Sony has updated its hard drive-based Network Walkman with some design tweaks and a lower price. The new model that will go on sale in October, the company says.
There are four main differences between the NW-HD2 and its predecessor, the NW-HD1, although none of them are substantial.
A glance at the new players will reveal the most obvious, which is the range of colors in which they are now available. The original was offered in silver or black, while the new model will be available in silver, blue, or pink, says Hanae Kato, a spokesperson for Sony.
Sony's switch to blue and pink follows a local market preference. Apple Computer has seen the silver and blue versions of its IPod Mini player become the most popular of the five colors it offers in Japan, and the pink and green versions are popular among young women, says Michiko Nakatani, a spokesperson for Apple.
Sony also changed the backlight color used in the 1.5-inch LCD of its NW-HD2, from green to blue, Kato says.
Technical Details
Away from the visual design, the biggest technical change is the ability to charge the player from the power cord by using a small interface adapter. Users had to place the first model in a cradle to charge it, which meant an extra item to pack when taking a trip away from home. The in-line remote control is also gone from the headphone cord on new version, Kato says.
Like the original, the new player features a 20GB hard drive and is compatible with Sony's ATRAC3 compression format. Software is included to convert songs from a number of other formats, including MP3.
The most welcome news for buyers might be the new price. The NW-HD2 will be available in Japan from October 10 for about $360. When the original version went on sale in July it cost about $477. The lower price brings it a little closer to Apple's 20GB IPod, which sells for about $300 in Japan.
There are no current plans to put the NW-HD2 on sale overseas, Kato says.
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