Sony’s Cheaper Flash Memory Walkmans
Digital Music - Players March 9th, 2005
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Sony’s Cheaper Flash Memory Walkmans
If critics had any doubts that Sony was not serious in their war against Apple… they would now disappear. The entertainment giant has realized what they missed on when they stuck with their proprietary format for music storage. Now with an open mind and a target to hit Apple where it would hurt them the most… we are seeing new and exciting products from Sony.
First, they released versions of the digital music player, which supported MP3 format; next through their mobile division, we saw the launch of the first Walkman branded Mobile Phone W800. This mobile had the capacity of storing songs worth around 512 Megs and came with an excellent battery life of 30 hours.
Now, they take it to the next level. On Tuesday, the company launched their new lineup of cheaper Walkman portable music players. The cheapest model in the range comes with a 256-megabyte flash memory chip and would retail at below Euro 100. This should also take on any argument, which claimed that Sony products come at a premium.
Other products in the same lineup come with capacities of 512 Megs and 1 gig storage. These products are still expensive compared to some of the little known competition. However, the brand value and the feature set should compensate for that.
Apple’s own player based on Flash memory in iPod Shuffle starts at around USD 99 but comes with no display panel. Sony has that advantage over iPod with a little higher price tag. Sony would be showcasing these new products in the upcoming CeBIT electronic trade fair in Hanover, Germany.
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You said: “The cheapest model in the range comes with a 256-megabyte flash memory chip and would retail at below Euro 100. This should also take on any argument, which claimed that Sony products come at a premium.”
I say: It’s a hell of a premium compared to the iPod shuffle, which is the only competitor that matters in this market. For the same price, you get 512MB of iPod shuffle. Twice as much music.
You said: “These products are still expensive compared to some of the little known competition. However, the brand value and the feature set should compensate for that.”
I say: No, it won’t. You’re blinkered if you believe this; Sony is going to get nowhere until it (1) cuts its prices dramatically (2) properly embraces open standards like MP3, not only in what its players can play, but in what its programs will let be put on.
Charles is right�you don’t compete against a dominant player by charging more then their products. That sounds like what Apple was doing back in the 90s. Furthermore, Sony is starting from stratch but they don’t seem realize that. The Sony/Walkman brand means NOTHING in this market. Finally, everyone seems to forget that it’s not just the MP3 player that matters. It is the synergy between the player, the software and the online store. For example, why is it that Apple’s iTunes is the only software that doesn’t require you to use your browser?!
The “Sony Walkman” brand is veery strong. I am -right now- looking into buying a 20Gb or higher) MP3 player. I knew about the iPod, I discovered the Creative Zen, and wondered which would be best. Then I walked into a electronics shop. They had an interesting device in the closet: “Sony Network Walkman”. I think I’ll buy that device, because it must be good.