willykyu

Ishiyoshi, I see on the pics you're using SS3.3 on mac, and I see japanese is diplayed on an English version of SS. How come? Is the SS3.3 unicode on Mac? I installed 3.3, French version, and it is now absolutely impossible to access "transfer" window with applocale japanese enabled. There an error message omjbox, and the program terminates! These non-unicode issues are killing me!!! Now back to 0, I can only use SS with my "????????????????" titling series!!! and some track won't transfer at all ("impossible to find track"...or something like that). 3.3 doesn't support japanese either!! Well, thank you Sony for this unexpected surprise, but you screwed up AGAIN! it's a never ending annoyances story... Does anybody have the same "applocale" troubles?

That's just absolutely incredily incredible!!!!! Just before connect player starts its entry! and we all thought that 3.2 was the very last of its kind! well I've got to say that I more that surprise! Unicode????? hahaha Ok, let' install NOW!

I will also definitly wait a bit more! I feel news is coming!!!

With all these manguages, can we hope AT LAST a unicode Connect player program (I mean for other countries than Japan)? I also checked a Q&A page in japanese, and as my Japanese is not so great, I didn't quite understood: Q&A sony drive Connect playerhttp://www.faq.sonydrive.jp/fQA.php?qid=33130 it seems that the 2 programs (SS and CP) will co exist on the computer? If somebody could understand the meaning of this?

Ezero, I really agree with you. I'm in the same mood these days about sony... still, I love this compagny. Well, let's just wait and see. Today, I spent a moment with the A1000 and A3000 at the sony building center of Shibuya. I was sure they would be fully "playable" there. Sony put a very big poster outside the building: nice! Then I could play a while with SONY new toys, but not too much, as they were closing the center (I didn't pay too much attention at the time, it was 7pm...) First thing, they're really nice in real, far more than in the pics. They were presented on their docking stations. First shock: I couldn't see very much what was happening on the "screen". I found the contrast very weak. I thought that was beacause of the very strong lights of the show room... maybe. I checked in the options, and it was set at the maximum contrast display. Maybe I missed another option. The bottons are softer than on the HD5. But not as much as I excpected. I also think that it's not so easy to take it in one hand and use the buttons. I felt like it was about to slip and fall down on the floor all the time. But it was probably because of all the protections against theft, I couldn't hold it naturally. Then, I played a bit with the navifation menus. I was very happy to see that the exact same options that there is on the HD5 are there (French language also, cool!), and maybe some others. There's a welcome message when turned of, and then a global menu, like cell phone, with 6 acons displayed (options, play list I think etc.). Very nice. It appeared that there are a lot of new options when playing a title. I did not have time to explore them. And I was very happy to see, that the search navigation had been improved. There's also an intriguing screen, that tells you all the infos about firmware etc. The handprints are not so bad, and the sound seems great as usual. One thing I didn't quite like is the volume button on the upper right edge of the device. It's a good idea to seperate that, but it's not very easy to use. Well, hope to have more time with it, when it comes out here in Japan. But though all the hype around the Ipod, this A series looks very refreshing to me. The ipod doesn't excite me at all. Same look, same feel for years... But I don't see sony puting a color video enabled walkman in front of its psp, doing pretty well!!!

This new Ipod is a shock. It hurts very bad. I still don't want to buy any ipod, for I prefer ATRC sound and gapless, and want to have all my devices interact smoothly (I essentially buy SONY... but smooth interaction is not here yet). The Ipod problem is batteries (and doesn't read atrac heehee), and this new Ipod doesn't seem to be better, am I wrong? But I checked Itune today, and as always, Itune store is great, and the video content, though there's not much, looks sweet! I agree that an HD5 color version, with a bigger psp quality like screen, removable battery, 40 Gig hard drive, softer buttons and accesories would be nice at the time being. Still, A series looks very nice to me, as a simple walkman. Then, it has to be cheaper to have success. But it would have been FAR better if teh 20gigs one had the size of A1000. It seems taht SONY has competitors for 2years ago ipods!!! But above all, there has to be a GREAT connectpleyre, with wonderful store, as good as (better?) itune store, UNICODE, with great music/video/ebook/and so on.. contents, compatible with ALL sony devices, and PSP... then I think future would look brighter. Ah lalaaaa.... I still cross my fingers that SONY has a hidden good surpise....however, I doubt it ....

I installed it today, and checked a little about Free location tv. And then I kind of understood that you can't use this service unless you have the free location device. It appears that these devices are awfuly expensive (price of an aibo?). I was wondering then, if this was possible to use that through the normal wi-fi connection. But I don't think so. And then, is it a service that is/will be available in public places? Well... lots of questions about these not yet realeased sony services.... SONY seems always promising great services that don't go too far, or never go out.

WONDERFUUUUUL! thanx a lot! it's just perfect!

The new updated packaging photos are great!! I have to say that it's terribly "chic"! classy, really. Is that the new software case I see? meaning we're gonna have some news about Connect player soon, hee hee....?

woops! I misunderstood your post... "Hopefully" you said. Sorry. But this non unicode issue makes me crazy. SO, I join your thoughts, and say: "MR. Sony, please, if you want to copy itune, don't forget the unicode feature, for non Japanese people do listen to Japanese (chinese, hebrew, thai, whatever...)music too! and the "????????" titling isn't useful at all! hear our prayers!" wait and see...

WHAAAAAAT!!!!!!!??????? NEW CONNECT PLAYER IS FINALLY UNICODE! if it's true, it's the best day of my life! The 'non-unicode' issue on Sonicstage is my number 1 problem! it's a real pain! see, if you encode your cd's while running applocale, the converted atrac files won't run in aother atrac programs like Do Vaio (vaiozone). Even Connect atrac filed bought on the connect store, if downloaded with applocale anabled aren't recognized by Do VAIO... and a couple of other problems, like the French accents are repalced by random Kani in theprogram interface, wich is annoying (I'm French). The only thing I wish now, is that the new connect player will be "backward compatible" with all the sony devices. Can't wait to know...

This was a really excellent post you did there! thanx for all these infos. I'm really looking foward getting a A3000 when it comes out (I live in Tokyo, and I bought the HD5 when it came out here. It was my first HDD type, as I kept sticking to MD and Hi-MD before-I'm still using them though, no other product can record analog and mic sounds as easily with a great sound quality). I'm now sure about the great quality of this A Series, but still my big question is: how about Connect Player??? So I'd really really like to know more about Connect player, bundled with these A series. Will it be compatible with all the previous SONY devices (Hi-MD, HD series, Bean etc.??). I don't see any good reason it won't be, right? It seems to be automaticaly upgradable too! well, if it isn't compatible, how is it going to be? We're gonna have 2 different programs? the cool (to be confirmed...) Connect player AND the old clunky sonicstage 3.2? kind of trouble right? will they share the same song library? or is connect player a real upgrade of SS, deleting SS to replace it when installed? I plan giving my HD5 to a friend, but will it be a poisoned present,if only working with SS 3.2? I wouldn't dare offering a sony product to somebody, when knowing he/she's going to use SS... I'm sorry for being so long, but I'd really want an excellent program working with all my SONY devices (psp included). Would you ahev some infos about this? Thanx again for all the previous infos you gave us! PS: is there a clock in the A3000/1000?

WOW! fantastic! that's just what I wanted to know! how big the 3000 was compared to the HD5! Thanx a lot. Are these pics your pics? if so may I ask some questions? I'm starting to be excited about this series, though I already have a HD5. But Chris, if you could touch these devices, and put some music into them, it means that you had to use a software? right? what did you use then? The new Connect player soft? I'm so worried about it , as I read that this new soft wouldn't be compatible with all the sony devices before A series! scandal!!! is that true? or did you use Sonicstage 3.2 to transfer music on the A series? Well, are they heavy? how's your feeling about buttons, options available and search function? Thanx a lot for the pics!!!

But I was wondering since the avaibility of this new update (which definitely got rid of my freeze problem! bravo) when a new one would be available. Why? because SS3.2 offers brand new atrac bitrates, and ONLY the 192bps can be read on my HD5! the others have to be converted to another already existing bitrate. Sony is a bit slow on this one...