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walkman

Touch-screen Sony Walkman? Don't hold your breath

According to a post on the Sony Insider blog, Sony is gearing up to release a touch-screen Walkman to contend with Apple's iPod Touch (get in line Sony). The blog's author, who cites no sources and saw fit to post his own product mock-up, claims the new Walkman includes a 3-inch OLED screen, Wi-Fi, a Web browser, YouTube browser, and an integrated Amazon MP3 download store. Apparently, the device will be unveiled at CES in January. We couldn't reach any of our sources at Sony for comment.

I want to give the Sony Insider the benefit of … Read more

MP3 players that give you complete control

Add dedicated volume controls to the list of dwindling MP3 player features. Most MP3 players on the market today integrate volume adjustment capability into their main navigation controls, meaning you have to be on a playback screen to tweak listening levels. With traditional iPods and devices such as the Sansa Fuze, a spin of the wheel accomplishes the task, while most others combine volume with the up and down menu navigation buttons on a four-way control pad.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this practice, but I'm a staunch supporter of the dedicated volume toggle for two reasons: simple … Read more

Sony Ericsson W705 Walkman: Socket to me

Sony Ericsson has just announced its final phone of the year--the W705 Walkman. It's an aluminum-crafted slider with HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, and a 3.2-megapixel camera and LED flash.

In terms of form factor, it's got the typical Sony Ericsson haven't-we-seen-this-a-dozen-times-before look and feel, combined with the usual 2008 run-of-the-mill specs: a 240x320-pixel screen, a 4GB Memory Stick Micro M2 card to complement a meager internal memory, a fixed-focus camera lens, an LED flash, and stereo Bluetooth.

But it's sure as hell a pretty melon farmer, and we applaud Sony Ericsson for injecting Wi-Fi and GPS … Read more

iPod dying? It's already dead

There has been much blogorrhea on Tuesday over Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's offhand comment to the Telegraph that the iPod would go the way of the transistor radio and the Sony Walkman, becoming a cheap and eventually boring commodity product.

News flash: it's already there. Sure, Apple will still sell millions of units every quarter, and it might even continue to grow unit sales and revenue for a while. But it's clear from Apple's most recent announcements that the company no longer views the iPod as its main vehicle for innovation--new (old) form factors, colors, and … Read more

MP3 Insider 118: MP3 Insiders get silly

Donald and Jasmine intersperse the silliness with details on the latest iPod Classic review, as well as information on the Sony E-Series Walkman and a very special member of the S-Series family. Also on the table: a super durable portable party speaker, a chat about podcast support, and free stuff!

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

My unrequited love affair with the Sony NWZ-S638 Walkman

How do I love thee, oh Sony NWZ-S638 Walkman? Let me count the ways. Your scarlet hue so fair, your bright display so full of color, your slender figure so perfect for my hand...the intoxication is overwhelming. Sighhhhhhhh.

OK, I can't even type that with a straight face, but my infatuation with the NWZ-S638 Walkman is not fiction. It's real, and it's deep. And it's made even more desperate by the fact that the player is unavailable--this most glorious of Walkmans is on backorder at SonyStyle.com, with no hard date as to when it will be in stock.

Of course, one might point out that I am in a perfect situation to abuse my power and have Sony send me a "test unit." The problem is that I don't think I would be able to send it back, and this is strictly against review policy. And, as it is a member of the S-Series, there is no basis for a separate review. So, I will have lust after the device from afar for the time being, all the while attempting not to be consumed by a deep and bitter jealousy of residents of the U.K. Even when it does become available here, I'll have a bit of a struggle justifying the purchase, given that I already own several perfectly decent MP3 players.

So, why am I drooling over a particular model number in the S-Series--they're all the same, right? Not so, actually. The NWZ-S638 is a very special member of the family. It doesn't have built-in noise-canceling capability, so it's cheaper than its siblings ($149 for 8GB), but it still comes with decent headphones. For me, the NWZ-S638 is a practically perfect MP3 player, as I'll take sound-isolating over noise-canceling any day--especially if it means a lower price point. In fact, if I were rating this device specifically for myself, I'd give it at least a 9.0 out of 10. There are just a few things counting against it: it maxes out at 8GB and doesn't offer memory expansion (my sweet spot is 16GB); it doesn't support any lossless codec other than WAV; and it only comes in red, which isn't such a bad hue anyway.… Read more

Sony E-Series Walkman is an excellent value

It can't be avoided: any new MP3 player is in direct competition with the Apple iPod, and device manufacturers are well aware of this fact. Some pack their players with boatloads of extras, while others create unique and purportedly useful design elements. Some simply make a product that's just as easy to use, offers a similar array of features, and delivers great sound quality--but then charge less for it. Such is the case with the Sony E-Series Walkman, a flash player positioned to square off against the iPod Nano.

Unfortunately, the E-Series doesn't come in a 16GB … Read more

Sony B-Series Walkman is compact, compatible

Features come and go in the rapidly evolving MP3 player space. One that has enjoyed fluctuating popularity is the built-in USB interface, which lets you connect a device directly to a computer without a cable. This "plug and play" capability is currently out of fashion, but Sony is trying to keep the dream alive with the B-Series Walkman.

The entry-level offering is aimed at active users and is priced competitively at $44.99 for the 1GB model and $59.99 for the 2GB. Battery life isn't as impressive as other Sony Walkmans and the screen is tiny, … Read more