iPod + iTrip + Sony Ericsson W800i = Makeshift ROKR

We just discovered a neat little hack for the Sony Ericsson W800i. I’ve found that having an FM radio built-in to your phone can be fun. Hell, other than trying to take out the Memory Stick, there’s little about the Walkman that isn’t fun. Still, I was having a bit of ROKR envy when I realized that the answer is there, plain as day. I proceeded to tune the radio in the phone to my iTrip (the FM transmitter for the iPod) station, and bingo - all 20GB of my iPod tracks were ready to be played on the W800i. I must have sat there slackjawed for a minute or two as I marvelled at the little surprise. Sure, it’s a hack, and not the same as the real thing, but the phone does cut off the radio when a call comes in. It won’t pause the song, obviously, but otherwise, the functionality is just about the same. The quality is also not as good as a native MP3 player, but it’s more than tolerable - especially knowing that I am not limited to 100 songs.

It’s pretty clear now that the ROKR is a still-born platform. Sadly, it’s still going to sell, because people just don’t realize that there are better, less crippled options available.