Long before the ipod was invented, the Sony CD Walkman had served me for years (Of course there's the cassette walkman but I don't have it already):
(click images for a larger view)
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The walkman was not considered 'bulky' then. Its this bulky housing called LaserLine. This box can hold 12 cd's, has a through for the earphone so it can be used while its closed, spare battery holder, and a rubber strap (already gone)...
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The walkman is velcro-ed to the LaserLine so it doesn't move or shake while you're on the go.
Next to the walkman was the Sony MD-walkman that I dreamt having but never had it. Cost is one reason coz when you buy one, you also have to buy a midi component. When I came to Singapore, its this tiny radio receiver was very handy as I take bus more than train--the Sony Groove:
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It become obsolete after 2yrs as I had to take the train more often, after shifting to another job. You won't get any radio signals in the subways here in SG. Furthermore, its difficult to get a consistent radio signal anywhere in SG due to the tall buildings and HDB houses. Finally, the Ipod Nano. Simple, compact, mp3 format, I-tunes software, podcasts...just right. So there they are, my 3 generations of gadgets (my take in history):
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Curious to see my favourite CD's? scroll down some more:
There are more, but these are my all-time favorites (my take in anti-piracy).