Lab+1

Compare and contrast a Sony Walkman with an Apple iPod, and describe the differences in their physical construction, interface design, technology and delivery of sound. Quick sketches are helpful for this analytical process.

Physical Construction The Walkman uses headphones which are bigger than earphones. The iPod uses earphones that are not only stylish but also much smaller and convenient to use than headphones. In terms of size, the Walkman is thicker and larger in dimension when compared to the iPod. The Walkman runs on batteries that need to be taken out to charge. However, the iPod runs on an internal rechargeable lithium ion battery.

Interface Design There is no display screen on the Walkman. Whereas, the iPod has a colour display screen, thus limiting the number of buttons needed. The iPod’s design allows for easy navigation such as the touch sensitive buttons and the click wheel control. On the other hand, the Walkman’s buttons are mechanical. The iPod’s design is rather simple because it does not consist of any unnecessary components, in which constitutes to a good design.

Technology The analog Walkman uses cassette tapes for the storage of songs. Cassette tapes have very limited memory and take up a relative amount of space. Another problem with cassette tapes is the wait time required for the fast-forwarding and rewinding of the tape. The digital iPod uses an internal hard drive which constitutes to larger capacity. The iPod also runs on software.

Delivery of Sound The use of cassette tapes in Walkman players is prone to having lower audio quality. In the iPod, the sound quality is derived from the audio files themselves as none or very little of the music file quality is lost through the computer, iPod transferring process.