RSS
Pat Misterovich is a stay at home dad with a one-person company, he had a dream - make a MP3 player that looked like a PEZ dispenser. We've been covering Pat's PEZ MP3 player throughout the year, reading his progress and milestones, anxiously awaiting the arrival of this dream turned PEZ MP3 player, and now it's here! Here are the photos!
While most MP3 player news is usually about iPod-this-or-that Pat Misterovich has worked for the last year on bring the PEZMP3 player to the world.
Here is Pat's story from his site.
My name is Pat Misterovich. I am a stay-at-home dad with a one-person company. Last summer I had this thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if there was an MP3 player that looked like a PEZ dispenser?" You see, I had been reading this article about a guy who had turned an Altoids tin into iPod speakers. Out of curiousity I thought I would ask PEZ if they might be willing to license their brand for such a thing. To my astonishment they didn't think I was crazy.
Fast forward a year, a bank loan, a family loan, some nagging doubts, a lot of late, late nights, and a lot of diapers. Now it is here. The PEZ MP3 player.
If you are looking for an MP3 player that is a little different.... If you love PEZ... If you like the idea of a stay-at-home dad, working out of his basement, taking on the giants of Cupertino, Tokyo, and Seoul... If you love independent music, podcasts, blogs, maverick ideas, and doing it yourself... This is the MP3 player for you.
I haven't had time to do much more than take these photos, play a few tunes and see what types of projects could be done with the PEZ MP3, so take a look. If you have any questions while I use the PEZ MP3 player more, post'em up in the comments. I've have some travel ahead and will taking him for a spin, er flip.
Packaging.
Specs:
- PEZ Pal Boy character.
- 512 mb (holds around 120 songs)
- USB 2.0
- Plays MP3, WMA, WMA w/DRM
- Compatible with Mac OS X
- Compatible with Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP
- Compatible with subscription services like Rhapsody To Go
- Uses 1 AAA battery
- Plug and Play
- Drag and Drop
- Can be used as a USB drive to store data files
- Repeat play or Random Play
- Store music in nested directories
- Comes pre-loaded with great indie music
- Lanyard hook
- Comes with earbud headphones and USB cable
- Limited run 1st edition
Package contents.
Close up of the side with mini usb for song/data transfer, PEZ branding, music and volume control.
Close up of PEZ head. Here's the background about the character.
Pop the head back, flip the switch to turn it on or off, as opposed to getting sweet candy.
4 way joypad, center plays/stops.
Mini USB and LED.
Headphone port. I listened to the music, navigated around, it's loud, sounds good.
Hey, who let those guys in.
Shuffle vs. PEZ.
Battery door, takes 1 AAA.
While the PEZ MP3 comes with one head and current PEZ heads do not fit, it appears to me a simply little mod could get them working together. Just a little dremel action.
The cool thing is, maybe the guy who did the "fallen rapper" PEZ sculptures can make his heads, and you could put them on your PEZ MP3 player!
Photo from Pez Project installed at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Part of the Hip Hop exhibition here.
That's pretty cool... I'd be tempted but I already have a 256mb player and only want a large multi-gig one now.
Reply to this comment
Wow it really looks good, i like how he immitated the controls of the ipod shuffle. What's the battery life on one AAA?
Reply to this comment
CaptSnuffy,
This is Pat from pezmp3.com, my unscientific but definitely real world testing came in around 20+ hours. That included lots of on/off, lots of track changes and volume changes, running it through my kitchen stereo, running through my car stereo using a tape adapter and letting my kids use it. I used standard Energizer alkaline.
Reply to this comment
I ordered mine the day MAKE:Blog posted that it had been released. I had been looking at flash based mp3 players that were DRM free that day and couldn't find any I liked, and saw that the PEZ MP3 player had finally been completed. I can't wait to get mine! I'm glad they're finally shipping!!
Reply to this comment
hey this is olivia and i love pezmp3 1 reason is cause pat misterovich is my uncle
Reply to this comment
This is the best. I just found out about it am hoping that the new addition will be out before Christman. My son and his wife are pez collectors and it would be the most perfect gift. Please hurry and get out the new one. I really need it.
Reply to this comment
$99 is pretty expensive for that. Even if it is cool. I got my Memorex mp3 player for $60. It has a screen (black and white), 1 gig of memory, good headphones that are included, a lock button, a rechargeable built in battery, and the USB cord with it too.
Reply to this comment