Happy Birthday Walkman!
- Author: Faith-Ann Young
- Posted on: Wednesday July 1, 2009 at 3:00 PM
- Filed under: sony, walkmen, exclusive, music
(Photo via BBC)
This week is the 30th birthday of the Sony Walkman - that glorious hunk of metal that first enabled people to walk and listen the music at one time, share mixtapes using two headphones, and practice to Jane Fonda work-out videos OUTSIDE. Since that fateful day, the walkmen evolved - first into sleeker, lighter-weight models, which were replaced by portable CD players, which in turn have been replaced by MP3 players and dime-sized i-pod shuffles.
Regardless, to commemorate the Walkman, BBC Magazine had a 13 year old boy experiment using a walkman for a week.
The result was hilarious. Some outtakes from the boy's commentary:
ON SIZE:
My dad had told me it was the iPod of its day.
He had told me it was big, but I hadn't realised he meant THAT big. It was the size of a small book.
The weight of the unit is enough to haul down a low-slung pair of combats.
ON FLIPPING THE TAPE:
It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape. I mistook the metal/normal switch on the Walkman for a genre-specific equaliser, but later I discovered that it was in fact used to switch between two different types of cassette.
ON SHUFFLE:
Another notable feature that the iPod has and the Walkman doesn't is "shuffle." But I managed to create an impromptu shuffle feature simply by holding down "rewind" and releasing it randomly - effective, if a little laboured.
(More commentary HERE.)
Even better? We thought we would show you a glimpse at the old Sony commercials. Priceless.
Happy Birthday Walkman!
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COMMENTS
“ happy birthday! ”
“ wow the walkman.... look how far we have come in just 30yrs ”
“ What a classic! I'm gonna get me one of those leotards! ”
“ Can't believe that I'm as old as the walkman!!! Ha back in the day you where ultra cool if you had one especially in red!!! ”
“ happy birthday to annalee too :) ”
“ Nice i had one and i loved it!!! happy bday walkman!! ”
“ Happy birthday ;) ”
“ i don't miss those at all :D the only things i do miss are the vinyls. ”
“ MY GREATEST MEMORIES OF ALL TIME WERE WHEN I BOUGTH A WALKMAN IN USA, AND RETURTNED TO MY HOME IN MEXICO LISTENING THE CHORUS LINE BROADWAY MUSICAL ON CASSETTE ON ME WAY HOME TO MEXICO, IN A BUS, AFTER SEEING THE PLAY IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS.........................MMMMMMMMMMMMM.........GREAT MEMORIES. THANKS JUSTIN......YOUY BROUGHT TEARS OF HAPPINESS TO MY EYES. ”
“ That was the height of technology. Try the "Playtape Player" for old school. A portable 8-track player. Now your mind is blown. ”
