“Sony Corp. said on Thursday it is developing a video-capable Walkman, playing catch-up with Apple Computer Inc.’s market-leading iPod,” Reuters reports.
Reuters reports, “Sony created the market for portable music players with its epoch-making Walkman more than a quarter of a century ago, but in recent years it has trailed far behind Apple, whose iPod holds more than half the global digital media player market.”
Reuters reports, “‘We are developing a product that handles images, but I cannot make any comment on specific plans,’ Sony Senior Vice President Hiroshi Yoshioka told a news conference that unveiled upcoming Walkman models. Apple launched a video-enabled iPod last October.”
“Sony also said it will start rolling out five new models of a flash-memory-based Walkman, shaped like a perfume bottle, toward the end of the year at home and abroad,” Reuters reports. “A 4-gigabyte model with a noise-reduction function is expected to sell for around 29,000 yen ($240) in Japan, Sony said.”
Full article here.
Why does Sony even bother anymore? And who’s making the batteries for these soon-to-be-bloodied devices?
Related articles:
More blood on Apple iTunes Store’s play button: Tower Records liquidated – October 09, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Dell’s ‘DJ Ditty’ flash-based MP3 player is dead – August 22, 2006
More blood on Apple iTunes Music Store’s play button: MyCokeMusic is dead – June 20, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: iRiver gives up on digital media player market – May 23, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Sony’s Walkman Bean is cooked – February 13, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Dell dumps ‘DJ’ hard-drive MP3 player line – February 04, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: iRiver pulling out of Europe? – February 01, 2006
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Thomson gives up on MP3 player, CE markets – December 12, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: BenQ withdraws from MP3 player markets – November 28, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Olympus halts production of portable digital music players – November 09, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Rio is dead – August 26, 2005
Apple’s iPod has blood on its Click Wheel: Virgin Electronics is dead – March 08, 2005
Apple’s iTunes Music Store has blood on its play button: BuyMusic.com is dead – March 28, 2004
Smelly for the telly.
It can handle images: Sony Shoe Box.
” . . . will start rolling out five new models of a flash-memory-based Walkman, shaped like a perfume bottle, toward the end of the year . . . ”
Does that mean it’ll have a cap on top so that I can get the exploding battery out easily?
Or does it mean that you can add a scent of your choice to cover up the stench of bad, overly-feminine design?
Give them a break. At least they don’t flagrantly steal the iPod’s shape and design and attempt to hitch a ride on Apple’s coattails, like virtually every single other company out there. They are trying. They’re imploding, but trying.
The Sony Alpha DSLR is great, btw. It’s nice to know they still do churn out some good stuff from time to time.
MDN, at the very least, you can say something funny and worth a read in your Take.
I think Sony’s creativity is worth an honorable mention. A resurgent Walkman brand is well worth the wait. The iPod isn’t the end-all.
look out Zune there’s a battle for 4th place taking shape.
So the Bean failed, and now they want to shape it like a perfume bottle. This is just sad.
Sony and all the others would be better served if they made ones that resembled real competitors to the iPod.
Go Sony!
In the meantime the fam and I are waiting for the wide screen iPods.
Walter: No one’s dissing them for trying. We’re giving them crap because of their bizarro approach to . . . what’s that word? . . . oh yaah: SIMPLICITY!
First, a BEAN!?!?! And now, a PERFUME BOTTLE???????? I mean, come onnnn! Talk about over-complicating this stuff.
As my father used to say, God rest his soul — You gotta be SHITTIN’ me!!!
At least the ad agency will be able to say; “it sells, or it smells!”
The deckchairs on the Titanic have never been arranged so much as they are by Sony, Microsoft, Dell et al…
yeah but does it squirt?
DOA
The lack of intelligence and maturity in both the take and the majority of MDN comments is disappointing.
I for one am glad that Sony is doing _something_ more than sitting pretty and watching the market they fathered slip away.
Ecksley, actually you’re dissing them because people posting at this site generally behave like closed-minded, childish, reactionary hacks (I doubt they are that bad in real life). But at least you gave a reason, even if it makes no sense. I don’t quite see the logic in describing a bean shape as complicated, but I guess it makes sense to someone who would see simplicity in the idea of making a computer in the shape of a lamp (iMac, 2nd gen.). Personally, I like both ideas.
And by the way, I love most Apple products, I just don’t like the predictably immature behavior around here too much.
My thoughts regarding the Bean is that the shape was intended to create a product that more closely conforms to the hand and creates natural positions for the controls to make for a more intuitive and natural interface. Good idea, poor implementation. We really don’t know anything about how the perfume bottle shape is going to manifest itself. It might be good; it might be bad. So how about not dissing it until we actually see the product.
Walter: “I don’t quite see the logic in describing a bean shape as complicated, but I guess it makes sense to someone who would see simplicity in the idea of making a computer in the shape of a lamp … “
So . . . is a bean simpler and as common-sensible as the iPod? You know, that simple, rectangular-shaped, multi-million selling, lightweight brick of . . . simplicity?
Of course not. Your straw-man argument and misdirection regarding the iMac aside, neither is a . . . [guffaw] . . . perfume bottle!
I don’t think you’re seeing the forest for the trees, here. I LOVE that Sony’s doing something to stay — err, correct that . . . to get — in the game. It’s just that what they’re trying to do always seems to be gimmicky and comes off sounding, for lack of a better word: SILLY.
I welcome competition for the iPod. Competition drives innovation. No problem there. It’s just that you’d think that one of the biggest conglomerates in the ENTIRE WORLD would have more success at “taking on” Apple in this market space. Especially considering their “Walkman” pedigree.
Hey, maybe the “perfume bottle” will be a hit in Japan. Having been there, I realize how different their culture is from ours on a trend-monitoring level. But then again, they didn’t exactly flock to the “Bean”, did they?
Anyway, about MDN: Sure, some posters here end up being immature. But most of the posts I see above ours are making fairly mild and humorous jokes at the expense of Sony’s failures. So what? This IS an Apple fanboy site, after all — isn’t it? Let us have our (fairly mild) fun. There are other sites to visit, too . . . but I’m sure you were aware of that.
Peace.
Uhm, the Sony Alpha DSLR is an example of Sony churning out good stuff?!? Isn’t that just a rehashed Konica/Minolta DSLR that they bought?
KenC you beat me to it. Just take a look at it they didn’t even have time to change its distinctly Minolta looks for christ sake. Theye were good cameras and no doubt still are. The next ones? We will see.
So, it’s an updated Sony Watchman?
Ecksley: People here are immature because it’s an immature site. I get you. Point well taken. But hey, have fun. Life is indeed short. Peace to you as well.
KenC: it’s more than that. It’s actually a pretty successful marriage of Sony’s generally-highly regarded digital camera electronics with Konica Minolta’s SLR hardware. But don’t take my word for it, read the reviews in the respected photography publications and websites. The just-released new Canon Digital Rebel and Nikon D80 are excellent competitors and have some superior features (as well as inferior ones), but the Sony Alpha is still a solid and respectable offering.
No it’s going to be called the SeeMan.
Yea, you got one of them new Seemans. Hey can I borrow your seeman?
Here, take my SeeMan.
Walter –
“people here are immature because it’s an immature site. I get you.”
Well bless my little blue socks if your reply was not a tad sarcastic … maybe even a little immature, if i may venture.
MacDailyNews never fails to crack me up, BECAUSE of the acrimony, love, humor, ignorance, politics … immaturity et al.
I love reading the trolls threads. coz they make me feel better about myself.
Anyway “Bozo Walter” the magic word fits in good n proper for your little problem.
– Much better to be immature than premature.
Had to get in on this..
“Hey, squirt me a sample off your SeeMan..”
“OK, here’s ypur SeeMan sample,,”