Rating: 
Summary: Now what?
Review: I ordered this player when it was first available from Sony. For the last year and a few months I have been happy with it. I do agreee with the software problems others have commented on, but the size and ease of use was a bonus for me and I was able to deal with the software issues. Now just as I am training for my first marathon... the battery will no longer charge. I have searched for information on replacement and I doubt I am/ will be the only one with this issue, there isn't even any information on the Sony website. Apple with the ipod/ipod mini have already addressed this issue with replacement batteries.
I spent good money on this player more than a year ago, so it is no longer covered, but now I am stuck, with no options and no player. I would advise finding a different player unless you are willing to afford a new one in two years or unless Sony can fix the battery issues.
Rating: 
Summary: no strap included or available
Review: Awesome walkman but I jog had to rig up a necklace type holder but it beats your chest all run long. come on sony think it through. teenagers that lay around all day aren't the only ones who use these!!!
Rating: 
Summary: CRAP!
Review: Do not buy this poorly thought of, out of date player. Sony is falling behind in the walkman dept. I usualy like their products, but was very unhappy with the network walkman. Lame software, lame interface and carrige. BIG WASTE OF $$$. Get an Ipod.
Rating:
Summary: Caution!
Review: Do not confuse this player with REAL mp3 players. This player DOES NOT play mp3s! It only plays Sony formated sound files. Sony did this because it's trying to protect its copyrighted music, but it is a pain to have to convert your music to some special file type when there are plenty of REAL mp3 players out there. Be warned, you have to be very carefull when purchasing mp3 audio players from RIAA member companies!
Rating:
Summary: Why have you done this to me, Sony? Why?
Review: I get the sense that Sony rushed to get this product into the market when they realized the inevitable ipod invasion. It seems that product testing was simply skipped altogether in order to sell as many units as possible before ipod completely took hold. I sincerely urge you to avoid this terrible product and wish the resulting frustration upon noone. I will admit that the sound quality is superior to Mp3, but the difference is not enormous and if I wanted the best quality I would play an uncompressed format on my home stereo (duh). As with all Sony products, aesthetically the product is beautiful with clean, smooth lines and innovative (though I fear somewhat breakable) controls. The software was blatantly Sony's last priority with countless flaws and a mind-numbing transfer rate. Atrac3 is not compatable with the rest of the civilized world and Sony Support is non-existent. Do not spend a cent on any of these players and with hope Sony will be forced discontinue this pathetic product line and get back to doing something they actually know about. Hopefully for mankind something that doesn't require software - like good ol' VHS.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Small MP3 Player
Review: I love this walkman. I use it all the time now. The battery life is great and the 256 built in memory is more than enough.
The only problem I have is that you have to convert your MP3s to ATRAC in order to play them on the walkman. This adds about 10-20 seconds per MP3 when uploading. Other than that this thing ROCKS!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Network Walkman - Terrible Software
Review: I really like this walkman - especially the small size, large memory, and long battery life. I use it almost every day on the long commute to work, or when I'm in the gym. So why only 4/5? The styling looks cool, but the whole unit would be smaller if the "hold" mechanism was smaller. Also, I find the "jog dial" thing that you use to change tracks sometimes sticks and doesn't feel very robust. In addition, the music management software - Sonic Stage - is really poor. (3 months later) No, I take that back. The Sonic Stage software is terrible - it has the usability and reliability of a 2nd year computer science project. Sony's software support is equally bad: expect 3 week turnaround times on questions or problems. It's a shame - nice device, let down by appalling software.
Rating:
Summary: Do Not Buy the Sony Network Walkman
Review: I received the Network Walkman as a prize and it has made my life miserable. Contrary to what the box & Sony Customer service will tell you, it does not play MP3s. The computer will confirm that I downloaded the files, but the player displays "No Data" when I try to listen. Therefore, I need to use the SonicStage software, but the software does not work. Every time I try to load music into the music library, I get an error message and the program shuts down. Customer service was difficult to track down and could not help me when I got through to them. The Network Walkman looks good, but it is a very expensive paperweight.
Rating:
Summary: Complete waste of money...or so I thought [edit]
Review: I used to be a loyal Sony customer...until I recently had issues with both of my Sony DVD players and my VAIO desktop (Sony support SUCKS). I am also now mortified that I spent $300 on this "MP3 player."
As other reviewers mentioned, this thing doesn't play MP3s. You have to use the ATRAC3 format, which is fine I guess--if you don't mind having 2 copies of every song on your computer so you can use a normal MP3 format on other devices. And yes, the SonicStage software has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's junk, bottom line.
The size and weight of the player is great, but the shape is weird. I used to use the Sony NW-MS9 (which was OK but the batteries were horrible and inconsistent), and it had a perfect shape to hold in my hand. This one is kind of square, and the big bar for the "hold" function is just ridiculous. I have not had it stay in the hold position one single time after putting it in my gym bag. And now after about 6 months of use the bar is getting loose and makes it feel really flimsy.
Another thing about Sony Network Walkmans in general that stinks is that they don't make belt clips for them. The only place I use these players is at the gym, and I don't have pockets in my workout gear. So I end up stuffing the thing in my waistband when I need both hands, and since this one has an odd shape it doesn't stay put very well. Sony included a necklace-type thing to go with it, but personally I think it's totally lame. I don't want that plastic rubbing on my neck when I'm working out, and if I'm jogging forget it...who would want that thing slapping on their chest constantly?
The player has 256MB of internal memory, which works out to be 8 to 10 CD's worth. That's OK for the gym, but when I do decide to switch out the songs it takes way too long for everything to transfer. And the memory stick slot is for a 'memory stick duo,' so of course all of the other standard memory sticks that I bought for other Sony products are useless now.
The one thing about this product that I can say is flawless is the batteries. I use it 3-4 hours per week at the gym and I think I charge it less than once a month. For $300 though, one would hope for more "pros" than that. I'm replacing this thing with an iPod next week!
[edit]
OK...so the grass is not greener with the iPod. I have never owned an MP3 player other than Sony...and there are some good features to the Sony that I did not realize until I used another brand:
1) You can do just about everything you need to without having to look at it. I really like the fact that you can switch between albums, not just songs...and it's very easy to do so without having to watch what you're doing. On the iPod you can just hit the forward button 15 times to get to the next album, or you have to look at it and backup a couple menus to switch. Very cumbersome when you're on the treadmill or something.
2) The sound quality is not bad at all, and you can set the EQ to where you want it. The iPod just has a bunch of preset EQ settings w/hardly any bass...I was very disappointed with the sound quality.
3) It's not such a bad thing (for me anyway) to have just 8-10 CDs on the player. Usually I swap them out every month or two. It's nice not having to search forever to find another album to listen to...having up to 1000 songs on the iPod is just a pain. Takes way to long just to find something I'm in the mood to listen to, then once that album is finished I get to do the search all over again.
I returned my new iPod mini after using it at the gym only twice. The belt clip was awesome...but that's about the best thing I can say about it, and that's certainly not worth $250. If I could edit my rating here I guess I'd change it to 3.5 or 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Great for anywhere
Review: I was looking for either a CD Player, MD player, or MP3 player that I can bring when I go for a jog. I was specifically looking for something small, something I don't have to hold on to. I eventually came across the MS70D, and this tiny guy has been great. I can't put the thing down! If you want to listen to the MS70D at the gym, no problem. You can dangle the thing around your neck like a necklace. This, I think is one of the great pros of buying this device. ... The headphone jack locks in when you plug it in, so it doesn't get accidentally yanked out. It really is like wearing an oversized necklace, and after a while you even forget it's there. However, when you go for a run, it might be better to use the extension cord and slip the device in your pocket. If you were to run with the MS70D around your neck, the thing would hit you in the chest repeatedly. As mentioned before, the factory headphones that come with the MS70D aren't spectacular, so I use the B&O A8. I record the songs at the Atrac3plus setting because I want to cram as many songs as I can, but the sound quality is good enough. You can get a 128MB Magic Gate Duo stick to add an extra 10+ hours of music, but so far I'm satisfied with what I have. If you're like me and want to listen to music anywhere and everywhere, then this MS70D is a must-buy.
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