Sony's answer to the iPod Shuffle

[Reggie]

Check out the review:
http://www.siliconpopculture.com/review/109_0_2_0_M9/

[Reggie]

What Sony needs to do create an aggressive ad campaign for this device that clearly has potential -- OLED screen, FM radio, 50 hrs of battery life!

If you ask someone nowadays if they have seen an iPod poster or tv commercial, they would basically say yes. This is a challenge for Sony.

[Reggie]

Woohoo! A local Circuit City had it and I decided to get one (E-507)!

Here are side-by-side pics with the Shuffle:

http://www.suplido.com/reggie/E507/001.jpg
http://www.suplido.com/reggie/E507/002.jpg
http://www.suplido.com/reggie/E507/003.jpg
http://www.suplido.com/reggie/E507/004.jpg

[JackAxe]

Cool looking cigarette ligther, now if only Sony would kill Sonic Stage.

<]=)

[Tam Hanna]

The Sony finally has a SCREEN!!!
Finally a good UI!

[cesarcardoso]

If you ask someone nowadays if they have seen an iPod poster or tv commercial, they would basically say yes. This is a challenge for Sony.

That's the biggest hurdle for Sony, or any other entrant in the portable audio market for that matter. Apple managed (with technical merit, BTW) to dominate all the submarkets (HD-based, microdrive-based, flash-based), despite all the efforts made by Microsoft, Creative, iRiver, Rio et al. Sony has all the qualities to at least challenge Apple, and this little boy is definitely a winner... hm, except for SonicStage :p

[LanMan]

Wow, how much memory, and what's the price?

[Reggie]

Wow, how much memory, and what's the price?

1GB with FM Tuner - $199.95
1GB w/o FM Tuner - $179.95

512MB with FM Tuner - $149.95
512MB w/o FM Tuner - $129.95

[LanMan]

It looks really nice. Too bad it not a little cheaper because you can get a 4GB iPod for $200. How about a hands-on review?

[Reggie]

It looks really nice. Too bad it not a little cheaper because you can get a 4GB iPod for $200. How about a hands-on review?

Sure! Here's a mini-review:

Having used a Sony miniDisc player before, I'm used to Sonic Stage already. One thing I don't like about it is, there's no Mac support. Sonic Stage is not really hard to use. I look at it as, it's not as easy as iTunes.

It comes with 5 free songs (gift cert) at Sony Connect. The upload of the songs to the device was a bit slow since it's USB 1.1. A good thing about Sonic Stage though is, you can choose what songs to upload to your music device (Apple added this feature when the Shuffle was released).

Although just one color (light blue), the OLED screen is great. Think of an LCD screen but brighter (it makes me want to get the Sony Clie VZ90). All devices with screens should use OLED! :D

The metal controls require getting used to. It reminds me of the small dial at the side of an analog watch -- pull once and twist up or down to scroll through the songs, pull it one more time and twisting up or down scolls through the albums, push it in and it's on 'hold' and controls are protected from accidental pushes or twists.

On power saving mode, when a song is playing, after a few seconds, the screen turns off. Every after a few seconds thereafter, an animation - like four "(" - runs to show you that something is playing.

Battery life - I have no plans of testing it but the box says it will last 50 hours of continuous playing. The box also says that a 3-minute charge is good for 3-hours use (wow). Charging is done via USB through the computer by the way.

As for weight, it's slightly heavier than the Shuffle.

Speaking of the Shuffle, what the E507 lacks is the feature to double as a Flash drive. The E507 is basically a walkman only.

Purchased music are in ATRAC3 format, though it can play MP3, WMA, and WAV files if you upload them via Sonic Stage.

There is an option to adjust bass and treble. Using good earphones makes it sound really better than the Shuffle.

Earphones, USB cable, belt clip, a black pouch, and a 5 free song Sony Connect coupon are included in the box.

As for the cost, the E507 (which has 1GB) is $199 - the 1GB Shuffle is $129. Is the $70 difference worth it? Knowing that Sony included an 3-liner OLED (not just a regular LCD) screen is well worth it already. It also comes with an FM tuner and a clock. While it says at the the back that it was built in China, the build is solid. I highly recommend this device.

As I have mentioned in another reply, Sony actually released several versions of this flash based walkman. You can check them out under Flash Memory MP3 Players at SonyStlye: http://tinyurl.com/55osy

[LanMan]

Speaking of the Shuffle, what the E507 lacks is the feature to double as a Flash drive. The E507 is basically a walkman only.


Great mini-review! However, I thought that it would work as a flash drive according to SPC:

"As mentioned earlier, the device features a mini-USB port. When connected to a computer, it shows up as a USB storage device without the need for any drivers. You can drag and drop files over to the device using Windows Explorer with ease but transferring music will require the use of SonicStage 3.1 which I will cover later."

I would really like one of these, but I can't justify the bucks. :(

[Reggie]

Yes you are right, it will work, I just fond this from Sony support:
http://www.sonydigital-link.com/DNA/faq/faq.asp?l=en&m=E400_500_faq#Q3_3

Q3 : Can the Network Walkman E400/E500 be used for saving data other than the music data?

Yes, you can store a variety of data as well as the music data to the built-in flash memory using Windows Explorer. The built-in flash memory is displayed in the Windows Explorer or My Computer as an external drive (e.g. “D:”).
Note:

Please be sure not to edit OMGAUDIO folders stored in the built-in flash memory.


Also, Sony just released an MP3 File Manager program that you can install to the Flash player and use it anywhere to copy MP3 files to it. See:

http://www.sonydigital-link.com/DNA/common/asp/details.asp?l=en&v=mp3installer_2_0&m=mp3

Still no Mac support. :(

Lastly, theres a firmware update already that fixes the search and shuffle feature and adds a new Clock function:
http://www.sonydigital-link.com/DNA/common/asp/details.asp?l=en&v=frmupgrade_2_1&m=fm
http://www.sonydigital-link.com/DNA/hotnews/image002.gif

[fwt]

Hi Reggie, thanks for the mini-review and the link to the firmware upgrade! I didn't see it on the Sony eSupport website. I'll be downloading it to get the new clock.

I've had the NW-E507 (1GB with FM turner) for about a week now and I love using it. It is a beautiful, great sounding, solid, and portable player. The OLED screen is awesome to look at.

My previous MP3 players are the Intel Pocket Concert (256MB flash player) and the MP3 player on the CLIE TH55. I wanted to upgrade to a higher capacity player. I considered getting an iPod Mini but wanted a small flash-based device so I can use it when I run in the gym (and carry it around inconspicuously in the office ;).

I also considered getting the iPod Shuffle 1GB but wanted a screen to see the tracks on the player. So I ended up shelling out a few more bucks to get the Sony NW-E507 and I don't regret it. It has a beautiful display, FM tuner, bass/treble settings, a clock, and a cute screen saver. More features than the shuffle. Plus it is really small and looks great.

For me, having a screen on the player is important because I want to be able to easily navigate to the album or song that I want to listen to. Even though this is only a 1GB player, I've already filled up 800MB of it with songs from 15 CDs (MP3s ripped at 128kbps). It's nice to be able to easily find the song that I want to listen to. Most of the people whom I've shown this player to thought that having the screen is great.

I've used the NW-E507 for about a week and find that the controls on the player are very intuitive. As for transferring songs, I didn't have any real problems using Sonic Stage. I transfer my songs one album at a time so wasn't bothered by the slower speed of USB. I'm also glad that it worked out of the box and I don't have to upgrade my laptop to USB 2.0.

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. Good job Sony!

p.s. I'm considering storing my music in ATRAC or ATRAC3 so I can load even more songs on the player!

[lmame]

I got one myself ;)

[seraphim_9:11]

Woah !! thanks Reggie - I'm planning on buying the one with the FM tuner :) ..

Any suggestion of where I could get it from ? - I have a friend in Detroit who would probably buy it online ... any suggestions ??

BTW - does it have any external storage capabilities ??? ... I couldnt find any and would love to use the 1GB Mem Stick that I recently picked up :)

[JackAxe]

If you need more storage than 1 Gig, you should look into an iPod Mini. I personally haven't heard an flash device having the capibility to utilize external storage.

I would go with an iPod Mini anyways. SonicStage caused me pain, so I wouldn't wish its evil upon anyone. :)

<]=)

[seraphim_9:11]

Hey Reggie, I've been checking out some other of the same kind and the Iriver flash players are a little cheaper and they come with Mac support :) ... I am actually thinking of the Iriver IFP700 series (the 795 or the 799) .. they are offering the same things basically (though i dont think the display is OLED) ... the only thing here is that you would need to load software and drivers to move stuff to it :)

[jjesusfreak01]

NO Apple is bad with the iPods (regardless of their desktop performance). They advertise more, so people buy their devices more, but Apple is evil. It will only play iTunes protected format, and Apple has blocked all attempts for other companies to make their music work on the iPod. Not only that, but if you manage to get Real's format onto your iPod, and you sunc with iTunes, it purposely erases all non Apple protected tracks. Though Microsoft has some bad business practices, when they make a format, they standardize it and release it. They license the WMA format so anyone can pay to put it in their player, and their licensing fees are alot smaller than other formats. (I could also mention all of they praise they are receiving over their enhanced RSS designs, which are under "Creative Commons", if you know what that is)

Apple uses a proprietary encryption on top of an AAC file, while protection is built into the WMA standard, which makes it alot easier for people to use, though they cant use AAC anyway, so it doesnt matter. If you really dont like any of the players on the market now, wait for a better player with the "Play for Sure" specification.

The only reason Apple has sold more tunes is that they have more players out. They say they have the largest music collection to download, but with a protected WMA device, you have access to over 10 different collections, some with prices lower than Apple's.

I wont talk about the audio quality, there are different tests; some say WMA is better, and some say AAC. You can look up some articles on that.

Unless you really like the design, and features dont matter to you, dont get an iPod.

Thats my public service message of the day. Feel free to debate any points I have made, you cant have too much discussion, and we want everyone to make informed buying decisions.

On another note, I wouldnt go for a Sony either. Their lack of native WMA playback (even if not protected) is very dissapointing, as most mainstream players have this. Conversion is never fun. Dont go for a Sony. The hardware is great, but the compatability is baaad.

Please note, I am a Microsoft enthusiast, and I believe their products generally work better, but in this case, let the facts speak for themselves. I like the iPod design. It is very nice, but I just cant stand Apple's policies regarding not licensing anything. Their iPod scheme is probably in violation of some law, and I eagerly await the day they are sued for antitrust. PM me if you want a full explanation of my MS and Apple antitrust and monopoly beliefs.

Edit: Responding to JackAxe below, I have to agree the shuffle is better than the small Sony flash players. Though the hardware is inferior, the shuffle linked with iTunes is a better user experience than a Sony player and Sonicstage.

[Reggie]

I'm surprised that a few people have been following this thread. :)

You can use the device as a flash drive. You just need to bring along the USB cable along which is quite a hassle. On the PC, you have to install the sony driver for it to recognize the device as another drive:

http://www.sonydigital-link.com/DNA/common/asp/details.asp?l=en&v=&m=pad

On the Mac however, just plug it on a USB port and it's automatically recognized with no extra drivers. :) You can use it as a flash drive immidiately.

The problem however is, Sony sort of changes the format of the songs as you upload them in the device. If you copied mp3 files to the device and browse the flash drive, you won't see the .mp3 files physically -- just sort of files labelled for with some sort of naming convention.

I have previously mentioned that there is a Sony utility to copy mp3 files to the device directly without using Sonic Stage. This kind of utility is still not available for the Mac.

[intellidryad]

It's kinda funny with the screen.
Most MP3 players used to come with a screen, and people used to take it for granted.
But after the iPod shuffle came out, people started to say: "how nice is it to have a screen..."
Oh well, in my opinion, a player without a screen in just a "thumb drive that also plays music", and that just doesn't cut it.

I liked the E500 series, and hate the shuffle due to the lack of a screen and the plastic feel. IMHO, the shuffle is the worst product that apple as ever come up with.

[JackAxe]

The Shuffle does at it's advertized. It's not for everyone of course, but for peeps that shuffle their music and are more active it's a great option. Regardless, even if it doesn't have a screen, it is a better flash player overall because of Apple's excellence when it comes to hardware and software integration/design. There is still no other MP3 solution on the market that offers the ease of use and simplicity that Apple has designed into all of their players. Sony has great design, but their horrid software and lack of support in the past for anything but their format, and even with their format was poor. Tis why they're not on top and Apple has managed to trump them an all other players in this area.

Anyways, the Shuffle has about 60% of the flash market, so it can't be the worst product Apple's designed. It's just ugly when setting next to this new Sony. If you need a screen, and iPod min is bes the option because of my ramblings above.

<]=)

[JackAxe]

LOL JJF. Apple is EVIL!!! 5 years ago I couldn't have imagined anyone saying that about them, nor that they were the propietory format. And especially when being compared to Micrsoft which is the the text book description of EVIL propietory format. A monopolizing company that lacks all innovation and hasn't produced anything worth looking into for years. :D

WMA is the quintessential of a propietory formats. AAC is an "open" standard. Apple's DRM is propietory, but it has to be so that they can protect their business, and without a DRM Apple wouldn't be in the music business. And BTW, you don't need to use AAC, nor buy music from iTunes to use an iPod. :p So knowing that, there goes your whole EVIL theory. :D Us iPod peeps have a choice of which format we would like to use, well at least of the "better" formats, and Apple gives them all the same respect.

Oh and Apple is EVIL for surgically removing a PARASITICAL-INFESTATION like REAL (Vagrant Thiefs!!!) From illegally breaking Apple's copyrighted DRM. Now what kind of F***ed up logic is that. If someone moved into your house without your permission, I'm sure you would want them out. Well Apple had all rights to kill Reals format when it was illegally on their iPods. Apple gave fair warnning to everyone and let us know that if we bought Real's format, it probably wouldn't work with future iPod updates. Well Duh, Apple is protecting their business. Apple did all of the work, but yet Real a company that contributed absolutley nothing to Apple's success, felt that they deserved a piece of the pie.

It's simple, as already rambled about, an iPod+iTunes is the easiest and best way to listen to and manage your digital music. It works, and it doesn't get in your way. Obviously Microsoft, Dell, Creative Labs, Sony, and many other just didn't get it. They all had the same opportunities as Apple, but failed big time. And even now they're still falling way short with their offerings. look at the MS music store, it's no better than any other web page based store and is a great example why iTunes is so successful. iTunes was the first music browser that worked, it didn't rely on a standard browser, so Apple could really hone out its user design and produce something that made sense to the masses. Music was quite easy to find, listen to, and buy, something that no other service hit upon.

And if you're like me, I don't buy compressed music, I have yet to buy music from iTunes Store, but still I have all the music on my iPod that I want. Until CDs are pulled off the market, which I hope is never the case, I will always rely on that format to get my music into my iPod. And Apple doesn't care if I use AIF (The CDs native format), MP3, or AAC to name a few. But as I mentioned, I use Apple Lossless. which sounds "exactly" the same as the CD, so phewy on this whole AAC vs WMA thing we were rambling about. :)

If Apple hadn't offered the smallest "quality "digital audio play that worked great in all areas, they wouldn't be the dominate leader in this market. But thankfully they are, because all other attempts have been quite mediocre, and as we can all attest, mediocrity like Microsoft has had dominance for way tooo long.

Apple is not EVIL, they just offering great products that work as one would expect. I can't understand why that's so hard for so many to understand. :p Redundancy is fun. :)

<]=)

[jjesusfreak01]

This is going to be too much fun!
WMA is the quintessential of a propietory formats. AAC is an "open" standard. Apple's DRM is propietory, but it has to be so that they can protect their business, and without a DRM Apple wouldn't be in the music business. And BTW, you don't need to use AAC, nor buy music from iTunes to use an iPod. :p So knowing that, there goes your whole EVIL theory. :D Us iPod peeps have a choice of which format we would like to use, well at least of the "better" formats, and Apple gives them all the same respect.Evil theory still applies. It stands that iTunes songs will only play on iPods, and IMS is the only online store you can buy songs from for the iPod. (I am not going to discuss CDs, I actually like the idea of buying CDs better anyway, but thats not the point of the argument)

Oh and Apple is EVIL for surgically removing a PARASITICAL-INFESTATION like REAL (Vagrant Thiefs!!!) From illegally breaking Apple's copyrighted DRM. Now what kind of F***ed up logic is that. If someone moved into your house without your permission, I'm sure you would want them out. Well Apple had all rights to kill Reals format when it was illegally on their iPods. Apple gave fair warnning to everyone and let us know that if we bought Real's format, it probably wouldn't work with future iPod updates. Well Duh, Apple is protecting their business. Apple did all of the work, but yet Real a company that contributed absolutley nothing to Apple's success, felt that they deserved a piece of the pie.You are a class act. Parasitic? I cant believe you actually used the phrase, "on THEIR iPods". I wasnt aware that you buy iPod licenses and you dont actually own the device. It is YOUR handheld, and you can put whatever music on it you want. They are probably committing a felony by deleting data on a computer without your consent. They are a VIRUS!!! I can only remind you that Apple purposely locks them out of your handheld. How would you feel if Microsoft deleted all of the Office software off of your computer with the exception of MSOffice. Real does get to deserve a piece of MS' pie though. Apple has no right to do half of the stuff they do. If it was actually illegal for Real to do what they are doing, Apple would sue to make them stop, but they cant, because it isnt illegal.

It's simple, as already rambled about, an iPod+iTunes is the easiest and best way to listen to and manage your digital music. It works, and it doesn't get in your way. Obviously Microsoft, Dell, Creative Labs, Sony, and many other just didn't get it. They all had the same opportunities as Apple, but failed big time. And even now they're still falling way short with their offerings. look at the MS music store, it's no better than any other web page based store and is a great example why iTunes is so successful. iTunes was the first music browser that worked, it didn't rely on a standard browser, so Apple could really hone out its user design and produce something that made sense to the masses. Music was quite easy to find, listen to, and buy, something that no other service hit upon.But now we have WMP10. It allows you to visit many music stores from one interface. It can work without drivers with a number of devices, and with installed drivers can work with just about everything else.

As you know, other music stores could have a better online interface. Take a look at GMails interface. It includes elements that you dont see in a normal web interface, but can be done with Java.

And if you're like me, I don't buy compressed music, I have yet to buy music from iTunes Store, but still I have all the music on my iPod that I want. Until CDs are pulled off the market, which I hope is never the case, I will always rely on that format to get my music into my iPod. And Apple doesn't care if I use AIF (The CDs native format), MP3, or AAC to name a few. But as I mentioned, I use Apple Lossless. which sounds "exactly" the same as the CD, so phewy on this whole AAC vs WMA thing we were rambling about. :)I dont buy compressed audio either, but if I did, it would be WMA.

If Apple hadn't offered the smallest "quality "digital audio play that worked great in all areas, they wouldn't be the dominate leader in this market. But thankfully they are, because all other attempts have been quite mediocre, and as we can all attest, mediocrity like Microsoft has had dominance for way tooo long.That seriously depends on which review you trust.

[JackAxe]

This is going to be too much fun!
Fun is subjective. :p


Evil theory still applies. It stands that iTunes songs will only play on iPods, and IMS is the only online store you can buy songs from for the iPod. (I am not going to discuss CDs, I actually like the idea of buying CDs better anyway, but thats not the point of the argument)

Yes this is true, but as an iPod owner, it is "not" my only choice. I can buy WMA, (Yes even WMA. As metioned iTunes will convert it to an iPod friendly format.) or MP3s from other sites and put them on my iPod. I'm not restricted to just iTunes. So you are completey wrong in your assumptions. And yes, I have access to best on-line music store <period> and this isn't just my opinion, and this is a good thing, not matter how you try to skew it. If Apple's iTunes were even close to as "bad" as the alternatives, then Apple would not be the market leader, nor would they deserve it. But no matter how much you deny it, Apple offers by far the best product for digital audio, and they earned it. Microsoft had the same optertunities as Apple, as did all other coporate EVIL conglomerates, so the fact that Apple out of all companies is on top, only attests to their quality and understanding of what users want.


You are a class act. Parasitic? I cant believe you actually used the phrase, "on THEIR iPods". I wasnt aware that you buy iPod licenses and you dont actually own the device. It is YOUR handheld, and you can put whatever music on it you want. They are probably committing a felony by deleting data on a computer without your consent. They are a VIRUS!!! I can only remind you that Apple purposely locks them out of your handheld. How would you feel if Microsoft deleted all of the Office software off of your computer with the exception of MSOffice. Real does get to deserve a piece of MS' pie though. Apple has no right to do half of the stuff they do. If it was actually illegal for Real to do what they are doing, Apple would sue to make them stop, but they cant, because it isnt illegal.


I did say "their," my bad. :) But anyways,what Real did was illegal. They illegally hacked Apple's copyrighted DRM. When one buys an iPod, its options are clearly listed and Real's format is not one of them. Can a Dell Jukebox play Real format? NO. So if someone buys an iPod, or Dell just to play RA, then they would be an an idiot.

Apple has to protect the artists with its DRM. The law is on their side. MS has a DRM, and do you honestly think they would sit idle if another company hacked it like Real? Once again, NO. Without a secure DRM, or legal ways to defend it, on-line music really wouldn't be possible. Some measures have to be put in place to protect the intellectual property of the artists and publishers, and as of now DRM is that way. So no it was not all right for Real to hack it, and if I chose to buy the hacked RA format for my iPod, I would also be breaking the law.

I can see your analogy of Office if it applied to the "Doc" files. But unless MS puts some type of encryption on their doc files, then the format is open like an MP3.

Once again, Apple clearly states what formats their iPods can play and REAL is not one of them.



But now we have WMP10. It allows you to visit many music stores from one interface. It can work without drivers with a number of devices, and with installed drivers can work with just about everything else.


And as already mentioned, I could also use this inferior service to buy music for my iPod. :D But it is only an amateur on-line store compared to the elegance that is iTunes, so I would rather use a better service with more choices if I were to buy compressed music, and that service is iTunes music store. I've even used it to browse for new music, and then have gone down to buy the CD. :)


As you know, other music stores could have a better online interface. Take a look at GMails interface. It includes elements that you dont see in a normal web interface, but can be done with Java.
I dont buy compressed audio either, but if I did, it would be WMA.
That seriously depends on which review you trust.

I haven't seen G-Mail, but I'll take your word. I just want a good interface, and if a competing service can match the quality that Apple has instilled in its products, then more power to them, and may they gain a good market share. Competition is good. :) I just want choices, and Apple believe it or not offers me plenty.

<]=)

[Qboygam]

Hi All, I'm a dummy when it comes to computer stuff. All I"m looking for is an easy to use device to transfer music from my regular CDs into it so I can listen to while working out at the gym. I like the more affordable, slim, plastic design of the Ipod shuffle and yet preferred the display and the FM turner of the E507. So, which one should I choose?

Also, is it possible to have wireless earphone to go with these guys?

Thanks in advance for all advises.

Dummy

[dragonsgames]

It stands that iTunes songs will only play on iPods

I run my iTunes songs through JHymn and they play on my Clie.

[Reggie]

Hi All, I'm a dummy when it comes to computer stuff. All I"m looking for is an easy to use device to transfer music from my regular CDs into it so I can listen to while working out at the gym. I like the more affordable, slim, plastic design of the Ipod shuffle and yet preferred the display and the FM turner of the E507. So, which one should I choose?

Both will do what you want. If you workout several times in a week, you can get the E507 whose battery will charge probably the whole week without recharging. In some gyms, TV's are broadcasted in specific FM stations so the E507 is a good choice.

Also, is it possible to have wireless earphone to go with these guys?

Hmm, not really, unless you have your MP3 player plugged on to a wireless headphone broadcaster somewhere in the gym (since you need a power outlet) and you are wearing the bulky wireless headphone. :D

[blkcbbra96]

Its been my experiance that devices such as this with FM tuners have terrible tuners. What is the quality of the FM tuner where you guys live?

[zackepceo]

I'm not reading all of the replies to this thread, I just want to say this:
Any 'answer to the iPod Shuffle' is a failed attempt at the start. Apple is first and foremost a marketing company, and iPod is nearly synonymous with MP3 player as it is. Apple could release the iPod 3.5 with the amazing floppy disk drive slot for infinite shuffling of very small AAC files and people would flock to buy it.
My point is that you can't compete with a product that is locked into its own market just because of the brand. It's like selling imitation Rolex watches. I know that's not a perfect example, but a $40 Timex does more than a $300 Rolex, and people just do not aspire to own Timexes.

[dragonsgames]

Sorry, but you are wrong, there. People buy iPods becuase of the ease of use. Buy, drag, drop. It is so easy. Other players just don't have that.

[zackepceo]

Sorry, but you are wrong, there. People buy iPods becuase of the ease of use. Buy, drag, drop. It is so easy. Other players just don't have that.
No, I'm absolutely correct. Just because Apple is the second biggest brand in the world doesn't mean that their products are without merit. I am a, well, rather vocal Mac and iPod owner, and I use them because they are the best for the things I do. The fact is that Apple far outweighs Sony as far as the mindshare of a possible consumer goes. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple launched an "Accept no imitations" campaign, as well.

[dragonsgames]

If Sony had better software, they would sell better. SonicStage is why Sony always failed, and iTunes is why Apple did so well. Buy a song, drag, and drop.

[zackepceo]

iTunes is definately a very majour part of the iPod's success. It is interesting that everyone else is still trying to follow Apple.. Sony's new software is easily mistaken for iTunes at first and even second glance. Unfortunately for Sony, Apple has many a design patent for iTunes' UI, so Sony's usable software might not get too far.