The Good Old Walkman Turns 30

I’m not one to spend time dwelling on getting older, but lately there have been a lot of reminders that the world is changing for my generation.  Icons and idols from my childhood are reaching milestones, or even passing away.  So, when I saw the headline about how the Sony Walkman has gotten old, it really caught my attention.  Turns out the Walkman had its 30th birthday on July 1.  Happy belated I guess.  Yet another icon from my youth.

Photo credit Neeku

Of course, the Walkman sounded its death knell long ago.  The BBC proved this in an experiment where they convinced a 13-year old to trade his iPod for a Walkman for a week.  I gather it turned out to be quite the learning experience for the kid, with lots of marveling about how clunky the technology was then.  No such thing as “shuffle” on a Walkman.  But at the time, it was “state of the art,” and at a retail price of $150, it wasn’t cheap.  In case you’re interested, adjusted for inflation, one would cost $495 today.  I’d guess MP3 players wouldn’t have nearly the market penetration if they cost as much now.

All that aside though, it’s really quite amazing how much the world has changed in the last 30-years.  In large part, the Walkman served as a catalyst for that change.  It was the first truly personal portable electronic device.  Compare that to my childhood memory of my parent’s floor stereo in the living room that played vinyl records and 8-track cassette tapes.  We moved it several times during its life-cycle and I can attest to the fact that it was a beast.  These days, most people’s home stereo consists of an iPod docking station.  Our lives have become ever-more portable.

Is it possible that we’ve lost something though?  While its true that I’m sitting here utilizing this great and wonderful technology, I feel like we should also be just a bit on our guard against being consumed by our own cleverness.  Manufacturers would like us to believe that advancing technology will make our lives easier, but I can’t say I observe that.  Instead, many of us become slaves to our ever-more portable lives.