Dell Axes HD-based MP3 Players

Count Dell as the latest victim of the Apple iPod -- well, sort of. The electronics manufacturer on Monday said that it would be discontinuing its hard drive-based players, however it will continue offering the 512MB Dell Ditty for the foreseeable future. The move would axe the company's 5, 20, and 30GB players. Analysts say that Dell was never able to differentiate itself from its competitors, thus it got lost among the multitude of Windows-based players available on the market.

The Ditty, which launched in September, includes an FM tuner, small monochrome screen, and PlaysForSure compatibility. Dell has not released sales figures for the unit.