Manage updates with the Download AppNovember 29, 2004 9:15 AM PST
Sony takes on iPod with new hard-disk Walkman
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The consumer electronics maker aims to reclaim the portable music market with its first MP3-compatible, hard-disk Walkman.
Photo: New Walkman plays MP3
The story "Sony takes on iPod with new hard-disk Walkman" published November 29, 2004 at 9:15 AM is no longer available on CNET News.
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Is is that difficult to employ and give chance to few people that are creative to deliver EASY TO USE music player that support mulitiple formatas and offer more USEFULL features for consumer?
No,no,no....this companies are trying to develop properiatory devices that play only company formats and are barely usefull to consumers and to make it even more appeling,put nice $413 sticker on it???
You have a winner.....I am not buying neither Sony or Apple own little players,can not justify cost and use for it,got alredy cheaper and more usefull devices....and I am a geek.
Then again,geeks dont buy whistles and bells but cool gadgets.
And yes.. they ARE simple and easy to use... .along with most of
Apple's products.
While you say nothing indide or out is "nothing spectacular",
perhaps the reason why no one can produce something better is
that it's a lot more spectacular than it seems.
The iPod will play any .mp3 file, so you can put all your ripped
CD tracks as well as any others you've collected on it.
And while you may not like Apple, or it's iTunes Music Store, for
the moment, it is clearly the leader in the field. Why would you
buy a player that doesn't work with the best online store?
As a 'geek' you say you don't buy "whistels and bells" but "cool
gadgets". I think you need an iPod. By your own admission its
not fancy.... doesn't do much(except for what it is susposed to),
yes is sooo cool, stores can't keep them in stock.
gadgets."
Since when do geeks know what "cool" is?
Is is that difficult to employ and give chance to few people that are creative to deliver EASY TO USE music player that support mulitiple formatas and offer more USEFULL features for consumer?
No,no,no....this companies are trying to develop properiatory devices that play only company formats and are barely usefull to consumers and to make it even more appeling,put nice $413 sticker on it???
You have a winner.....I am not buying neither Sony or Apple own little players,can not justify cost and use for it,got alredy cheaper and more usefull devices....and I am a geek.
Then again,geeks dont buy whistles and bells but cool gadgets.
And yes.. they ARE simple and easy to use... .along with most of
Apple's products.
While you say nothing indide or out is "nothing spectacular",
perhaps the reason why no one can produce something better is
that it's a lot more spectacular than it seems.
The iPod will play any .mp3 file, so you can put all your ripped
CD tracks as well as any others you've collected on it.
And while you may not like Apple, or it's iTunes Music Store, for
the moment, it is clearly the leader in the field. Why would you
buy a player that doesn't work with the best online store?
As a 'geek' you say you don't buy "whistels and bells" but "cool
gadgets". I think you need an iPod. By your own admission its
not fancy.... doesn't do much(except for what it is susposed to),
yes is sooo cool, stores can't keep them in stock.
gadgets."
Since when do geeks know what "cool" is?
> least twice as many as an iPod because of
> Atrac's better compression technology.
Oh, no! They did it again.
"Twice as many" sounds absolutely funny after reading iPod forums that people buy 60GB iPods for just sake of using losless compressions for ripped music. And that's 250-300MB per CD.
Seems like word "quality" is not in vocabulary of Apple's competitors.
P.S. 2.5 times battery life sounds like savings from lesser use of hard drive: if song takes 2 times less space - so hard drive potentially needs to be spined twice fewer times. So when using "normal" level of quality (160-192kbps) one will get the same battery life as iPod.
> least twice as many as an iPod because of
> Atrac's better compression technology.
Oh, no! They did it again.
"Twice as many" sounds absolutely funny after reading iPod forums that people buy 60GB iPods for just sake of using losless compressions for ripped music. And that's 250-300MB per CD.
Seems like word "quality" is not in vocabulary of Apple's competitors.
P.S. 2.5 times battery life sounds like savings from lesser use of hard drive: if song takes 2 times less space - so hard drive potentially needs to be spined twice fewer times. So when using "normal" level of quality (160-192kbps) one will get the same battery life as iPod.
mark d.
I stopped buying physical CD's a while ago(tho I do make some
exceptions), however my entire CD collection has been ripped to
my HD, so I'm already up to about 60 GIG's of .mp3 and AAC
files.
You can do the same. You can also add any .mp3 file you like to
your iPod, which would make filling it up much cheaper.
Your question is like asking Sony how much would it cost to fill
up one of their 400 CD Changes..... If you start with NONE, it
would cost quite a bit.
Same thing with the iPod and other players.. if you have NO
music to start with, it's going to take you more time than money
to fill it up.
mark d.
I stopped buying physical CD's a while ago(tho I do make some
exceptions), however my entire CD collection has been ripped to
my HD, so I'm already up to about 60 GIG's of .mp3 and AAC
files.
You can do the same. You can also add any .mp3 file you like to
your iPod, which would make filling it up much cheaper.
Your question is like asking Sony how much would it cost to fill
up one of their 400 CD Changes..... If you start with NONE, it
would cost quite a bit.
Same thing with the iPod and other players.. if you have NO
music to start with, it's going to take you more time than money
to fill it up.
excellent design blew me away. 3 years later, I now have 2 new
iPods, a G5 and will be receiving my new iBook this week.
Neither Sony, Dell, etc. can stop the iPodding of the world. Sony
did it first with the Walkman, now Apple will do it with the iPod.
This new Sony device will not touch the demand nor popularity
of the iPod. Apple has the momentum and it can't be stopped.
... that said, ever notice how there's a new "iPod-killer" reported on News.com every week? And iPods continue to increase their market share...
excellent design blew me away. 3 years later, I now have 2 new
iPods, a G5 and will be receiving my new iBook this week.
Neither Sony, Dell, etc. can stop the iPodding of the world. Sony
did it first with the Walkman, now Apple will do it with the iPod.
This new Sony device will not touch the demand nor popularity
of the iPod. Apple has the momentum and it can't be stopped.
... that said, ever notice how there's a new "iPod-killer" reported on News.com every week? And iPods continue to increase their market share...
Good thing for Apple that they patented it.
Good thing for Apple that they patented it.
Second: Sony wants to match sure not ONE company dominates this market (You mean like WALKMAN did!)
Third: Cost to replace... Obviously the dude doesnot get the message. WinPC & Macs have an iTunes LIBRARY on them which you SYNC your iPod with. If you lose your iPod, you get another one & RESYNC with your iTunes library on your computer.
DUH! It's like a Palm device, iPod is the PORTABLE music library from your computer. Also, if you own any CD's that you have purchased, you can copy them to iTunes Library as an MP3 file OR convert MS WMF music to Apple AAP music standard.
The BUZZ has been created & the BEES are swarming, the iPod Nation / World has the momentum with PC + Mac... enjoy the ride!
-Eyes wide open in Seattle-
Second: Sony wants to match sure not ONE company dominates this market (You mean like WALKMAN did!)
Third: Cost to replace... Obviously the dude doesnot get the message. WinPC & Macs have an iTunes LIBRARY on them which you SYNC your iPod with. If you lose your iPod, you get another one & RESYNC with your iTunes library on your computer.
DUH! It's like a Palm device, iPod is the PORTABLE music library from your computer. Also, if you own any CD's that you have purchased, you can copy them to iTunes Library as an MP3 file OR convert MS WMF music to Apple AAP music standard.
The BUZZ has been created & the BEES are swarming, the iPod Nation / World has the momentum with PC + Mac... enjoy the ride!
-Eyes wide open in Seattle-
This kills innovation n adoption, promotes piracy.
So which is the most 'open' format?
WMA, AAC???
Im not buying any non-open standard format.
The only problem is that there is no standard for DRM - everyone wants to make pet DRM dominant and later standard. Apple was first with FairPlay/PlayFair/whatever - and definitely will not bow to M$ with its own non-standard proprietary WMA/DRM.
And Sony didn't got it either: has Sony licensed WMA from M$ - we at least might have said 'bloody monopolist got it all!'. And later as part of anti-monopoly regulations applied to M$ force WMS into open platform with low entry cost.
IIRC RealPlayer came up with its own DRM as well?
Now we have a sitiuation where unprotected MP3s available from P2P networks are still most compatible & usable music files. Shame to RIAA/friends: it is still easier to steal music than to buy it. As if they didn't really wanted to sell it to me.
I am not going to commit my future collection to a format that may or may not win out and besides my existing collection of over 5,000 songs (none downloaded by the way) has already been encoded. Apple seem to expect me to re-encode the lot. Sod that.
If I do find a machine that will play my existing collection then I will buy it. I don't want to join a club of some dubious format users when all of the manufacturers could easily make sure their players work with several formats - especially mp3pro.
I would buy an ipod tomrrow if Apple weren't so shortsighted - MY MUSIC IS ALREADY ENCODED - I'll repeat that in case anyone from Apple reads this - MY MUSIC IS ALREADY ENCODED - add in the few lines of necessary code and let me play it on your wee machine.
This kills innovation n adoption, promotes piracy.
So which is the most 'open' format?
WMA, AAC???
Im not buying any non-open standard format.
The only problem is that there is no standard for DRM - everyone wants to make pet DRM dominant and later standard. Apple was first with FairPlay/PlayFair/whatever - and definitely will not bow to M$ with its own non-standard proprietary WMA/DRM.
And Sony didn't got it either: has Sony licensed WMA from M$ - we at least might have said 'bloody monopolist got it all!'. And later as part of anti-monopoly regulations applied to M$ force WMS into open platform with low entry cost.
IIRC RealPlayer came up with its own DRM as well?
Now we have a sitiuation where unprotected MP3s available from P2P networks are still most compatible & usable music files. Shame to RIAA/friends: it is still easier to steal music than to buy it. As if they didn't really wanted to sell it to me.
I am not going to commit my future collection to a format that may or may not win out and besides my existing collection of over 5,000 songs (none downloaded by the way) has already been encoded. Apple seem to expect me to re-encode the lot. Sod that.
If I do find a machine that will play my existing collection then I will buy it. I don't want to join a club of some dubious format users when all of the manufacturers could easily make sure their players work with several formats - especially mp3pro.
I would buy an ipod tomrrow if Apple weren't so shortsighted - MY MUSIC IS ALREADY ENCODED - I'll repeat that in case anyone from Apple reads this - MY MUSIC IS ALREADY ENCODED - add in the few lines of necessary code and let me play it on your wee machine.
Oh and I'm sure that is going to go over really. Can you say quality degradation?
Oh and I'm sure that is going to go over really. Can you say quality degradation?
ago. The interface was byzantine and the salesperson at the
flagship Sony store in Manhattan could figure out how pieces of
it.
Unless they have made an earth shattering improvement, this
player will be frustrating to most people. Of course we await
tests.
To hope of taking on Apple, Sony needs to offer something that
is at least functionally equivalent (and this means a great
interface) for less than $250 for a 20 GB model.
This one is probably DOA.
ago. The interface was byzantine and the salesperson at the
flagship Sony store in Manhattan could figure out how pieces of
it.
Unless they have made an earth shattering improvement, this
player will be frustrating to most people. Of course we await
tests.
To hope of taking on Apple, Sony needs to offer something that
is at least functionally equivalent (and this means a great
interface) for less than $250 for a 20 GB model.
This one is probably DOA.
I don't see much of a differentiation between the two players. Sony is definitely not playing the pricing game because their player costs more. But they do have more playing time and the ability to store more songs.
Whether or not this will help iPod owners to switch, I am uncertain. Perhaps Sony is not going after iPod owners after all and is trying to get consumers of their own.
All I know is that Sony has quite a challenge ahead of them because of the strong brand image that iPod has created for themselves.
Sony is definitely a well known brand... I realize that. That's why I said if anyone can take over iPod, it'd be Sony. But Sony does not have the image that iPod has. iPod has a cool, fun, hip, new, music player image. Sony has a good quality home electronics image that may be hard to change in consumer's minds.
Sony To Dominate iPod
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://allwaysmusic.modblog.com/" target="_newWindow">http://allwaysmusic.modblog.com/</a>
I don't see much of a differentiation between the two players. Sony is definitely not playing the pricing game because their player costs more. But they do have more playing time and the ability to store more songs.
Whether or not this will help iPod owners to switch, I am uncertain. Perhaps Sony is not going after iPod owners after all and is trying to get consumers of their own.
All I know is that Sony has quite a challenge ahead of them because of the strong brand image that iPod has created for themselves.
Sony is definitely a well known brand... I realize that. That's why I said if anyone can take over iPod, it'd be Sony. But Sony does not have the image that iPod has. iPod has a cool, fun, hip, new, music player image. Sony has a good quality home electronics image that may be hard to change in consumer's minds.
Sony To Dominate iPod
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://allwaysmusic.modblog.com/" target="_newWindow">http://allwaysmusic.modblog.com/</a>
The Sony walkman may have a edge with its implementation of the flash memory instead of a physical hard drive, but the IPOD still stand as a strong competitor since it entails skip-protection technology (up to 15 seconds or more).
In reality, it all boils down to the overall taste of the consumer. The Sony walkman is reknowned as a classic brand which everyone has came to love over the decades. However, the question is whether their new product is innovative enough to stand competition with the IPOD? The main seller about the IPOD is that its design is simple, convenient and user-friendly. It does no harm to carry along a small gadget that can thrill you with soothing mp3's, keep track of important information and also store important files.
Last but not least, I personally think that the IPOD will remain the market leader as Apple continues to push the envelope with new and innovative technology. The downfall of the Sony Walkman is its clunky interface and dimmed LCD screen.
Orane Franklin
Orane Productions Multimedia
[http://www.oraneproductions.com|http://www.oraneproductions.com]
skip-protection technology (up to 15 seconds or more).
"
More like 15 minutes! The lowest any iPod has had is 17 minutes
and that's on the newest iPod Photo. Most are 20 minutes or
more.
The Sony walkman may have a edge with its implementation of the flash memory instead of a physical hard drive, but the IPOD still stand as a strong competitor since it entails skip-protection technology (up to 15 seconds or more).
In reality, it all boils down to the overall taste of the consumer. The Sony walkman is reknowned as a classic brand which everyone has came to love over the decades. However, the question is whether their new product is innovative enough to stand competition with the IPOD? The main seller about the IPOD is that its design is simple, convenient and user-friendly. It does no harm to carry along a small gadget that can thrill you with soothing mp3's, keep track of important information and also store important files.
Last but not least, I personally think that the IPOD will remain the market leader as Apple continues to push the envelope with new and innovative technology. The downfall of the Sony Walkman is its clunky interface and dimmed LCD screen.
Orane Franklin
Orane Productions Multimedia
[http://www.oraneproductions.com|http://www.oraneproductions.com]
skip-protection technology (up to 15 seconds or more).
"
More like 15 minutes! The lowest any iPod has had is 17 minutes
and that's on the newest iPod Photo. Most are 20 minutes or
more.
AAC the underlying audio technology (not to be confused with Apple's own AIFF format) is not an Apple technology but was developed by a consortium of companies including Sony, AT&T, Fraunhoffer and Dolby.
Other notable contributors particualrly include Apple and even Nokia.
AAC is not a proprietary format but a standard -MPEG2 low complexity profile audio and MPEG4 high complexity profile audio.
So please no more of Apple's format. AAC is the worthy successor to MP3 (another MPEG standard) and superior to both WMA and ATRAC (MDLP)
bladeraptor