WALKMANS IN GENERAL - STILL IMPORTANT (Sony WM-EX162)

Member Name: danwilkie

Product:	Sony WM-EX162
Date:	27/10/01 (463 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Radio, You can record onto tape

Disadvantages: Can't have a playlist

In today’s modern world, with new technology developing all the time, we now have MP3 players, Mini-Disc players and CD players, so surely now cassettes are a thing of the past, and all walkmans are now insignificant and left with a life that consists of sitting in a draw gathering dust. Wrong!

All of these new ways of listening to audio files are great, each with it’s own unique advantages:

*MP3 player*
With an MP3 player you don’t need to buy a copy of the track you want to listen to, you can simply download the MP3 file for free on the Internet and then enjoy the tune on your MP3 player. Also, MP3s do not physically exist and therefore do not take up any storage space.

*CD player*
A CD player allows tracks to be skipped between at your convenience and also allows tracks to be repeated or play-listed so that you can customise the music that you listen to.

*Mini-Disc player*
Mini-Disc players allow you to record from the radio or a CD, and then play it back CD-style with the ability to skip between tracks, repeat tracks and create a play-list.

However, nothing is perfect, so now let’s take a look at the disadvantages of these three devices:

*MP3 player*
You cannot buy MP3 files in shops, so accessing music requires an internet connection and the equipment needed to transfer data from your PC to your MP3 player. Also, MP3 players tend not to include a radio function.

*CD player*
You cannot record onto CDs unless you have a CD-rewriter, an expensive piece of kit, and again portable CD players tend not to have a radio function.

*Mini-Disc player*
Mini-Discs cannot be bought with music on them; instead you must record from the radio or a CD, which can be inconvenient. Also, Mini-Disc players don’t allow you to listen to the radio.

So each of the above technological advances has flaws that a simple cassette player (or Walkman as I will
call it from now on with much affection) can account for. None of the portable versions of the above three devices allow you to listen to the radio, however most walkmans offer AM and FM radio, which proves very useful for sport fans in particular, more on that later. Also, a useful feature of Mini-Discs, being able to record onto them, is missing on CD players and MP3 players, and similarly an important feature of CDs, being able to buy music, is missing on a Mini-Disc player and an MP3 player. Both of these features are present with cassettes, so although the new technology is good, nothing is perfect and all three of the aforementioned devices lack qualities that you can find in good old cassettes.

Like all good things, cassettes do have their disadvantages, I mean, they are outdated and it is not so easy t find music to buy on cassette now, as more and more people are buying CDs. Also, cassettes can only be played and rewound/fast-forwarded, you cannot skip between tracks or create a play-list, which proves annoying as to select your favourite tracks you need to rewind and fast-forward all the time.

I hope I’ve convinced you that the new audio technology of today may be good, but none of it is 100% better than cassettes, and if you want something that allows you to buy music, play recorded music, and listen to the radio, your best bet is a good old cassette player. Of course, when you are on the move, many people find that it is important to have a cassette player with you so that you can listen to sport coverage on the radio or so that you can fight boredom on long journeys by listening to music, so it is a good idea to get yourself a Walkman.

Both of these examples apply to me, regularly I find myself out and about on a Saturday, and so being a dedicated Arsenal fan I rely on my walkman to listen to the football scores coming in on Radio 5 Live. Also, on several holidays to Cornwall that involve more than 6 hours in a car (we a
re allowed a break to pee), I keep myself entertained by recording my latest CD albums onto cassette and then listening to them on my Walkman. For these reasons, I don’t think I’d be able to survive without my good old Walkman, so I am living proof that these devices are still important in today’s modern world.

IN CONCLUSION

Walkmans have several advantages over the newer portable audio systems, as with a walkman you can listen to bought music, recorded music, and radio, so if a combination of all of those features is vital to you, as it is to me, then a Walkman is still the best option.

Thanks for reading, you can contact me by emailing danwilkie777@hotmail.com

Comments welcome

Dan

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