> In 1979, which electronic device was first introduced with the name Stowaway inthe UK and as Soundabout in the United States?And the answer: the Sony Walkman. Walkman is a series of portable media players manufactured by Sony,transitioning formats over the years from tape cassettes to CDs, Mini-Discs, andMP3s. Released in 1979, the original Walkman was a portable cassette player thatchanged listening habits around the world, by allowing people to listen to musicon the move.Photo credit: Sony.Though Apple Music and Spotify make it pretty darn easy tolisten to music wherever we please, this was not always the case. The SonyWalkman revolutionized the music industry with a simple concept: accessible,playable files wherever you go. Interestingly, it was a love of opera thatspurred this novel creation. When one of Sony’s co-founders wanted to listen toopera on long flights but realized the option was largely impossible, he tookmatters into his own hands. Although his prototype reportedly failed to get thejob done for his next trans-Pacific flight, the seed of the Walkman was planted. However, the Sony Walkman was not an instant success. Upon its release, Sonyonly sold approximately 3,000 units, which wasn’t enough to make up for therelatively low retail price. So, with a marketing strategy for the books, Sonybegan sending employees out into the streets armed with Walkmans and sharing theexperience of listening with the public by handing them their headphones. Luckyfor them, the strategy worked, and sales took off. High demand in Japan actuallykept the devices from international market for an additional two months afterrelease. Evidently, the world was ready to listen while they walked. Learn more about the history and legacy of the Sony Walkman here[https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/81796/10-portable-facts-about-walkman].