..and on Connect Music Store as well

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=42039
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/ne...icle2357430.ece

Took them long enough.

Great news!
About time I would say...

It sucks for those that have a collection of music encoded in ATRAC. I could see them stopping development of the CODEC, but I don't understand dropping it cold. I moved on from ATRAC a year ago, so I'm not affected, but I would have been upset if I was eagerly waiting for Sony's new walkman.

Thankfully I moved onto LAME mp3 for use with my iPod and Squeezebox.

Anyone could have seen this coming.

I like the engadget headline: "So long ATRAC, thanks for nothing"

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/30/so-long...nks-for-nothing

ATRAC was of no interest to me. The only time I even downloaded anything from Connect.com was for ten free songs that were offered on a couple of packs of Sony CD-R's and even that wasn't worth the trouble.

I like the looks of Sony's Walkman from that article link, however with F-Secure stating Sony is still using Rootkits makes me very leary of buying anything from Sony that can hook up directly to my PC which would use their software and hardware.

Not many will cry over the death of Sonic Stage either. Surprisingly, WMA is supported in their new line of players, AFAIK, and they have a build in USB 2.0 plug, and drag and drop from explorer. Not very intriguing though, as everyone else has this.

edit: look at their new walkman's at Sony Hong Kong

Cue morons transcoding their ATRAC collection to mp3.

It's a shame minidisc.org forums aren't working (ATM, at least). The moaning there would be reaching tidal proportions.

Woodinville: Takes off hat, holds over heart, and mumbles quietly "fairwell, we never should have known thee".