Walkman, at 30, a mystery to teen

[Spectre]

This Kinda Makes me feels Old.

What better way to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Sony's iconic Walkman than to ask a teenager for some feedback on the device?

The BBC couldn't think of one, and neither can I.

I like to imagine that the experience was similar to an archaeologist rediscovering how a recently excavated artifact was employed thousands of years ago. But I'm well aware that it must have been different for 13-year-old Scott Campbell, who co-edits his own news Web site. For one, teenage impatience must have stood in the place where I fantasize scientific curiosity should have been.

"My dad had told me it was the iPod of its day," Campbell wrote. "He had told me it was big, but I hadn't realized he meant that big. It was the size of a small book."

Sure enough, people on the street noticed the antique clinging from his belt with amusement and friends on his school bus were quick to come up with some witty remark.

Campbell went on to criticize the portable cassette player's size, appearance, functionality and the "hissy backtrack and odd warbly noises."

Even when he discovered the cassette had more music on the other side (it took him three days), Campbell was still disappointed it could only hold a small fraction of what an iPod can.

"Did my dad ... really ever think this was a credible piece of technology?"

Ouch.

I had one towards the end of the cassette era, but damn even i remember how to use em even today.

[Twist of Fate]

I suppose next you'll tell me the kid doesn't know what a VCR is...or that they play VHS tapes?

[Big Bizang]

Fucking punk kids.

[Aero]

oh he's 13 he probably never even had a personal cd player, straight to fuckin 512mb usb mp3 players and such the like, what do you expect... he does sound retarded tho

[jitz]

You really can't hold it against the kid. It's like 8 track to us. It was phased out before we were born, well except martin who was around to see the invention of music. Hell ask most people under 25 to play a vinyl and they will have no idea what the fuck they're doing. I don't think they talk about the history of music mediums in history classes at school.

[Aero]

yeah, ur right to a point, but he seems retarded if he doesnt realise that the thing HAD to be the size it was due to the size of the cassette and surely play/stop/fastforward etc are all on it with similar icons with that which are on his dvd remote?

never the less, cheers for erm.. essentially saying what my original point was but in greater detail

[Fozy]

Damn kids. I used to always use Vinyls, Cassettes, etc.

[Thom]

What an absolute little shit. How are kids supposed to appreciate technology if they don't understand it's evolution?

[Nemo]

i wonder how many people saw that and wondered why the skull looked so funny.