TV with DVR & Internet: $89.90/moNew E- and S-Series Walkmans pop up at CNET
Apparently, Disney does not have a problem with this.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)Yes, it's true: I've managed to get my grubby little mitts on Sony's new E- and S-Series Walkman MP3 players. How, you ask? I will never share my secrets...NEVER! OK, dramatics aside, it has been an exciting end of the week here at CNET, and one of many reasons for that will become apparent to you next week, so make sure you keep an eye on MP3 Insider.
In the meantime, I have a little something to titillate you: hands-on photos of the new Walkmans (Walkmen?). Also, a bit of information for you. You've probably already heard that the E- and S-Series are dramatically cheaper than Sony's previous models--with the E-Series coming in at $80 for 8GB and $100 for 16GB, and the S-Series offering an 8GB model for $110 and a 16GB for $130--but you may not know where exactly the company cut corners. Well, I'm truly sorry to say that you won't find integrated noise-canceling capability, upgraded headphones, SensMe Channels, or Rhapsody DNA in either of these players. (And--yes--this lazy Walkman convert is extremely letdown by those last two.)
But, hey, these devices offer rock-bottom pricing for plenty of other features, so one mustn't be too strict. I do look forward to putting them through their paces and see how the sound quality and battery life have fared in the face of the price cut. Until then, ogle away.
For more than five years, Jasmine France has covered a variety of tech products for CNET--from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices--but she's happiest where she is now: sitting atop a pile of MP3 players, "testing" every music service known to man, and jamming a variety of earbuds in every shape and color into her absurdly small ears. E-mail Jasmine.
Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
looks like they could be sporting a speaker or two.
At first I found the Disney-esque design somewhat jarring, but I got used to it, already. They're beautiful players, finish seems to be high quality. The screen also seem to be sharp and colorful. Great to see Sony's attention to detail, too, like the tiny spot on the play button, to proveide tactile feedback when you're handling the player in your pocket. Love these things.
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by make_or_break
September 1, 2009 7:12 AM PDT
- BUBBLES...why did it have to be bubbles? (said in my best mock Harrison Ford / Indiana Jones imitation)
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by Jasmineflower
September 1, 2009 9:40 AM PDT
- I'm so with you on the lack of on-the-fly playlist creation. That's one of a few features that I miss severely since switching from a Zen to a Walkman. It's a travesty, I say!
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(12 Comments)Betcha a not-so-pretty-penny that either device STILL doesn't allow the user to build on-the-fly playlists. How they could sell the X-series at its hefty price point with a straight face and still allow this is beyond comprehension.