Pocket Tunes Version 3.0 Released

Posted By: Ryan Tuesday, June 15, 2004 8:30:58 PM

NormSoft has released Pocket Tunes Version 3.0, its award winning audio player for the Palm OS. The new version brings support for WMA files, Windows Media Player Integration, tag-based song selection and enhanced support for new audio formats using plugins.

Pocket Tunes 3.0 Deluxe allows customers to play WMA (Windows Media Audio) files on a Palm OS based device. Pocket Tunes is the first Palm OS audio player to support this file format. Microsoft’s Windows Media Player is included with all versions of Windows, making the WMA file format very popular. Version 3.0 supports “unprotected” WMA files, which are primarily those created by individuals. NormSoft looks forward to future updates from Microsoft allowing the ability to play protected WMA files, such as those from on line music stores.

A Palm OS device running Pocket Tunes 3.0 will now appear in Windows Media Player as a Portable Device. The Windows Media Player interface can now be used to copy music to the device quickly, without using a card reader, HotSync, or any other special tools. This will make it significantly easier and faster to get music on to the device.

PocketTunes Palm OS mp3, WMA audio player Pocket Tunes is an advanced audio player for Palm Powered devices. It provides music playback in MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, and PCM WAV formats, with capabilities to support future formats as they are developed. Pocket Tunes is the only software to bring streaming audio to Palm Powered phones and wireless devices, allowing users to listen to live broadcasts over the Internet. Pocket Tunes also includes numerous other unique features designed to bring a high-quality listening experience to handheld users. Earlier this year, Pocket Tunes received a Powered Up Award from PalmSource, the creator of the world’s leading operating system for handhelds and smartphones.

Two versions of Pocket Tunes, Basic and Deluxe, are available. The Basic version contains many popular features including support for customizable displays (Skins), a hi-fidelity equalizer and WMP desktop integration. The Deluxe version contains all of the Pocket Tunes Basic features, along with WMA (unprotected) file support, crossfade, gapless playback, ShoutCast support and bookmarks.

Pocket Tunes Basic retails for $14.95 [BUY] and Pocket Tunes Deluxe retails for $27.95 [BUY]. A fully functional 15 day trial version is also available for download. Existing customers should visit the web site for special upgrade pricing.

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Great

Konstantin @ 6/15/2004 10:02:57 PM #

Bundle this version of Pocket Tunes with the upcoming PalmOS Cobalt devices.

Not the only streaming audio Palm app

chilimost @ 6/15/2004 10:50:41 PM #

Although it is the best, it is not the *only* Palm app that does streaming audio. MMPlayer can stream MP3 via HTTP (not to mention video as well).

Great !!

sunnyawesome @ 6/16/2004 5:25:46 AM #

This sounds great. It's previous versiuons has some serious flaws like it frequently crashed my Z71. This new version should fix them all.

Zire 71 with Modem

Damn Sony!

mikecane @ 6/16/2004 8:33:17 AM #

My question them them:

Before I plonk down $$$ on PTunes, could you tell me if it takes advantage of the DSP on the CLIE TH55 -- and therefore delivers the same great battery life as the included Audio Player from Sony? Thanks.

Their reply to me:

No, that DSP is proprietary and owned by Sony.

===============

Damn you, Sony!

RE: Damn Sony!

hkklife @ 6/16/2004 9:32:07 AM #

That's why we will not be having Sony's proprietary "solutions" to annoy users or developers in the future.

See, there's ALWAYS a silver lining in every dark cloud!

Does anyone have any solid info on when we are going to see an Aeroplayer update? It'll soon be a year since the last update of any merit was released and many users are starting to get very antsy (myself included). Isn't it funny how the two mp3 players have flip-flopped? Aeroplayer used to be the more polished, frequenly updated, better supported of the two!

Expecting updates?

a3 @ 6/16/2004 9:39:15 AM #

With so many Palm users using patched copies of the software it does not seem to be illogical that developers are starting to "forget" about further development to their software...

I may seem as a jerk, but I just can not believe that I preferred to use patched versions of software that cost less than US$20!!!! How miserably cheap can somebody get?

____________________________________________________
Current fan of a 320x480 tablet shaped Palm with built in BT+Wifi for less than US$450

RE: Damn Sony!

mikecane @ 6/16/2004 9:53:38 AM #

Sony should release the fekkin API. Why not?!

RE: Damn Sony!

orol @ 6/16/2004 5:26:29 PM #

well, it's actually sad that we wont see sony devices. I do admit that sony tend to be very proprietary, but sony's solutions are almost always ahead of time

palm/palmOne never ever released something that was better then sony did.

therefore my firts and last device from palm was palm III. palm/palmone was late in addopting memory card, colour screen, high resolution, wireless technology, multimedia, actually they were always the 2nd, 3rd etc ...

I'll miss sony, actually I wont buy palmOne diveces since they are inferior and pricey for what they can. UX50 is the last palm os PDA i own since I don't belive that palmOne will come up with anything new that matches this. I'll most probable go with windows mobile .. since pos still doesn't have multitasking .. and sony's devices with great desgin and feature packed was why I was still in the palm os camp

And a VERY cool skin!

jbarr @ 6/16/2004 10:24:11 AM #

If you want an even cooler interface than the stock "High Frequency" skin gives, check out Lance Wehrung's Skins page at http://www.palmfocus.com/ptskins.asp

His "iTunes 4 - 3.2 (320 x 320) - NEW" skin on my Tungsten T3 simply rocks! It's very professionally designed. Not only is it great to look at, but it also adds functionality like skinning the equalizer and enabling access to the Crossfade and some other functions (similar to the "High Frequency" skin.) It does cost $3.00, but to me, his attention to detail really makes it worth it.

RE: And a VERY cool skin!

Winter_ @ 6/16/2004 10:49:26 AM #

I didn't know that people could sell - or would buy - skins...

Who would have guessed... and I was making my T3 turn off the screen as soon as possible to save battery!

It's very professionally designed

Perhaps you mean "very faithfully / thoroughly copied"...

RE: And a VERY cool skin!

Token User @ 6/16/2004 11:37:07 AM #

There is more to skin design than copying a "theme" ... OK, its not rocket science, but there is a definate art to it.

However, I am with you on the "paying for a skin" thing. Never understood it myself. Kudos to those that earn some beer money from it though.

~ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." - DV ~

RE: And a VERY cool skin!

Winter_ @ 6/16/2004 12:16:31 PM #

From the linked skin-selling page:

"Most all the nuances of the desktop program have been carried over to the handheld. Some buttons have up to six different images for full effect! "

The original was "designed" (for good or bad); this is by definition a copy. Of course making a good, thorough copy (caring for details of image and behaviour) must pose some quirks, but still I wouldn't call that "designing". (well, you could always twist it and say something like "it was designed to be exactly the same than..." )

Anyway, yes, a good way of making some bucks. It'd be interesting to know how large is that market. :)

RE: And a VERY cool skin!

Token User @ 6/16/2004 7:36:54 PM #

Its the same market that buy multicoloured replacement shells on their cellphones, add flashing lights when a call comes in, fluro lights under their Civic, coffee can exhaust tips to their Corolla ...

Style is a personal thing - I'd take a guess and say a majority of skins are bought (and "designed") by adolescent males (and some females) in senior high school, or junior college.

Now - there are some skins that are useful, as they add functionality (eg WonderSilk hack and skins for large screen Clies) ... but that is a whole other debate.

~ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." - DV ~

RE: And a VERY cool skin!

kevdo @ 6/16/2004 10:29:54 PM #

As a Mac user I am happy to pay $5 for a skin that acts just like the desktop music app that I'm used to.

Would I rather it be free? Of course. But $5 seems like a reasonable fee. Gotta give the guy credit for actually creating the skin in the first place.

-Kevin Crossman, Palm Powered Software Champion

RE: And a VERY cool skin!

Winter_ @ 6/17/2004 5:41:18 AM #

In fact the price is $3... are you sure you paid for it? ;)

About "reasonable fee"... you are free to pay whatever you feel like and reason it in whatever way you like. Hey, capitalism at its best :).

Now, for the part about "giving credit"... why should you? you are already giving him ***money*** :).

(as a side note, I'm also a mac user)

RE: And a VERY cool skin!

kevdo @ 6/17/2004 8:19:08 PM #

http://www.pocket-tunes.com/skins/players/iTunes4_v3.shtml

Looks like $5 to me...

Yes, credit meaning -- give the guy "credit" for doing it (e.g. money). Yes, he's getting paid (a pittance) but do salute someone for doing what is probably closer to a labor of love than a startup venture.

-Kevin Crossman, Palm Powered Software Champion

RE: And a VERY cool skin!

jbarr @ 6/18/2004 11:38:41 AM #

My main reason for bringing up this skin is that it not only looks great, but it adds *functionality* that none of the other skins except the "High Fidelity" skin provide, (and the High Fidelity skin doesn't offer *all* the functionality of this skin.) If the other skins provided the same functions, it would be a total non-issue, but this skin is well designed and well executed.

I do understand the negative reactions to charging for skins. I run the Sony Clie "WonderSilk Skins" site at http://wondersilkskins.com, and I don't charge for skins. But at the same time, I can respect that if a product adds functionality that otherwise isn't avaiilable, then to me, it's worth paying for. And at $3.00 (paid through PayPal on the author's site) to have the "extra" functionality not otherwise available, it was worth it.

[quote]"Its the same market that buy multicoloured replacement shells on their cellphones, add flashing lights when a call comes in, fluro lights under their Civic, coffee can exhaust tips to their Corolla ..."[/quote]

I tend to disagree a bit with this concerning this specific skin. While skins in general are typically nothing more than window dressing, in this case, this skin provides accessibility to program features and functions not available in other skins, so it goes beyond being a cell phone shell.

Palm with a harddrive!

Midknyte @ 6/16/2004 12:03:13 PM #

Palm with a harddrive!
Palm with a harddrive!
Palm with a harddrive!

I want my iPod killer

Has anyone got a clue?

All the parts have been available for several years now - just put them together!

Even a harddrive sled would be ok - probably even better because we would not have to buy a whole new PDA.

And not some wimpy little 1 or 2 gig drive either. 20 gig minimum!

RE: Palm with a harddrive!

Winter_ @ 6/16/2004 12:29:03 PM #

Hey, déjà vu! :P

Look at last week's news' forums, that was discussed there...

no WMA9-lossless support

auto194419 @ 6/18/2004 7:18:58 AM #

What a disgrace! With no WMA9-lossless format support it's no better than ver 2.x: I use WMA just for storing music in lossless format.

Better options than WMA9-lossless

Winter_ @ 6/18/2004 8:02:50 PM #

Why WMA? There are a number of alternative formats for lossless compression... without the nastyness of Micro$oft's DRM.

For example, surely it would be easier for the developers to support FLAC, which is a free format (no patents, no copyrights, no paying to M$). And note that there are still other free lossless formats!

RE: no WMA9-lossless support

10101010 @ 5/4/2005 12:13:32 AM #

It's a pity that Pocket Tunes Deluxe 3.07 still does not support WMA Lossless!

I used Windows Media Player 10 to copy music in WMA Lossless format from a CD to Pocket Tunes. The song is ripped into my computer in 1059 kbps, after Sync, the audio file is recorded in my palm only in 160 kbps!