Logitech’s Slim Devices intros Squeezebox Boom network player

Fremont (CA) – Slim Devices, a company Logitech acquired in October of 2006, today announced its Squeezebox Boom “all-in-one” network music player, which promises to deliver a wireless Internet music experience throughout your home. It’s a natural evolution for Slim Devices, but we are still waiting for an integration of the technology with other Logitech devices.

The Squeezebox Boom is essentially a network music player that connects via Wi-Fi to Internet radio stations and services such as Rhapsody, Last.FM, Slacker, Pandora and Sirius. Since Wi-Fi remains active when your PC is turned off, the Squeezebox Boom runs independently from your PC and can configure itself almost automatically by scanning for available networks. All you need to do to finalize the setup is to enter the password for your Wi-Fi network. If a PC is available, the device can access a music collection via SqueezeCenter software

One player will retail for about $300 and you can add as many as you want as each Squeezebox Boom acts as a self-contained music system. Logitech calls this device the first of a generation that might replace the CD player and if you exploit all the features of the Boom and convert your CDs, that claim may actually be close to reality.

What is a bit surprising about this new Squeezebox is the fact that there is no integration whatsoever with existing Logitech devices (an exception are Harmony remotes, which, however, work with other consumer electronics as well.) Wouldn’t it be nice if you could control a Squeezebox Boom directly from a keyboard? What about supporting Logitech’s Bluetooth stereo headphones (there is no Bluetooth in the Boom)?

At least so far, Slim Devices looks a bit strange and lost within the Logitech family of products.