Sonys iPod Killer...or merely a challenger?

[FG Lurker]

BTW, FUCK ThinkSecret...dumpster divin', rumor monderin' ruzzuh fruzzuh, causin' me more work, blood suckin' bastards.....


Can't say whether they're right or wrong in a public forum though.

While I can understand your feelings as part of Apple, as a consumer I love sites like ThinkSecret. Nothing worse than buying something only to hear a new model announcement a few days later.

Not so bad if it is a $200 music player of course, but for a muilti-thousand dollar computer or DSLR camera...

[MrUltimateGaijin]

sony has shown some great incompetence.
First, the "mp3" player that didnt play mpe3s, so they had to realease an updated model.
2nd, their smaller players still wont play mp3s
3rd, that viao thing, looks nice, but wher was the promotion effort?

[tatsujin]

Has anyone actually bought and/or played with the Sony NW-HD1 yet?

I'm thinking of taking the plunge into the MP3 player market following the untimely death of my MD. Its either the reliable I-Pod or the plucky young challenger above.

What do you experts think?

[mr. sparkle]

While I can understand your feelings as part of Apple, as a consumer I love sites like ThinkSecret. Nothing worse than buying something only to hear a new model announcement a few days later.

Well, you have to be an idiot to buy video software a week before NAB, an OS a week before WWDC or a Mac a week before MacWorld anyway.

Plus, they are never 100% correct. In fact, sometimes they are WAY off. And what good is that?

I'd love to see ThinkSecret go up in flames for revealing corporate secrets, or making up lies that affect the bottom line. When the bottom line is affected, it actually hurts the consumer in the end. Makes sense, eh?

[Kuang_Grade]

Has anyone actually bought and/or played with the Sony NW-HD1 yet?

I'm thinking of taking the plunge into the MP3 player market following the untimely death of my MD. Its either the reliable I-Pod or the plucky young challenger above.

I've thought about it (but I keep buying ipods instead...I also felt burned after buying the MZ-NH600D which seemed to have an even more laborious input process than my old MZ-N505)...After the recent Apple annoucements, it looks like Apple is dumping all the 1st gen ipod photo(s) they had left after Christmas...at least in the US (40 gig for $350 or so on buy.com and Amazon..non photo 40 gig for $325).

Here are some reviews of the NW-HD1...one is somewhat positive-one is somewhat negative...Most of the comments I've seen revolve around "nice hardware, crappy software"

http://www.engadget.com/entry/0376375527338252/
(note, I believe the reviewer was using a J version of the hardware which might be different than one you would get in Europe)

http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20040728.html

But sony has come out with the NW-HD3, which apparently has some slight improvements and comes in a couple different colors

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/review.php?reviewId=839

[mr. sparkle]

When it comes to substance, Sony has made what it regards as a very big strategic step by adding MP3 functionality to the NW-HD3. This does not open up the player as much as you might think because you still have to use Sony's SonicStage Version 2.3 to put music onto the player. MP3 files are wrapped during the copying process which means once on your player they will not transfer on elsewhere.

No bueno.

[Caustic Saint]

but I keep buying ipods instead...

My first MP3 player was (is) a 3rd gen 10GB iPod. I don't use anywhere close to all the space on it, so I think I'm going to pick up one of the new Minis (16 hour battery life..... ) and sell my 10 gigger.

Anybody want to buy an iPod on the cheap?

[Kuang_Grade]

Caustic-The new minis are nice, but did you notice that it doesn't come with an AC cord?...just an USB 2.0 cable which you're supposed to for downloading AND charging. I actually double checked a few retailers sites to see that wasn't a mistake. This won't be a burden for some people but I suspect more than a few people are going to be walking into apple stores with a ipod mini box under their arm saying "where the F@#$&! is the AC cord?". Having a clerk then say "that will be $29 extra" is not going to do wonders for the Apple brand.

In the Box
- iPod mini 4GB or 6GB
- Earbud headphones
- Belt clip
- USB 2.0 cable
- Getting Started guide
- CD with iTunes for Mac and Windows and electronic documentation

[Caustic Saint]

Caustic-The new minis are nice, but did you notice that it doesn't come with an AC cord?...just an USB 2.0 cable which you're supposed to for downloading AND charging.

Yeah, and since all my music's on my old iMac (no USB 2.0) I'll have to get a firewire cable. No biggie though.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

iYuppi
iConformity
iMonopoly
iCommunism
iRipoff

[vir-jin]

iYuppi
iConformity
iMonopoly
iCommunism
iRipoff

:P ibueno

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

iYuppi
iConformity
iMonopoly
iCommunism
iRipoff

:P ibueno

iCarumba

[samuraiwig]

Has anyone actually bought and/or played with the Sony NW-HD1 yet?

I'm thinking of taking the plunge into the MP3 player market following the untimely death of my MD. Its either the reliable I-Pod or the plucky young challenger above.

What do you experts think?

Check out iRiver, which I think someone else mentioned earlier in this thread. I have a 40GB player/recorder that handles more file formats than an iPod (at least at the time I got it) and cost about the same per GB.

Maybe best to be wary of Sony - they always seem to need 2-3 generations of a product to work out glitches, and also like to lock you in with proprietary peripherals.

iRiver product info: http://www.iriver.com/html/product/pr_index.asp

[Mulboyne]

Reuters via Yahoo: Sony takes bite out of iPod in Japan
Don't call it a comeback yet, but Sony Corp. has a new lineup of digital music players that are slicing into the popularity of Apple Computer's iPod device in Japan. Apple is still squashing Sony in Europe and North America, where the iPod has achieved iconic status and a big selling point is the availability of iTunes, an easy-to-use music downloading service that has not yet been launched in Japan. While Apple remains the top seller of hard drive players in Japan, there has been a decisive momentum swing in the Japanese market, with Sony securing the top position for memory-type players in both May and June, knocking Apple and its iPod shuffle device into second place.
...Sony's gains in the Japanese market have come primarily from one line of flash memory players that have won over consumers with a long-lasting battery -- it can play up to 50 hours on one charge -- and a stylish design. Resembling a small perfume bottle, the players have a rounded body that strikes a sharp contrast with the shuffle's rectangular shape and flat front. Sony's players also feature a display to view what music is playing, while the iPod shuffle does not...more...

[emperor]

..Sony WALKMAN, available in two capacity sizes - 20GB (NW-A3000) and 6GB (NW-A1000)...
Featuring an advanced organic EL display (2 inches on the 20GB version and 1.5 inches on the 6GB model)...

Press Release

Tokyo Launch

[GuyJean]

Press Release

Tokyo Launch

That looks awesome!.. But 'It's a Sony'. .. Actually, I like most high-end Sony products; had nagging problems with anything else they've made.

I'd like the control wheel placed higher; it would seem top-heavy when using it.. I have a remote with the main controls at the very bottom; fucking sucks!

GJ

[IkemenTommy]

There will always be the die hard dedicated Sony fans out there that will continue to buy their products. Sadly, Sony has lost touch with the consumers these days and they focus more on ease of use and functionality rather than the good quality of the product. Though, I think Sony is one of the only brands out there that you can use straight out of the box so any average Mary and Joe (or in Nippon's case.. Yoko and Taro) with an IQ of a goat could play with the gadget without reading instructions.

[FG Lurker]

I don't think things could get much easier to use than an iPod + iTunes combo.

Sony used to make awesome disruptive products. These days they seem to be run by marketers and bean counters, neither of which have any vision. Sad state of affairs for a once great company.

[IkemenTommy]

Sony used to be one of the more popular companies the new grads dreamed to work for. Though not anymore. Now a days, Toyota and Honda are the top companies people aspire to be employed at.

[emperor]

I'd like the control wheel placed higher]
Thats what I first thought when I saw it:
maybe some FGs might be passing sony building in ginza or a biccamera and get some hands-on experience to report back with?
I think theyve made it ipod-shiny to the extent it will look like it spent a year in Iraq after 48 hours use.

Sony used to make awesome disruptive products. These days they seem to be run by marketers and bean counters, neither of which have any vision. Sad state of affairs for a once great company.

They finally let their atrac3 players play mp3 last year, now theyve added wma support and scrapped the sonicstage software...

(youd think being part of corporation which owns a massive record label wouldve helped them - but it only preoccupied them with DRM bullshit much to the distain of consumers)

things are moving in the right direction... um..better late then never

[FG Lurker]

Sony used to make awesome disruptive products. These days they seem to be run by marketers and bean counters, neither of which have any vision. Sad state of affairs for a once great company.

They finally let their atrac3 players play mp3 last year, now theyve added wma support and scrapped the sonicstage software...

(youd think being part of corporation which owns a massive record label wouldve helped them - but it only preoccupied them with DRM bullshit much to the distain of consumers)

things are moving in the right direction... um..better late then never

Yeah, but that is exactly the point. Sony used to be the company that created a lot of the cool new technology. Now they're just another copycat, and a slow-moving one at that. As if that wasn't bad enough, their quality is mediocre at best, their repair service is horrible, and they still insist on using proprietary technologies to lock consumers into Sony-only products. Uh, no thanks Sony.

[FG Lurker]

[quote="GuyJean"]I'd like the control wheel placed higher]
It's also a very un-lefty-friendly design.

Another great thing about the iPod is that it works equally well for left or right-handed users.

[emperor]

Sony used to be one of the more popular companies the new grads dreamed to work for. Though not anymore. Now a days, Toyota and Honda are the top companies people aspire to be employed at.

I know you probably mean Japanese grads - but i'll finish college next year and would happily stick Sony on my list of potential employers (though I heard from someone inside that theyd be cutting jobs in the uk and ireland soon - theyre not huge operations here to begin with). I'd probably give Apple a higher priority.

Incedentely, what do y'all think someone with a degree in international marketing and japanese should do?
(interest and experience with consumer electronics)
I feel these days a primary degree isnt enough & Ill have to go to grad-school to pursue something in advertising, product design, r&d, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, making jam and scones...

I'd like the control wheel placed higher]
It's also a very un-lefty-friendly design.

A lefty friendly design in Cuban terms mean building a cigar-cutter into the device

[IkemenTommy]

It's also a very un-lefty-friendly design.

Another great thing about the iPod is that it works equally well for left or right-handed users.

Can't satisfy the entire population especially when the lefties make less than 10% of the total demographics.

[IkemenTommy]

Yeah, but that is exactly the point. Sony used to be the company that created a lot of the cool new technology. Now they're just another copycat, and a slow-moving one at that. As if that wasn't bad enough, their quality is mediocre at best, their repair service is horrible, and they still insist on using proprietary technologies to lock consumers into Sony-only products. Uh, no thanks Sony.

Not to mention their their duo memory stick which is noncompatible with other digital cameras cannot be read or accessed unless you have a.. yep you guessed it.. Sony Vaio desktops and notebooks. This is why I don't give a rat's ass anymore when Panasonics come out with better handicams and digital cameras. The bottom line is that Sony decides to limit their useless proprietary technologies to themselves and not attract any new customers.

[emperor]

The bottom line is that Sony decides to limit their useless proprietary technologies to themselves and not attract any new customers.

It really seems to be about holding onto the customers they have and will attract. Makes sense to stick with sony if all your peripherals are for their shit.

The proprietary format thing does piss me off royally - re: BluRay Vs HD-Dvd

They should sort that shit out long before they ever start producing & marketing these products - I know they discussed it and then talks 'fell through' - but they should be MADE TO compromise!

I think consumers should have their own worldwide organisation to co-erce companies like sony to adopt common formats with rival companies and arrange mass-boycotts of products when they subbornly refuse to comply.

Hate the way msn, skype, aim, ichat, yahoo etc are all seperate - wish all these would work together..

[FG Lurker]

It's also a very un-lefty-friendly design.

Another great thing about the iPod is that it works equally well for left or right-handed users.

Can't satisfy the entire population especially when the lefties make less than 10% of the total demographics.

Apple managed to do it. It even looks better than Sony's right-handed kludge.

Most companies would happily take a 10% boost in sales, especially if it involved zero increase in production costs.

[FG Lurker]

It really seems to be about holding onto the customers they have and will attract. Makes sense to stick with sony if all your peripherals are for their shit.

Makes more sense to not lock yourself into one company's products. You are then at the whim of that company and have no choice but to use their products or throw it all away and start over. Tough choice....

The proprietary format thing does piss me off royally - re: BluRay Vs HD-Dvd

It's been going on for a long time. The DVD+ standard was a Sony idea. Memory stick... Atrac... Beta... Everything Sony touches they try to make proprietary in some way. I outright refuse to buy Sony products, even the ones they have yet to make proprietary. I have a helluva lot of electronic stuff, and the only Sony thing is a firewire cable (oh, excuse me, an i.Link cable ) that someone gave me.

[emperor]

It really seems to be about holding onto the customers they have and will attract. Makes sense to stick with sony if all your peripherals are for their shit.

Makes more sense to not lock yourself into one company's products. You are then at the whim of that company and have no choice but to use their products or throw it all away and start over.

sorry - didnt mean to say it makes sense - just that the greedy companies try to put the customer in that state of mind and predicament.

I got a sony camcorder and soon after went shopping for a laptop - only thing that made me buy a vaio instead of a sharp/hitachi/toshiba was the convenience of the memory stick slot - then when you go on to buy a digital camera all you can think of is how much hassle it would be to go back to using a usb cable or the added clutter of a 14 in 1 card reader ... propritary formats can make you think in fucked up ways

[American Oyaji]

Hate the way msn, skype, aim, ichat, yahoo etc are all seperate - wish all these would work together..

Get Trillian. It handlews multiple IM formats