Quality of Sony Ericsson vs Pedigree of Walkman

[Ally]

Finally Sony have gone and let their Walkman division loose on a mobile phone.

http://www.sonyericsson.com/w800/

I've been squealing for this for years (some may remember me saying how I'm a Sony gear fan). Unfortunately I won't be buying it - 2 reasons:

1) I'm mid-contract; up next April.
2) They're one step short of what I wanted; a phone with a hard drive.

However this is a great sign - it's a step closer to eliminating the need to carry two items when one would suffice if done well enough. mp3 mobiles are good (I had the first, Sony CMD-MZ5 ;)), but at present the mp3 player market leaders (Apple & Sony) are streets ahead on storage capacity.
Also, look at those earphones!

[ http://www.dirty.org/forums/showthread.php?t=125&page=2 ;) ]

Finally someone bundles a great pair of 'phones with their kit. I swear by these Sony bud types. Don't go for any of the other bud ones, especially the Apple ones.
The only gripe I can think of is the usual software issues Sony have had. It's because they're married to Sony's record division, which must frustrate the shit out of the Sony Walkman division. It's unfortunate because if it weren't for the fidgety software issues I have no doubt that Sony would wipe the floor with Apple - they have the hardware knowhow, and they sure as hell have the batteries.

[lukeyd]

but at present the mp3 player market leaders (Apple & Sony) are streets ahead on storage capacity.are sony really number 2 when it comes to mp3 players?
i would have said thatthe iRiver range or probably creative are the next behind teh iPod. as you say, if they sorted out that shit they call soundstage it might be a different story

[Stephen]

I've just got a K750i and it's well mint. Vodafone just can't get enough of me - I phone up and go "My phone's rubbish and my bill is too expensive" and within 24 hours there's a brand new hot lump of sex sat on my desk. The 2 megapixel camera is a real bonus - that's like a proper camera in my pocket, wherever I go.

Anyway, it plays mp3s and that but has limited memory (64mb memory stick plus about 30 odd meg on the actual phone). How much memory does that other thing have? I started looking at the page but my computer made noise and I worried I'd get busted for not doing any work.

Does anyone clever know why it might be that when I plug the thing in via the USB, I can see the contents of the phone's memory on my PC, but the memory stick just drops off the explorer? It's not just on the PC either. When it's connected to the PC and I flick around in the phone, all files stored on the memory stick disappear until I remove the USB connection. This is annoying as I want to move photos onto the PC and delete them from the phone. I can move stuff internally from the memory stick to the phone's memory when it's not connected but this a bit longwinded. And annoying.

What else… Oh yeah. I downloaded the Crazy Frog Axel F ringtone the other day and am on a one-man mission to bluetooth the bastard thing to the entire population of Birmingham. Ker-fucking-blam.

[goldfish]

I've just got a K750i and it's well mint.

I'm confused. Are you Mr Starryveck?

Simon

[lukeyd]

What else… Oh yeah. I downloaded the Crazy Frog Axel F ringtone the other day and am on a one-man mission to bluetooth the bastard thing to the entire population of Birmingham. Ker-fucking-blam.thats fucking evil. what have you got against birmingham?

[Stephen]

I'm confused. Are you Mr Starryveck?

Simon
Yes I am. Hello again. This is my real name. That real people call me.

[goldfish]

Yes I am. Hello again. This is my real name. That real people call me.
I should probably stick with Ste or Starryveck then... I live in Putney. It's not possible to be 'real' in Putney.

Nice to see you back.

Simon

[Ally]

are sony really number 2 when it comes to mp3 players?
i would have said thatthe iRiver range or probably creative are the next behind teh iPod. as you say, if they sorted out that shit they call soundstage it might be a different story

I'd say so - Sony have the legs when it comes to consumer hardware and I'd say the best batteries in the world. The software problem isn't the Walkman people's fault, it comes with being married to Sony's record label people.

[Ally]

Anyway, it plays mp3s and that but has limited memory (64mb memory stick plus about 30 odd meg on the actual phone). How much memory does that other thing have? I started looking at the page but my computer made noise and I worried I'd get busted for not doing any work.


1GB max Memory Stick at any one time. I'm looking forward to the third and fourth generations of this partnership, hopefully by then they'll build a hard drive into it and remove the need to carry a separate mp3 player.

[the mongoose]

I bought a fucking Sony mp3 player....

Piece of shit.

1. the plastic piece that snaps shut for the battery pops open with a light thump. The battery then needs to be put back in place which resets the thing back to song one, so forget putting it in your pocket or on your armband or even taking it to the gym. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! :mad:

2. the software. the God forsaken software is SOOOO bad. Every single song takes 2-3 minutes to move to the damn player!! First, you have to put the song into the software (into a "My Music" list thing....) and then you can transfer the song but it converts it to "Atrac3" beforehand so it takes an eternity.
Once the songs are on the player and you go to another computer to put more on....it tells you that you must delete all of the songs you added from the other computer before it'll let you!!!!!

3. the features. No voice recorder, no fm radio, no line in, shit button layout, no real options. Yuck!


Returned it a week or two later and got a WONDERFUL

Creative Zen Nano Plus!

1. Battery stays put
2. Software is drag and drop and ripping is a breeze....
3. Voice Record...record FM Radio, Line in for MAKING YOUR OWN MP3s FROM ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!

Fuck SONY's ATRAC3/MP3 Walkmen!!!!! :mad: :mad:

[lukeyd]

was reading about NW-E407 flash walkman, it supports atrac3 (obviously) and mp3. bonus. and if you get the really-fucking-expensive-top-of-the-range e507, you get built in fm radio.

http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/CatalogueItem_26406.html so pretty

just still not sure. the compatability of it with mp3s removes a huge former problem of sonicstage. also sonicstage3.2 is apparantly a lot more stable, one reviewer even ranking it above itunes (!!). it still doesnt make sense that you can drag and drop to use as a flash drive, but have to sonicstage it to play the file. they could sort that problem with a downloadable firmware upgrade, but sony know best obviously.



im gonna have nightmares now caused by bringing up repressed memories of sonic stage 1.5.

i feel ill.

[Stephen]

1GB max Memory Stick at any one time. I'm looking forward to the third and fourth generations of this partnership, hopefully by then they'll build a hard drive into it and remove the need to carry a separate mp3 player.
What's so good about that new one then? Mine can take a 1Gb memory stick, has playlist functions, EQ and other bits and pieces. Like I say, I'd have a proper look at that site but I don't want it to be too obvious that I'm not doing any work.

[Tom]

Yes I am. Hello again. This is my real name. That real people call me.

I fucking knew it!

[Ally]

What's so good about that new one then? Mine can take a 1Gb memory stick, has playlist functions, EQ and other bits and pieces. Like I say, I'd have a proper look at that site but I don't want it to be too obvious that I'm not doing any work.

That people who know how to do personal audio have been let loose on a phone. Every single mp3 playing phone has been at best competent thus far.

[Stephen]

That people who know how to do personal audio have been let loose on a phone. Every single mp3 playing phone has been at best competent thus far.
That's politiking! Answer the question. What does this new one do that other mp3 phones haven't?

Thinking about it, I said I'd never buy Sony again after my MD/PS2 debacle but when Vodafone offered me this hot shit I just had to say yes.

Who wants the crazy frog?

[Stephen]

I fucking knew it!
I saw Tom went for his real name and because I fancy him I thought I'd do the same.

[goldfish]

Give me tools that do their job well and I'll be happy.

I don't want a hammer that you can saw with.

I want a phone I can call people on, and a music player that plays music, and a camera that takes pictures. Multifunction devices are a waste of time and effort.

Simon

[Ally]

That's politiking! Answer the question. What does this new one do that other mp3 phones haven't?


Not enough, that's why I'm not getting this one. It's difficult to list the explicit benefits at this early stage (otherwise I'd have done so in my opener) but I'm sure as hell delighted that people with 30 years of technical experience in personal audio are having a hand in mp3 phone design. I'm in no doubt that the interface will be one of the best we've seen, battery efficiency will be superb, sound reproduction will be second to none and size/weight will not be a problem. To me as a longtime observer of Sony, mobile phone development and mp3 player evolution, Walkman have already set out their stall by going against all trends and insisting that the best design of earphone I've ever had the pleasure of using is included from the get-go.

[Ally]

Give me tools that do their job well and I'll be happy.

I don't want a hammer that you can saw with.

I want a phone I can call people on, and a music player that plays music, and a camera that takes pictures. Multifunction devices are a waste of time and effort.

Simon

Disagreed. Lense technology allows you to take suitable pictures with your phone, proper photography needs more than just a separate camera. I believe that digital audio is at home on your phone - provided the battery can stand up it fits like a glove; both devices reproduce audio, the market drives them to be smaller and lighter etc etc I'm agreed that video doesn't fit but picture reproduction is a totally different kettle of fish.
I'm all for separates when it comes to hi-fi or anything else where you have the capacity, but sadly when I moving from one place to the other I don't have that. I'm delighted with my phone being a great camera, I used my CMD-MZ5 mobile constantly to listen to music back when mp3 players were all limited by 64MB removable flash memory. I regard keeping these devices of convenience and comfort separate as a step back - or are you one of these poofs that has to carry all your gear in a "man-bag"? ;)

[lukeyd]

man bags are teh r0x0r. serious. i have one and im dead butch. grrrrrr.

i at first didnt like the idea of camera phones, found them utterly pointless. but thats cos my phone has a shit camera. admittedly most people dont text pics to eachother as much as we are all encouraged to, but a good camera is now one of the strongest criteria i have when choisng a new mobile.

equally i dont see the point in mp3 (or whatever) playback in a mobile, despite the presence of 1gb mmc card in my phone. the only good thing is not having to pay to download your own choice of ringtone. but this could all change if and when the battery life becomes good enough to provide both to a good level and not have to charge more often than once every four days

obviously the ability of the "features" of this next-next gen mobile will not come close to its dedicated rivals, but allys portability issues are undeniable.


im serious about the man bag tho. looks great with a pink shirt ;)

also ally is a total sony fanboy so you have to take everything he says with a pinch of salt