Sony's First Touchscreen Walkman Leaked, Looks Strikingly Familiar
Posted 12/12/08 at 04:57:58 PM by Andy Salisbury
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Sony’s latest addition to the Walkman line is slated for a 2009 debut at CES. The supposed touchscreen Walkman will come in 16GB and 32GB flavors, sport an OLED screen, and even feature some Wi-Fi capabilities! You know, so you can watch YouTube and other completely original tasks for a internet-capable touchscreen MP3 player.
It’s suggested that the software of the Walkman will remain essentially the same, and there won’t be much difference between the menu structure of current Walkman players and the expected arrival. It’ll support MP3, WMA, AAC and PCM audio codecs along with AVC, MPEG-4 and WMV video.
Heck, the player is so advanced that it even features a fully featured music store, a web browser, and to help set it apart from anything else on the market that might bear any resemblance, an FM tuner! Booyah!
It’s rare that in today’s market you’ll see fresh and original pieces of technology like this. It’s always great when a big company like Sony takes it upon themselves to really break the mold. I wonder what Appl--- err, Sony will come up with next?
Image Credit: Apple, Sony
That's exactly what I was
Submitted by Driftweed on Sun, 12/14/2008 - 9:42pm
That's exactly what I was thinking. I STILL have my tungsten E2 pda. And everytime I whup it out the first thing I am asked is "Is that an Iphone?" no nubz, this is ipods daddy. Since everything is bluetooth now all it lacks is teh built in phone. no problem there as i just 'tooth it up to my cell anyways for that.
Submitted by 3rdegreeBurn on Sun, 12/14/2008 - 5:04pm
if you really think about it apple copied off of plam the original touch screen. I have an old palm that can do everything the ipod can do. Except fleece my wallet of 100 bucks every year to update a device for the same features.
What?
Submitted by Tekzel on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 6:39pm
The vibe I am getting from the article, especially the provided picture, is that you are poking Sony for making a touch screen player that looks so much like the iPod Touch. Considering the iPod Touch (and iPhone) are so drab and plain looking, with a big screen on one side, what should they do? Its a touch screen interface. You aren't even seeing the interface yet. Thats where the main differences will lie. You are just coming off as a worshipper at the altar of Apple, in my opinion. I, for one, am glad someone else is doing a touch screen media player, since I have no use for any Apple product. (iTunes is horrid)
Submitted by AJK on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 2:48pm
You're 100% right.
Submitted by Phated1 on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 7:53am
Considering the ipod touch has basically every feature avaliable, and it does it in a decently easy to use touch-screen package, is there really any room for originality? Who knows, maybe the sony version will do it better than the Apple. Maybe itll be more streamlined or faster. I understand now and then someone comes out with a breakthrough, and it changes the market. But can we really expect everything that a company comes out with to be a breakthrough?
Companies are still in business to make money, and putting something completely original on the market is also a financial risk. What happens if the product completely flops? What happens if a company exclusivly makes original products but noone picks up on them? The company makes no money, goes into debt, and inevitably out of business.
Sometimes companies have to be followers of something that works, just so they can keep themselves afloat.
Watch sony read this article, however, and make the thing able to start your car automatically when its cold outside, then youll feel silly andy.
Submitted by Velcrow on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 4:33pm
We're all being a little harsh on Andy... So here's more! ;) I think we should appreciate that Sony is at least matching everything apple is providing. God help them if they didn't even do that. Besides, if that's a real picture than 'hell yeah' to a bigger screen. And I bet they don't use some proprietary analog headphone plug. WTF Apple? Ya noobs. Another thing... my iPhone has progressively gotten SLOWER as they've updated it. Isn't that a little backwards? Not very reassuring. I don't even use any additional apps on it.
Submitted by nephersir7 on Fri, 12/12/2008 - 10:51pm
Why would Apple Have made a triangle shaped player? To make us realize that all touch screen players arent rectangular? To make their Iphone look different from the LG prada? To make the ipod touch look different from the p2?
Submitted by DerfMcWoowoo on Fri, 12/12/2008 - 3:53pm
I can't see how any new touchscreen audio/video player isn't going to be compared to the iPhone/iPod. So with that said how can something that is touchscreen not look like an Apple product? Cumon! Don't waste my time with your stupid comments about how everything looks like an iPhone/iPod. Do you acuse Honda for making cars that look like everybody else's cars (four wheels, body, engine, and other components). Cry me a freaking river Andy!
Submitted by gamesfrager on Sat, 12/13/2008 - 2:36am
"Do you acuse Honda for making cars that look like everybody else's cars"
I totally agree with you. You want a touch screen and no buttons. Well ! how do they expect it to look like!? circular?!
It has to look in a way or another like the iPhone or iPod touch.
Oh wait. My monitor looks like the Mac lcd..Damn you samsung for copying apple lcd monitor! Give it a break will ya!
Submitted by iNNeR_KaoS on Fri, 12/12/2008 - 4:51pm
If you're going to accuse every rectangular small touch screen to an iPod touch, you need to compare all towers to Mac's from now on.
What??? No support for Ogg
Submitted by dedgar on Fri, 12/12/2008 - 3:25pm
What??? No support for Ogg Vorbis?? FLAC??
(heavy sigh)
Submitted by ryan.monroe on Fri, 12/12/2008 - 6:23pm
lossless audio is GREAT...but on a portable player?
1. if you're listening to a portable player you'll be in a public place where the better audio will be useless w/ background noise
2. most people who like music enough to appreciate lossless formats have lots of music..more than 16-32gb when in lossless format
but on the other hand..why wouldn't they just support it anyway?
Submitted by EyesSewnShut on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 2:27am
Is this article Pro Apple? Or just anti Sony? If anything the iFrog (iPod) is just a YouTube enabled Sony PSP with touchscreen. IMO Sony's PSP was better than an Apple's iPod. It also sounded better. At least up untill they came out with iPod touch because the screen is bigger and its touch. So now Sony is (hopefully) RE-RAISING the bar.
Down with iTunes!
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