Sony 1 GB Walkman MP3 Player (Black)

This is one of the BEST MP3 players out, -especially- for workouts, etc. I say this because it is sooooo easy to use/setup and the SOUND is -outstanding-!!! Its hard to believe you can get SUCH good sound out of something so small. The sound is rich, clear and full. It is lightweight and ready to go right out of the box. I love the fact that there are no extra cables to keep track of (or lose). You just pull the cap off and the player plugs -right- in to your pc (USB) to charge or load music. You can literally drag and drop your music from your pc to the player with no trouble at all. PLUS, the battery life is AMAZING! Its a great -value-, (@ $34.95) considering what you have to pay for a Shuffle or Sansa clip, -and- you don't have to bother with iTunes, etc. The 1GB player is -plenty- for your workout player (@250 songs) and having a display (although small) is an added bonus. Originally got this for my wife to take to the gym, and we liked it so much, we got my daughter (6yrs) her own (it's great that it has a max volume control, so we can prevent her from blasting her eardrums...and better than the overpriced 'disney' ones) and I got the 2GB for myself as well. Long story short: this is THE player to get, whether for your first "starter" MP3 player, or for a backup/workout player. Happy shopping.

The unit is only slightly bigger than a standard jump drive and has a FM radio which is just what I wanted. It was easy to use right out of the box. The included earphones are rinky-dink, but with better ear phones the sound quality is good. The FM radio fades in and out in volume - can't figure out what causes that yet. The most annoying feature is that the power button gets turned on inadvertently very easily, like in a backpack, using up the battery.

I had one that works great, so I wanted to get one for someone, and the one I recently purchased has never worked properly. Now it just freezes up. Not happy!

PROS 1. Small 2. Cute 3. Easy to use 4. Great sound quality 5. FM radio with record feature CONS They're aren't a lot of options out there for carrying this thing around. I noticed a lot of complaints about using this mp3 player at the gym because it does not offer an armband or carrying case, however there is a loophole in the back of this device (just like a cellphone would normally have) which allows you to hook a ringlet through it and attach that to a lanyard. They sell plenty of mp3 lanyards online, and this allows you to simply wear your music around your neck. I actually prefer this to an armband! It's perfect for working out at the gym now, as it is hands free! Sony sold accessories for this particular model which included an armband and several lanyards in a variety of colors, however they are now discontinued, but you still may be able to find them on Ebay. That's how I got mine!

Pluses: - It really does charge quickly. - Small size is quite convenient and inconspicuous. - Can hold non-mp3 files - thus doubling as a, small, storage device. - Quick and easy to drop songs onto and pull off using the USB plug in. - 2 gbs is big. In this day and age where we expect to carry around a library of music, I forgot how large 2 gbs is (equivalent to the cd carriers you can latch to the sunvisor in a car). I've crammed 24 albums into it. Negativos (this is where I compare it to mp3 player of my dreams): - File structure is a bit awkward - requires a bit more 'clicks' to navigate between settings and songs. For example, there is no quick way to change between "shuffle" to "repeat" to "standard play" - you have to go from the artist file, to the menu, and then select through the setting options. - Agree with a previous review that the cap to the USB jack could be lost easily - Battery life a tad short - works great for medium plane trips and commuting, but you probably couldn't count on it for a road trip without recharging every night.

I would really like to give this product a 5 since the majority of the features work as advertised and it is a slick player. The MP3 player has a lot going for it, but often the tracks are played out of order. If you select Album and choose an Album name for example, the tracks do not follow the logical track number ordering, but instead follow some strange undocumented Alphabetical order. This is horrible for classical music which demands that the movements be played in order, or even for audiobooks. I found that sometimes, if you browse to the MP3s via the Folder viewer, that you can actually get them to play in order. I name my files as 01-name.mp3, 02-name.mp3, 03-name.mp3, etc... but it doesn't even honor that and will sometimes play 20-name.mp3, 01-name.mp3, 02-name.mp3, etc...

As a child & teenager, i'd always gone to Sony for my portable music needs, whether it be the original 80's Walkman radio, the updated walkman cassette player, the Sports walkman, and ultimately, the portable CD player. Sony always seemed to have superior sound, durability & their trademark 'Mega-Bass' feature, which always enhanced the already superior sound quality. As technology advanced, and the convienence & portability of the mp3 generation took hold, i found myself drifting back & forth between ipod's & creative Labs players. I was hardly a fan of iTunes & Apple, in general, so the iPod's left me cold & usually frustrated when attempting to load & delete music. The Creative Lab players afforded me the ease of "drop & drag" via windows media, but their durability left a lot to be desired. Needless to say, i had countless Creative Labs players die on me, without rhyme or reason. Frustrated, i went to Sony & this model in particular. I simply wanted a shuffle style player, with decent sound, windows compatibility, and a radio function. Basically, an mp3 player that could keep me entertained to & from work, and walks about the city. Once again, Sony has delivered on all counts. From the connected USB, to the instant transfer of music via windows media, to the amazing sound, to the overall construction of the unit. It shouldn't have been surprising, considering my positive history with Sony, in general, but i was. The player is small, but laid out well for instictively finding the various buttons & controls. It charges quickly via your laptop or desktop, and it stays charged an extended period of time, in comparison to other players. Overall, i've gotta recommend this player. I only wished i'd saved money & headaches, by purchasing one sooner!

I was looking for something small, basic, and inexpensive, so this MP3 player fit my needs quite well. I'm only giving the device 3 stars, though, due to an apparent malfunction: sometimes when I switch the "hold" button from on to off it simply stays on. I've used it about 6 or 7 times since I bought it, and this has happened twice. The only way I've been able to remedy the problem is to plug it into my computer, which shuts off the power, and then the button starts working again. Also, I was a little concerned about the color without seeing the device, since sometimes pink electronic devices can be pretty obnoxious! I was happy to learn that it was actually a nice looking pink!