Sony is tired of having its butt kicked by Apple in the portable audio market. The iPod has consistently thwarted any attempt by Sony to grab a foothold on the market even after several valiant attempts. Sales figures show that Apple sold almost twice as many music players in the first three months of 2006 than Sony did in all of the previous fiscal year. According to a top Sony executive, the company is ready to take another jab at the venerable iPod. Whether those punches deliver any serious damage remain to be seen.

Sony is hoping to launch the new series of players in time for the Holiday '06 buying season; right about the time when the company's highly anticipated PlayStation 3 is due to hit shelves around the world. The new music players also promise to focus heavily on design and battery life. From Digital Tokyo World:

Apple has a commanding lead in the music player market and is particularly strong in the U.S., where it's estimated to command more than 80 percent market share. Sony has tried to unseat Apple in that market before with little success, and its recently launched A-series Walkman digital music players are on sale only in Japan and Europe.