Sony Takes Aim at Apple But iPod Seen Safe for Now

[Steve Bildermann]

Sony Corp has created a buzz with the unveiling of a new digital music player, but analysts say it has a long way to go before it challenges the industry dominance of Apple Computer's popular iPod.

Sony unveiled the new portable music player on Monday along with a slew of new VAIO-brand computers.

Sony walkpod

Sony's new product will have a 20-gigabyte (GB) hard drive and retail for about 53,000 yen ($465). In terms of price, that puts it close to the top-of the line iPod, which has a 40 GB hard drive, holds about 10,000 songs, and sells for $499.

In Japanese

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

Nice looking unit, typical for Sony. Colour screen, all your album covers come up, sweet touch and probably a reason for picking it over the iPod but being a Sony I wouldn't expect it to last more than 6 months.

A little bit pricey too and it uses Sonic Stage
You could probably use any other Windoze program anyway to hook-up. Sony are pushing ATRAC3 as their standard but then Apple is pushing AAC but it don't matter didly if your using MP3 anyway. People who have started there library with AAC may not want to change over though...

[Caustic Saint]

Even though I've got an iPod and a Mac, I still keep everything in MP3. I can't really tell the difference between AAC and MP3 files, so why bother with something that's not as universal as MP3?

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

Take a look at Hydrogen Audio if you want to see some comparisons with the formats. It all comes down to recording to the level you listen at anyway.

[Steve Bildermann]

More discussion on this Sony ATRAC3/ATRAC3plus format thing...

The VAIO Pocket plays also plays back MP3, WAVE and WMA format files, however converts them to ATRAC3/ATRAC3plus formats when doing so.

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/sony-vaio-pocket-interface-movie-and-atrac-weirdness-016088.php

Sony ATRAC world

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

More discussion on this Sony ATRAC3/ATRAC3plus format thing...

The VAIO Pocket plays also plays back MP3, WAVE and WMA format files, however converts them to ATRAC3/ATRAC3plus formats when doing so.

It's a Sony
Another shot in the foot

[emperor]

the size and weight are comparable to the ipod - only 1cm longer

and although im not too chuffed about the implications of ATRAC only

the *20 hours* playback rocks compared to ipods mere 5 hrs.


ps. (what do you recommend for ripping cd audio to mp3?
ive been using iTunes to put some cds into AAC format
but like Caustic said MP3 is more universal)

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

If your using Windows - EAC with LAME. Details via Radified or Hydrogen Audio. Both are legal freeware and do a better job than most other stuff out at the moment.

For Apple I have read that you can use LAME via a script with iTunes. Don't know if it's possible with the latest version but once again check Hydrogen and I'm sure there will be something to help you.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

For Apple heads, LAME script for itunes and LAME can be downloaded from
http://blacktree.com/apps/iTunes-LAME/

[Taro Toporific]

[Taro Toporific]

Sony Corp has created a buzz with the unveiling of a new digital music player, but analysts say it has a long way to go before it challenges the industry dominance of Apple Computer's popular iPod

Innovations push Japan toward online music
International Herald Tribune / Monday, June 21, 2004

.....But while Japanese companies are world leaders in making the gadgets that are driving the expansion of the online music business abroad, that business has been surprisingly slow to take off in Japan. Label Gate, the market leader in Japan, in which Sony Music Entertainment Japan holds a controlling stake, is trying to change....

Label Gate sells 130,000 songs a month .... By comparison, Apple says more than 85 million songs...

The company, which is run by former record executives from Sony Music, Avex and other studios, currently offers 38,000 song titles ...however, would still be far short of the 700,000 songs that Apple offers on its iTunes Music Store.Because Label Gate is owned by record companies...

....Songs by Japanese artists sell for &#165]$1.90[/u], each, while those from Western artists sell for ¥158. Apple sells songs for 99 cents ....

"If we make songs too cheap - make them a commodity - we'd only end up hanging ourselves," said Yasushi Ide, a spokesman for Sony Music Entertainment. "
.