Sony Stops Production Of Cassette Walkman

Sony announced that it has ceased production of cassette Walkmans, first introduced in 1979.

Switched highlights the history of the Walkman:

[T]he portable tape player defined the following 10-plus years of mobile music playback. It was even a leader in the era of optical media, with its Walkman line of portable CD players eventually known as Discman. But in the era of the iPod, the brand name has diminished in value. Radios and digital media players still go by the name Walkman, but the moniker has always referred to the tape-playing model in the collective mind. And as Sony announced that it shipped its last batch of tape-playing Walkmen back in April, we couldn't help shed a tear for the ubiquitous '80s gadget.

According to Slashgear, you'll still be able to find the Walkman, but not in the United States: "In fact, Chinese manufacturers are still licensed to produce Walkmans, which will continue to be sold in Asia and the Middle-East. "

Did you have a Walkman? Share your memories of the device below.

Comments

[sigh-ence]

11:04 AM on 10/27/2010

Oh man I thought I was so cool with that bright yellow one. I'd wear that thing when I walked to school (then the Discman). I loved the ability to take it with me and pretend I was cooler than I was. lol

RIP, Walkman.

[Mark Montgomery]

03:38 PM on 10/26/2010

Yep. Used mine while skiing. Had one that even had small external speakers on it.

[KarateKid]

09:53 AM on 10/26/2010

Sony has not been the same as when Akio Morita was the CEO. Their products, at one time the paradigm, has been going downhill for a long time. I won't buy anything Sony anymore.

[Nicole Dixson]

01:47 AM on 10/26/2010

All good things must come to an end. Farewell, sweet Walkman.

[MIKEinNYC]

10:41 PM on 10/25/2010

The Walkman gave me tinnitus. Thanks SONY.

[Tunghoy]

05:12 PM on 10/25/2010

I remember how cool I felt in college when I bought one of those new things. It was bigger than a Stephen King paperback, about 3 times as heavy, and I wore it on my belt.

[bwright85]

04:17 PM on 10/25/2010

-the excitment of feeling like the music was right there in your ear wherever you went
-taking the time to rewind a whole song to hear it over again
-listening to mix tapes on it
-having to buy batteries for it every two weeks cause it ate them like crazy
-sneaking your older brother or sister's to listen to because you didn't have one of your own
-the huge obnoxious headphones you had to wear
-knowing when it was getting worn out because the play button would pop up on it's own or some buttons would get stuck
-finally replacing it with a portable CD player :)

[Jerome Morrow]

04:08 PM on 10/25/2010

Growing up in rural Missouri, I couldn't even afford one of these. It was always the 'rich' kids that had one. I didn't even know they still made these!

I'm addicted to my iphone though. All my music goes through it...

[howitis]

01:51 PM on 10/25/2010

Didn't realize they still made these.

An interesting use for one is as an iPod cover. (http://www.retropod.com/) Too bad sony shut it down.

[JoeCap]

06:42 PM on 10/25/2010

That link was cool. Thanks.

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

12:07 PM on 10/25/2010

the "mixtape" lexicon will never die

[heroine addict]

12:05 PM on 10/25/2010

I have owned 4 different iPod mp3 players over the years, each has taken more abuse than I can believe and still continued to perform beautifully. I had dozens of Walkmans, each of which broke before it lost the shine on it's casing.

So RIP walkman, the template for one of the most lifechanging products of my generation!

[bradwestley]

10:43 AM on 10/25/2010

Hey, it's a collector's heaven!

[rystew2040]

10:39 AM on 10/25/2010

For the past few years I've noticed the "trendy hipsters" in NYC, especially Brooklyn, trying to be cool and ironic by wearing cassette walkmans. The first time I saw someone using it on the subway a couple years ago I couldn't believe my eyes. Here I was listening to my 160GB Video I-pod and some kid 10 years younger was listening to a walkman. The trend seems to have picked up actually. You could probably do fairly well trying to sell your old walkman to some hipsters.

[General Public]

12:17 PM on 10/25/2010

Sorry, I go around with an original Edison Spring Motor Phonograph made in late 1895. People into cassette tapes or vinyl records are only doing it because it's popular.

[doce2000]

05:39 PM on 10/25/2010

fanned and faved! : )

[spencer hunt]

10:16 PM on 10/25/2010

that is awesome

[NHBill]

10:31 AM on 10/25/2010

I have 4 or 5 used if anyone wants one.

[Aldyth]

09:53 AM on 10/25/2010

The end of a technological era.