Sony has issued a direct challenge to the iPod by introducing a flash-based MP3 player that is quite aptly called the Walkman Bean. The latest additions to the NW-E300 series are these kidney-shaped devices that are available in 512MB and 1GB memory capacities.
The Walkman Bean is attractively packaged in Licorice Black, Cotton Candy Pink, Coconut White, and Tropical Ice Blue finish. The Bean has the ability to play both MP3 and Atrac music files. It also supports WMA and WAV formats. An in-built FM tuner is also a part of the package. A new addition to the Bean that will be quite welcome among the young consumers is the OLED (organic light emitting diode) display that details the track being played.
Gregory Kukolj, general manager for Sony Personal Audio Europe was enthusiastic about the impact of this new product, “Walkman Bean is sure to be the most instantly appealing digital music player on the market. Walkman Bean combines striking design with optimum functionality and is fun, engaging and simple to use. All that, combined with an attractive price point, will make Walkman Bean irresistible to the consumer,” he said.
A pop-out USB port allows the user to download favorite tracks as well. The main attraction of the Bean is its amazing 50 hours of battery life. In comparison the iPod Shuffle only has a 12-15 hour battery life. The Walkman Bean is to hit the markets on September 30 and will cost £99 and £79 for the 1GB and the 512MB models respectively The company has begun taking preorders form Thursday onwards.
Posted
on : Fri, 19 Aug 2005 20:05 GMT | General News
By : Chris Rowe
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