A big miss for the Sony Mylo
Alas, poor Sony. Will it ever rediscover the secret to making hit products like the Walkman and the PlayStation? The electronics giant's latest "communication and entertainment device," the Sony Mylo, was supposed to ride the Skype hype by including the popular VOIP service as well as instant messaging software from Google, all on a Linux software base. But instead, the Mylo's getting roundly bashed all over the Web.
The complaints start with the price tag -- $350 -- and just escalate from there. For all that money, critics point out, you don't even get a cell phone or a built-in camera. And since the Mylo uses Wi-Fi, not a cellular connection, if you're not near an open hotspot, you're out of luck. There aren't any games available for it -- not even the most basic ones you'd find included on a cheap cell phone. And the built-in IM software doesn't include AIM or MSN Messenger, two of the most popular services. But the biggest problem is the device's lack of a compelling purpose. The Walkman put audiocassettes in an incredibly compact package; the PlayStation let you play compelling videogames. What, exactly, is the Mylo -- a really expensive communication device that doesn't let you make cell-phone calls? If this is what Sony CEO Howard Stringer meant by "champion products," then Sony needs even more help than we thought. Give us your take on the Mylo by leaving a comment below. way too much money, no camera, small hard drive, no AIM, whats it good for? i will stick to apples ipods
There's so much competition these days it's difficult for all of the big brands to keep up with everything that's going on. I imagine that this was something Sony pumped out very quickly with little thought just for the "wow" factor. But consumers are careful these days...with so many web sites and magazines offering feedback and user opinions, it is very difficult to "wow" when everyone is a cynic. Sony is used to living in a world where everything is passed on by word of mouth and people like to focus on what their cool little gadgets CAN do, not what they can't. Still, I'm sure Sony devotees will check this out and defend it because they're afraid to try new things, perchance they might like it better? Even Apple's ipods aren't the best thing on the market these days, but no one seems to notice (well, unless you look over at Japan and Korea...) because everyone is still stuck in the cultural frame of "Microsoft hurts...but Apple can do no wrong...". Sony really didn't need a big disappointment right now, but it'll think up something new that corporate america will just eat up...that's what all these companies want to offer us: something cheap for a big price tag that we can only use for a year, 2 tops, before we have to replace it with the "latest and greatest".
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