Sony Network Walkman NW-HD3
2005-02-04 17:21:58
Sony's relatively new NW-HD3 MP3 Player. (And it plays real MP3, instead of "converts to our proprietary format while you wai MP3", which had been the case with all of Sony's previous "MP3" players.) Sony kindly calls it a "Network Walkman" but don't let those words invoke in you dreams of sugarplum IP fairies, streaming audio from one device to another, with rainbow wireless interfaces and candy packets of audio sharing. No, the NW wraps your MP3s so that effectively once they check in to your device, they don't check out. Still, sans file-conversion, the transfer process isn't quite as awful as their earlier players. And it comes in pretty (and familiar) colors. Battery life is apparently quite stellar, and its small stature but high capacity has them swooning. VERDICTWe suspect that the addition of MP3 is more to do with marketing and being able to sell this device in China where MP3 is king than any serious desire to make this a truly compatible device. Nevertheless, the NW-HD3 is both nicer and better than its predecessor. Its focus remains on being a cool music player, whereas other hard drive based players are increasingly display (but aren’t able to take) pictures and videos, which can be a distraction from the original reason you bought them. If you like gadgets designed to do one thing very well, then Sony's NW-HD3 is well worth considering.