2005 was quite a year for portable entertainment products. New iPods galore. Attempts by dozens to dethrone Apple as king of the digital audio player hill. A huge explosion in iPod accessories. A new war between Sony and Nintendo over handheld video game systems. Out of all of this and the other headlines for this year, which portable entertainment products bubbled to the top? Check out my list below for what I consider to be the best portable entertainment products of 2005.
1. Apple iPod (5G with video) Digital Audio Player
The new fifth generation iPod is the gold standard by which all other MP3 manufacturers in strive to reach. The penetration of the iPod into the mass consumer electronics market is amazing and this particular version shows why. The iPod delivers great digital MP3 or AAC music quality, an easy to understand navigation click wheel navigation system, a solid color LCD screen and the ability to display digital photos as well as digital video of television programs like ABC’s Desperate Housewives.
2. Sony PlayStation Portable Handheld Video Game System
One of Sony’s biggest hits this year was the Sony PlayStation Portable handheld game system. The PSP, as it is known, brought the power of the PlayStation 2 to the hands of millions of gamers via a well constructed device with an amazing color LCD screen. Besides being able to play dozen of great games, the PSP is a well rounded portable media player capable of playing main stream movie titles on the UMD (Universal Media Disc) format as well as digital audio stored on a Memory Stick Duo card.3. Apple iPod nano Digitial Audio Player
The iPod nano digital audio player from Apple came along and replaced the popular mini in 2005. The nano proved it could combine great looks and sound, taking the iPod to a slim as a pencil size form factor. Like its big brother iPod, the nano comes with a color screen, the trademark click wheel navigation scheme, a color screen and the ability to display digital photos. Its flash based memory, different than the iPod’s hard drive storage option, offers skip free MP3 or AAC audio playback.4. Panasonic DVD-LS90 Portable DVD Player
One of the most well received and popular portable DVD players this year was Panasonic’s DVD-LS90. Among the many amazing features of this product is its large, bright 9” diagonal widescreen display which can pivot to offer different viewing angles. It offers up to six hours of rechargeable battery life, a weight of 2.7 pounds, the ability to play multiple DVD and CD formats and an A/V output which allows it to be connected to a home entertainment system for use as a home DVD player.5. Shure E4c Sound Isolating Headphones
The E4c sound isolating headphones from Shure provided a great listening experience for many portable entertainment device owners in 2005. These pricey headphones incorporate professional music style components and an in-ear, sound isolating design with a custom personal fit kit to produce a sound quality with brilliant highs and extended bass which has no near equal. The E4Cs weigh only 1.1 ounces and come with a carrying case as well as a volume level control to manage the sound experience.