EZero

Sweet, I wish Sony would give more attention to their Walkmen players, as its now correct to say that they are some of the best out there. Walkman Touch and I'd be there Sony! (Or the A91x series from Japan, did anybody review it?) What's happened to ATRACLife, are we no longer getting early sneak peeks into the Walkman world?

They may not have given up, but what they are doing is a far cry from attempting to compete. There is being realistic, and then simply not trying. Yes, no company can compete with the iPod, Apple is simply too nimble and too forward thinking to ever be caught up by their competitors. But there is a vast opening for the number 2 spot, something that Sony simply doesn't seem too keen on competing for. Look at Microsoft with the Zune, despite how I feel about it, at least they are trying to make headway in the market. You said it in your post, Sony needs to come up with a revolutionary product, but they aren't. They are making refreshes to their flash drive line of Walkmen, and that's it. Samsung, Microsoft, Creative, and others are at least trying to create interesting devices in an attempt to compete for the second spot, Sony has simply stopped. In the entire MP3 market, do you know what Sony's market share is? It's not even a double-digit number. You may think that the A8xx series is excellent and amazing, but going by the sales of it, not that many people agree with you. The only people who are buying Sony's Walkmen are a very, very small amount of people, who are either loyal to Sony, or believe Sony has the best sound quality. Don't you think it's embarrassing for Sony, who created the portable audio market, to not even be seen as a worthy competitor? Sony should at least be able to offer an entire line comparable to that of the iPod family. They aren't. The products they release are simply good mp3 players, but nothing remarkable or anything to write home about. They are lost in the crowd of many equally good, and typically cheaper players, and then you wonder why Sony is not even considered a major player in this market. A touchscreen may not be useful to you, but it's a selling point. It's unique, few players have it, and, well it's kind of cool. A novelty, maybe, but I guarantee you that Apple is going to sell more Touch players than Sony has sold Walkmen for the entire year. I am saying Sony is retarded because of this. You claim that you love having options, but what exactly are people's options? If I want a HD MP3 player, it's basically either the iPod or the Zune. If I want a touchscreen player, it's either the iPod or the upcoming Samsung DAP. If I want an 4 or 8GB player, then why should someone buy an A8xx over the Nano, which is an established brand, and is at least going to be supported heavily by both Apple and accessory manufacturers? I don't like Apple. I really don't. But I have an iPod, and I will likely be getting a new one from one of the recently announced iPod's, because Sony doesn't have any better alternatives. That is my point.

But here's the problem, Apple has already got the advantage in the flash market. 16GB? We won't be seeing that from Sony until 2009, when Apple has a 64 GB iPod Touch. I wouldn't mind if Sony had an 8GB Touchscreen player, but the fact is, they don't. They are completely behind the times. It took them years to release a video DAP, and when they did, it was easily outclassed by its competitors. At least in the Harddrive market, they were somewhat competitive. Why is it I'm seeing iPod Nano commercials, but nothing of the new Walkmans? It's not rocket scientist, Sony is either too stupid or doesn't care about the digital audio market anymore. Sony used to be able to sell a product, now, they simply can't. I would love to get a Walkman, I've been waiting for two years for Sony to have a real competitor; the sad fact is though, it looks like they'll never have one.

Sony is so retarded. Why not have a touch-screen HD Walkman? Or even a non-TS fully featured Walkman? And then they wonder why they aren't even a blip in the audio market. Rather than give us something we want, they're wasting our time with a Rolly.

Egg shaped? This is going to be hideous.

The US market is an after thought to Sony. Both their MP3 players, their software, and even their cell phones.

I have got to disagree, this is an example of Sony going backwards. It's also a statement that Sony has not learned a single thing in all of these years. Apple keeps the iPod's product line simple: - iPod - iPod Nano - iPod Shuffle No numbers, no confusing names, it's simple and easy to remember. Sony tacks on a random letter followed by numbers which confuses customers, and hurts in terms of marketing because word of mouth fails. If someone is talking about the Walkman, who knows which Walkman it is? Customers aren't going to remember "Walkman A808." Start a new brand, call it the wVaio or something, if Sony wants to hold on to their precious Walkman name. Use the Vaio Pocket, as that made the most sense for a new brand. Second of all, there is no excuse why the new A800 series does not have noise cancelling, an FM tuner, bluetooth or wireless functionality, etc. Sony is not Apple. The Walkman range is the bottom of the barrel in terms of the MP3 world. This product should have had more than just video. Sony should be looking ahead of what the other players are doing, incorporating everything they can at a reasonable price, if they want to make a dent on Apple's reign. If "A" stands for "Advanced," doesn't that imply that it should be the most advanced in the product line? Yet it lacks the most basic functionality that we have come to expect from MP3 players. I'm sorry, but with all this time, Sony hasn't learned anything. My iPod is dying. I really wanted a 30GB replacement from Sony. One that surpasses both the iPod and Zune in functionality, one that looks excellent, and is bundled with equally excellent software. But I doubt it's coming. The A800 is very nice. If I was in the market for a flash-based MP3 player, I would definitely give it a good look. But again, like with all of Sony's attempts, it is still lacking features. 1) Launch a new brand of players. 2) New software that is at least above average. Get away of the SonicStage hatred, etc. 3) Market your products. Simple Names. Lots of Features. Until then, Sony is just not going to be competition for Apple.

Well, you have to think this may just be the start. 8GB might be the highest for now, but I'm assuming that Sony will have an HDD version announced at the end of the year, and maybe the flash players may have a bigger brother with 16GB or something. Let's at least give this new player a chance.

I'm a little excited. I really only have a few concerns: - Software? While SS4.2 isn't that bad, it's still not that great. Also, if this is a Video Walkman, doesn't that mean there has to be a Video Connect store? I'm a little concerned that the transition won't be smooth. - Smaller than the iPod Nano, yet a larger screen, with a form factor similar to the A3000/1000? That's almost impossible I think. Interested to see what it looks like. I mean, to keep the dimensions the same or close, with a bigger screen, would mean there is little space for the joypad (unless it's using a different type of navigation...) - Release date? Please Sony, I would love to buy this, as I am really sick of my iPod, but don't do your usual, "Release in Japan 2 months after the announcement, Europe the next month, and then North America 6 months later, but only in select stores, making it incredibly hard to find). - Advertising? If Sony's serious about going up against the iPod, they better advertise this. I really can't wait to see it though. The A6xx was was brought to class by a friend, and received a lot of attention. So obviously people want to buy your products Sony, just make it easier for us to do so! Thanks for the news guys! Oh, and an HDD product, when?

Oh God, Please Sony surprise the world and let them be awesome, great looking, and actually fully functional with all of the latest technology and possibly even new innovations. HDD model and a flash based model? Come on Sony, if Microsoft can do it, you can do it too. (And please don't neglect America)

Aww, don't tease me so. I'm cautiously optimistic about any new Walkman products. After a year plus, I'm hoping Sony would have observed the market and tried to predict the next stage, rather than try to play catch up with Apple. A Walkman with aesthetics and the touch screen of the iPhone, released before the 6G iPod would be just the kind of boon Sony needs. (Instead of the click wheel, Sony could continue on with the Grid Sense from the Vaio Pocket. I liked it) As for software, maybe Tim Schaaff is working on a new replacement, that might actually be seen as a good alternative to iTunes? I don't want to get to excited, but...

New Walkman? Doesn't surprise me. Sony knows how to screw themselves (and us fans) over and over again.

CES, Sony didn't even mention the Walkman series. Have they pretty much abandoned all hope in a Walkman Video?

The iPhone looks amazing, and really, this is the type of product I was expecting from Sony. Not necessarily a phone, but a stunning looking MP3 Player that looked like this actually could have been the first real competitor to the iPod. Sony hasn't revealed/previewed a new HD Walkman for over a year, I really hope that this time they won't be behind the ball with it. Sony Ericsson, as much as I like their Walkman phones, really have been trumped by Apple with this phone.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/05/sony-pl...infrastructure/ Well this just sucks, that Sony is now just getting around to making a new Walkman. I was hoping for something soon, but I guess we're out of luck.