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New Sony MP3 Walkman DesignSony has launched under the Walkman name its first MP3-compatible digital music players with flash memory.
The launch is Sony's latest bid to reclaim the lead in a market it has lost to Apple Computer's iPod.
Promoting the players as sleek alternatives with superior battery life to the iPod Mini, Sony is targeting music fans who would like to put a lot--but not all--of their music collection onto a pocket-sized music device.
Apple itself is rumored to be developing a music device with a removable flash memory drive to tap into a wider market.
Sony's new products, the Walkman NW-E99 and NW-E95, play songs in MP3 format as well as Sony's proprietary Atrac technology, a move that has generated cheers from Walkman aficionados who have grumbled about the lack of compatibility for years.
In announcing the MP3 strategy shift last month, Sony said it would now be able to tap a larger consumer base.
The NW-E99, which carries a suggested retail price of about $300 (240 euros), is sold with a 1GB flash memory drive while the NW-E95 holds a 512 megabyte flash drive and sells for about $255.
The MP3 Walkmans will only be available in Europe. There is no plan at the moment to sell the products in Asia or North America, a Sony Europe spokesman said.
Although they are more pricey than the iPod Mini in euro terms
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25/10/2004 | Viewed 19,983 time(s)
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