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Sony Walkman shows its true colors

Steve Conaway Labs Manager / Senior Technical Project Manager
I am the Labs Manager for CNET's Home Division based in Louisville, KY. My interest in technology began in the early '90s, and soon after I began my double major in computer science and computer engineering. I've worked in many areas, including computer hardware, software, technology, networking, graphic design, instruction, construction, music and even ballroom dancing! 65% Ron Swanson, 25% Ben Wyatt, 10% Andy Dwyer.
Expertise I've been an outdoor enthusiast my entire life. I also renovate, flip and build houses in my 'spare' time. Paired with our test lab facilities, I write about lots of outdoor related things - portable power stations, tools, etc.
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Steve Conaway
2 min read

On July 4th, fireworks provide booming sounds and vivid colors. Sony's new MP3 Walkmans provide the same such "oooohs" and "aaaahs" with their colors and sounds, eliciting a Pavlovian response from the true technophile.

The new Walkmans (click for PDF) are available in pink, blue, silver, violet, black and lime green polycarbonate cases. They leverage built-in flash memory, coming in 512MB, 1GB and 2GB models. The storage space is enough to store the equivalent of 90 CDs at 48kbps on the 2GB model. The 1GB model can store 45 CDs at the same compression rate, while the 512MB player can store 22 CDs.

Walkmans
Credit: Sony

New MP3 players are putting the Energizer Bunny to shame by lasting longer than ever. The Mobiblu B513 MP3 player lasts for 153 hours. The new Sony Walkman is almost comparable, playing ATRAC3 format music for up to 28 hours on a single charge, or MP3 music for up to 27 hours. Sony claims that the quick-charge feature makes its MP3 players among the fastest-recharging on the market. A single three-minute recharge invigorates the new MP3 player with three hours of battery life, assuming the player is serving ATRAC music at 132kbps in Super power mode under continuous playback. The player also supports non DRM WMA files.

Each player comes with the latest SonicStage 3.4 software. The 1GB and 512MB players have a built-in FM tuner. Features include a five-band equalizer, an organic LED and a USB connection. Additional accessories are available, such as neck strap headphones, protective case and armband case. The player is about 3.1 inches long and weighs just less than an ounce. The Walkman will be available across Europe--and ultimately on eBay--by the end of April. There is no word yet on pricing. However, the comparable Walkman Core 512 MB and 1 GB players have MSRPs of $99.95 and $129.95, respectively.