for all of the great contributions and willingness to lend a hand to those looking for help. Also, a special thanks to all the forum moderators for helping the noobs, deleting spam, and keeping the forum trolls in check. I couldn’t ask for a better entourage. Thanks.

Signing off for 07… see you in 08.

Comments

Phoenix-X on December 29, 2007 11:00 PM

'07 was also the year that i joined, Graham you just made me spark a tear...

Hannes on December 30, 2007 1:05 PM

Thank you for abi!

Royel91 on December 30, 2007 7:15 PM

love this site! Keep up the good work and looking forward to next year.

klad on December 30, 2007 7:25 PM

Finally I am enlightened.I was always wondering what abi means :-DDDDDDDDDD LOL

Eric on December 30, 2007 10:41 PM

thanks for all the work you guys put into this site to make it what it is.

ABI is an absolutely work of art as far as websites go. The new layout is fantastic, and the forums are wonderful.

I love your reviews as well. Extremely helpful and insightful, I love watching the GUI videos.

Really, thank you guys very much and I'll see you in 2008!

Alex M on December 31, 2007 1:21 AM

Also looking forward to Pilot and mylarOne reviews :D

Siraceliay on December 31, 2007 10:06 AM

I hope there will be a review on the Sandisk Sansa View 16gb. I've been waiting for a review from abi, as they always know what they are talking about.
Can't wait for the flood of reviews and tech info in 2008.
Peace out, from a big fan. xx

artofwar on January 3, 2008 7:41 PM

Can't wait for another great year in gadgets, this site is a great source for making a decision about what players to get. Hope to see more and more.

Latest Articles:

abi Editor's Choice

SanDisk Sansa Clip

The Clip has a fantastic little form factor; cheap in build quality but very rugged. The interface is simple and relatively straight forward. The features on the clip are more or less average, mostly identical to the Sansa Express. However, what earns this player a spot in Editor’s Choice is the superb sound quality; you will not find another player at this size and price that can match it. Read the full review or go ahead and buy it.
Samsung P3

The Samsung P2 was a success and the P3 is a very welcome and substantial update. Samsung has paid close attention to users on P2 issues and made great strides in addressing and improving most of them. The best feature of the P3 is its native video support. Most content you thow at it will playback without conversion on the great looking screen. Stop by the Samsung P3 forums for more details or check out our indepth P3 review.
Microsoft Zune 120

Sure, many of us are not big fans of the walled garden, but there are a lot of great things going on with the Zune- sturdy hardware, ultra easy to use user interface, and a media player that is worthy of editor’s choice. The best part of the Zune is the constant firmware and software updates virtually giving you a new device at each major refresh. You can check out the latest Zune 120 & 16 review or stop by our Zune forums for the latest.
Cowon iAudio D2

The D2 is a fantastic sounding PMP with a very nice looking screen and a tone of features. One of the best features of the D2 is the SDHC slot allowing you to add another 32GB to this small wonder. The touch interface does not lend well to on the move operation, but it is not enough to keep it from being an editor’s choice. You can find usually find it at Amazon for the best price and before to check out the review.
Phonak Audéo PFE

Phonak Audéo PFE offer outstanding clarity and precision; natural, dynamic mids and treble, and decent bass for a single armature in-ear phone. They handle dense, complex music very well. The PFE work well with most acoustic and some electronic music genres, but bassheads might have to look at other alternatives. They're great for sports as well, since they fit very securely. Check out our review.