Walkman
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2008-07-15T10:04:51Z
Morio
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:''This article is about the Walkman brand. For information about the generic item, see [[Personal stereo]].''
[[Image:Sony Walkman.svg|thumb|right|Sony Walkman Official Logo (2000 — present)]]
[[Image:SonyWalkmanFamily.JPG|thumb|right|Various products of the Walkman line]]
[[Image:Sony-walkman-srfs84s 0001.JPG|thumb|right|Sony Walkman SRF-S84 transistor radio (released 2001), without [[Headphones|earbuds]]]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Walkman family.JPG|thumb|right|Latest Walkman Video Player, A820 and S710 series ]] -->
'''Walkman''' is a popular [[Sony]] [[brand]] used to market its portable [[audio]] and [[video]] players. The original Walkman introduced a change in [[music]] listening habits, allowing people to carry their own choice of music with them.
The original Walkman was marketed in the 80s as the Walkman in Japan, the Soundabout in many other countries including the US, Freestyle in Sweden and the Stowaway in the UK. <ref> [http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=678&a=728109]</ref> The device was created by audio division engineer [[Nobutoshi Kihara]] for Sony co-chairman [[Akio Morita|Morita]], who wanted to be able to listen to operas during his frequent transpacific plane trips.<ref name="lem">{{cite web | last =Hormby | first =Thomas | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =The Story Behind the Sony Walkman | work = | publisher =[[Low End Mac]] | date =[[2006-09-15]] | url =http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/0915.html | format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-03-04 }}</ref> Morita hated the name "Walkman" and asked it to be changed, but relented after being told by junior
executives that a promotion campaign had already begun using the 'Walkman' name and would be too expensive to change.<ref name="lem"/>
However, the first portable personal stereo audio cassette player, called [[Stereobelt]], had been invented earlier by the [[Germans|German]]-[[Brazilian people|Brazilian]] [[Andreas Pavel]] in 1972,<ref name="Andreas Pavel"/> and patented in the U.S. in 1978.<ref>{{US patent|4412106}}: "High fidelity stereophonic reproduction system"</ref> After lengthy legal battles, Andreas Pavel was finally recognized by Sony in 2003 as the original inventor of the Walkman.<ref name="Andreas Pavel"/>
The names "Walkman", "[[Pressman]]", "[[Watchman (Sony)|Watchman]]", "[[NT (cassette)|Scoopman]]", "[[Discman]]", and "[[Talkman]]" are [[trademark]]s of Sony, and have been applied to a wide range of portable entertainment devices manufactured by the company. Sony continues to use the "Walkman" brand name for most of their portable audio devices, after the "Discman" name for CD players was dropped in the late 1990s. According to Sony, the plural form is "Walkman Personal Stereos", rather than "Walkmans" or "Walkmen" (presumably to preserve their trademark on "Walkman").<ref>[http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLJ,GGLJ:2006-32,GGLJ:en&q=site%3asony%2ecom+%22walkman+personal+stereos%22 Sony Web site] – Google search results for "Walkman Personal Stereos"</ref>
In March 2007, Sony extended the Video Walkman brand by launching its first digital, flash-based video Walkman, the [[Walkman A810|NW-A800/810]] series, where A stands for "All in one", "Advanced", and "Attractive". <ref>{{cite web | last =Miller | first =Paul | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Sony's NW-A800 Series Outed | work = | publisher =[[Engadget]] | date =[[2007-02-16]] | url =http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/16/sonys-nw-a800-series-outed/ | format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-03-04 }}</ref>
==History and design==
===Cassette-based Walkman===
[[Image:WalkmanTPS-L2.jpg|thumb|right|Walkman TPS-L2 (1979)]]
The original blue-and-silver Walkman model TPS-L2 went on sale in [[Japan]] on [[July 1]], [[1979]]. In the [[United Kingdom|UK]], it came with stereo playback and two mini headphone jacks, permitting two people to listen at the same time (though it came with only one pair of MDR-1 headphones). Where the Pressman had the recording button, the Walkman had a "[[hotline]]" button which activated a small built-in microphone (the Pressman), partially overriding the sound from the cassette, and allowing one user to talk to the other over the music. The dual jacks and "hotline" button were phased out in the follow-up Walkman II model.
[[Image:SONY WM-D6C.jpg|thumb|right|Walkman WM-D6C Pro (1995)]]
Some devices were also capable of recording. The highest quality Sony Walkman recording cassette deck was the Walkman Professional WM-D6C. It was introduced in 1984, and was comparable in audio quality with many of the best non-portable cassette decks. Unusual for a portable device, the Walkman Professional had bright LED recording level meters and manual control of recording levels. It was equipped with quartz direct drive capstan, and amorphous head. Powered by local AC mains or by 4 [[AA battery|AA batteries]] (compared with 2 for most Walkman models), it was widely used by [[journalist]]s and developed a following among [[high fidelity|hi-fi]] enthusiasts; unusual for a consumer-electronics product, it was in production, unchanged, for almost 20 years. One of [[Henry Rollins]]' early [[spoken word]] [[CD]]s was recorded with a Walkman Pro.
Amid fierce competition, primarily from Toshiba (the Walky), Aiwa (the CassetteBoy) and Panasonic, by the late 80s, Sony upped the ante once again by creating the playback-only WM-DD9, launched in 1989 during the 10th anniversary of the Walkman (five years after the WM-D6C) and became the holy grail for a niche group of cassette Walkman collectors. It is the only auto-reverse Walkman in history to use a two motor, quartz locked, disc drive system similar to high-end home cassette decks to ensure accurate tape speed for both sides of playback (only one motor operates at a time depending on the side of the tape being played). Power consumption was improved by requiring only either one AA battery or one gumstick-type rechargeable, with optional AC adaptor input. It is also equipped with a tight gap amorphous tape head capable of reproducing the full 20–20,000 Hz frequency range, a gold plated headphone jack, and a 2 mm thick aluminum body. Sony made this model with only sound quality in mind, therefore it contains no gimmick features such as in-line remote control, music search, or LCD readout. Its only features are Dolby B/C noise reduction decoding, Mega Bass/DBB bass boost, tape type select, and two auto reverse modes.
[[Image:Walkman WM-EX170.jpg|thumb|right|Walkman WM-EX170 (1998)]]
By the late 1990s, the cassette-based Walkman was generally passed over in favor of the emerging digital technologies of [[compact disc|CD]], [[Digital Audio Tape|DAT]] and [[MiniDisc]]. After 2000, cassette-based Walkman products (and their clones) were approaching technological obsolescence as the cassette format was gradually phased out. However, Sony still continues to make cassette-based Walkman personal stereos today.
Every five years since the Walkman personal stereo was born in 1979 until 1999, Sony would celebrate by coming out with an anniversary cassette model on July 1st with unprecedented breakthroughs in technology and features. Each anniversary model carries a different theme while retaining some characteristics of previous anniversary models: WM-701S (user friendliness theme with remote control and slim sterling silver plated body — 1989), WM-EX1HG (efficiency theme with long battery life and pop-up eject — 1994), WM-WE01 (wireless theme with cordless remote control and cordless earphones — 1999). However, cassette Walkman innovation would come to an end as during its 25th Anniversary, Sony chose to not introduce another limited run cassette model but instead, brought out the hard disk based NW-HD1 in 2004 to officially augur the death of the compact cassette. (Sony did release two anniversary models in 2003, but they were MiniDisc players — see below.) The last play-only cassette Walkman to be introduced (in North America, at least) was the WM-FX290, first sold in 2002, which also featured digital tuning, AM, FM, TV and weather band radio, operating on a single AA battery. In Canada, at least (where, like all portable radios distributed in that country, the WM-FX290 lacked access to TV and weather bands) this device appears to have ceased production as of May, 2006. In August 2006, Sony Canada began selling cassette Walkmans again, but this time they were only offering a basic model, the WM-FX197.
In spite of the decline of the cassette-based Walkmans, logically operated deluxe models (WM-GX788 etc.) are still sold in a very few countries, especially in South Korea and Japan. These models still support a so-called gumstick-type rechargeable battery, offer relatively better sound quality than cheaper models do, and have an automatic tape position selector and auto-reverse function.
==== Balram Shotam ====
However, the original patent for a personal stereo was registered by Balram Shotam (Baal). The patent was filed in the UK in 1974. Baal had a prototype built in 1972 while he was in the record industry as President of Baal Records distributing ABC and AVCO (Stylistics) records. The patent no. in the UK is #2064326. This was the first wearable electronic entertainment device ever patented and a copy of the patent was sent to Akio Moriata of Sony including copies to Matsushita in Japan in 1976. The patent was for a transportable cassette player which did not allow recording and was solely connected to headphones.
==== Stereobelt ====
A portable personal stereo audio cassette player, called [[Stereobelt]], was first invented by the German-Brazilian [[Andreas Pavel]] in 1972. Pavel filed a patent for his Stereobelt in [[Italy]] in 1977, followed by patent applications in the [[U.S.]], [[Germany]], the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Japan]] by the end of 1978.<ref name="Andreas Pavel">[http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/16/news/profile.php ''International Herald Tribune'': Portable] stereo's creator got his due, eventually]</ref>
In 1979, Sony began selling the popular Walkman, and in 1980 started legal talks with Pavel regarding a royalty fee. In 1986 Sony finally agreed to pay royalties to Pavel, but only for sales in Germany, and only for a few models, and refused to acknowledge him as the inventor of the device.<ref name="Andreas Pavel"/>
In 2001, Pavel threatened Sony with legal suits in every country in which he had patented his invention. The corporation agreed to resume talks with Pavel and a settlement was finally reached in 2003. The exact settlement fee is a closely guarded secret but European press accounts said that Pavel received a cash settlement for damages in excess of $10,000,000 and is now also receiving royalties on some Walkman sales. The settlement also includes a clause which will prevent Pavel from bringing future law suits.<ref name="Andreas Pavel"/>
The settlement grants Pavel the recognition from Sony that he was the original inventor of the Walkman<ref name="Andreas Pavel"/>; this apparently could only be achieved after the death of [[Akio Morita]], the founder of Sony and previously recognised creator of the [[personal stereo]].
However, because of Sony's strong publicity, the word [[Walkman]] is now part of pop culture, and its more used than the generic [[Personal stereo]] or the relatively unknown [[Stereobelt]].
===CD Walkman (Discman)===
The first CD based Walkman was initially launched in 1984 — the D-50 (D-5 in some markets). It was officially called the '[[Discman]]', and this name has since been used informally to refer to such players. In recent years, Sony has dropped the Discman name and markets all its personal stereos under the Walkman brand.
Later Discman models featured ESP (Electronic Skip Protection), which pre-read the music from the CD into on-board memory and formed a type of buffer to prevent the CD skipping when the player was moved. The technology was since renamed 'G-Protection' and features a larger memory area, providing additional protection against skipping.
For years, the Discman and MD Walkman were successes in the marketplace. However, newer technologies, such as [[flash memory]] and [[hard drive]]-based digital audio players have caused the CD- and MD-based Walkman to lose popularity.
Sony still makes CD Walkmans — the newer models are capable of playing [[ATRAC3]], [[ATRAC3plus]], and MP3 CDs, and have become progressively thinner and more compact with each revision.
==MiniDisc Walkman==
[[Image:MDWalkman.jpg|thumb|right|MD Walkman]]
Initially the [[MiniDisc]] was comparable to a miniaturised CD, capable of storing up to 74 minutes of near CD-quality audio on a disc roughly two-thirds the size of a CD. Today MiniDiscs can hold music as well as data files, with the ability to record and reproduce audio in CD-quality (without [[ATRAC]] lossy compression).
MiniDiscs come in a plastic caddy protecting the disc's surface from dust and scratches. MiniDisc Walkmans are able to play and record MiniDiscs from digital and analogue sources, such as live audio from their microphone inputs. The first unit on the market, the MZ-1 was relatively large and unpocketable, but following model, MZ-R2, and subsequent MD Walkmans are quite compact, with today's MiniDisc Walkmans not much larger than the discs themselves.
Gradual improvements were made to MiniDisc Walkmans through the years. The addition of MDLP (MiniDisc LongPlay) codec allowed up to 4 times the amount of music to be stored on one MiniDisc, at the sacrifice of some sound quality. NetMD followed. In 2004, Hi-MD was introduced, enabling computer files as well as CD-quality audio to be recorded on the discs for the first time. By 2005, Sony had relaxed the restrictions in its [[SonicStage]] software to allow unrestricted digital transfers to and from Hi-MD and the computer.
=====NetMD=====
Sony expanded MiniDisc's possibilities with the introduction of NetMD (NetworkMD). These allowed the use of a PC to convert music from CDs or MP3s into [[ATRAC3]] format, and use a USB cable to transfer the music to the MiniDisc at a much faster rate than was possible when using a line-in cable.
The MZ-N10 was released in 2002. It was Sony's '10th Anniversary' product, released 10 years after the introduction of the MiniDisc format in 1992. The case was made from a magnesium alloy, and the unit featured a built-in [[lithium-ion battery]] which provided 24 hours of battery life. The MZ-N10 allowed music to be transferred from a PC at up to 64 times actual playback speed, not including the time required for audio re-encoding. It was also the first MD Walkman to incorporate the [[ATRAC]] DSP TYPE S codec, and is today (2006) the lightest recording MD Walkman ever produced. The accompanying 10th anniversary playback-only MiniDisc Walkman, the MZ-E10, was released. It is the lightest MD Walkman ever produced, weighing 55 g (including built-in rechargeable battery) with a thickness of 9.9 mm.
=====Hi-MD=====
In 2004, Sony introduced the [[MiniDisc#Hi-MD|Hi-MD]] format. Hi-MD Walkmans use 1 GB Hi-MD discs in the same form-factor as regular MiniDiscs, and allow 1 GB of files and/or audio to be stored per disc. They also accept regular MiniDiscs, which can be initialized in Hi-MD mode for 305 MB capacity per disc (with the added ability to store audio and data, like Hi-MD discs).
Unlike NetMD, Hi-MD Walkmans allow two-way digital transfers to and from PCs virtually unrestricted. Hi-MD also allows the option to record and transfer audio in lossless linear PCM on standard MiniDiscs and Hi-MD discs. This offers sound quality equal to CD (as opposed to lossy ATRAC codecs used on standard MiniDisc/ NetMD).
Hi-MD Walkmans introduced from 2005 onwards allow direct playback of MP3s without the need to transcode the MP3s to ATRAC format. However, [[SonicStage]] is required for transfer and encryption onto the disc itself. Playable audio cannot be transferred to the devices without SonicStage.
==Network Walkman==
Initially the 'Network' Walkman was a series of digital music players that used flash memory to hold their data. The players used Sony's proprietary ATRAC format, and were available in a number of capacities, up to 1 GB. The first of these Walkmans was the NW-MS70D which had a capacity of 256 MB. At the time of its release (2003) it was boasted as the smallest MP3 player on the market. After the runaway success of [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer's]] hard-drive based [[iPod]], Sony lost much of the portable digital audio market to the iPod and similar devices from other companies.
Sony's first attempt at equalling the iPod's success was the NW-HD1, which was smaller and was advertised as having better sound quality than the iPod at the time. However, the unit would only play Sony's proprietary format, [[ATRAC3]] — whereas other players on the market would play the much more widely used MP3 format without having to be converted to ATRAC3. The PC conversion software, [[SonicStage]], was also buggy, and the player's control system was not as user-friendly as it could have been. The NW-HD1 did not sell as well as Sony had hoped. Its successors, the NW-HD3 and NW-HD5 have also failed to make a major dent in the iPod's sales.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:NW-MS70D.jpg|thumb|right|Sony Network Walkman player, NW-MS70D]] -->
===NW-MS70D===
The NW-MS70D was released towards the end of 2003 as Sony's first hit at the MP3 player industry. They had unfortunately released this at the same time as Apple released the iPod. NW-MS70D had 256 MB of built-in flash memory. It could also be expanded by its Memory Stick Duo port. But at the time, the Memory Stick Pro Duo had not been released yet. So therefore the NW-MS70D could only yield 384 MB at any one time. The other downside to it was that it was incredibly expensive, costing as much as a 15 GB iPod. It also used a very buggy software, Sonicstage, and only played Atrac3, Atrac3plus and WAV files. However, it was the smallest digital audio player at that time. It was also solidly built with a magnesium alloy shell. It boasted a 44 hour battery life. Despite a heavy marketing campaign, its sales were limited.
===NW-MS90D===
The replacement model, the NW-MS90D, used the same software, and yielded a maximum of 640 MB at any one time, but was also extremely expensive. The most eminent change was the 512 MB inbuilt memory and its new black shell. Due to its price and limited capacity, it was still largely ignored by the general public.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image: NW-HD3.jpg|thumb|right|Sony Network Walkman player, NW-HD3]] -->
===NW-HD3===
The successor to the hard disk-based NW-HD1, the NW-HD3 was a very similar design — however, despite the fact that the unit would play MP3s natively, the PC software was still buggy, and the unit was therefore equally poorly received.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image: NW-HD5.jpg|thumb|right|Sony Network Walkman player, NW-HD5]] -->
===NW-HD5===
Sony's next model, the NW-HD5, was an updated design from the HD1 / HD3, and boasted a simpler control system, a user-removable lithium-ion battery, better file format compatibility, a unique "Follow Turn Display" that would automatically align itself based on how the player was held on startup, and updated software. A main feature was its advertised running time of 40 hours, when using low-quality format settings, i.e., 48 kbit/s ATRAC3 files, and no player-based audio enhancements (although the player does include these). Playback of 128 kbit/s mp3s was rated at 30 hours. The player was available in black, silver and red and was not sold in the Canadian market.
Unfortunately, the NW-HD5 was shipped with a cosmetic design flaw which meant that the buttons developed small visible cracks under their plastic coating. Although this did not affect functionality, many customers complained. Sony United Kingdom Limited allowed owners to send the units back to be re-fitted with slightly more raised, un-cracking buttons. Perhaps because of this problem, the NW-HD5 was on the market for a very short time before being pulled in preparation for the next model.
In January of 2006, the NW-HD5 became unavailable as a normal purchase from retail electronics stores and was relegated to online auction sites and used-electronics warehouses as a consumer item. Eventually the whole of the Network Walkman line would be discontinued for Sony's new solution.
A number of new flash memory based players were recently made available, including the Walkman Core, The Walkman Circa, and the Walkman Bean. All of these lines have [[Organic light-emitting diode|OLED]] screens as well as long battery lives (70 hours on a standard AAA battery for the Circa).
==Walkman MP3 player==
===Overview===
[[Image:NW-S700.jpg|thumb|right| NW S700 series with Noise Cancellation technology]]
The Sony "NW-S700" series is flash-based Network Walkman with built-in [[Active noise control]] technology. It blocks surrounding noise with integrating mic in its EX-earphone. This player is one of only a few other DAPs that have a noise cancellation feature at this size. The earphone has a proprietary design specifically made for this player, thus making it impossible to plug-in to other DAPs, even the ones that come from Sony.
This Walkman has a small OLED screen capable displaying album art and some text information about the song and the player features. The S700 comes in 1 GB(NW-S703), 2 GB(NW-S705), and 4 GB(NW-S706) capacities; some countries sell the 2 GB and 1 GB models only. Selected models are also equipped with a Stereo FM Tuner.
The Sony '''NW-A800''' series is a video-enabled Network Walkman player [http://www.walkmanvideomp3.com/]. It is available in 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8 GB capacities. The interface is similar to that of a mobile phone. The screen is a 2.0 inch QVGA (240x320) colour LCD and can be used either horizontally or vertically. The Lithium-ion rechargeable battery can last up to 30 hours for music and 8 hours for video.
The NW-A800 has been released in the EU, Asia, New Zealand, and North America. As of 19 May, 2007, Sony Canada [http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/CategoryDisplays?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&categoryId=46881] has released the 8GB and 4GB models. The 2GB model was released on 13 June, 2007. The pricing of these MP3 players are as follows: 299.99, 229.99, and 169.99 CAD for the 8GB, 4GB, and 2GB respectively. In the United States, Sony released the portable device on August 31, 2007. The company is selling the 8GB model for $229.95, the 4GB model for $179.95, and the 2GB model for $139.95. The NW_S615 series includes an fm tuner and no longer requires Sony's SonicStage software.
In 2006, The Sony '''NW-E00X''' was filled with 512MB, 1GB or 2GB of flash-memory. Very compact, this Walkman(R) offered a battery life of up to 28 hours. It had a built-in USB key for easy file transfer. The battery charge/recharge through USB connection. It supports Sony's ATRAC, or MP3 and WMA protocols (and later AAC). Equiped with a bright and clear 1 line OLED display for easy navigation. Multiple codec support ATRAC (''ATRAC3 66'' kbit/s, 105 kbit/s, 132 kbit/s, ''ATRAC3plus'' 48 kbit/s, 64 kbit/s, 256 kbit/s) MP3 and WMA (and later AAC) started with SonicStage 3.4 software for music management and transfers of tracks. Dimensions - Width 24.6mm x Height 79.0mm x Depth 13.6mm Weight - 25.0 grams. It also worked with Linux and MAC ussing a free software called '''NW-E00X MP3 File Manager'''.
Asia, New Zealand, and Canada also have the Walkman '''NW-E010''': a small USB flash player. Weighing only 23 g, the NW-E010 is available in capacities from 1 to 4 GB and comes in five colors: pink, violet, teal, black, and gold. Its features include a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, built-in FM tuner, a three-line color [[OLED]] display, calendar and time function, and Clear Stereo and Clear Bass technologies to enhance the audio quality. It also supports all major non-DRM codecs such as WMA, AAC, ATRAC, and MP3. Sony advertises that the NW-E010 can be charged for three minutes and will operate for three hours [http://www.sony.com.sg/walkman/nwe010/].
Available accessories include lanyards, armbands, an A/C adapter, metallic cases and silicone cases.
A release date and pricing for the NW-E010 in Europe and the United States are also unknown.
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Those Walkman uses a custom port called <b>[[WM-PORT]]</b> by Sony, and it's a 22 pin connector.
In late August of 2007, Sony released an email to customers of its Online Music Store (Connect) that stated that Sony will shut down the service and begin to phase out the [[ATRAC]] codec on any future rendition of the Walkman portable device [http://www.atraclife.com/]. The email stated that Sony will now adopt a Windows Media format; this plan has been estimated to be completed by March of 2008. This move will affect customers and their Walkmans in the North American and European regions. This transition away from the ATRAC codec is to allow the Walkman line to be adopted by more potential customers and their specific and unique preferences on online music services.
In October 2007 Sony Japan announced the '''NW-A919''' a 16GB video walkman with a digital '[[1seg]]' TV tuner. The player has a touch screen, measures 47.2mm×86.0mm×12.3mm and will be available in black or silver. It will be released in Japan in November 2007.[http://www.ecat.sony.co.jp/walkman/product.cfm?PD=29380&KM=NW-A919]
===HDD NW-A Series Walkman===
[[Image:SonyNW-A1000V.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Sony NW-A1000 6GB MP3 Player]]
The NW-A series Walkman is a digital music player available in 6 (NW-A1000), 8 (NW-A1200) and 20 gigabyte (NW-A3000) versions and features an [[electroluminescence|EL]]-technology screen. Battery life can reach 20 and 35 hours respectively. The player supports [[ATRAC3]], MP3, WMA and from firmware version 3.00 it also supports [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]].<ref>[http://www.sonydigital-link.com/DNA/Downloads/downloads.asp?l=en&c=WM&sc=NWH&f=FRM_NW_A3000 Firmware upgrade program for NW-A3000] – Sony Europe Customer Support Portal</ref>
The primary way of putting music on this device is to use Sony software: [[SonicStage]] and [[Connect Player]] (now withdrawn due to too many problems). The software only works on Microsoft Windows. Other common platforms such as [[Mac OS]] and [[Linux]] are not supported. SonicStage has received a lot of criticism. It is only possible to move tracks from the music player to the PC hard drive, and thereby from one music player to another, if each device/computer is "authorized" to the user's account with the Connect Store for their country. Users from countries that do not have the Connect Store service are currently limited to one device/computer.
There are a number of features to select music according to a variety of criteria. The "Artist link" function prompts the Walkman to search, find and display similar artists in that genre. There are two new shuffle modes. By selecting "My Favourite Shuffle", the device automatically selects the 100 most listened to songs and plays them at random. The "Time Machine Shuffle" function randomly selects a year and plays all of the songs from that particular year currently held on the device. A recent firmware update (V3.00) added the "Artist Link Shuffle" function to the list of Intelligent Shuffle modes, along with a clock and calendar.
Symphonic is an open-source platform-independent alternative to Sony software that supports Network Walkmans.<ref>[http://sourceforge.net/projects/symphonic/ SourceForge.net: Symphonic<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Walkman Video MP3 Player==
===[[Walkman A810|NW-A800/810]] series ===
{{main|Walkman A810}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:A-800.JPG|thumb|200px|middle|Sony NW-A810 Walkman Player, with all available selection of colors]] -->
Walkman A 800/A810 series offers a stylish sleek design,coated with a high quality, metallic build. A chrome-like strip surrounds the edge of the device, and accenting of the same style surrounds the buttons and makes up the logos on the front. It features a QVGA display with ID3 tag and album art support.
===NW-S710 and S610 series Walkman===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image: S-710.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Sony NW-S700 Walkman Player, with all available selection of colors]] -->
Soon,Sony launched another series of Walkman video player, type S, standing for "specialized". This was considered as a lower end product to Walkman A series.
===NW-A820, A910, and E series Walkman in Japan===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image: E020.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Sony NW-E020 Walkman Player, with changeable cases]] -->
At the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008, Sony was trying to further extend the product line of Walkman, with the debut of A910 series, A820 series, E020 series and E010 series in Japanese domestic market. Among them, A910 and A820 should be the successor to A810, which feature larger LCD display and memory, and built-in wireless function (for A820 only); and E series emphasized simple music playing, probably to rival with iPOD shuffle. E series established itself as a pure MP3 player without large LCD display to play videos. It had a similar design to a USB flashdrive, and it provided a large collection of different colors. Specifically, E020 series features changeable case, making the color selection enormous.
===NWZ-A820 and A720 series Walkman===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:A820.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Sony NWZ-A820 Walk Player, white black and pink]] -->
In March 2008, Sony debuted A720 and A820 series in the United States. These two models seemed to have exactly the same external design. The only difference appeared that the A820 series was equipped with a bluetooth module which can be used to connect wireless headphones. The upgraded A820 and A720 had a 2.4" LCD display and a selection of memory from 4 gigabytes to 16 gigabyte. This also includes the popular 8Gb version. In some regions the package will contain a pair of Sony In-Ear Earbuds with sound-reduction technology. The EX85 series earbuds are included in the US retail package. It will not include an FM radio, additional memory storage, or a voice recorder. After Sony upgraded the Walkman A model, the A810 series was no longer viewable at SonyStyle online store.
==Walkman Phones from Sony Ericsson==
After losing a large portion of the market to other companies, Sony's latest attempt to revive the Walkman brand involves a series of music-centred mobile phones marketed under the [[Sony Ericsson]] brand.
Contrary to most Walkman line, Sony Ericsson Walkman Phones do not support, and hence cannot play, Sony's proprietary audio format, [[ATRAC]] (with all of its variants). Walkman phones do support [[Advanced audio coding|AAC]] as well as [[MP3]].
The [[Sony Ericsson W800|W800]] and [[Sony Ericsson W600|W550/W600]] have numerous audio capabilities including playlists, audio equalisation, support for the [[M4A]] audio file format, and the ability to operate only as music player, with the telephony electronics switched off. It also includes standard mobile phone features, such as a 2 megapixel auto-focus camera. The W550/W600 will have 256 MB of internal memory, while the W800 includes a 512 MB [[Memory Stick]].
The [[Sony Ericsson W810|W810]] is an [[Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution|EDGE]]-enabled Quad band telephone launched in response to demand for a black coloured Walkman Phone. Other than minor changes in the software and hardware, most of the features are similar to those of the W800.
Sony Ericsson also launched the [[Sony Ericsson W900i|W900]] (considered the successor of S700) which in addition to the audio and camera capabilities of W800, also features [[3G]] video calling and streaming, better video recording (30 frames a second), a larger display, and 470 MB of internal memory which can be expanded up to 2 GB. Music can be imported from a variety of sources, either via the wireless service provider or from a personal computer.
Sony Ericsson president Miles Flint, claiming to have sold over three million Walkman phones, introduced their sixth Walkman branded phone, the [[Sony Ericsson W950|W950]], at the 3GSM Congress in 2006. The W950i is a slim device with 4 GB internal flash memory, including a touch screen for navigation through music genres, playlists, individual songs or music albums. It is also the first [[Symbian OS]]-based Walkman phone to be introduced.
In 2006, Sony Ericsson announced yet another Walkman phone, the [[Sony Ericsson W300|W300]]. It is the first Walkman phone in the series in a "flip phone" form factor. The W300 is also the first Walkman Phone to support Memory Stick Micro and features a VGA camera. They also launched their 8th Walkman telephone, the W700. It is essentially a stripped-down version of the W800 with a different case colour, and includes a 256 MB Memory Stick. The other major change is the absence of Auto-focus in the onboard camera.
[[May 18]], [[2006]], saw the introduction of two more Walkman phones, a second clamshell model, [[Sony Ericsson W710|W710]], and the first slider, [[Sony Ericsson W850i|W850i]].
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:SonyEricsson W580.JPG|thumb|200px|right|A very popular SonyEricsson Walkman phone, W580, white, with stylish thin slider design]] -->
In February [[2007]], the [[Sony Ericsson W880|W880]] was announced and released. It features a design which is only 9.4 mm thick and a full metal face plate. Being one of the smallest phones on the market, it has proved very popular.
The popularity of Walkman-branded telephones may be an indication that the portable audio and mobile telephone markets are beginning to converge. Walkman phones are equipped with applications such as Track ID, PlayNow and M-BUZZ and as of June 2007 Sony Ericsson claims to have sold over 26.5 million Walkman phones since the launch in September 2005. Sony Ericsson is seen to have had the most success with converging music and mobile phones, largely attributed to the Walkman heritage and expertise from Sony.
==See also==
*[[Sony]]
*[[Sony Connect]]
*[[Sony Ericsson]]
*[[Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commonscat|Walkman}}
===Reviews===
*[http://news.taume.com/Technology/Gadgets/SONY-NW-A800-Video-Walkman-540 Sony NW-A800]
*[http://www.asia.cnet.com/reviews/portable_av/0,39033456,39095441p,00.htm Sony NW-A1000]
*[http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/portable_av/0,39033456,39095060p,00.htm? Sony Walkman Bean]
*[http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archives/2005/06/sony-network-walkman-nwhd5-review.php Sony NW-HD5]
===Other links===
*[http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/sony-walkman-origin.html The story behind the Sony Walkman] – History of the Original Walkman
*[http://www.superwalkland.com Super walkland] – An online game promoting the new line of walkmans
*[http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowArticle.action?section=en_GB_Products&article=1128495703030&site=odw_en_GB The latest Walkman]
* [http://www.sonyericsson.com/walkman/ Sony Ericsson Walkman phones website]
*[http://history.acusd.edu/gen/recording/walkman2.html Sony Walkman Personal Stereo Turns 20 Years Old]
*[http://www.sony.net/Fun/SH/1-21/h1.html Sony History]
*[http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start;sid=-EslqSyDp1sgjWkylHkvomOOrE1LOJ-gIAk=?CategoryName=audio&Dept=audio Sony's Walkman site]
*[http://www.imp3.net/article/article.php?articleid=4484 Disassembled Sony NW-E403 Network Walkman]
*[http://www.checkbit.co.uk/nwm/ Network Walkman Display Screen Online Editor] – Create custom screen savers for NW-E400/E500/A600 series Walkmans.
* [http://www.walkmancentral.com Walkman Central] – Reference site containing details and pictures of various Walkman models.
{{Sony Corp}}
*[http://www.w890i.co.uk Sony W890i Latest Walkman Phone]
*[http://www.k630i.co.uk Sony K630i Latest Walkman Phone]
[[Category:Walkman| ]]
[[Category:Consumer electronics brands]]
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[[Category:Audio players]]
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[[Category:1980s fads]]
[[Category:1990s fads]]
[[Category:Genericized trademarks]]
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