Sony finally introduces support for MP3 files in digital music players

• According to wire reports, Sony has finally decided to support MP3s in some of its future digital music players.
• The company--know for its stubborn preference for proprietary standards over industry ones--only recently launched its first Walkman-branded hard drive player, the NW-HD1.
• True to form, the big brains at Sony decided not to support MP3s on the player, opting instead for Sony's own ATRAC3 format (Acoustic TRansform Adaptive Coding).
• The player looks pretty cool, but to date Sony has declined to send PC World a unit for review.
• That may be true, but the fact is most digital music fans rip their CDs as MP3s, and it's bad business to try to force customers to convert their music into yet another format.
• Even Apple's popular IPod supports MP3s in addition to the AAC files Apple pushes through its popular ITunes Music Store.
• I've complained to Sony since they released their first MiniDisc players about the hassles of converting to their "better than yours" music format.
• I enjoy my ipod, and Sony isn't going to make up for the last ten years of good hardware / bad customer relations with this admission that they will NOW grace me with MP3 support.
• Pffft - go pound sand Sony, Apple schooled you!
• Well I still love you sony, thick headed and all.....But an iPod will be under my tree this year, sorry!
• All my music is on CDs anyway now (tape & LPs long gone) and the sonicstage software translates them easily to ATRAC.