Sony is revamping its Walkman for the digital generation. Mobile music players are set to become the must-have gadget for music fans. A report predicts that people will buy more than 10 million players this year to listen to music while on the move.
The buying frenzy is being driven by the success of Apple’s iPod and the reams of copycat gadgets aiming to cash in on its popularity.
The study by London-based Informa Media predicts that more than 21 million mobile music players will be in use around the world by the end of 2004.
Today’s report follow’s Apple’s announcement on July 19 of the launch of a new version of the iPod (see post). Looks more than ever that someone like me who prefers listening to digital music on a PC rather than via things sticking in my ears is well and truly without a life 🙂
But wait, there’s more on the iPod (thanks to Engadget):
iPod dirty secrets: Ben Knauss, a former manager at PortalPlayer, the company which created the guts of the iPod, dishes all the scandalous tidbits behind the birth of Apple?s digital audio player, like that Steve Jobs is partially deaf, which is why the volume on the iPod is so loud (he may also be secretly blind, which could be the real reason why there won?t be a video iPod), and that IBM was planning its own MP3 player using its MicroDrives that would sport a circular screen and wireless Bluetooth headphones, but that PortalPlayer dropped all its other clients when Apple committed to the iPod. Knauss also had the brilliant foresight to quit right before the iPod came out because he thought it?d be a failure.
Wireless Bluetooth headphones – that sounds (heh!) interesting. So I wouldn’t need things sticking in my ears?