I actually think the Sony MP3 players out there are some of the least iPod-alike of the bunch. They put some genuine innovation into their designs, and they look and feel very nice indeed - in a very un-iPod way.

That said, you’re absolutely right about them scoring own-goals. Witness the last generation of Sony MP3 players (at a premium, iPod-like price) that looked slick but had outdated low-res monochrome screens. I think a lot of Sony’s failing is simply due to the fact that they’re trying too hard to be un-iPod-like and consequently some of their design decisions and features are questionable.

But the main reason Sony’s MP3 players aren’t selling like iPods is that iPod really hit the nail on the head, way before anybody else was even close. Back when MP3 players barely existed, and when what did exist was clunky, ugly, complicated, and nightmarish to use (and mostly produced by no-name Taiwanese brands), Apple came out with their simple, sleek, beautiful solution that [at least claimed to] dispose of the user’s need for extreme technical savvy. Oh, and there were the mega-budget, hyper-slick advertising campaigns…

I think I know the answer - Sony score too many own-goals, and their design and UI are not what they used to be. They basically are left copying Apple, playing catch-up.

However, when you have a Sony MP3 player, with the Sony software on your computer, the experience is as good or better than using iPod/iTunes combination. However there is no link back to the Sony music catalog, or indeed any other source of information.

The latest rev of Windows Media Player is much prettier than iTunes, and they both do pretty much the same thing.

Remember, you’re not really the target audience.

I’ve watched people who maintain pages and pages of written notes in manual information systems pick up an iPod and start using it, and - shock horrow - go out and buy one.

I have also seen technically-savvy people struggle with crap cellphone UIs that are wired-up backwards, roll their eyes and give up.