Remember the Dell Axium and the DJ, Dell’s MP3 players and pocket computers that was dominated by Apple and RIM? Well, CEO Michael Dell wants to get back into that market.
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) is reporting that Dell is testing a new MP3 player to go against Apple
In recent months, Dell has been testing a digital music player that could go on sale as early as September, said several Dell officials. Launching the player — along with an online download service and related software — would be part of a strategy that Dell Chief Executive Michael Dell hopes will move the company into a broader range of consumer markets than it has served before.
Everytime a company goes up against Apple, they usually fail. Look at Microsoft’s Zune for example. But with more choices for DRM-free music from Amazon, Napster, and Rhapsody, Dell might have a change. It will all depend on how much functions other than a music player Dell decides to put in this music player that will decide the success on this yet-to-be-seen product.
Second story comes from Om Malik on the never-ending rumor of Dell going back into the smartphone market.
Om: Any plans for mobile phones or smartphones?
Dell: We are certainly looking at the whole smartphone category, but I wouldn’t expect anything anytime soon.
Om: With the emergence of Google’s Android, and with Symbian OS and Microsoft Mobile already on the market, do you think that makes it easier for Dell to get into the phone business?
Dell: What you’ve got [are] industry-standard platforms upon which applications are being built and ecosystems are being created, and that kind of building-block architecture gives us all sorts of opportunities.
First off, the Axium was not a smartphone. It could not make calls on any cellular network, hence the non-smartphone title. The reason the Axium died is because when Dell upgraded the Axium to Windows Mobile 5, the drivers weren’t supported and the device kept crashing (I had one and went to HP after buying the Axium). Even though the Axium had bad software, it was a decent pocket PC. Only if it work probably.
So Dell is going back into the pocket PC and MP3 player market. Any plans on going back into the television market?