I think it is still not late for me to wish Happy Birthday to Sony Walkman that reached its 30 years old age on last 1-July-2009. For your info, Sony Corp. launched this phenomenon exactly 30 years ago which was on 1st of July 1979. Just nearly one years after I was born. I remember during my school time especially during my secondary school, this is the only coolest and magnificent piece of machine that everybody envy to have. The only rival is the small brand called Aiwa, that at last was bought over by Sony.

For your info, Sony company which started out in 1946 sell the first Walkman model TPS-L2 in Japan in 1979. Prior to that, the Sony co-chairman and co-founder, Akio Morita, already had this vision to build this gadget when he wanted to listen to operas during his frequent plane trips without bothering others. So, in 1978, Nobutoshi Kihara, an audio division engineer manage to think out of the box and give birth to this awesome gadget in the entire planet and galaxy at that time. HAIL CASSETTE PLAYER!!! And the result: 385 million unit of it has already been sold in this 30 years!

Now, Sony Corp is really struggling with its business. This company loss around $1.02 billion dollar in the fiscal year ended March this year. And this is its first annual loss in 14 years!!! I think that Sony company is dying, slowly and slowly… The Walkman branding is already “dinasour” and nearly obsolete and the image is not cool enough for this new century. iPod branding already left them far, far away. Only PS3 and PSP can save Sony at this moment. I dunno what Howard Stringer, Sony Chief Executive Officer, plan will be in the next decade before reaching its 40th birthday.

Anyway, I wish I still had those blue color Walkman that my father bought in 1985 just for the sake of remembering the memory of having that useful gadget and listening to Sudirman and Alleycats music from cassette. For more information regarding the 30th anniversary of Sony Walkman, you can visit:

1) The Star article, “Sony struggling as Walkman hits 30th anniversary“.
2) Chatter Box, “Happy 30th Birthday, Walkman“.
3) Wikipedia, “Walkman“. History and Sony Walkman old model.