Apple did it again - a new line of iPods so cool that even if you already have an iPod, you'll want to buy one



http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/
[Edited 9/7/05 11:22am]

But my normal iPod isn't too big or heavy that I'd want a smaller one, and I can fit 10 times more on it than that.

it's just a skinnier ipod mini.

This should be in my mailbox soon. Ipod shmipod.

jerseykrs said:

What is that!?!?

sinisterpentatonic said:

I want one!

It's the total bomb!! Check the specs:


There’s a new music beef cooking; can you smell it?

It’s not the new Nelly diss track aimed at Chingy (what could those two possibly be beefing over? Whose music sucks more?), and you won’t hear a song about it on any radio show or mixtape. No, this newest beef is between Apple and Sony, the two giants fighting over who gets to dominate the digital music player market. And with the release of their latest device, the Sony VAIO VGF-AP1L Pocket Digital Music Player, Sony just did the equivalent of calling the iPod a “punk” and slapping its momma.

Ooooh… now its on!

Sony’s plan in overthrowing the iPod in this digital music war will become clear the instant begin to play with the Sony VAIO Digital Music Player. The iPod has the style aspect locked with its sleek look and inescapable “lifestyle marketing;” Sony wants to rock you with substance, and the unit is definitely equipped with a robust array of features to achieve this end.

While the Sony VAIO player is similar in size (4 1/2 x 2 1⁄ 2" - 2 3⁄ 4" x 1") and weight (7.4 oz) to most MP3 players, the look of the unit is completely unique. Competing devices usually sport bright colors to draw attention to themselves, but this unit’s gunmetal gray and black accented façade blends in with most other computer components and bags. However, what will draw attention is the 2.2” full color QVGA LCD backlit display prominently inset on the face of the unit. When in operation, the screen displays the menus, album, artist, song information, duration, and album cover (even the lyrics if you choose to load them in) in bright, vivid color. To the right of the screen is the large Grid Sense touch pad that is used to navigate through the menus. The Grid Sense pad operates in much the same way any laptop’s touch pad would – glide your finger over the selection you want to highlight it, then click to select it.

Despite the differences in physical design, like the Apple player, the Sony VAIO pocket is great at storing and playing your digital music files. Music can be copied from CDs, imported from your existing library on your PC, or downloaded at cost via the Connect Music Store component of the included SonicStage software. Once the music has been transferred to the player there are myriad ways you can manipulate your listening experience: creating/editing playlists, song shuffle, over six equalizer presets, A to B play… you can even change the skin on the LCD screen. Loads of options are literally at the tip of your finger.

In keeping with previous Sony digital music devices, Sony prefers to convert your tunes to their ATRAC3 format for smaller files with better compression with than the MP3 and iPod’s AAC formats. This means you can store more songs on the 40GB Sony VAIO player than you can on a 40GB iPod or any 40GB MP3 player, and the songs will actually have better clarity. Nevertheless, for those users who simply refuse to abandon their MP3s, Sony did recently release firmware updates that will allow the unit to store MP3s in addition to WMA and WAV file formats.

Heavy commuters are sure to get a charge out of the included three-line backlit “green screen” LCD remote control. Bridging between the unit and the headphones, simple movements of the thumb and forefinger on the in-line remote will allow basic menu navigation without having to flash your high-dollar device to every would-be stick up kid on the train every time you want to change songs. The remote has a convenient clip on the back for attaching it to pockets, belts, lapels, or bag straps.

As good as the digital music player is at playing tunes, the factor that really places it head and shoulders above the competition is its versatility. In addition to playing music, it also stores pictures which can be uploaded from your PC or directly from a digital camera, then organized into a slideshow to play in conjunction with your music. Running out of room on your PC? Don’t go shopping for a new internal or external HDD yet – the Sony VAIO can be formatted to act as an external 40GB HDD to store or back up all types of files, not just music-related ones.

Naturally, Sony makes sure to include everything you’ll need to get started revolutionizing your digital music experience with the VAIO Pocket Digital Music Player. Besides the unit itself you’ll receive a pair of somewhat uncomfortable but great sounding earbud headphones, a Mini USB to USB cable, AC power adapter, the SonicStage music transfer software, and a docking cradle which will charge the embedded Lithium-Ion battery for up to 20 hours of continuous play as well as facilitate the USB data transfer.

Besides the lopsided headphones, the unit’s only real drawback is the lack of an included instruction booklet. It seems that Sony assumes anyone computer savvy enough to own this device will have no difficulty in going onto the Internet and peeping the online documentation there. In truth, the unit is so easy to use that a manual is almost unnecessary; in less than a week, I figured out roughly 90% of the device’s features and have yet to even glance at the manual. I don’t even know what the damn thing looks like.

Anyway, who still needs a paper manual? Save a tree and keep it digital.

So will the Sony VAIO Pocket Digital Music Player actually be able to drive a mortal dagger deep into the heart of its main competitor? Considering the iPod’s lower price point and established and fiercely loyal market following, this is highly unlikely. Still, music lovers looking for a unique and versatile way to carry their tunes along with them without giving up their individuality and assimilating into the iPod collective (resistance is not futile), should definitely give this Sony device a look.


Recommended
[Edited 9/7/05 14:17pm]

BTW, they can be had for 240 online, take that IPOD!!

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

skinnier and smaller and flash memory instead of a hard drive

I use a cd walkman.

But then, i dont have a full time job

taht sony thing - how do you go for a run with that thing strapped to your arm? That thing is massive. on your first post, I thought the small thing was the player and the big thing was showing it sitting next to a digital camera.
[Edited 9/7/05 14:31pm]

alandail said:

It's really not that big, look at the pic of the girl without the glasses holding it. A 40gig ipod photo (the correct model to compare) is 2.4 inches wide,4.1 inches long, .73 inches thick, and weighs 6.2 ounces. The VAIO pocket is 2.5 inches wide, 4.5 inches long, 1 inch thick and weighs 7.4 ounces.

I'll gladly take the micro inches and ounce over the Ipod any day.
[Edited 9/7/05 14:40pm]

thesexofit said:

There r cheap solutions 2 a walkman:

I bought this baby 4 39.90 euros here in Portugal!





But i can only fit there 5 albums or 4 hours of muzak!

MikeMatronik said:

That's a good flash player.