Written on 10 Feb 2005.

When cassette tapes slowly fell out of style, there was no question as to what would replace them. The Compact Disc, or CD, had already begun to infiltrate the market. Walkman, a combination AM/FM radio and cassette tape player, was a device made by Sony so that anyone could take their music with them. Being on top of their market, Sony released the Discman. Some came with belt clips, but most were meant for stationary use. Some were even mounted in cars on shock-absorbing devices to prevent the dreaded CD-skip. Even as their technology advanced – electronic skip protection, bass boost, ability to re-charge batteries while plugged in, ability to read CD-RW’s, and now the ability to read data CD’s with music files on them – their shape and design remained essentially the same.

Sony, as well as its competitors, seem to have completely abandoned the tried and true design. The straight back, holding the hinge for the top cover panel. The straight sides from back to front. The curved front panel with its central LCD layout, surrounded by all of the buttons and dials necessary for all of the unit’s functions. The panel to access the batteries on the bottom. No matter the brand, your portable CD player essentially looked like everybody else’s, despite stickers or painting. Until now.

I am amazed, as I see people studying, riding the bus, walking to class, when they pull out their CD players. It seems that there are as many designs, from the ground up, as there are people that own them. I admit that I’ve been out of the market, as my Methuselah Discman circa June 1997 still works beautifully. But, as I began to notice the changes wrought in those years, I began to smile. Apart from the custom airbrush paint job, my Discman is becoming as unique as the new designs. As the old models fail, it may truly become one of a kind, even before the next medium eclipses CD’s.