I inherited this mp3 player two years ago, after my Creative Zen decided to break. My sister had just gotten an iPod, and had no need for it any more. It is flawed, but has served me well all the same.

People are constantly asking if it's some kind of newfangled smartphone, given that it looks nothing like the iPods that everyone rocks these days. Part of me is happy to be original and different with my Walkman, but I often do wish for the functionality of Apple's superior hardware.

The NW-A3000 comes in at 20GB, which is more than enough capacity for my needs, usually. Granted, every month or so I refresh my music on it, but for the most part it's a functional library. Where it falls short is in its more practical functionality. The software is a bit sluggish to respond, and there is a delay in moving to and through the menu options. This is a minor gripe, however, and more annoyingly, there does not seem to be any way to delete music off the Walkman without plugging it into a computer. This becomes an issue when I realise that I have the full discography of Glee on there, moments before plugging it into the speakers at a party. 'Shuffle All' be damned.

Also, when accessing the Walkman with a computer, you need specialised software to do so. Windows Media Player will add music to the player, but will not actually convert it to a playable format. In essence you're left with a full hard drive, but no music available. The software is free, but a bit of a hassle, especially if not using your own computer.

These are all manageable drawbacks given the disparity in price between the NW-A3000 and an iPod, but ensures that this Walkman feels particularly dated. The player is also quite heavy, but exercise is good for you.

At the end of the day, the hardware is ancient, by today's standards, but you knew that before reading this review. Still, it seems relatively shock-proof, and if you, like me, enjoy being challenged by your gadgets, this is a good match for you.