Sony Launches Two New Walkmen

1989:

“What do you listen to your Dire Straits on?”

“Duh, on my Walkman.”

2009:

“What do you listen to your Coldplay on?”

“Duh, on my iPod.”

Times are certainly a-changin’. It wasn’t
all that long ago that ‘cassette tapes’ (a plastic cartridge with a spool of
magnetic tape inside) were the format du jour and if you were on the go chances
are they were being played on a Sony Walkman. Then music files were digitized
and the portable music player market was cracked wide open. Over a decade later
the king of the hill is assuredly Apple and their ubiquitous iPod. But there
are those that remain loyal to that brand that got them through some tough
times (and by tough times I mean the 80s). And Sony has in turn rewarded that
loyalty, updating the brand over the years. The latest additions include the
sleek, suave Walkman E series and the diminutive, ultra-compact Walkman B
series.

The E series is certainly the more
attractive of the additions. With a 2-inch QVGA colour LCD screen this ain’t
your daddy’s Walkman. On top of displaying track information and album art, the
screen can also be used for video playback, though at these dimensions it’s
more of an added bonus than a selling point.

Sony has also put some work into sound
quality, with the E series sporting their patented ‘Clear Audio’ package, which
reduces sound leakage and improved bass without the distortion. For you
audiophiles there’s also a 5-band equalizer and a dynamic normalize to balance
the volume between songs. It also has an FM tuner with built-in recording
software so you can get the latest Black Eyed Peas without dropping a dime (in
your face internet music pirates!)

For those that wonder how you get music on
a portable device that doesn’t rely on iTunes, the Walkmen E series makes use
of a ‘drag and drop’ system. Apparently, you just click files and ‘drop’ them
right onto the device. Apple should really look into this new technology. But
if you’re an iTunes junkie you can also sync up your Walkman with iTunes 8.1 via
the Content Transfer software.

The E series provides 30 hours of audio/6
hours of video playback on a single charge. At the moment it has no pricing or
storage info.

As for the Walkman B, it is essentially a
rebuttal to the iPod Shuffle with its small form design. One area where it
attempts to get the leg up is track searching in a menu-less environment. To
that end Sony has developed ZAPPIN:

“It’s also the first B series WALKMAN® that
simplifies music searches when you need to focus on other activities like
sports. ZAPPIN™ is a unique Sony feature that plays a few
instantly-recognisable seconds from within each song. It’s a great alternative
to conventional track searches, where it’s often hard to identify a song from
the opening few bars.”

Additional B series features:

• Small, Ultra-light
player in choice of four colours

• Easy operation with
drag-and-drop file transfers

• ZAPPIN™ for quick,
easy song searches

• Bass button for
powerful low frequency enhancement

• 18 hr music playback
and Quick Charge battery

• FM tuner with
recording facility

Despite the lack of pricing info both will
be available at the end of July.

Source

Steve | My Bio & Articles

Steve is a self-confessed gadget addict with a soft spot for all green gizmos. He has a BA in English Literature and is currently completing his MA in Communication and Rhetoric.