The Walkman Craze
隨身聽風潮
Source: Personal Stereo
From: Taiwan WORD
Date: August 31, 2013
The personal stereo is a compact, lightweight, portable media player distinguished by the use of headphones to deliver audio. Sony’s Walkman is the archetypal example, with other brands including Japanese labels like Panasonic, domestic brands like Aiwa, European brands like Philips, and American brands like Apple, all witnessing the personal stereo’s rise and fall together. The earliest personal stereos offered only radio reception, tape playback, or recording functions; as electronics advanced, they became progressively smaller and diversified into many formats — CD, MiniDisc, MP3, MP4, and more. After the founding Sony Walkman dominated the market for twenty-five years, the personal stereo gradually lost its top market share position as Apple-led MP3 formats eroded sales.
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External Links
- Sony Walkman: How It Completely Changed the Way We Listen to Music on the Go (Sony Official Website)
- Besides the iPhone and the Walkman, Which Other Digital Products Defined Their Era? (Yidu)
- 30 Years of Record Industry Evolution (Middle of Nowhere Blog)
- Monday Sound Object — Ma Shih-fang: The Walkman (Books.com.tw Reading Life)