Walkman - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

Uses

The wandering digital audios can store and restore only sounds and music. They are commonly called wandering MP3 in reference to the first known format of files audionumerical of the general public, MP3.

In addition to the reading of files of music, the walkmans digital audios can be used to listen to radio programs (for example in the form of Podcast S), of the audio books and any kind of audio contents digitized, like scientific talks or courses. Several audio contents can be downloaded free on Internet.

The more advanced walkmen can reproduce, in addition to the audio, other types of digitized contents, like the vidéos and the photographs. One generally indicates them under the name of wandering multimedias (or PMP, Portable Multi-media Player in English).

Certain walkmen lay out of additional functions like the audio recording (for a use as Dictaphone for example) or the tuner FM (to listen to the radio).

The walkmans provided with Memory flash or a Hard drive can behave like key USB and be used as Mass memory (see the other types of mass memories in the table opposite) . It is then possible to use a walkman as unit of Sauvegarde and to transport files of a computer to another.

Components

The main components of a walkman are:

a storage unit intended to safeguard the files. It consists of components of Mémoire flash, a Hard drive or sometimes of a CD-ROM. The walkmans with memory flash are more compact than the hard drive walkmans and generally have a lower storage capacity (usually between 256 Mo and 8 Go, is approximately 40 to 2000 songs). The readers with hard drive count several Go of memory. They are generally more expensive and have a more sophisticated interface to facilitate the management of the data.

a Processor specialized in the digital-analog conversion associated with an Amplifying audio.

a compartment for the Batteries or a battery to allow an autonomous operation.

an interface of communication with a computer (connector USB or FireWire, connection Bluetooth or WiFi, etc).

Of the control knobs and generally a control screen. On the walkmans multi-media, the screen is larger to allow the visualization of the vidéos and the images.

an audio catch for ear-phones.

History

Musical storage numerical general public appears in 1982, when Philips and Sony markets the Compact disk (CD) and shares the royalties. But the marriage of the two giants will be of short duration, because in the middle of the the Nineties, each one wants to impose a new support, which is this recordable time. After the failure of the cassette DAT of Sony, Philips tries all the same to launch DCC, another cassette with band with its numerical (the traditional cassettes are analogical). In same time, Sony tries to impose a new support: the MiniDisc. It is simple small a magneto-optical Disque, locked up in a case of protection. MiniDisc is still marketed today whereas Philips has adopted the marketing of the DCC for a few years.

To make hold as much music on Minidisc than on traditional CD, Sony had to compress the sound, i.e. to eliminate all that the human ear cannot hear. With final, one obtains a result very close to the original music. Sold expensive, the MiniDisc readers will remain a long time reserves with a " élite". Moreover, the albums with this format disappear very quickly from the displays. But, which carries the hardest blow to the support of Sony, it is the arrival of MP3. This audio format resulting from the data processing, which, like the Atrac format of MiniDisc, compresses the sound, makes it possible million Net surfers to exchange music by Internet, thanks to the very reduced size of the files.

The first walkman to benefit from technology mp3 is marketed under the name of Mpman in Asia and under the mark Eiger Labs in the United States, in 1998. However, the same year, it is the manufacturer of Diamond computer material which will mark the spirits with the exit of its Rio PMP 300. This model comprises only 32 Mo of memory, that is to say approximately 30 minutes of music. However, a connector allows the addition of 16 Mo (1/4 of hour of music) by means of a standard chart flash in the same way than those of the numerical cameras. Competed with by MiniDisc, and although proposed at a low price, about 150 to 230 € (1000 to 1500 FF at the time), it does not succeed in boring near the general public. Very quickly of multiple marks copy this concept and launch other readers MP3 to memory flash. The main brake with their success is the cost of the memory cards, sometimes as high as that of the walkmans. There exists however still of many models of readers of this type, being able to embark several gigabytes of music.

In 1999, a Californian company, Remote Solutions, announces, in the general indifference, the exit of the wandering first with hard drive. It is very quickly competed with by two other companies: Creative and Archos. The jukebox of Creative have dimensions comparable with the readers portable CD while the Archos approach the gauge of the readers with cassette. These readers MP3, precursors, are their small success, primarily near the data-processing community. In spite of the attempts of Thomson (RCA, in the USA) and at Philips, it was necessary, to popularize the concept of the hard drive walkman, to await the arrival of another serious actor: Apple. The American mark launches the IPod in 2001. Its design, its simplicity and the notoriety of its manufacturer helped much with the success of this flat ultra walkman. The first models embarked 5 and 10 Go of music, that is to say 83 with 170 heures !

In parallel, the reader portable CD knows one of his more important evolutions, with the appearance of walkmans being able to decode CD engraved (CD-R and CD-RW) and filled with files mp3. Philips is one of the very first famous brands to leave a walkman CD-MP3, but of the unknown Asian marks of the general public, like NAPA, were the first to launch their own models. The CD readers being cumbersome, certain marks also try to impose mini-CD reader-engravers, of diameter twice lower than that of traditional CD.

On another side, computing industry hopelessly seeks to replace our good old diskette of 1,44 Mo. Companies like Syquest or Iomega were a short success, near the professionals, before breaking the teeth, the general public refusing to pay so expensive for diskettes of 100 Mo or more. The key USB put everyone of agreement. Practical, easy, universal, it makes it possible to safeguard and exchange several tens, hundreds even thousands of Mo of data… and thus several tens/hundreds of minutes of music! Very quickly the manufacturers make evolve/move the Clef USB by adding to it a catch helmet and keys of navigation… to make a ultra-compact walkman MP3 of it. Keys USB know various variations, some not integrating catch USB and requiring a cable to connect them to the computer. Apple will invest the market with Shuffle, a walkman without screen, whose current version integrates a clip to attach it to clothing.

During this time, the Mobile phone is equipped with a quality of sound and sufficient memory to become a new type of walkman. Its user, reaching Internet via the same equipment, can charge there in any place a vast choice with listening.

Interworking and compatibility

If all the walkmans are used to listen to digitized music, and to possibly restore images or vidéos, the protective systems and of management of the rights (or DRM ) complicate their use.

Technical measures indeed prevent the users of iPod from benefitting from the protected music bought on other services that ITunes Store, and the users of walkmen other than those of Apple cannot get titles on iTunes Store.

Moreover, the number of copies of downloaded works is limited.

See too

External bonds

the first walkmans mp3 in the world
Site of Apple on the iPod
Site of Archos
Site of Creative
Site of Mpman
Work of end of secondary of a group of the College Martin V (Leuwen-the-New, Belgium)

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