Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

So who remembers Sony's cock-up in 1993, when they launched MD? One
rec/play walkman, one playback-only walkman (and no pre-recorded
titles)... no hi-fi separate deck.

11 years later... HiMD. Again, no sign of a hi-fi separate version. Do
we have to wait until 2006 for one, by which time any chance of what's
potentially a very good format getting established goes out the window?

Yes, a walkman is great, but we also want a hi-fi deck, and an in-car
player...

/rant

--
Glenn Richards Tel: (01453) 845735
Squirrel Solutions http://www.squirrelsolutions.co.uk/

IT consultancy, hardware and software support, broadband installation

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

Glenn Richards wrote:
So who remembers Sony's cock-up in 1993, when they launched MD? One
rec/play walkman, one playback-only walkman (and no pre-recorded
titles)... no hi-fi separate deck.

11 years later... HiMD. Again, no sign of a hi-fi separate version. Do
we have to wait until 2006 for one, by which time any chance of what's
potentially a very good format getting established goes out the
window?

Yes, a walkman is great, but we also want a hi-fi deck, and an in-car
player...

My MD recorder (my second one, first was stolen) is sat in the kitchen, with
a fresh battery and a little beyer mic. It gets used for location recording,
so about twice a year. Music is catered for by DVD-Audio, CD, and MP3-CD
now - I used to put background music for gigs / shows on MD but use the
MP3-CD now with laptop for backup. I used to record stuff digitally on the
MD, the Laptop records longer and better (digital out from mixer, digital in
on laptop).

The only time the MD gets used is if I'm on the train to london and wearing
a suit - as the CD player doesn't pocket as well as the MD. But with the
etymotic earphones MDs on MD2 sound a bit rough, worse than 320k MP3s so the
choice is this - 5 albums on a CDRW for the day on the train or 3 low
quality ones on the MD. And for conferences / backing music for shows etc my
MP3 CD running 64k MP3s will run all day without repeating a track!


--
slightly greasy solar atoms...

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

In message , Tim S Kemp
writes
Glenn Richards wrote:
So who remembers Sony's cock-up in 1993, when they launched MD? One
rec/play walkman, one playback-only walkman (and no pre-recorded
titles)... no hi-fi separate deck.

11 years later... HiMD. Again, no sign of a hi-fi separate version. Do
we have to wait until 2006 for one, by which time any chance of what's
potentially a very good format getting established goes out the
window?

Yes, a walkman is great, but we also want a hi-fi deck, and an in-car
player...

My MD recorder (my second one, first was stolen) is sat in the kitchen, with
a fresh battery and a little beyer mic. It gets used for location recording,
so about twice a year. Music is catered for by DVD-Audio, CD, and MP3-CD
now - I used to put background music for gigs / shows on MD but use the
MP3-CD now with laptop for backup. I used to record stuff digitally on the
MD, the Laptop records longer and better (digital out from mixer, digital in
on laptop).

The only time the MD gets used is if I'm on the train to london and wearing
a suit - as the CD player doesn't pocket as well as the MD. But with the
etymotic earphones MDs on MD2 sound a bit rough, worse than 320k MP3s so the
choice is this - 5 albums on a CDRW for the day on the train or 3 low
quality ones on the MD. And for conferences / backing music for shows etc my
MP3 CD running 64k MP3s will run all day without repeating a track!



Minidisc is a superb format for in-car playback. I find CDs far too
large and fragile for in-car use. Sadly Sony seem to be targeting MD as
a PC peripheral, rather than the cassette tape replacement it was
ideally suited to.
--
Chris Morriss

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

In article ,
Chris Morriss wrote:
Minidisc is a superb format for in-car playback. I find CDs far too
large and fragile for in-car use. Sadly Sony seem to be targeting MD as
a PC peripheral, rather than the cassette tape replacement it was
ideally suited to.

Yes - as a replacement for cassettes -especially when making your own,
it's great. But never caught on in cars, at least in this country. Perhaps
because Sony isn't affiliated or whatever with the main suppliers of OEM
ICE in Europe?
My present car came with cassette and CD, but no Minidisc option - long
after I'd replaced cassette with Minidisc at home.

--
*Too many clicks spoil the browse *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

"Glenn Richards" wrote in message

So who remembers Sony's cock-up in 1993, when they launched MD? One
rec/play walkman, one playback-only walkman (and no pre-recorded
titles)... no hi-fi separate deck.

11 years later... HiMD. Again, no sign of a hi-fi separate version. Do
we have to wait until 2006 for one, by which time any chance of what's
potentially a very good format getting established goes out the
window?

letsee:
SACD
HiMD

That's two misses in a row, right?

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message


My present car came with cassette and CD, but no Minidisc option -
long after I'd replaced cassette with Minidisc at home.

I take it that CD-Rs are hard to find or expensive in the UK?

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

In message , Arny Krueger
writes
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message


My present car came with cassette and CD, but no Minidisc option -
long after I'd replaced cassette with Minidisc at home.

I take it that CD-Rs are hard to find or expensive in the UK?


No they are dirt cheap, but really, do you find CD an acceptable car
format? They are large (at least full size ones are), they are naked
and therefore get scratched very easily, and they are impossible to
remove from a case, and insert single handed. Now of course CDs are
great if you have them permanently mounted in a changer, but for slot-in
use; well they are a bit 20th century aren't they?

I would be perfectly happy to use solid-state removable memory to carry
audio for in-car use, but CF is still too expensive, and the pins on the
connector can too easily get damaged. I'm sure replaceable media using
SS memory will become available in a format to suit automotive use, but
I honestly don't believe we have it yet.

(And the joke iPOD is just an item for fashion victims).
--
Chris Morriss

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

In message , Arny Krueger
writes
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message


My present car came with cassette and CD, but no Minidisc option -
long after I'd replaced cassette with Minidisc at home.

I take it that CD-Rs are hard to find or expensive in the UK?



(Just to follow on from my other message).

Don't forget that you in the USA put up with the most horrendous,
poor-quality, unergonomic car-audio format for years and years. (The
abysmal 8-track cartridge), so I can see why you think CDs in cars are
acceptable!


--
Chris Morriss

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:
My present car came with cassette and CD, but no Minidisc option -
long after I'd replaced cassette with Minidisc at home.

I take it that CD-Rs are hard to find or expensive in the UK?

The CD player is a multi unit in the boot, so not so practical for just
slotting something in - like a single cassette or MD.

But I had MD long before CD burning was cheap and readily available.

--
*Succeed, in spite of management *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Sony HiMD - another marketing disaster?
 

Chris Morriss wrote:

I would be perfectly happy to use solid-state removable memory to
carry audio for in-car use, but CF is still too expensive, and the
pins on the connector can too easily get damaged. I'm sure
replaceable media using SS memory will become available in a format
to suit automotive use, but I honestly don't believe we have it yet.

(And the joke iPOD is just an item for fashion victims).

Why a joke? Seems like the perfect in-car source to me.