The Sony Walkman Changed Listening

The Sony Walkman is a portable audio player brand manufactured since 1979. Akio Morita positioned the device toward young buyers.

Sony predicted sales of 5,000 units monthly. The metal-cased TPS-L2 sold over 30,000 in two months. The metal casing apparently held the math together.

Overseas companies objected to the Japanese-English name. Sony used Sound-about in the United States and Stowaway in the UK.

Andreas Pavel designed a belt-worn player called the Stereobelt. Sony settled his suit with a reported low eight figure payment.

British newspapers called Morita Sir Sony Walkman when he was knighted.

By 2010 cumulative sales reached around 400 million units. Apple's iPod limited international sales during the digital era.

Since 2011, the brand refers exclusively to digital flash memory players.