Hot Walkman. Who Knew?
20GB Walkman (Man Without A Face) – Gizmodo — I say that these guys are brain dead because they roll these just as Apple rolls out its iPOD Nano-Nano. Thus Sony gets zero PR. Do they even have a PR organization? How can they be so cavalier?
Worse is a hot new camera with a huge lense and 10 Megapixel CCD. Who noticed?
My experience with this company over the past few years has been extremely disappointing. Samsung is killing them. Sony seems to have lost its Rolodex or something. The TWIT podcast gets more PR than Sony. it’s incredible.
Where’s the screen? The organic EL display blends seamlessly into the body of the player (omfg). The two models are slightly different:
NW-A3000
# 20 GB capacity
# 2-inch screen
# Violet and silver skins
# Around $320NW-A1000
# 6 GB capacity
# 1.5-inch screen
# Violet, silver, pink and blue skins
# About $270
Now check out its newest camera:
Read the Details here in the DP Review
Sony intends to create a new benchmark in digital photography with the introduction of its high-end Cyber-shot® DSC-R1 camera.
The Cyber-shot R1 camera is the world’s first integrated lens digital still camera to combine a professional-grade, 10.3-megapixel image sensor and the flexibility of live preview while shooting. With its ultra-wide Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens (24mm – 120mm) and free-angle, two-inch LCD, the Cyber-shot R1 brings professional level imaging performance to mainstream consumers.
Yeah, they’ve been braindead for the past few years, but if products with design and specs like these are to become the rule, then they’re coming back!
Issues to deal with, yes, but the quality of their products is still, imho, superior. The design has been very uninspired in the past few years, they’ve been trying to be the B&O for the masses or something, but it hasn’t worked. I hope they go back to superior products, superior specs and superior performance at reasonable price.
Sony is brain dead. They bailed on the PDA market after creating the standard for what all PDAs should be (nx-80v after using a stupid naming scheme) and their computers are terrible.
Since it seems they have decided to focus on the home entertainment and gaming they should do so. Not only that the word “walkman” was oh so cool 20 years ago. Start over with the names.
Apple is killing them there as well. The KISS theory at work. Everyone who has looked into MP3 players know the difference between the iPod, the Mini, the Shuffle and now the Nano.
When will Sony learn? The name used to mean something so good that is was gold, but now it is crap.
The camera sounds impressive.
For that kind of money though, I expect a little more, such as interchangeable lenses and a viewfinder. I do think Sony wants to appeal to the well-heeled Point & Shoot crowd with this instead of the serious amateur.
The one thing I looked for and didn’t see was an objective opinion or comparison of the pictures it took. How does it stack up against the Nikon and Canon SLR diditals?
I think it was the press that killed all Sony’s attempts at portable music players. As it wa the press who pointed out they were all infested with crippling DRM. Even the DRM infested iPod allows you to play MP3s. That wasn’t possible with the majority of Sony’s offerings. Maybe they’ve learned their lesson with the current player, but I doubt it.
Here’s a good example, imagine if the PSP could natively play Divx movies. I’d even buy one, and I don’t even game. But following Sony’s course, they ignore the current standard for compressed video and go with one that no one uses or wants. Am I old merely because I remember the days when corporations made products we’d enjoy to use?!
Sony hardware can be really terrific but why does their software almost always suck? I have a Sony digital camera… it takes great pictues and had a good price. But the bundled software was so horrible I never use it!
The MiniDisc players are also TERRIFIC hardware. I’ve owned three. The newest HiMD format is killer. It is a WAY CHEAPER and smaller alternative to DAT. It is a concert-goers bootleggers dream, really. Those old Deadhead tapers couldn’t have drempt of such a good recording unit, no matter how high they were.
I totally understand why so many Japanese love them. I love mine.
But the bundled software JUST PLAIN SUCKS! Ironically, the hardware is so well made, that hardly any hackers have been able to write altnernatives to the Sony software.
The earlier versions of the software were not just bad… they were literally unuseable. The current version works. But that’s about it.
And Sony’s anal approach to copyright management proprietary file formats is insane in the MP3 world. They actually put copy protection on the material YOU ORIGINATE YOURSELF!
That sony walkman’s screen idea is awesome, actually way smarter better than the initial iPod’s idea of a mono screen.
For poeple living outside the reach of the itumes music store, this kind of item is a strong contender … but they have a music store of thier own … available for which countries? … oh well …
The iPod nano IS cheaper … this thing has FM tuner? No, Brain dead? Yes, do something iPods dont have, people might like you for it … jeeze!!
They are tracing Apple’s paths a little too closely maybe …
These new Walkmen are butt UGLY when compared to iPods. Who cares about OLEDs when they look like they’re toys for 4 year olds (made in China from cheap plastic). They should hire back Clie designers to do their Walkman for them.