A familiar face

The front panel of the Sony Walkman NWZ-X1051 looks Apple-esque, with a touch-screen (1) and a single button (2).

Sony has done a nice job emulating Apple's superclean look, but it also kept some of the classic controls that are shared with other Sony products. The Walkman fits in your hand nicely, and it's very rigid and robust. It's built around a metal chassis, which provides both the edges you touch as a consumer, as well as a basic structure for the assembly of the device.

The X Series Walkman has a nice stiffness, and that's important, because when you hold a handheld product, you tend to play with it. It needs to feel good. You don't want it to creak if you squeeze it, so that's something product designers always try to avoid. The metal outside ring also creates a nice edge, so you can always feel where you are with your fingers. The ring helps you orient the product, even without having to look at it.

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