@ Last AC

Your making it too easy for me to retort but I have said all I will on this - there are obvious pros/cons to every mobile device released & we could bat this around for hours just like the Pirates v Ninjas debate. Sony being the Ninjas of course.

Your happy with your device & Im happy with mine nuff said.

Mine's still better though.

*Pulls down Ninja mask & runs off with NC turned on*

Amazing the number of clueless idiots/iBots.

Sony Walkmans have been drag/drop for about 2 years now, you can use MTP, or as a plain USB device and just drop the stuff in Explorer. They work with Mac and Linux just fine as mass storage devices.

Anyone that thinks a Ipod even comes close to what a Walkman sounds like is clearly deluded (or deaf)..

Finally, If you are a true music lover, you don't care about app stores full of gimmicky things like beer pouring applications and baby beating games.

@Chris

> the AC's - who are these people?....

And you think "Chris" makes you any more identifiable or respectable than "AC" - anyone can make up a name.

> how many 'updated' ipods have you been through/have sitting lame in a drawer, in that time?

None are sitting in a drawer.

> Inherent quality rather than obsolescence I suggest.

WRONG!

My first iPod - a 10GB 2nd generation from early 2002 is still in daily use by my Boss' son and its original battery (amazingly) still holds a very good charge.

My 2nd iPod - a 40GB 4th generation from late 2004, purchased for increased storage as my music library grew, is also still in daily use by a family member, still on its original battery and going strong.

My 3rd, and current iPod - a 16GB iPod touch, purchased in 2007 for the hugely increased functionality, is used daily for email, web browsing & music. And is still having major new features added to it, 18 months after release. (Sony will have forgotten all about your device in a few months, as they do with everything else they release)

I've never had a problem with any of my iPods (3 over 8 years) and all are still in use and working well.

> the DRM backchat particularly gets my goat, Fairplay my a$$.

Ironic that you mention DRM when Sony's DRM limitations on its players are even more restrictive than Apple's. Everything had to be converted to a proprietary format. iPods have always been able to play DRM-free music. Until recently it was the record labels that insisted on DRM.

Anyway, why, if iPods are so inferior, do people still buy them? Nobody would buy 'another' of something they weren't happy with. (And don't say people are tied to the iTunes Store - most people have no or very few tracks purchased from iTunes in their iPods - iPod contents mostly come from existing CDs, or less legal sources.)

> We all know Apple is only successful in this field thanks to the RDF marketing

Yeah... riiiight... So why do iPods consistently come top in comparison reviews, year after year, from all areas (not just Apple press).

Even El Reg's review back in September ended saying:

"the combination of the 3.5in screen, video and music playback, gaming, wireless internet and touchscreen controls make the iPod Touch one of the most powerful and versatile handheld devices currently available."

apler fanboy alert

After shelling out on an 80gig iplod that was always dodgy, could not get fixed, ended going "clack clack clack" after 14 months and being constantly being stunned by the piss poor itunez... it's in the bin and i preorded a 32gig one of these