~80's iPod~

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8117619.stm

BBC Magazine gave 13-year-old Scott Campbell a gen-one Walkman in place of his MP3 player for a week, then gathered his impressions on the device: It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape. That was not the only naive mistake that I made; 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.

Another notable feature that the iPod has and the Walkman doesn't is "shuffle", where the player selects random tracks to play. Its a function that, on the face of it, the Walkman lacks. But I managed to create an impromptu shuffle feature simply by holding down "rewind" and releasing it randomly - effective, if a little laboured.

I told my dad about my clever idea. His words of warning brought home the difference between the portable music players of today, which don't have moving parts, and the mechanical playback of old. In his words, "Walkmans eat tapes". So my clumsy clicking could have ended up ruining my favourite tape, leaving me music-less for the rest of the day.

1: Clunky buttons

2: Switch to metal (that's a type of cassette, not heavy rock music)

3: Battery light - usually found flickering in its death throes

4: Double headphone jack (not to be found on an iPod)

5: Door ejects - watch out for flying tapes and eye injuries

I still remember having the walkman (can't really remember what the brand was..probably Philips) and it was the coolest gadget during that ages (late 80's & early 90's). Carrying around while listening to self-recorded songs (which were dubbed from either radio or another cassetes) and although it is quite bulky, nobody ever questioned about it. If u own a walkman, u are following the trend on that time :)

It is true that walkman "eat" tapes. Always got a problem when tape stuck between the rollers inside it. U have to take the cassete out & carefully pull the stuck "tali kaset" in between the rollers (so that u won't break the line....something it happens too despite how careful u are & u have to joint the "tali kaset" using sellotape).

I use rechargeable battery to enjoy listening to music & have to use "economical" methods to save the battery life: use ball pens as "rewind/fast forward" mechanisms. U have to repeatedly playing around with the rewind/fast forward button in order to get to the song u want to listen (no shuffle function though).

Can't remember where my walkman have gone. It could be something nostalgic and antiques nowadays and could be sell as the rare items on eBay. Wonder if there is still anybody carrying it around today...