Richard_p

Are there any custom screens available for download. (other than aqaurium and sparkle), Just got a 407 today on a random impulse buy so far i like it alot more than i thought i would a flash player.

Was confused for a second there, you'd quoted my post but it was not in the topic. now i see this is a different one. Oh well re-voted HD5 in this topic, you're reasonig for not inclding VP seems fair. Carry on...

Same here with the CD buying, i only but Mp3's as a last resort - Ie; i can't find the CD to buy anywhere. As for my next step, probably by christmas i am playing with the idea of either a 30GB HD5 or may simply get another VP. The features i want are over 20GB (would like another 40 but so few have this) and gapless playback, it's really the gapless playback which is pulling me back to sony as most of my music is EDM mixes so a pause would really spoil the flow. It'd also be advantageous to just be able retransfer my existing files to the new device from sonicstage. As i said before then my only options seem to the hd5 or another VP. Major prolems with these are the fact that they have both been discontinued. As of this post there are two HD5H's on ebay, both from the same seller and a froogle search returns just two actual results for it , one of which is £229 and the other £205 but witha suspiciously long despatch time (may not be in stock). I don't want to pay £230 as it bring it into the same price range as the following; 1. iAudio X5 - 30gb, Colour screen, vid playback. £239 or £254 for X5L (black ) 2. Samsung YH-J70L - 30gb, colour screen, vid playback. £230 (only available in white in UK ) 3. Toshiba Gigabeat F40 - 40gb, colour screen, pics only. £240 (strange shade of 'champagne silver' ) prices quoted form adavancedmp3players.co.uk VP only available on ebay as a US import, so warranty is pretty much a gray area, not helped by it being axed by sony. Getting one of these will also not have the 'new toy' feel which i like so much. HD5 axe will make warranty a bit dodgy too, as well as the fact that it may have to be an ebay purchase, even if i do buy a UK one. Whilst this will have the 'new toy' fee, it may prove underwhelming with it's smaller drive and monochrome screen after having a VP. However i am growing to like it's looks and it is a nice size especially after the rather bulky VP (which was'nt really that bad once i got used to it). I think the problem with the chioce of sony (and most other makes) players is that the casual listener market is by far the biggest and so they are aiming they're players at them not us more demanding folk. this can be seen by the amount of players out theire with less than 10 gig storage. There's even an emerging scene of full blown PMP's with flash based memory (1gb - 2gb).

Now that it's been discontinued i want one

I say go with the brasso, i have not used it personally, but that website seems pretty trustworthy, likelihood is that iklear is the very similar to rasso anyway, just with an upped price tag like most ipod stuff.

Pretty nifty tool for those who can brave the japanese UI, now you no longer tied to PSP specific converters.

The thing i least like about the PSP remote is the bright white colour. Here is an alternative for those who do no like the stock one and it's black!

It's kinda sly but sure, Have a vote on me!

I have never bought anything with connect or Itunes, what do tou get? is it not just a standard MP3 file? if so then i would expect to be able to just import it into your library and transfer it your DAP. I have have bought from audiojelly.com and just did as described above, no problems. i'll be keeping my VP at least until christmas. People around my college and the Pizza Hut i work at have no idea what it is either. It's not a pod so it's totally foreign to them - one guy at work even thought it was a PSP :WTF: i like the exclusivity of it though

Cool icons , Me likey How do i download the PSP one and the horizontal Vaio from top post. there does not seem to be any links to them. I have got the angled VP logo installation is no problem.

This is really qiute shocking, that an international company would adopt such tactics, it's also worth pointing out XCP, more than likely work with other labels too. I really hate the whole DRM thing though, music once purchased on a CD should be the owners to use as they wish. In the end DRM is pretty damn useles anyway, if someone really wants to copy and distribute it, then they'll always be able to stream it into the computer anyway. I find it hard to imagine DRM will ever be able to stop direct recording. I feel that having a digital file (especially when it concerns music) is no substitute for having a pallatable, physical disc. For me all DRM does is make what should be simple stuff into real naucences. Look how messed up SS has became. The 'digital age' is not all it's cracked up to be.

Just a lil' update on my situation, basically with the help of some superglue i have improved the stability of my Vaio Pocket player, it has crashed a couple of times since the fix but i think i'll just keep it for a little longer as no current DAP, sony or otherwise is particularly inspiring at the moment. I think regardless of technology it will be a while before any company can overtake Apple in markety share due the current ipod fad, ask yourself how amny poeple use the term iPod when referring to a DAP? the answer, quite alot. Apple have built up 'cool & easy' image for their product which people really seem to go for, also as has probably been mentioned before their market saturation has became such that many people don't seem to know of the qualities of aternatives. However, i must admit that the iPod's popularity on Headfi does suggest that it has some substantive qualities aswell as it's style as presumably, they do know of it's competitors but are still dedicated pod people.

To get all of the songs from the same compilation into one folder i usually use SS to create a playlist and then use playlist view, you can also import a playlist from anywhere else on your drive. Also assuming you've gotten the 20GB version of the HD5, 18.6 gb is the most you will get from it, it has to do with the formatting all data storage is the same, never quite the quoted amount.

This thread has been an interesting read for me, as i have officially declared my vaio pocket dead! I think it may be a hard disk problem but it always crashes and must be reset, the crash seems to be triggered by a squeeze on the unit. Anyway bottom line is i'm looking for a new DAP, one that will last! (i have had numerous Sony MD's all of which have broke, together with the vaio making me question their build quality) Problem is have been spoilt by the pocket: i love it's more mature looks it doesn't go for minimalist trendy like a certain player *cough*cough* but still looks the part (see iyareu's avatar for example...) then there's the 40gb capacity - hard to come by now that there's a trend for flash based players, few seem to exceed 20gb, with a HDD. Also there's the rather frivolous colour screen, admittedly this is not an essential feature but it's nice to have album art. No sony MP3 player seems to have kept this feature. Lastly, GAPLESS!! surely it can't be that difficult for other manufacturers to implement. Since i listen to EDM this is of huge importance to me, whether it be a mixed compilation, live DJ set or perhaps most importantly a smooth, flowing chilled out mix mad up of the most beutiful tracks when i'm relaxing. I don't think i could handle a silence during a transition throwing of concentration to the music. Sony seem to offer no replacement for the vaio, which was a great (though admittedly not perfect, lag no custom EQ, flawed searching) player. I'd prefer not to go 20gb as that's half of what i used to have which was already had 11gb used. The closest sony offer is the 30gb HD5, but at £230 it puts it in the range of 40GB Gigabeat and 30gb X5, and 30gb Video iPod (I'm a passionate ipod hater ), all of which have those oh-so-pretty colour screens and the latter two even do video. Although i do have a PSP for vid playing. Do i stay with sony for gapless play with it's their questionable build qualty (did i mention i'm on my 4th PS2) and less features or move to something without gapless that won't have the 'curse' all of my sony products seem to have and will have some nifty features (that i don't really neeed...).

I got my PSP Tuesday, with two games. Lumines was a mandatory part of the bundle and i got Ridge Racer as my option. I would never have bought Lumines separate and i only got that particular bundle as the PSP was only in stock at Comet, however, I'm glad I got it. Totally addicted to Loo-means (or is it Loo-min-ess ) I see blocks when i close my eyes....

It's definetley not ralated to whatever track is playing. Just seems to be whenever it is squeezed in the right way,(such as being in a pocket). After spending most of the afternoon re-formatyting the HD and putting all songs back on i can conclude that it has also had no effect, the problem persists. Thinking of phonig sony but i'm unsure as to where i stand when it comes to the warranty, i've only had the player for about 2 month but it was an eBay purchase of a new American unit and i'm livign in the UK, Also when checking the battery i couldn't resist sliding the back of it to reveal the hard drive.

tried it, but it has made no difference. I'm considering checking all of my music back into SS and re-formatting the HD. what do you think?

Recently my 40Gb Vaio has had a bad habbit of crashing, it seems to be every time it is 'squeezed' in a certain way such as in my pocket or bag, i've hit the reset button countless time over the last few days and am getting tired. Anyone have any idea of the cause/solution?

I voted for no. This was one of the pro's of the Vaio pocket over other mp3 for me too, since i,like you, had always been a 'remote person' with MD players. The remote does not have enough buttons on it and the ones it does have are awkward to use. Although i always carry the remote with me i always find myself whipping the player out of my pocket to use it.

I just got my Vaio Pocket delivered yesterday. I decided to get a HDD walkman as i've had too many Mini Disc players which have broken. I decided on the vaio as it seemed too good to be true 40GB Hard drive Coour screen, and remote all for £185 delvered brand new from the US. I like that it is different to the usual iPod that it seems like everyone at my college owns. To me iPods are overpriced, overstylised (sp?) and overmarketed. There are much better players out there and they are more a fasion accessory than anything else. As i said i like that my Vaio is a little different As for headphones i have yet to try the stock ones (most likely rubbish). I mainly use my MDR-ED21's and occasionaly (at least i did with my MD players) my V-300's. I have used previous portables frquently and see no reason why the vaio ill be different. I will use it when cycling to and from work and probably whilst at work too (Pizza Hut lol...) as well as at college. I rarely leave the house without it.