NW-A3000/NW-A1000 US Debut (Sony @ CES 2006)
Finally, I found a booth displaying the NW-A3000 and NW-A1000 with an unspoken promise of release in the United States (”It will be ready when we decide that the software is ready — there are no hardware problems.” one executive said). I was surprised that they weren’t actually going to debut the NW-A1200, which I will speak of more authoritively when allowed.
Of course, alot of the pictures shared within this entry will not be anything new if your a seasoned reader of ATRACLife — we had this months ago. Nonetheless, there were no working demos of Connect Player at CES, which is very odd considering the hardware is on full display. It is obvious that Sony has no intentions of releasing this software in the United States any time soon. I spoke of it candidly as I’m quite versed from my position here at ATRACLife, but I had to often remind high-level Sony individuals of it’s existance; even the discussion itself seemed to make them feel very uncomfortable. Some of the representatives seemed hostile, whilst others are very accepting; I have not decided if this is attrition due to my inexperience, or merely a stressed endeavor on their part.
None of the representatives were ready to give information of when the NW-A3000 or NW-A1000 would debut in the United States, let alone Connect Player. It would be extremely surprising to see these units arrive until late 2006 in the US. By that point, it’s possible they may roll out a newer generation of Walkman instead of introducing these models.
We all must remember that the “new” Walkman experience has had a very confusing release schedule across the world; whilst Japan, Europe and even Canada have enjoyed the fruits of their labor, Sony is playing it safe by waiting for an optimal experience to deliver to the average consumer in the US. With the United States now realized as Sony’s second largest market, and the landscape is maintained by an iPod touting world, it is easy to understand why Sony has made this decision.
(We found the symbolism in this image entertaining.)
Thanks for the snaps, the last one is classic. The funnt thing is, most of users of the new units know more about CP than the execs, so I am sure the average CP user could stump an exec there.
I must admit the players look sweet in those shots, almost like liquid metal and oozing with sex appeal.
Maybe Sony is doing the right thing for US market. In the past, Sone audio devices were hammered down in the US by reviewers due to the software (OpenMG jukebox, Sonicstage). As we know, the new connect player feels more like a beta software, with plenty of bugs. Even if Sony releases the Axxxx series in the US, it will be too late facing competition from Apple and Creative.
Thats fine for the Americans but even though we have the NW A series before them I feel hacked off at paying top dollar for a product that would fail alpha QA testing for most other products in Europe.
I love the NW A 3000 but the software is substandard - why should we Europeans accept it - my view of Sony has radically altered after this.
Steve
no nw-a608s? the one in the corner of the first pictures look like them. although they look the same as the e5s. well it seems the only difference between the US version is the updated software, which im sure everyone will get sooner or later. sony is just making sure they get it right this time in the portable audio market. they have fallen quite a bit in the US since the days of the discman.
[...] - NW-A3000/NW-A1000 US Debut [...]
Someone could explain me how to use artist link?i’ve alredy search in lots of sites but until now i’ve find nothing….please help me!!!
that is a beutiful gadget.
[...] It’s difficult to discuss information on the Internet about products a company has not even mentioned yet. Timing is everything in the news world, and all cards cannot be revealed in one sitting. Obviously, ATRACLife has had a undefeated record of releasing information that has been nothing short of entirely accurate. If its posted on ATRACLife (and not quoted from another source), there is complete assurance that the information is valid; there are no rumors here. [...]