5 March, 2005

The end of the MD era

Do you know Hi-MD? It's a new type of MD, which has a huge memory capacity and can store mp3 files. You can store about 250 songs, 17 hours long in total, in a 1GB Hi-MD (mp3/128kbps).

Recently, Sony introduced two new MD Walkman models for Japanese consumers. Yes, they both are Hi-MD models. One of them is, to my surprise, equipped with a digital camera and can display the jacket image of an album, which you are listening, on a tiny screen of the body. Wow, MD has got a digital camera?

Sony introduced Hi-MD last year in Japan, featuring a young pop singer for its promotion. Hi-MD players were to fight against other hard-disk music players and mp3 players, especially Apple's counterpart. Sony must have wanted to keep young consumers who would be influenced by the iPod boom. In addition, it might have been Sony's loyalty to the owners of old MD players. In fact, it was just a decade ago that MD got a top position as a recording medium from cassette tape in Japan. It was in 1993 or something, I guess. Too soon to disappear. I think Sony knows that point.

So, in order not to make MD short-lived and to keep existing MD consumers, Sony names a new format Hi-MD. But it's not the same. Completely different object, except for its shape. So you need to buy a new Hi-MD player to use it, even if you have already had a MD player, because it's not compatible with existing MD. So, how many MD player users switch to this out-of-date product. If there are some, they are some like Sony mania (that's me) or someone who loves anachronistic act.

This is definitely a counterplot product against iPod. Seeing the popularity of the iPod series, I must say the MD era is over. But at the same time, Sony also understands the MD's deadlocked destiny and the potentiality of hard-disk/mp3 music players. Nevertheless, Sony likes to walk its own independent way and to release unique products. This Hi-MD Walkman with digital camera is no exception. Yes, this is pretty hard-core.

Although I cry over the end of the MD, I respect Sony's strong product development capability and hope it will keep its own style.