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Sony has now introduced its new Walkman 26 years after the original one that began the portable music trend was released. The new Walkman may just give Apple's iPod a run for its money.

It comes in two capacities - a 20GB version and a 6GB version. Features include the "My Favorite Shuffle" function, which automatically selects the 100 most listened to songs and plays them randomly, and the "Time Machine Shuffle" function, which selects a year, and randomly plays songs from that year. As explained in a press release,

Featuring an advanced organic EL display (2 inches on the 20GB NW-A3000 version and 1.5 inches on the 6GB NW-A1000 model), Sony Walkman not only incorporates a range of great features, it also offers the ultimate in ease of use through an appealing user interface and fantastic visibility.

Once switched on, a mobile phone style 'Home' menu appears offering nine different options that can be selected via the four-way directional button. These include 'Music Library,' 'Play Mode,' 'Initial Search,' 'Intelligent Shuffle,' 'Favorite 100,' 'Play History,' 'Settings,' 'Playlist' and 'Now Playing.'

"We are raising the bar with the new Sony Walkman," said Sony Europe General Manager Gregory Kukolj. "These stunning new MP3 players will be instantly appealing to both style followers and technology-minded individuals alike."

Sony offers a library of 1,000,000 songs through its Connect catalogue, and is reportedly in talks with Apple to offer songs through iTunes.

Chris is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.