In response to the rapid growth in the mp3 market, Sony Entertainment in Japan is discontinuing its copy-protection on CDs and focusing its strategy on the sale of online music to keep up with competitors most notably Apple. Sony is also set to release a rival player to the iPod, which is smaller and is capable of storing up to 3000 more songs than the largest Apple model. Sony is now hitting back, with the launch this month in Australia of the Network Walkman MP3 player, according to the Courier Mail. The new Sony Network Walkman NW-HD1 will be released in Australia in February 2005 and is lighter, smaller, more capacious than, and available with superior battery life to Apple’s iPod.
In keeping with Sony’s long-held reputation has a provider of quality music players, Sony Vice President, Todd Schrader claimed that “we are introducing a hard drive player and a flash media-based device with the kind of durability and long battery life that people have come to expect from a Walkman product.� (Schrader in Sony Press Release) The Walkman will be compatible with most computer operating systems and is designed to work in conjunction with Sony Connect. Initially, users will have to convert mp3 and wav files into the new format used on the Network Walkman through a Jukebox program.
File-Sharing Technology and Digital Creative Content
Chris Paine 11:04, 10 Sep 2004 (EST)
