Recent analysis shows that netbook devices have managed to push multimedia players out of public consensus, making them look dispensable in terms of video and internet usage. But technology is a dynamic thing and old-school PMPs might have a comeback, thanks to navigation capabilities that prove to be essential for many people nowadays. One of those players, that tries to make its way out is the M480 from APSI, which comes with a 4.8 inch 800 x 480 display, a 400 MHz OMAP2530 Dual Core processor, 30/60GB storage capacities and Windows CE 5.0 inside. It supports wide range of formats, including AVI, WMV, MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, AC3, ASF, SWF, JPG, BMP, TIF, RAW, CXB, ZIP, PDF, PPT, and houses a TV output, USB 2.0 connection and battery that can deliver up to 7 hours of audio playback or 5 hours of video. However, the aforementioned features won’t be enough if 3D navigation system wasn’t there, and thankfully the M480 does have one, once you add the GPS cradle at the bottom of the player, allowing to demonstrate real-time 3D maps as your cars advance forward to a preset destination. Regretfully, no pricing or availability details to share, but stay tuned for more to come.

[via pmpinside]