What’s New IN ELECTRONICS – Sony Walkman (Apr, 1980)

Of course the Sony Soundabout was later renamed the Sony Walkman.

What’s New IN ELECTRONICS

Hi-fi for joggers

You don’t have to jog when listening to stereo music from the Sony Soundabout cassette player—but you could. It’s small, lightweight, designed to go anywhere, and produces high-fidelity stereo through its specially built headphones. Price: $199.95.

Metal player

Here’s the usual top-of-the-line cassette deck—metal-tape capability, Dolby, LED level displays, autostop, DC motor drive, 40 Hz to 14 kHz response, and just 0.09 percent wow and flutter. What makes Sharp’s RT-10 unusual, however, is its bottom-of-the-line price: $129.95.

Smart player

A built-in microprocessor controls all the functions of Optonica’s RP-9705 turntable, allowing you to preprogram up to 10 selections in advance. A digital display shows speed or present program instruction. It costs $950.

Kit multimeter

Side buttons allow one-hand operation of this Heath 3-1/2 digit multimeter. Designed for field work, it has a built-in calibration system and runs for 200 hours on a single nine-volt battery. The IM-2215 kit, from Heath Co., Benton Harbor, Mich. 49022, is $94.95.

Pocket computer

Pop in a memory module and this hand-held information center from Quasar will do anything from translating languages to helping you choose a wine. The data is in the modules—nutrition and calorie guides, generic-drug tables, metric conversions, and more.

Special effects

Tap the remote control and the Quasar VH5155 six-hour VCR plays a tape the way you want it—pause, freeze frame, single-frame advance, or variable speed for slow motion. The recording channel can be changed remotely and the unit programmed up to two weeks in advance.