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Sony NWD-B105
In hindsight, Sony's mistakes in the portable music market seem jaw-droppingly obvious: the company didn't even bring out an MP3-compatible Walkman until 2004, and even then clung doggedly onto its impressive but niche ATRAC format and - even worse - the appalling Connect transfer software.
But there isn't a sign of Connect with the B105. Instead, it takes the same approach that every other manufacturer has been using successfully for years; marketed as "Drag and Drop" by Sony, it basically means you can finally use Windows Explorer (and, by extension, Windows Media Player or similar) to manage the music on the device. It's a small point that should have been addressed years ago, but it finally removes the standard complaint about the MP3-generation Walkmans.
It isn't quite that simple, though, since Sony has installed an auto-running EXE on the unit itself. This can be configured to scan specified directories and randomly synchronise content, in the manner of iTunes' shuffle setting. It's an unusual approach - almost as if Sony is trying to prove a point by not actually installing anything on your PC - but some people may find it useful.
Thankfully, there's plenty to like elsewhere. The unit itself is plastic, but built in the best traditions of Sony hardware. One end houses the USB connector, and the other the headphone jack. In between, the usual transport controls are sensibly placed, doubling up for navigating around the three-line colour LCD. It's a little confusing at first, but Sony has done a reasonable job of keeping the settings logical and accessible.
While there's a Play All option at the root of the library, it's fiddly to play back a whole album or artist, and navigating by artist rather than album always plays songs in alphabetical rather than track order, which can be annoying. And, as with most players, we also wish there was a hardware switch for shuffle and repeat settings. Extras include a passable voice-recording function, a reasonable pair of headphones and six EQ settings.
The 20-second startup time isn't endearing, but the 12-hour battery life is reasonable, as is the price. You can pay less for a generic player - or more, in the case of the iPod nano - but the B105 strikes a good balance. The limited format support and capacity means it will only ever make a good secondary player for the enthusiast, but if that doesn't bother you the B105 is an attractive and fuss-free choice.
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