I have been set a college assignment: I have to write a letter, fictionally, to the BBC, stating my opinion regarding development in music technology. The thing is, my tutor says it's too long! Help! Here it is...
Letter to The BBC
Dear Editor
I am writing to share my opinions regarding the development of portable music technology throughout the second half of the 20th century, and so far throughout the 21st. It would be of great interest to me, to discover whether any of your other readers share my views.
We have, as a nation, witnessed the development of numerous portable audio players, and it seems that each new concept is much more complex than the one before it. It is only when we compare the ideas which were developed in the 1980’s and 1990’s, to the devices which are available in the modern day, that we can truly appreciate the process of utilising new technology to produce devices of a higher sound quality and durability than the devices developed in these earlier times.
The personal stereo, which was introduced in 1979, was the first portable audio system available for purchase. The personal stereo enabled an individual to listen to a cassette tape via a pair of headphones. This meant that music could be listened to in a public place, supposedly without disturbing others. (I say supposedly because, should the music be playing at a very high volume through the headphones, complete isolation of the sound would be lost.) The individual could create compilations of cassette tapes to listen to, by recording tracks from a record, or another cassette, according to his own personal preference.
The portable cassette player was criticised by some, owing to the fact that it was not compatible with 8-track tapes. However, it was argued that cassette tapes were much more suitable for a device such as this, as they were much smaller and compact.
Portable CD players became predominant during the 1990’s. These devices enabled the user to listen to CD’s while on the move. CD’s were preferred by many, as cassette tapes had a tendency to snap, or become otherwise damaged, while they were being transported from place to place. As CD’s are more durable than cassette tapes, the possibility of damage was reduced.
However, unlike cassette tapes, CD’s could be easily scratched, which would affect the sound quality of the music. Furthermore, vigorous movement, such as jogging, running for a bus, or even a bumpy car journey, would cause the CD to “jump”- something which would not occur with a cassette tape. For this reason, personal cassette players remained popular during the 1990’s/
Manufacturers offered a solution to the limitations of the CD in the form of the MiniDisc player. This digital device used recordable CD’s and had various advantages to the personal CD player, including the fact that it was more compact, and the user could move around without the sound quality being affected. The Minidisc could not be easily damaged, due to the fact that it was contained in a protective plastic case.
Obtaining pre-recorded albums on Minidisc format, however, was very difficult. Therefore, if the user did not own a MiniDics recorder, his choice of music was limited. For this reason, although this format received some interest, it was never very popular.
The first Digital Audio Players, also known as DAP’s, became available in 1998. These devices contained a miniature hard-drive in which music tracks could be stored. Solid state storage enables the device to hold much more information than a CD or a cassette, and as a result, the hard drive can store many albums, and sometimes thousands of tracks.
These devices are extremely light and durable. They can be transported inside a pocket or the smallest of bags. It is possible for the owner to create playlists according to his own personal preference- not unlike the cassette player, but much more convenient. The shuffle, skip, search and random features of a personal CD player are available on this device, and there are no CD’s or cassettes to become scratched or damage.
The main disadvantage of these devices is that, to transfer music to the device, the individual requires access to a computer. Even in these modern times, not everyone owns a computer, and the procedure itself can seem complicated to those who are not confident on a computer. Also, the device runs the risk of becoming damaged by things such as magnets, water, sunlight, etc- just the same as earlier devices. Also, as the device is so small, it is more easily lost than its larger, more prominent ancestors.
So there we have it; a brief history in the development of portable audio devices. Every individual has his preference. Personally, I am the proud owner of an Ipod Nano- and a Sony personal cassette player! For this reason, the following comments may seem strange, if not total nonsense. So here goes…
Cast your mind back to a