Sony retires Walkman tape decks

Posted on 25 Oct 2010 at 14:31

Sony has officially closed its doors to one of the company's most iconic creations: the Sony Walkman is no more.

According to a report in The New York Post, Sony has confirmed that it has ceased manufacturing the analogue cassette players, deciding that the digital age has well and truly dawned.

The Sony Walkman launched in 1979, and was one of the first portable music devices that meant people could listen to their favourite tunes on the go and in private - a major distinction from the then-popular 'boombox' portable stereos.

Since its launch, Sony has sold over 220 million Walkman cassette players, and it has proven untiringly successful with fans buying replacements for their worn-out units even now.

For those who still enjoy the honest hiss of an analogue cassette, there is some light at the end of the tunnel: while Sony won't be making any more Walkmans, the company reports that it will be outsourcing "some manufacturing" to an unnamed Chinese company to keep the devices around for some time to come.

For now, however, it looks like Sony is ceding the market to the digital generation, replacing the iconic boxy design with its latest range of Walkman-brand smartphones, created in partnership with mobile specialist Ericsson. A 31-year run is good for any technology product, but perhaps it truly is time to say goodbye to Sony's most enduring of brands.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

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