Sony To Kill The MiniDisc Walkman In September

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Dr. Serkan Toto currently works as the first and only Asia-based writer for the TechCrunch network, mainly covering Japan-related technology and web companies for TechCrunch, CrunchGear and MobileCrunch. Serkan also works full-time as an independent web and mobile industry consultant with a focus on the Japanese market. He is sept-lingual, holds an MBA and is a PhD in economics. Serkan... → Learn More


After discontinuing the production of cassette Walkmans last year, Sony is now about to kill another one of their original inventions: the MiniDisc Walkman. And as Japanese business daily The Nikkei is reporting today, Sony plans to pull the plug on the production as early as this September – obviously because nobody is buying MiniDisc Walkmans anymore.

The first MiniDisc Walkman was introduced on the Japanese market in 1992 (13 years after the first cassette Walkman), but MiniDiscs never really gained a foothold outside Japan. The picture shows that first MiniDisc Walkman, the Sony MZ1.

Worldwide, Sony managed to sell 22 million MiniDiscs through March this year. Sony will continue producing the discs themselves after September and also plans to keep offering CD Walkmans.

Sponsored Ads

Sponsored Ads

Sponsored Ads

Upcoming Events

SXSW 2012

Austin, Texas

Disrupt NY 2012

New York City

Disrupt SF 2012

San Francisco, CA