What is Sony thinking with the changing designs?

[lamewing]

I am a bit confused in regards to Sony and its stance on portable DAP and MD/HiMD design from the last couple of years. I would love to hear folks opinions on this subject.

It seems that Sony cannot come up with a solid design in regards (for now let's stick to DAPs). First we have the NW1,2,3 series, which overall were similar. Then we had the NW5 with the (finally) replaceable battery, which seemed like a logical step forward. Now their next DAP will, once again, return to the interal battery. Let us not forget the lovely Pocket Vaio which in many ways eclipses all of the above models. Not only are we dealing with the battery issue, but the fact that in a very short time, Sony has totally changed the physical design at least twice, maybe more if I am forgetting something.

One of the things that has kept the iPod in the publics eye was that the iPod hasn't changed physically that much. Except for the mini and the U2 model (and the black nano) all of them have had a white front and the silver back. Heck even the nano's and the U2 have the silver back.

It would seem to me that if Sony would keep a similar look to their players (and not the god-awful "gumdrop" look) more folks my recognize them. Does anyone have any insight as to what was Sony's thinking regarding their DAPs?

Joe

[lamewing]

Are you telling me no one here has any clues or opinons in regards to this....????

[indeego]

I think most users agree with you in matter of design. First pictures of the new units were "photoshop-ed" and had a brighter body, whereas real life pictures are really dark. I don't think this helps sony to sell their products - A kind of unqiue design across their products is their glossy and fingerprint-cathing finish with integrated OLED ..

[szsiddiq1214]

the only design motive i see is that it looks more like the ipod (plastic front, metal back) i dont quite understand y they didnt manage to fit a 20gb hd into a smaller package tho. the oleds are cool and all, and to be honest they make me want one, but im having trouble imagining how id carry around sucha big player...i had an HD5 but returned it, cuz its user interface wasnt quite likable, and sonic stage didnt make me happy - at that point i decided that if i really did NEED a DAP right away, id just get an ipod - not too much bigger than the HD5. so i wait til sony releases their next player and BAM its BIGGER than the iPod...SENSE? im anxious to see the user interface and the statistics before i pass my final judgement and make a decision - i hope to buy myself a dap by the end of the year. i hear Apple is making another big iPod announcement in november and hopefully itll be a nicer, small 5th gen ipod.

[Dinko]

i hear Apple is making another big iPod announcement in november and hopefully itll be a nicer, small 5th gen ipod.

Or maybe just the long rumoured Video iPod... then everyone's going to go gaga over it as if it's the very first video playing device in the world... don't tell them Samsung and others have been doing it for years.

[lamewing]

Or maybe just the long rumoured Video iPod... then everyone's going to go gaga over it as if it's the very first video playing device in the world... don't tell them Samsung and others have been doing it for years.

←

Yep,

While I do like some of Apple's stuff, I have never appreciated how they spoon-feed their customers just enough to keep them coming back. I realize this is their business model, but when others think they are the cutting edge, it really bothers me. It seems to me that Apple is very good a cleaning up a product, adding flash, and repackaging the product. The iPod is a prime example. Creative was first on the scene, but the Creative players was butt-ugly; I owned one of them. The first 5gb iPod did the same thing as the Creative, but so much better. Everyone (ahem Sony) basically ignored this upstart DAP and look at it now! It is too bad that whle the iPod is now very popular, that is lacks SO many features - features that accessories can match. I am sorry, but I (how about you folks) need all of these 3rd party extras? Cables and cases sound good, but so much extra is just junk.

[shadowritten]

Poor old Sony. 20-odd years at the summit of the portable audio world, then along comes that little white box. Now the firm is being punished for its complacency.

Imagine if the HD1 had been the first DAP. People would've simply said, 'Seen Sony's new Walkman? What a great idea!' There wouldn't have been a word said about how it looked ... cos small and metallic is basically the Japanese look for electronic gadgets (and God, I love 'em!). But when Steve Jobs and Co. put a computer in a box designed by Fisher Price and ramped up the emotive marketing, bingo: they had a long-running success on their hands.

It's important to note here that no one says, 'Isn't the iPod well built?'; or 'Doesn't the iPod sound amazing?'; or 'Isn't the iPod a technical marvel?' No, people just say it looks cool. And cool sells. Any wonder then why Sony are chasing the cool dollar (or pound, or euro, or yen)? They badly need to get back in the game; and to do it, they're having to whore themselves in an undignified way by pandering to a planet of morons who can't see past what's on the surface - a la, a large percentage of iPod owners.

Once the iPod fad is over, and if Sony can ride out the storm, you'll see a return to the Sony build and design quality of old. For now though, it's all about the Benjamins ...

[Fadetoblack]

*I never knew NW-HD2 existed*

Well i think their development is mixed. I've considered buying all of sonys HD series other than HD2. I liked the look of the HD1, i thought it was very interesting, but then i think it went downwards, i thought the HD3 was O.K and i felt the HD5 was again interesting because of the screen rotations, but other than that i thought it was quite dull. The new Aseries players I'm impressed with design wise, although they might have some issues, i think it's good that sony is experimenting with materials and different ways. I'm definatly buying and A3000 because although the software might be a problem, hell, i got used to sonicstages stupidity and over complicated-ness, i can manage it!

[mercury_in_flames]

haha, well you could say sony is floundering a bit i its design dept. switching looks really drastically, or that they are being innovative. I never aggreed with the price sony put on the oled screens feature, or the fingerprint thing. I always felt metal = durability, and plastic = cheap. The only thing that stopped me from getting an nh1 was the tiny screen and weird plastic edge to it, the slow write speeds of course, and the talk of mp3's sounding worse when transfered 'as is'. o well.

[Ascariss]

Here is the thing, I saw a HD1 here at the store and even though it was small and metal, I wasn't really at all impressed, the design wasn't all that great. My MZ-N10 looks nice, but still has a boring look to it.

There is so much more you can do with plastic in terms of designs, where as metal it is more difficult and it makes the units a more expensive.

I've seen the A1000 in person, and pictures don't do it justice, the dimensions on paper somehow don't give the right feeling to its size. It truly is actually really small. I was rather blown away when I held it, and I don't have large hands, I am only 5'7''.

Once I get my A3000, I will post tons of pictures, comparing its size to numerous objects since I have a feeling it will be smaller than sony even states.

If you get a chance to check out the new players in person, do so, because real life impressions are the best, if you have and don't like it, fair enough, I won't be changing your mind.

Mercury, I have touched the A1000s and fingerprints are not as bad as I though, they are almost non existant for me.

[mercury_in_flames]

funnily enough, so have I ascariss, I went to a sony store and checked them out . I am exaggerating with how bad the fingerprint are, i know , but its just that the device doesnt stay spotless that kinda bugs me. I dont really want to feel like i want to wipe it all the time, i do enough of that when getting dust that settles on my (brushed aluminium) hifi system, off. and enough meaning once a week. Not every time i take it out of my pocket, like i fear i would want to do if i got one of these.

Edited November 23, 2005 by mercury_in_flames

[Ascariss]

hmm well I will be planning on using a remote with mine, the 33EL, therefore minimizing the amount of time I need to take it out of my pocket.

[lamewing]

Okay, I am interested enough to wait and see. But why couldn't Sony have gotten a release date a bit further away from Christmas? I guess they don't expect to sell tons in the States? I hope that isn't the case at all.

[atrain]

funnily enough, so have I ascariss, I went to a sony store and checked them out  . I am exaggerating with how bad the fingerprint are, i know , but its just that the device doesnt stay spotless  that kinda bugs me. I dont really want to feel like i want to wipe it all the time, i do enough of that when getting dust that settles on my (brushed aluminium) hifi system, off. and enough meaning once a week. Not every time i take it out of my pocket, like i fear i would want to do if i got one of these.

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have you used an ipod at all greg? the back & screen attract fingerprints like a magnet.

[Guest Stuge]

Design is a important integral part of any companies success but Sony

seems doing good with there designs.Even Apple doesn`t changes the

designs of there I-pod (as it has been already said in the forum).I`m

not angry with sony about designs of new player .They look awesome

But Size of the player does matter to me .....................

[Ascariss]

But Size of the player does matter to me .....................

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As it is to me, my MD is damn small so I wouldn't go with anything larger and let me tell you the A1000 is small, really small. not sure on A3000, will know this upcoming monday when the purple unit comes in.

[mercury_in_flames]

hmm well I will be planning on using a remote with mine, the 33EL, therefore minimizing the amount of time I need to take it out of my pocket.

←

I tried using it with my rm-mc4elk at the sony store and it didnt work. The display came on, but all you could do is next track. meh. Im not going to bother with a sony mp3 player of 20 gb if it doesnt even support the 40elk. Its like having a himd player that plays 350 tracks and having to take it out your pocket each time you select a folder.

have you used an ipod at all greg? the back & screen attract fingerprints like a magnet.

←

haha yeah thats exactly why I stay away from the sucker, apart from a load of other reasons, but yeh. I am not bashing the new series here, and if you want it you will get it regardless of what I say, Im just stating my peeves.

Edited November 23, 2005 by mercury_in_flames

[mercury_in_flames]

*mistake*

Edited November 23, 2005 by mercury_in_flames

[Ascariss]

the manual states it works more or less with the 35 remote, 33 is the same minus 2 line support and less res.

[mercury_in_flames]

I suppose after being used to having md in my pocket all the time, and now my hd5 in the pocket all the time, it would just seem awkward for me.