SONY has just launched a new player minus the sonic stage software that has limited Sony players to a proprietary file format. By doing so, this new product from Sony now supports playback of MP3 and WMA DRM and non-DRM audio files downloaded from multiple sources, This is a smart move as it is now a desirable player.

Weighing less than 2 ounces, but with the capacity to store up to 5,050 songs, 8 hours of video or hundreds of photographs, the 8GB Walkman® Video MP3 player has pretty much everything and still fits in your pocket. The sleek,compact design has an expensive feel and the 1.8″ screen is big and bright with a 320 x 240 screen resolution. The user interface is intuitive, so it’s easy to switch from playlists to FM radio or photos or video playback. Reasonably long battery life, too.

Now we just have to wait for it to hit Australian stores.