Big, Bad, Beautiful Sony

[tech]

I must admit it: I'm a total sucker for Sony designs. I think their electronics are simply the sexiest in the world. Lately, I'd been eyeing their flash memory MP3 players, especially the NW-E507. I'm not going to provide a link to that (do a search and you can find information on it easily enough anyway).

Here's the thing. From what I understand, most of Sony's so-called MP3 players don't natively play MP3s. You need to use their proprietary file transfer software that, presumably, converts your MP3 into a file that the player can read. Either that, or it's intended to enforce proper "digital rights management." Windows has perfectly good drivers for accessing removable drives, but that's obviously not good enough for Sony.

As if it weren't bad enough that Sony seems to harbour a truly venomous disdain for open standards and cross-compatibility, now, there's the infamous rootkit. I have a large library of MP3s ripped from store-bought CDs that I feel I should be allowed to play, without having a multinational corporation looking over my shoulder. Needless to say, this all doesn't sit well with me.

There has been a call for a boycott of the CDs in question. Well, I'm going to take it further. With a heavy heart, I've decided to boycott all Sony products (that is to say, no new purchases) until I see some kind of admission of wrongdoing at the corporate level.

Still, I'm so enslaved by the Sony Style(TM) that I find myself making excuses for them. If it were any other company, the black mark would be indelible. But because it's Sony, I'm all too eager to wash it off. I really want to feel that gorgeous E507 sitting in my hand. But no. I'd be willing to live with the half-assed MP3 support, but this rootkit business is too much. I'm not going to give in.