The latest chapter in Sony's sea change--SonicStage dies
posted September 8th 2005 3:20PM
We'll probably forever have our issues with Sony—first and foremost that they won't return our calls, but that's
neither here nor there—but it is pretty weird when for years you air complaints about what they're doing, and one by
one they actually, you know, fix their problems. We're not sure if it's
Sir Howard Stringer at the helm, or if it's
just a corporate mid-life crisis, but we almost fell out of our chairs when Sony announced last year that their audio
players would start supporting MP3. They dealt another
knockout as late as last week when—get this—they started
putting SD slots in their machines. Yeah, right
alongside MemoryStick slots. Seriously. And what's more, after they announced their
new line of Network Walkman devices late yesterday, we
discovered they even had intentions of adding WMA support, which just about dislocated our jaws, they dropped so
hard.
But you're going to love this one best of all, Sony fans and audio player aficionados: according to parties
in (earlier) attendence at their press conference, Sony's
killing SonicStage. That's right, gone, done, fin… the nightmare is over. Well, kind of. We don't know if their
forthcoming devices are properly mass-storage compliant (something still tells us they won't be), but at very least
you'll have to start doing the brunt of your music-loading work in their new version of the Connect Player they've got
coming out—which looks a helluva lot like the Sony take on iTunes. So we'll see, we'll see. But SonicStage: after you
go gently into this good night, please, do not rest in peace. We hope you toss and turn in your grave for all eternity,
SonicStage, and then some.
Love, Engadget.
are there programs, besides sonic stage, that are compatible with my md walkman? if not, then i have no choice but to use it.
I've got about 300MDs and am thinking of getting MP3 to replace them all. Anyone know the best way to get them onto my computer and then transfer (via rubbish Sony software to great Sony MP3 player, or any other product)? My computer annoyingly doesn't have the digital line in found on my MD hi-fi.