DSJ

I totally agree Sophia. When I see someone using an iPod and thinking they are hip, I sympathise and think: "You poor thing. Did you just copy a friend or get their recommendation or does it match with your shoes?" My view is that the people who buy iPods are the people who NEVER had tape or CD walkmans when they were around. They couldnt care less about music on the move when the world didnt have the iPod. Its a fashion accessory. Period. And for that reason, it fails in the biggest department of all: sound quality. Sony leads the way here. My NW a1200 has ace sound quality, even at ATRAC 48kbps. I have got 5,100 tracks on my 8gb walkman using ATRAC compression. It took a while, but it was worth it. I wonder if AAC 48kpbs would even come close to this? Unlikely. Sony will continue to be popular with people like me who have had personal audio players for over 17 years and who listen to personal audio players everyday and people who like their music. Sony doesnt need a video iPod equivalent. Its already got the PSP, which does a far better job than the video iPod, and the screen is beautiful.

Ok, maybe I am spoiling the fun, but surely the iPhone isnt as progressive as it first seems? Ok, Its a nice looking device, but does it do anything more than a Microsoft Windows Mobile pocket pc with phone function? Answer: no, it probably does less. I've been enjoying touch screen on my phones for 3 years, been able to listen to music with good sound quality (try Winamp for PDAs), play games, make conference calls using speakerphone, keep track of my RSS feeds, surf the web at 3G speeds and wi-fi, read my instant push email using T-Mobile's Blackberry client for my phone, watch movies and download all I want. If anything, I think Apple have made a brouhaha over something that has existed for years. Its too little too late. And tying people into 2 year contracts is plain silly. And where's the stylus! This is necessary for clicking on links. Using my finger will be a pain, as I will probably click 2 links (unless your fingers are tiny baby fingers). Problem is people will buy it just cos its an Apple and their mates all have one. And that's sad. As noted, the sound quality will be bad and there doesnt seem to be an expansion slot. What if I want more songs than 8gb? My PDA will take any SD card, even if a 32gb one comes out tomorrow. And it will play DRM tracks and manage licences for me. Sorry - just had to get this off my chest, as all the iPhone squeals in the office have been annoying!

It would be sad if Sony didnt release a high end PCDP. There is still arguably a market for them, particularly for audiophiles who want to be able to listen to CDs as they were intended. I have a D-NE711, but would really have liked a D-NE20 for size and functions. I was silly not to have bought it back in 2005. The 711 is a bit clunky and big. However, I agree that they will probably just stick with the low end ones. Look what happened to the tape Walkman. The one you can buy now is a basic one with auto stop and no remote control. PCDPs are probably likely to go the same way. Its a shame. I would have liked a small thin one. The top end D-NE730 thats currently available in the UK is sleek and looks good, but it just isnt quite thin enough to fit into a suit pocket. ;-(

GTA VCS is simply amazing. The graphics are arguably better than VC on the PC or a PS2. The motion blur (on a handheld!) and moving shirts in the breeze are amazing. Will I ever play San Andreas or look at any other GTA game in the same way again? Probably not. I cant stop playing it.

As well as my DNE-711, I have to say my old DE-330 (discman) from 2001 still rocks. I found it at the bottom of a cupboard recently (hadnt touched it since 2002), stuffed in a couple of AAs and played a CD immediately. The sound quality is still impressive by today's standards. I wonder how many iPod owners could leave their iPod for 4 years and expect it to work ;-) I remember the battery life for the 330 was 24 hours (the best at the time). However, I routinely got over 40 hours with supermarket brand AAs ;-) In fact, I am tempted to go back to the old CDs and discman for the sound quality - has anyone gone back to their CD walkman after NW? Grateful if you could share your experiences if you have done this.

My Sony DNE-711 Atrac CD Walkman. It cant be beaten on sound quality. I only wish the new NWAs sounded even 10% as good as it does. Why has Sony done away with Mega Bass? It used to be ace and improved the sound quality no end.