Portable Audio Player History
Portable audio players are mobile devices able to play digital music. There are several varieties of portable audio player that include MP3 players, cell phones, boomboxes and mini-disk players. Technically a digital voice recorder might fall into the portable audio category as well, but its a term generally considered for musical accessories.
Todays generation takes current portable audio players for granted without realizing the stages that technology had to move through in order for them to have the players they enjoy today. Not so long ago the only form of portable music available to older generations was the AM/FM radio. It wasnt until the early 1970s that the emergence of the 8-track cassette gave people the first taste of being able to take music with them in their cars. These bulky cassettes resembled VHS video tapes and the technology used to record music tracks left a lot to be desired. Not only did the spool track-readers clunk and whir audibly over the sound of the music, but the lengthy silence between each track as the readers shifted from one to the next was unwelcome.
By the time the 1980s was underway, the cassette had developed into the smaller cassette tape. These quickly took over the 8-track as they were able to fit more music tracks and offered better quality sound. Able to fit into a protective case no bigger than a pack of cards, cassette tapes were also used in the first truly portable audio players. These were called walkmans and allowed people to listen to music anywhere they went by attaching headphones to the players. Boomboxes were also popular during the late 1980s, which were portable stereo systems with inbuilt cassette players.
By 1988 compact discs had arrived on the market. These digital discs meant that music lovers no longer had to spend time rewinding or fast forwarding unwieldy cassette tapes to find the track they wanted to listen to. Compact discs also didnt have the problems of the tape breaking or wearing out or coming off the spools. They were also much smaller than the unwieldy, fragile vinyl records.
The only real drawback to the compact disc was the fact that sporting enthusiasts couldnt enjoy portable music with the CD walkman as the laser light reading device was easily jolted, causing the music tracks to skip or jitter. For people wanting to jog or cycle or skate, then the cassette player, like the walkman, remained the portable audio device of choice.
During the 1990s, advances in computer technology and the accompanying storage devices saw the advent of the MP3 music file. People began listening to digital files directly through their computers.
Manufacturers quickly realized that MP3 files and flash memory sticks had the capacity to create the first truly indestructible portable audio player that didnt suffer any of the drawbacks of its predecessors. Thus the MP3 player was born. No bigger than a pack of gum and able to continue playing music files even during heavy activity like cycling or jogging, MP3 players became truly portable. Able to store entire music libraries of music and with the ability to transfer files on and off the device easily meant that these portable audio players enjoyed a rise in popularity previously unseen. - 18758
Todays generation takes current portable audio players for granted without realizing the stages that technology had to move through in order for them to have the players they enjoy today. Not so long ago the only form of portable music available to older generations was the AM/FM radio. It wasnt until the early 1970s that the emergence of the 8-track cassette gave people the first taste of being able to take music with them in their cars. These bulky cassettes resembled VHS video tapes and the technology used to record music tracks left a lot to be desired. Not only did the spool track-readers clunk and whir audibly over the sound of the music, but the lengthy silence between each track as the readers shifted from one to the next was unwelcome.
By the time the 1980s was underway, the cassette had developed into the smaller cassette tape. These quickly took over the 8-track as they were able to fit more music tracks and offered better quality sound. Able to fit into a protective case no bigger than a pack of cards, cassette tapes were also used in the first truly portable audio players. These were called walkmans and allowed people to listen to music anywhere they went by attaching headphones to the players. Boomboxes were also popular during the late 1980s, which were portable stereo systems with inbuilt cassette players.
By 1988 compact discs had arrived on the market. These digital discs meant that music lovers no longer had to spend time rewinding or fast forwarding unwieldy cassette tapes to find the track they wanted to listen to. Compact discs also didnt have the problems of the tape breaking or wearing out or coming off the spools. They were also much smaller than the unwieldy, fragile vinyl records.
The only real drawback to the compact disc was the fact that sporting enthusiasts couldnt enjoy portable music with the CD walkman as the laser light reading device was easily jolted, causing the music tracks to skip or jitter. For people wanting to jog or cycle or skate, then the cassette player, like the walkman, remained the portable audio device of choice.
During the 1990s, advances in computer technology and the accompanying storage devices saw the advent of the MP3 music file. People began listening to digital files directly through their computers.
Manufacturers quickly realized that MP3 files and flash memory sticks had the capacity to create the first truly indestructible portable audio player that didnt suffer any of the drawbacks of its predecessors. Thus the MP3 player was born. No bigger than a pack of gum and able to continue playing music files even during heavy activity like cycling or jogging, MP3 players became truly portable. Able to store entire music libraries of music and with the ability to transfer files on and off the device easily meant that these portable audio players enjoyed a rise in popularity previously unseen. - 18758
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