It was almost three years ago that one of the Raiders of the Lost Walmart excavated their first MobiBLU, a mini MP3 player that was the hottest entertainment technology available from Walmart in 2005. Somehow, the devices are still on the shelves at Walmart, sometimes at the original full price, never drawing any interest from paying customers: only from the camera lenses of our brave retail archaeologists. [More]
mp3 players
10-Year-Old MP3 Players Fail To Fly Off Walmart Shelves At $80
By 9.14.15
When will the MobiBLU, the world’s smallest full-featured MP3 player in 2005, finally sell out? Maybe never. The devices are doomed to roam Walmart aisles for years to come, reminding everyone that Walmart once had its own music downloads store, and that for some reason the retailer’s much-praised inventory control systems can’t understand how to get rid of decade-old gadgets. [More]
This 9-Year-Old MP3 Player Is Ready For The Latest Tunes, Costs $300
By 7.10.15
If you weren’t all that familiar with technology, this “portable media center” that reader S. found in the clearance section at Walmart might seem like a reasonable enough purchase. What isn’t obvious until you look more closely is that the $300 price tag has been on the box since 2011. What isn’t obvious until you perform a quick Google search is that the PMC7230 has been on the market since 2006, which would explain why it’s still languishing on the shelf. [More]
Our Favorite Hot MP3 Player From 2005 Still On Walmart Shelves
By 10.10.13
In our recurring Raiders of the Lost Walmart series, we’ve become slightly obsessed with the MobiBLU MP3 player. That’s the tiny, cube-shaped music device that hit stores in 2005 and, for some reason, is still on the shelves at a comically high price. Every time a reader submits a new one, we wonder how this is even possible. [More]
Walmart Marks Ancient MP3 Player Down To Slightly Less Hilarious Price
By 5.28.13 — Updated: 8.15.13
We have great news for fans of obsolete technology! If you’ve been waiting to get hold of an MP3 player that’s old enough to receive its First Communion, you don’t have to pay Walmart’s high price of $109.72 for one. No, the glorious MobiBlu is now on clearance for only $60. [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Can Get You VHS Tapes And The Greatest Hits Of 2007
By 10.18.12 — Updated: 8.15.13
Our readers aren’t just ordinary blog tipsters: you’re retail archaeologists. Consumerists across the nation explore discount stores and sale racks, searching for gems of outdated technology. You are the finders of ancient digital junk. You are the Raiders of the Lost Walmart. [More]
Report: Apple May Phase Out Older iPods
By 9.29.11
As Apple prepares to unveil the iPhone 5 next week, it also may soon bring down the hammer on the long-beloved but now largely obsolete iPod Shuffle and iPod Classic. [More]
Apple Replaces The Out-Of-Warranty iPod Touch I Broke For Free
By 1.3.11
Unlike houseplants, iPod Touches don’t take kindly to watering. After Emily accidentally victimized her device in such a manner, she contacted Apple to see what it would cost to replace it. When she balked at the price, a helpful customer service rep sent her a free one. [More]
If You're Looking For An Outdated, Barely Usable MP3 Player, Walmart's Got You Covered
By 6.28.10
Sean discovered this forgotten relic of the MP3 player evolution on clearance at his local Walmart. He may have slipped through some sort of flux capacitor-facilitated wormhole that took him into a bygone era. At least that’s what we’re hoping. [More]
iPod Explodes In Class, Killing Nobody
By 2.26.10
An iPod erupted on a high school science room desk in Pentucket Regional High School in, MA yesterday. Supposedly… [More]
Apple Store Manager Gives iPod To Soldier Who Mangled His In Afghanistan
By 10.22.09
Remember Aaron, the Marine who wrecked his 120GB iPod Classic in Afghanistan by accidentally letting it get run over by a Humvee, then slamming it in a Humvee door?
Marine Declares War On iPod, Which Lives To Tell The Tale
By 10.14.09
If you thought it was impressive that an iPod could survive a nine-story fall into the Pittsburgh G20 riots, just wait until you hear about the perils that befell an iPod belonging to Aaron, a Marine deployed in Afghanistan.
iPod Survives Nine-Storey Plunge Into G20 Riots
By 10.13.09
While leaning out her dorm window to watch some riots — hell, what else is there to do in Pittsburgh? — Bob’s daughter’s iPod decided it’d had enough of this world and took a swan dive into oblivion.
Get Half Off New Mp3 Player In Creative MP3 Player Class Action
By 5.1.08
If you bought a Creative MP3 player in the past…
Geeks.com Sells MP3 Player Without Manual. CSR: "You won't need one."
By 10.28.07
Reader Sarah expected to receive a manual and software with the Creative Zen Micro she ordered from Geeks.com, but received neither. When she called to complain, a CSR told her the following:
“Oh, don’t even worry about that. These are SO easy to use, you won’t need a manual! I mean, if you had bought some cheap piece of Chinese crap, we would have had to supply a manual. But the Creative players are GREAT. You won’t need one.”
Sarah’s full email, after the jump.
Slideon: The Mp3/Video Player With Sliding iPod Killer Controls
By 5.16.07
This audio/video player designed by Consumerist Flickr pool member unleashedlive features a sliding control panel that hides under the playing screen, just like with a slider cellphone. The maker of this 3d rendering says it would use flash memory and be chargeable via the headphone jack.
Blogobitchin!
By 7.22.06
• For some reason, we get a chuckle over the screen saying, “File System NAND Start.” It also rhymes with, “Gotta go K-Mart.” [Tim Ellsworth] “Don’t Buy Any Audiovox products”
