From the Wall Street Journal:
Threatened by Apple Inc.'s growing stable of portable devices, Sony Corp. is developing a new lineup of handheld products, including a smart phone capable of downloading and playing videogames, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Japanese electronics giant also is developing a portable device that shares characteristics of netbooks, electronic-book readers and handheld-game machines. The device is designed to compete against multifunction products such as Apple's coming iPad tablet, these people said.
Both the new smart phone and the multifunction device are expected to work with Sony's new online media platform, due to launch later this month.
How the mighty have fallen. Remember not too long ago - okay maybe about 15 or 20 years ago - when Sony made the flat-out coolest stuff on Earth? Everybody wanted a Sony Discman or boombox or TV or game console or... anything. It's sad that they're relegated now to playing the "me too! me too!" game to Apple like so many other formerly powerhouse companies.
When are these companies going to learn that they can't copy their way into beating Apple? That's not entirely true, actually. They do have to copy what Apple did to get where it is today. They need to come up with great products again that people actually want to use. They need to innovate, not just come up with an also-ran product and slap their name on it. A Sony (or a Microsoft or a feel-free-to-insert-a-company-name-here) has to stand for something in people's minds.
And the last thing we need is another online media platform, especially from Sony. They would be wiser to adopt another platform and add their weight to it.
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