Sony Walkman D-F415 Personal CD Player

I purchased the D-F415 about a year ago in response to an article I read in "The Detroit News" proclaiming it to be virtually impossible to skip. As the owner of a Jeep Wrangler, which is not known for a smooth ride, this was particularly important to me. I also travel quite a bit, so I was also drawn to the feature of having both the CD player and radio in one unit. The unit worked well for about six months when, for some unknown reason, it would stop working when it simply touched, moved, or placed down gently on any surface. I had to return it twice for repair, both times going to the Sony repair facility in Michigan, before they finally fixed it. The first time it was returned with a note saying, "Make sure the batteries are fresh." Duh. The skip protection was better before it broke than after the repair. I use this player nearly every day and, overall, am generally satisfied with it. I am still looking, however, for a reasonably priced (under $200) CD player/radio that absolutely, positively, without question does not skip. A good unit, but not great.