Sony Discman

Discman was the product name given to Sony's first portable CD player, the D-50, which was the first on the market in 1984, and adopted for Sony's entire portable CD player line. In Japan, all Discman products are referred to as "CD Walkman" and the name was adopted worldwide in 2000 along with a redesigned "Walkman" logo.


Development

Building on the design of the CDP-101, a CD player, Sony worked towards both improving the design of the player, reducing the power and number of parts needed while decreasing the overall size of the player, as well as reducing the cost of the player to a 50 000 - 60 000 yen range in what was called the "CD CD Project", which stood for Compact Disc Cost Down Project. With the ability to produce a CD player one-tenth the size of its first unit by August 1983, there became potential for a portable player.

Release

The D-50 was released in November 1984, marking the two-year anniversary since the CD was first mass produced. Though it was only double the width of a single CD case, the unit offered the same functionality as the CDP-101, but came without a remote and the repeat functionality of the unit. The D-50 retailed for only 49,800 yen, approximately half the cost price of the unit. The unit successfully sparked public interest in CDs, boosting their popularity, and within a year and a half the D-50 became profitable.
Impact

The release of the D-50 sparked public interest in CDs as an audio format and in the audio industry in general. A portable CD market was created and the price of competing CD players from other manufacturers dropped. The CD industry experienced sudden growth with the number of CD titles available dramatically increasing.