Portable audio players are mobile devices able to play digital music. There are several varieties of portable audio player that include MP3 players, cell phones, boomboxes and mini-disk players. Technically a digital voice recorder might fall into the portable audio category as well, but its a term generally considered for musical accessories.
Todays generation takes current portable audio players for granted without realizing the stages that technology had to move through in order for them to have the players they enjoy today. Not so long ago the only form of portable music available to older generations was the AM/FM radio. It wasnt until the early 1970s that the emergence of the 8-track cassette gave people the first taste of being able to take music with them in their cars. These bulky cassettes resembled VHS video tapes and the technology used to record music tracks left a lot to be desired. Not only did the spool track-readers clunk and whir audibly over the sound of the music, but the lengthy silence between each track as the readers shifted from one to the next was unwelcome.
By the time the 1980s was underway, the cassette had developed into the smaller cassette tape. These quickly took over the 8-track as they were able to fit more music tracks and offered better quality sound. Able to fit into a protective case no bigger than a pack of cards, cassette tapes were also used in the first truly portable audio players. These were called walkmans and allowed people to listen to music anywhere they went by attaching headphones to the players. Boomboxes were also popular during the late 1980s, which were portable stereo systems with inbuilt cassette players.
By 1988 the compact disc appeared on the market. People took to these quickly as the appeal of not having to rewind or fast-forward through several minutes of tape just to listen to a different song became apparent. Cassette tapes also had a tendency to wear out or the delicate tape could tear, break or come out of the casing. The digital compact disc was far more indestructible and they were much more conveniently sized than the old vinyl records.
The only real down-side to compact discs was the true portable aspect. As CDs required laser light technology to read the digital files stored on the disc, they were able to be bumped or jolted when played in portable audio players like disc-man players. This meant they were unsuitable for cyclists or joggers, who stuck firmly to the stability of the cassette walkman.
Throughout the 1990s as advances in computer technology leapt ahead and the capacity of flash memory drives increased, the advent of the MP3 file made its way into portable audio players.
The MP3 player allowed people to store entire music libraries on the one players memory and also gave active people the perfect accompaniment for their sporting activities. Immune to the movement of jogging or active sports, MP3 players were light-weight and very small, which made them extremely portable and convenient. The ability to store such a vast amount of music also meant that their popularity was guaranteed.
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