“When Apple Computer’s iPod soared to prominence a few years ago, I predicted that it was only a matter of time before the competition caught up and even surpassed that device. Boy, was I wrong. Despite an almost constant onslaught of products from companies such as Creative, iRiver, and Rio, Apple has maintained and even extended its lead. Today, the iPod is the de facto standard for portable audio and a must-have fashion accessory for teenagers, college students, and commuting professionals,” Paul Thurrott writes for Connected Home Media.
“Lost amid all the iPod hoopla, curiously, is Sony, which started the portable audio craze in the late 1970s with its seminal Walkman cassette-based device. Sony eventually expanded its Walkman line to include CD-based devices and controlled the market it invented for over 20 years. But Sony stumbled badly in the digital age. The problem was that Sony owned both content (movie and music businesses) and delivery (Walkman) systems. Sony’s content-creation businesses wanted Sony’s electronics division to make sure that none of their content was being stolen with Sony devices. Thus, Sony’s first digital Walkman products were sad jokes, limited to a proprietary Sony audio format called ATRAC,” Thurrott writes. “The end result was that Apple was able to waltz into a market it didn’t even fully understand at first and walk away with the crown, thanks to great design and customer research. Sony, the one-time king, could only watch in horror as Apple sold millions and millions of iPods, and as its own digital Walkman products faltered in the market.”
Thurrott looks at Sony’s “horribly named Network Walkman Digital Music Player NW-E500 series” and writes, “Without understanding the limitations of the Sony Network Walkman, you might see its razzle-dazzle display and assume the iPod had finally met its match. Don’t be confused. The overall user experience of the Sony Network Walkman is abysmal. For the time being, at least, Apple has nothing to fear. My advice is to stick with the surprisingly affordable iPod shuffle—which is near perfect, in my opinion—or check out a Creative MuVo if you absolutely must have a screen.
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
iTunes Music Store Japan? Apple to hold ‘special music event’ in Tokyo on August 4 – July 26, 2005
Sony grabs Japan flash-based music player lead from Apple ahead of Japanese iTunes Music Store – July 14, 2005
Sony debuts US$199 1GB iPod shuffle killer, bills it ‘small as a pack of gum’ – July 06, 2005
Sony’s portable music player sales tumble in face of Apple’s iPod success – January 28, 2005
Mossberg: Sony Walkman ‘laborious, weak, lousy, confusing, stinks’ vs. Apple iPod – July 28, 2004
Washington Post: Sony’s internet music service ‘is an embarrassment to the company that gave the world the Walkman – May 29, 2004
huh?
Is it April 1?
OK, who is this guy and what has he done with the REAL Paul Thurrott? The one who enjoyed linking the words “beleaguered” and “Apple” together? The giveaway is in the line: “Boy, was I wrong.” The REAL Paul TurdRot would NEVER admit that. This guy’s a fake.
He has been awfuly consistent in favor of Apple as of late, though…
Yes, a shuffle model with a screen please. Only then will I get one.
Well, I was gunna say something like “WTF is going on?!!” but Mac Yac put it so much better.
The guy whores himself to whoever wants him.
Paul, grow some bollocks then come back and we’ll talk, OK?
Lets hold off on the love fest. On Monday he wrote:
[I]Popular software is just hacked more often than infrequently-used software. And [B]this is how we learn that Apple doesn’t necessarily design more secure software than Microsoft.[/B] In fact, there is absolutely no way to know how Apple would perform if its OS X software was used by 600+ million people rather than just 14 million people. The popularity of iTunes–and its attraction as a target for hackers–should be an interesting test.[/I]
Last week Paul blogged on his internet-nexus site that he had gotten one of these Sonys, initially loved the display and hated the software, but was still going to evaluate it over the next few days. I guess he’s come to his conclusion.
I’m Mr. iPod Zealot, but I must say the displays on these are really cool. However, not surprisingly, that’s apparently that’s about the only thing good to say.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag, that Sony. Rubbish controls and software, but that display looks good.
I reckon Apple will have to put something like that display in the updated shuffle, especially if the capacity increases. Getting to the right song even on my 512 shuffle is sometimes a pain.
I thought the whole point of the walkman brand was that it was synonymous with portable music – why do they need to lengthen an already long name by adding “music player” into it?
Surely even “Sony Digital Walkman NW-E500 series” (I assume NW stands for Network?) would be better than “Sony Network Walkman Digital Music Player NW-E500 series”. Either way it’s a crap name in comparison to “iPod” or even “Apple iPod” or the longest “Apple iPod Shuffle”. Of course if they can’t get the simple things like a short name right what hope do they have?
better than the shuffle is the newest member of the ipod family:
http://www.nytimes.com/video/html/2005/06/29/technology/highbandwidth/windowsmedia/20050629_GUEST_VIDEO.html
If you really want an iPod shuffle with a screen, just do it right and get an iPod mini. You get a full screen plus 4x the capacity for only $70 more.
product names work different in different languages and cultures. However, Sony’s got a がいじん CEO now, don’t it?
Anyway, Paul has always doted on the iPod… Mac Zealots are always quick to point out that they’re different from than the computers… but don’t realize that most of Thurrott’s criticisms are of Apple, the company, or OS X… but not usually the iPod. Many of his observations are actually pretty good too.
JB, what if you don’t want a hard-drive based player (I’d break it in a second)
The Sony that came up with a long list of revolutionary products was the company of the late Akio Morita, founder and longtime head of Sony. When Mr Morita has a stroke and left the day-to-day running of Sony to others, the company went adrift. This is kind of like what happened to Apple while Sculley, Spindler & Amelio ran Apple prior to Steve redux.
It’s that vision thing. When a company is driven by the vision of one person they usually suffer when that person retires/leaves/dies. It is a rare company that can find someone with an equally strong vision and has the leadership to make it happen.
Sony is just another big conglomerate run by suits largely without vision. It’s sad, because at one time they were very much like Apple– smaller than their rivals, fast on their feet, highly innovative and willing to take risks on new technologies and markets. That all died with Akio Morita. I think Steve Jobs and Akio Morita would have been able to do a lot of business together.
pigs are flyin’ and Beelzebub has traded his pitchfork for a Burton snowboard…
Dvorak waxes positive about OS X, Thurrott admits he was wrong AND heartly recommends an iPod prduct?! it’s like i’m living on Bizzaro World… whutz next? OS X on Intel?!
…oh… waitaminnit… holy crap! I AM ON BIZARRO WORLD!!!
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My favorite feature of the Sony player is that you have to lug around a USB cable if you plan on connecting it to a computer. The iPod Shuffle has a built-in USB connector, so you can easily use it like a keychain USB drive.
Didn’t pay any attention to Paul before his rebirth, don’t see any reason to do so now, he’s still a waste of skin.
Yes, when “Mr. Sony” died, Sony started to change. Sony’s vision faded they lost their touch. I hope that this won’t happen to Apple.
Such a fair weather fan.
I think Thurrott is pretty genuine, with a bias to pumping up MS since that is where his bread his buttered. But to be fair, he does let MS have it now and then.
Anyway, all these fair weather fans are not necessarily a bad thing. The positive media is helping Apple across the board. Apple just needs to get their act together–examples: the disgraceful bugginess of Tiger and the lackluster hardware updates to Macs and iPods–so they can capitalize on their position.
The article really is entertaining. Thurrot was clearly annoyed with how cumbersome the Sony player was to use. Despite the author, it’s actually a fun read.
This is funny:
http://whitestkids.com/video/pregnancytest.mov
huh?
Is it April 1?
—————–
Okay.. um.. yah.. i could have sworn he was DROOLING over the SOny on INt. Nexus like LAST WEEK..
THurrot is so bipolar..
Anyway.. I think it IS affordable, and damn sweet.. just.. he.. was.. last.. week.. I..
GAAAAHH! Thurrott!!!!
For those of you not sure where the real Thurrot is, perhaps place a few Beatles songs backwards and listen for hidden messages.
So what people are saying above is that companies run by suits invariably fail, or at least go backwards and develop me-too products which lack innovation.
Funny that. Who’d have thought that accountants were really creative anyway?
Companies like Sony (and IBM & Microsoft) also suffer from the internal competition syndrome as well. Oh well.