The IR1000 confused me too when I first heard about it, and it still seems like an unusual choice for them. From an e-mail exchange I had with Outlaw about it a while ago, I get the impression (reinforced by comments in the press release and newsletter) that they had an opportunity to experiment with some new technology and create a niche product -- something that people will either absolutely love or find very useless. It's not really the same as the Audiotron (although the similarities are striking and comparisons will be made) -- the Audiotron requires a computer (which also means computer software that must be installed and configured) while the IR1000 is intended to just be hooked up to some sort of Internet connection. The Audiotron offers more flexibility, to be sure -- it can be an MP3-based CD jukebox of limitless size (assuming you have the hard drive space) as well as an Internet radio tuner. But it also requires some computer savvy -- and I think everyone reading this forum knows people who lack that savvy and probably remembers a time when they themselves lacked it (fess up, folks, you know it's true ). Initially connecting the IR1000 may be tricky for people who are not familiar with computers and networks (which would also be true of the Audiotron, possibly even more so), but after that it's just a radio with hundreds of stations. (A good manual similar to the ICBM's should be able to cover the few different ways to connect the IR1000.) That is the difference that I think Outlaw is hoping to use to make a niche for the IR1000.

I really like the idea behind the Audiotron, probably because of the high "gadget" factor, but my listening habits don't really mesh with large-scale MP3 playback from a PC even if it would be fun to play with. My wife would probably make use of the "radio" side of it, as she prefers to listen to the radio over CD's when seeking background noise, but at that point the IR1000 would satisfy her needs without tying up a computer (and possibly offering a less complex interface? -- a good thing). While it still seems like an odd choice to me and I suspect that it will always be something of a niche product in Outlaw's line (perhaps the family "black sheep"?), the simplicity of the concept may work.

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Gonk