Sony is huge in the music business as a whole; there isn’t a pie that the company doesn’t have a finger in and they have a world-class reputation in all music sectors.
Just think back a few years to pre-MP3 days when it was Sony that revolutionized the music industry then with the Walkman and they continue to lead from the front with the digital music revolution (and the Walkman has come along for the ride too!).
The Sony MP3 player range has carved the company a new and incredibly impressive foothold in the world of digital audio products and they continue to produce market-leading players and accessories under the Sony brand. Apple may have the "must-have" appeal at the moment but Sony are up there with them on all other counts.
As with all their undertakings Sony took time and used their considerable resources to make sure that their MP3 players led the field. Their current MP3 player ranges are split into hard drive players and flash memory players. There’s probably a Sony digital player out there for everyone, whether they are looking for a pocket-sized player to take to the gym or a massive hard drive capacity to store an entire music library.
The company haven't just mastered MP3 products; they’ve also helped the sector evolve by developing the ATRAC music compression format (originally designed for MiniDisc) so it could be bundled into their MP3 product lines. For many music lovers this is the format they choose to use.
In addition the company has also established its own online music store, the Connect Music Store. This store is a real added bonus to Sony users and to Atrac fans and demonstrates Sony’s commitment to digital music.
The company currently offers the following products:
- Hard Drive Players - products include the Network Walkman series and the Vaio Pocket. Storage capacity for these players ranges from 20GB to 40GB.
- Flash Memory Players - products include the Network Walkman series, the Psyc series and the S2 Sports. Storage capacity for these players ranges from 256MB to 1GB.
It’s impossible to predict where Sony will go next, but the chances are that the MP3 industry as a whole is watching them carefully to monitor any new innovations.