Player Blog Category Archives: Other
May 10, 2004
Sony Takes on the iPod
Sony has just announced its first harddrive-based MP3 player, the Vaio Pocket VGF-AP1 (Japanese), in a bid to challenge the dominance of the Apple iPod. Initially it will be available only in Japan and is based on AIWA technology (AIWA is subsidiary of Sony). In addition to a 20GB capacity, the VGF-AP1 will have a 2.2" color LCD screen that can display cover art, if available. However, it is slightly larger than the iPod. The VGF-AP1 is 4.5"x2.5"x0.67" compared with the iPod at 4.1"x2.4"x0.62" and weighs 6.9oz.
Ugh... ATRAC... software... grody grody grody!
I got a Sony Network Walkman a year or so ago which requires Open MG Jukebox to transfer songs over (converts them from mp3 to ATRAC), and now a year later, the software is unsupported and does not run on the latest Windows XP (won't even install). So now I've got a very pretty, very sleak paper weight...
Actually the thing is too damned small to be used as a paper weight so i can't even use it as that!
Maybe I can use it as an ear ring or something.
Sony needs to wake up and stop smelling the ACRAP... and more mp3 player companies need to follow iRivers example and ditch the software (unless they are committed to supporting them over the long term).
-_-
Posted by: DirtHerder at May 10, 2004 06:44 PMGizmodo makes a big deal of the mp3 to ATRAC conversion thing ( http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/sony-vaio-pocket-interface-movie-and-atrac-weirdness-016088.php ) but, even though it does indeed suck... It's nothing new. Sony has ALWAYS done this.
Which is why I won't be buying another "mp3-but no t really" player from them again (till they get with the program.
Their Clie's on the other hand, play mp3's for real. Now if only they would stick a 20 gig hard drive into one of their Clies.
Wouldn't life be grand?
Posted by: DirtHerder at May 11, 2004 08:59 AMAccording to The Register the Vaio Pocket will ONLY play ATRAC.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/11/sony_vaio_pocket/
Posted by: Lindsey Smith at May 11, 2004 09:53 AMThat's correct. As per all of Sony's other "mp3-but-not-really" players.
They write in their descriptions that it is compatible (for marketing reasons... ah well at least they realize how big of a draw that mp3 support is), but in truth all it does is convert mp3's to their ATRAC format via software that you load onto a computer.
The weakest of sauces indeed.
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