When was the original Walkman released?

1979 in Japan, around 1980 in the US.

What influenced the design of the original Walkman?

Sony portable Pressman recorder, TCM 600.

Minimal effort, repurposing an existing device.

Smaller, neater design, one-thumbed operation buttons.

Lighter, smaller, hinged head assembly, anti-rolling mechanism.

The original Walkman, the TPS L2, was a repurposed Sony portable Pressman recorder, showcasing Sony's minimal effort due to market uncertainty, while the Walkman 2 (WM2) was a redesigned model released globally with significant improvements in size, features, and design.
For a historically accurate 1980s tape listening setup, integrating the Sony SQ50 graphic equalizer and PPA1 noise reduction device into the Walkman system is crucial. The PPA1 should connect to the headphone output, allowing for proper volume control, while the graphic equalizer daisy-chained off it enables tone adjustment before usage.

When was the original Walkman released?
1979 in Japan, around 1980 in the US.
What influenced the design of the original Walkman?
Sony portable Pressman recorder, TCM 600.
How did Sony approach the development of the original Walkman?
Minimal effort, repurposing an existing device.
What improvements were made in the Walkman 2 (WM2)?
Smaller, neater design, one-thumbed operation buttons.
How did the Walkman 2 (WM2) differ from the original Walkman?
Lighter, smaller, hinged head assembly, anti-rolling mechanism.

00:00

The original Walkman, the TPS L2, was launched in Japan in 1979 and made its way to the US around 1980.
The TPS L2 was based on a Sony portable Pressman recorder, specifically the TCM 600, which influenced its design.
Sony put minimal effort into the original Walkman due to uncertainty about its market success, repurposing an existing device into a stereo player.
The original Walkman featured individual stereo left and right sliders due to the unavailability of a small stereo volume wheel at the time.
In 1981, Sony released the Walkman 2 (WM2), significantly smaller and neater than the original, designed from scratch.
The WM2 design was used for over 10 years, with models like the Sony WMDD 33 continuing the same design.
Cheaper versions of the original Walkman, like the WM1 and WM3, were released, but Sony quickly moved on to newer models.
The WM2 was the first Walkman sold globally under that name, designed to be as close in size to a cassette case as possible.
The WM2 was lighter and smaller than the original Walkman, with improvements like a hinged head assembly and a new anti-rolling mechanism.
The WM2 featured improvements like one-thumbed operation buttons, metal tape compatibility, and a selector for normal or metal tape playback.

14:23

The weight of the pack containing two Dells and the Walkman is 33.30 grams, slightly heavier than the Walkman alone. Adding a Sony SQ50 five-band graphic equalizer between the headphones and the Walkman allows for tone adjustment, with suggested slider positions on the rear to reduce hiss by limiting high frequencies. Additionally, the PPA1 external noise reduction device, functioning as a dbx decoder with a switch for Dolby B approximation, requires two batteries and connects to the headphone output of the Walkman, serving as a headphone amplifier and decoder.
To achieve a historically accurate 1980s tape listening setup, incorporating the Sony SQ50 graphic equalizer and PPA1 noise reduction device into the Walkman system is essential. The PPA1 should be connected to the headphone output, with the graphic equalizer daisy-chained off it, ensuring proper volume control and tone adjustment before hitting the road.