With the introduction of the iTunes Store, which makes it easy to access content online,iPod music players became a must-have for audiophiles and their ilk. It combines a great storage capacity with user-centric features that makes it easy for 5year olds to use. The Apple iPod is still sleek (if “sleeker” today). The first Apple iPod was a small, sleek device that could manage a whole music library.
#PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER PORTABLE#
The Apple iPod completely revolutionized the portable music player landscape when it was released sometime in 2001. With time the MP3 audio player rendered its predecessors redundant because it offered much more than they did. Over time more companies went into its production, and so the designs and capacity continued to improve.
It is interesting to note the MP3’s humble beginnings: a paltry 32MB-64MB capacity device that allowed users to save some 6 to 12 songs on it. Technological advancements led to MP3 technology, and so sometime in 1997, Saehan Information Systems launched the flash-based MP3 player. This is where things got a whole lot more interesting. It also didn’t have great battery life.ĭespite these drawbacks, the Discman still offered a better sound quality output than the Walkman. While it was a great idea, it was a bit pricey and slightly cumbersome due to the size of the CDs.
The Discman was designed to be a mobile device that played audio CDs. Sometime in 1984, Sony decided to stretch the frontiers of portable music players by introducing the Sony Discman. We could say that the Walkman was the first truly portable music player there was. The Sony Walkman was retired in 2010 after selling well over 400million units. Some folks believe that it was the earliest lifestyle device that granted the user an excellent status at the time (similar to what the Apple iPod is today). Originally known as the “Sound-About” and “Stowaway,” in the US and UK, respectively, the Sony “Walkman” marked the first significant leap in the audio player industry. By 1963, Phillips invented the cassette tape player, which allowed the user to play the music recorded on cassette tapes. Transistor radios were tiny, and they enabled people to explore music while moving around. We could trace the beginnings of the portable music player to 1954 when the first battery-powered transistor radio was created. Here’s where we take a look at how portable music players evolved over the years. The portable music players we have today have undergone (and are still undergoing) massive transformations. A perfect illustration would be the iPod touch. If you went shopping for a portable music player, you’d be offered a range of state-of-the-art devices with great designs, magical features, and of course, a music experience to die for. Do You Need An MP3 Player If You Have A Phone?.MP3 CD Players and MiniDisc MP3 Players.The History of the Portable Music Player.There are also arguments that boom boxes, cassette players, and the transistor radio should be included in the audio player class. On the other hand, DAPs can play various audio formats, including MP3s, lossy files, low-res, and hi-res.
Say, for instance, the differences between a DAP and your regular MP3 players.Īs the name suggests, MP3 players play MP3 files. Some folks go on to describe the distinctions among portable music players. The more recent and more popular type of portable music player would be the digital audio player (DAP), an electronic device built to store and play digital audio files. Different audio players range from battery-powered devices with pint-sized loudspeakers to personal devices that are best used with headphones. We will be diving into portable music players, but let’s attempt a simple definition before we get into that.Īs the name suggests, a portable music player is a mobile device that allows users to play music (or recorded audio files) while on the go. Portable music players have always been a big deal because of the quality of the sound experience. Yet none of all that trumps the immersion, privacy, and portability that portable music players offer. Listening to music at a concert, in your car, at a party, or in your living room can be a fulfilling experience.