Sony's OLED Walkman is something else. Literally. In many ways, it's Sony's first formidable iPod rival to emerge in quite some time, and with its striking OLED panel, tastefully appointed graphite casing and absolutely amazing audio quality, it's certainly worth a look. For those of you around the world that have picked one up, we're curious to see if you think you made the right decision. For many, anything sans an Apple logo is the right choice, but we're wondering if the UI, design and value here were up to snuff in your mind. Are you digging the overall look and feel? Do you mind not having an App Store? Are you floored with audio / video performance? Have at it in comments below -- don't hold back now, okay?

If you want to get an idea of just how fast technology moves, a brilliant piece from the BBC should help light the way. The setup is simple enough: 13-year-old Scott Campbell is given a Walkman and told by his dad that it was "the iPod of his day" -- and that's when the fun begins. Having never used or even seen the device, the young man proceeds to experience the kind of equilibrium-destroying confusion which we can only imagine the elderly first felt when attempting to set a VCR timer (you do remember what VCRs are, right?). We've collected a few of the choicest bits from the teen's observations, but we highly suggest you read the full article... you won't be sorry. Our favorite picks (direct quotes):

• When I wore it walking down the street or going into shops, I got strange looks, a mixture of surprise and curiosity, that made me a little embarrassed.
• It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape. That was not the only naive mistake that I made; I mistook the metal/normal switch on the Walkman for a genre-specific equaliser, but later I discovered that it was in fact used to switch between two different types of cassette.
• I managed to create an impromptu shuffle feature simply by holding down "rewind" and releasing it randomly - effective, if a little laboured.
• When playing, it is clearly evident that the music sounds significantly different than when played on an MP3 player, mainly because of the hissy backtrack and odd warbly noises on the Walkman.

[Via Richard Lai]

No, it doesn't have a big, beautiful OLED on the front, isn't running a trendy OS, and lacks any need for Morse code. It's a pretty standard USB-based MP3 player, with a few niceties. For one, it sports 18 hours of battery life, and three minutes of charging will keep you rocking for an hour and a half. For another, it'll do voice recording and tune FM. But, Sony's really talking up its ZAPPIN function, which helps you find music by playing five-second clips from the middle of tracks, a little like the scan mode your car's radio -- you know, the thing with dials and buttons that you plug your MP3 player into. We've seen this mode on Sony's screenless players in the past, where it makes sense, but we're not sure why anyone wouldn't just look down and use the LCD here. It's only three lines, but with 2GB of storage on tap there won't be that many tunes to scroll through. No price or availability have yet been set.

[Via Akihabara News]

We'll admit it, we expected to be knee-deep in Android gear by now. However, it seems like the consumer electronics industry wanted to build more mature products around versions 1.5 and 2.0 of Google's open source OS instead. Regardless, we're in the thick of it now having just witnessed a deluge of Android-based smartbooks / netbooks (expected before October) at Computex and Google's own announcement that at least 18 new Android handsets will launch this year. Building upon Sony Ericsson's plan to launch its first handset based on Android 2.0, we're now hearing that Android will play a prominent role across Sony's portable devices starting with an Android-based Walkman and personal navigation device (PND) launching sometime in 2010. Engadget Japanese says that Sony's affection for Android is an "open secret" in Japan. In fact, an analyst speaking to Japan's Nikkan simply states the development of an Android Walkman and PND as fact. Not that we're too surprised by this; as demonstrated by its XMB interface now extended to a variety of devices other than the PS3, Sony is clearly trying to unify the user experience across its consumer electronics portfolio. And opting for open-source software across the board should keep costs low while increasing speed to market. Oh Android, is there anything you can't do...in Google fanboy theory?

Read -- Android Walkman (Nikkan)
Read -- Android Walkman (Impress)

We've been toying with the North American version of Sony Ericsson's W995 slider recently, and we don't want to spoil anything for you, but here's a teaser: this could definitely be the best Walkman phone to date. Curiosity sufficiently piqued? Head on over to Engadget Mobile for the full story!

Sony has yet to offer us official US pricing or availability on its eagerly awaited X-series of OLED Walkmans. As such, we have to grasp at whatever bits of desperate information we can as this 3-inch Walkman with built-in noise cancellation makes its way West following the Japanese launch. Amazon lists the little guy at $399.95 (32GB) and $299.95 (16GB) which just happens to be the same pricing as Apple's iPod touch, for whatever that's worth. It's not in stock but you can pre-order now if dare.

Update: And just like that, it's official. Sony's 16GB NWZ- X1051 with 32GB NWZ- X1061 will be priced $299 and $399, respectively, when they go on sale nationwide Stateside in mid-June. As a surprise, they'll also feature embedded apps for YouTube and Slacker Radio for all the free video and audio you can consume over WiFi.

[Via OLED-Info]

We don't see an official press release yet but Pocket-lint and other UK sites are claiming that Sony's OLED Walkman will hit the UK high streets starting tomorrow. The hotly anticipated X-series Walkman will be priced at £209 for the 16GB model or £279 for the 32GB model. We'd translate those numbers to US dollars but we don't want to scare the natives with the UK markup for consumer electronics. We'll update you with official US numbers just as soon as they're out.

We wouldn't carve this in stone quite yet, but we'd say that points-to-dollars conversion from Sony's official 'Rewards' site is pretty legitimate. The outfit's highly anticipated OLED Walkman, which we had the pleasure of toying with earlier this week, is now listed in 16GB and 32GB forms at SonyRewards. While no ship date is given, we are told that the smaller of the two will run members 29,995 points, while the larger one demands an extra 10,000. For those who only speak real currency (you know, like Schrute Bucks), that translates to $299.95 and $399.95, respectively. Furthermore, the first official OLED Walkman accessories have popped up, proving that a leather case / kickstand, clear screen protector and a hard plastic shell will be made available. Oh, and Sony -- any moment now would be great for a confirmation.

[Via SonyInsider]

Read - 16GB OLED Walkman
Read - 32GB OLED Walkman

Considering that we're holding a Japanese unit in our hands, our impressions of Sony's OLED Walkman will be somewhat limited. That said, we figured it prudent to pass along our initial judgments until the US model shows up sometime between tomorrow and next century. After giving the flashy PMP a photo shoot yesterday, we spent the rest of the day (and night, we won't even front) toying with Sony's most hyped Walkman in quite some time. Eager to hear just how fantastic / horrible this critter is? Follow us past the break for our two pennies.

We got a chance to peek Sony's succulent OLED Walkman way back at CES, but we've waited for what seems like forever to hold one in our supple paws without a booth attendant breathing down our neck. The model that arrived today on our doorstep is the 16GB NW-X1050 (or NWZ-X1050), which just launched in Japan last week. There's still no telling when this beauty will hit the US, but we can already guess that it'll cause some serious buzz when it does. We'll just come right out and say it: this is the best looking display on any PMP that we've ever seen. If you'll recall, Cowon's S9 also shipped with an OLED panel, but we've got to give the edge to Sony here. Also of note, we were never fans of the dark granite border in the press shots, but it's downright stunning in person. We're going to be hosting up a video walkthrough of the menus and such just as soon as it uploads (sigh) as well as some more thorough impressions in the coming days. For now, however, feel free to peruse the gallery below.

Update: Video's live! Check it after the break.

Think USB sticks are fashion statements? Then listen up nerds, Sony's get a sackful of Walkmans to match your technicolor style. The Walkman E series will get to poppin' next month in 2GB (NW-E042), 4GB (NW-E043), and 8GB (NW-E044) capacities starting at ¥8,000 (about $80, tax inclusive) on up to ¥13,000 (about $132). Each stick ships with a second front panel / cap combination for a quick color swap. Spec-wise, you're looking at a 3-line color LCD display, FM radio, quick 3-hours on 3-minute charge (or 90 minute full charge for 28 hours of MP3 playback), and Sony's excellent earbuds with 13.5mm driver. Japanese launch video demonstrating the finer points of handbag matching posted after the break.

[Via Impress]

Forget about Amazon UK's variable estimations, Sony's gone ahead and given us official Japanese release details for its OLED-equipped NWZ-X1000 series Walkman -- known there without the "Z" but with an one-seg TV tuner. Street date is April 25 and the open price is 40,000 yen (US $400) for the 16GB NWZ-X1050 and 50,000 yen for the 32GB NWZ-X1060. Both models will be available in black or red. No word yet on US or Europe date, but we can't imagine those will be far behind.

[Via Impress Watch]