Axehole

Say No to Crack, clearly a reliable source, reports that Sony has conceded defeat in the gadget wars, and has created the WalkPod to get part of the booming iPod market.

One Sony USA Executive couldn’t contain himself when I asked him to share his perspective on the new cross-functional music platform:

We realize that the chic retro trend is here to stay, so what could be more appropriate than mixing a classic Sony Walkman with an Apple iPod? Now I can listen to my Belinda Carlisle tapes using the same gadget that my grandson bops to K-Fed. That’s totally wicked.

We also added this super neat read-ahead feature that allows listeners to save tapes to memory. This means that I can switch tapes without stopping the music! I realize this device will likely kill off our strong traditional Walkman sales, but sacrificing the division (and the intern who leads it) for front page press in prestigious newspapers and blogs seems worth the loss.

Sony expects to sell “hundreds” of these devices within the first year, effectively doubling their music player sales.

More WalkPod images on Flickr.