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NEWS > TECHNOLOGY > DOZENS LEFT IN THE LURCH AS SONY SUDDENLY CEASES WALKMAN PRODUCTION
DOZENS LEFT IN THE LURCH AS SONY SUDDENLY CEASES WALKMAN PRODUCTION
October 25 2010
Tokyo, Japan – There was a time, a long, long time ago when listening to music had to be done at home. The idea of portable music had been tried as far back as the 1950’s with miniature transistor radios but those early devices, which also included 
portable turntables and even compact cassette players, were still large and clunky with very poor sound quality. That all changed in 1979 when Sony introduced the Walkman, and changed the course of music history forever.
Perhaps quaint by today’s standards, the Walkman was the only way to listen to music for more than a decade. Its revolutionary design would quickly become the standard for portable music, design standards that can be seen even in music players that came after it, devices such as the Discman and modern MP3 players. Time though has not been kind to this revolutionary product with imitators and successors taking much of the thunder from the originator leading to major declines in sales for the players and the cassettes they play. Now it appears that the final death knell has been laid to the humble Walkman after Sony, the creator of the device, announced that it had already ceased production of the Walkman, leaving dozens of die-hards out in the cold.
“We shipped the last batch of Walkman devices to retailers in April. This is considered the end of the line for these devices and we will no longer be producing the devices. They will no longer be available for purchase from us once this stock is depleted,” said a Sony spokesperson. “We have been on a remarkable journey with the Walkman and we would like to thank it for its many wonderful years of service. The world has moved on since the Walkman was first introduced but all these devices owe great debt of gratitude to this machine, as do we at Sony. We wish the device nothing but good will as it enters into the final journey.”
It’s believed that all existing Walkman’s will continue to operate as normal.
“This is really a sad time for all those people who garnered so much enjoyment from the music that came through the Walkman. I still remember getting y first one, carrying so proudly on my belt and showing it off to all my friends. That was probably about ’85 and I was the only one on the street with one. I also remember dropping it on the sidewalk and feeling like an idiot for being so proud,” said Scrape TV Technology analyst Ken Kevins. “Even in their time, cassettes were annoying but they were by far the best thing we had. That technology really changed the music industry, on both sides. Music as an event really changed with portability and became more of a consumable. That changed the business and the art of music, whether for good or ill we will never really know.”
Despite declines in North America, cassettes have remained relatively vital in Europe and Japan. 
“It’s really sad to see these devices come to an end but I guess it’s about time. I can’t think of a single person I know that even has an old one of these sitting around, never mind someone who actually uses one. I mean it’s hard to look cool sitting on the bus with those huge foam earphones,” continued Kevins. “That said, there is still a significant group of people who buy these devices, people who collect and people who have been hesitant to get on the digital bandwagon. While I’ve never heard a single person claim that cassettes provide better sound than other forms, like vinyl, I think there is a great deal of hesitation because they don’t know if digital music is here to stay. I mean it’s been here since 1984, but still you never know.”
A small group of American supporters sent a letter to Sony regarding the demise of the Walkman. It’s expected to reach Tokyo in two weeks or so.
Martin Philton, Technology Correspondent
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