Anybody here lived through the Discman era?

[Progmetty]

Did you have to go to school then college with that fragile peace of machinery? Someone was giving me the Steven Wilson treatment in regards to the iPod and being 28 having went through the transitions from the walkman with the cassette tapes to the Discman with the CDs then to the early dumb ass portable mp3 players then the iPod. And I have to say life with the iPod is so much easier.
If you had told me at any of these earlier times that I'm going to be able to go around with one device, contains all the music I like and would feel like listening to without carrying any thing other than the device itself, that I won't be carrying around a bag of CDs or extra batteries and worrying about the reading lens condition, I would have invented a time machine.
Long story short; iPods are very convenient and practical compared to what we had before. As a mean of having portable music.
The mp3 compression disadvantage is minor if you maintain the 320kb/s rips imo.

[The King in Crimson]

My first car lacked a CD player, but it had a cassette deck so I bought one of those super-cool discmans with the tape converter that let you play CD's through the car's speakers.  I thought it was the bee's knees at the time.  Plus, it played mp3's too, so I'd make mix CD's for the road.  It didn't play them well, though, it'd always flake out and start skipping but it was either my skip-man or the radio, so I usually ended up alternating between them.

[Gorille85]

I still use my Discman everyday, since I don't own an mp3 player/ipod anymore.

[cramx3]

I used to walk around high school with my discman and I even got a postable cd player that played mp3 cds and I cherished that thing since I could put so many songs on one cd.

[Progmetty]

I definitely thought it was the best thing at the time cause it made rewinding and forwarding less of the task it was with the Walkman.

[lateralus88]

I used to use a portable CD player everywhere I went when I got my first one in second grade from my dad. Bus rides to school, car rides, waiting room at the doctors office, etc. By the time I hit 5th grade or so I had a small CD collection (2 Styx CDs, one or two Metallica, some Iron Maiden and Blink 182's "Enema of the State") which I would stategically change out each day depending on my mood. It was an inconvenience sure, but at the time my music collection was so tiny compared to now that it didn't matter.


Nowadays, oh god I don't know what I'd do.

[Jamesman42]

Yeah, walking to and from HS was better with a discman, and it was almost always SOAD playing haha.


Nowadays, my android functions as my portable music player, though I still have a 4 year old Zune still in great shape. Spotify Premium + Android = Perfect

[lonestar]

Um, yeah, I'm gonna stay the fuck out of this one.




Seriously though, I didn't buy a discman till I had a good portion of my music on CD's.  I could carry six or so cassettes in my bag and have good variety for the day, whereas it took me a while to get up a good enough CD collection to warrant a discman.  Loved it once I had one though.

[ZKX-2099]

Yeah I carried one with me every where (like I do with my ipod now) and I would usually only have one CD with me a day... I couldn't make it now without being able to assemble a playlist with many artists from many albums.

And YAY NO SKIPPING

[Phoenix87x]

At the time, the discman was the coolest thing ever when I got it for Christmas in 98. I really did love it, but I could only really bring maybe 2 or 3 cd's with me where ever I went. The skipping was definitely pretty lame. Then my grandfather got me this little discman fannypack thing, which I would use when I cut the grass, or did work around the house.



It was cool for the time, but the day I got my ipod was one of the defining moments of my life. I love music, but I never had any of my cd's with me during the discman days and if I did, it was just 2 or 3. Now I have over 600 albums in my pocket and my love of music has exploded to levels I could have never dreamed.

[King Postwhore]

I had a 8-track mono speaker portable player before the cassette player then the CD Walkman.  Yeah, It was "DYNOMITE!!"

Old Farts will get that joke.

[Progmetty]

I didn't know there was a portable 8-track, thought it was just car or home.

At the time, the discman was the coolest thing ever when I got it for Christmas in 98. I really did love it, but I could only really bring maybe 2 or 3 cd's with me where ever I went. The skipping was definitely pretty lame. Then my grandfather got me this little discman fannypack thing, which I would use when I cut the grass, or did work around the house.



It was cool for the time, but the day I got my ipod was one of the defining moments of my life. I love music, but I never had any of my cd's with me during the discman days and if I did, it was just 2 or 3. Now I have over 600 albums in my pocket and my love of music has exploded to levels I could have never dreamed.

Everything you said it almost identical to my story except fannypack. I've always been religiously dedicated to having everything in my pockets cause I hated carrying stuff that can detach from my body in other words; if it's not stuck to me; I'll forget it somewhere. It's a me problem.
Back pack was my only except of course and that's where the small CDs bag was. I used to have it full, at least 15 CDs. Then listen to 3 or 4 a day while thinking about the easiest way to commit suicide if the CDs bag was to be stolen or lost. That's Egypt, traveling friends and relatives got me these CDs from abroad so money was not the only problem in replacing them. They were my most valuable asset
I never carried spare batteries cause someone ends up begging for them and taking them away for their own discman/walkman, usually 30 minutes before my own batteries run out and I have to take them out and bite on them leaving teeth marks which functioned as battery 2 minutes boost + anger venting.
btw one of the icons of the Egyptian revolution now used to be a co-metalhead friend in high school and college and the biggest threat to everybody's spare batteries.

[carl320]

Um, yeah, I'm gonna stay the fuck out of this one.

I had a walkman,  It was always kind of funny when the batteries would start to die and the cassette would just slow down and stop 

[Progmetty]

And YAY NO SKIPPING

Yes!

I had a walkman,  It was always kind of funny when the batteries would start to die and the cassette would just slow down and stop 

There were a few minutes of uncertainty when it slows down just a little bit and you wonder if you're hearing it right then tell yourself this is how the song sounds even though you know the song very well.

[King Postwhore]

I didn't know there was a portable 8-track, thought it was just car or home.

Ask an you shall receive!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAvVAwWv0QM

Oh yeah I rocked this walking down the street with my high tube socks!!

[TAC]

I had a 8-track mono speaker portable player

Yes! Mine had a long over the shoulder strap. Looked like a damn pocketbook!

[ReaperKK]

I had a discman and it was the shit back then. I enjoyed it much more when I got my first cd burner (2x burning speed FUCK YEA!) and was able to create mixes.

When mp3's cd's hit, I was just blown away.

Now I have a 160gig iPod and I really couldn't be happier, I used to take long car trips so it was the best having my entire music collection at the touch of finger.

[Progmetty]

I didn't know there was a portable 8-track, thought it was just car or home.

Ask an you shall receive!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAvVAwWv0QM

Oh yeah I rocked this walking down the street with my high tube socks!!

Good God. What's the mine detonator looking handle on top?

[antigoon]

I used to skateboard around with a discman in my jacket pocket

[lonestar]

I had a 8-track mono speaker portable player before the cassette player then the CD Walkman.  Yeah, It was "DYNOMITE!!"

Old Farts will get that joke.

I don't get the opportunity to say this often, but fuck man, you're old.

[bout to crash]

 

I didn't know there was a portable 8-track, thought it was just car or home.

Ask an you shall receive!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAvVAwWv0QM

Oh yeah I rocked this walking down the street with my high tube socks!!

And yeah, I had a Discman (still have it somewhere) and a Walkman. I was very resistant to iPods for years but yeah, it made a huge difference (in mostly good ways but some not so much).

[King Postwhore]

I had a 8-track mono speaker portable player

Yes! Mine had a long over the shoulder strap. Looked like a damn pocketbook!

  OMG, I forgot about that!  I always went with the next to your ear keep it at your shoulder, cool walk.

And  at all of you.  You know I rocked it back then and metty, it was the handle to carry it but damn if it didn't have A.C.M.E. on it.

[King Postwhore]

I had a 8-track mono speaker portable player before the cassette player then the CD Walkman.  Yeah, It was "DYNOMITE!!"

Old Farts will get that joke.

I don't get the opportunity to say this often, but fuck man, you're old.

I'm waiting to hear if you had it too, old man!

[lonestar]

I had a 8-track mono speaker portable player before the cassette player then the CD Walkman.  Yeah, It was "DYNOMITE!!"

Old Farts will get that joke.

I don't get the opportunity to say this often, but fuck man, you're old.

I'm waiting to hear if you had it too, old man!

My brothers had 8-tracks in their cars, but no portables.  My oldest brother was a dj at his high school radio station(he's 9 years older than me), so most of my music was on 45s "borrowed" from the high school.

[King Postwhore]

I still have many of my 45's tucked away at my parents house.  I do have to say the MP# player is the greatest invention for music lovers like me.

[ZBomber]

I also had one of those CD/MP3 CD discmans. Used to use it in junior high to listen to Aerosmith, AC/DC, and Disturbed... wow. 

Had the walkman too, ofcourse. I still don't have an ipod. 

[TL]

I remember the discman era fondly. When they came out with portable CD players that could read MP3 CDs? Man!

I also remember when MiniDisc players briefly became a big deal. You could have, like, 75 songs in your pocket man! Well, not really in your pocket, but still.

Early era MP3 players are kind of hilarious in retrospect. I remember my first one. 256 MB, with no real sort function, and a tiny monochrome screen.

Then came the Sandisc Sansa, with a whopping TWO GIGS! Not just one gig! Two!

I have a 120GB Zune now, and for portable music, I don't know how I got by with those earlier players.

[antigoon]

I had a minidisc too. Damn Sony and their proprietary media formats.

[Ben_Jamin]

I used to make alot of mixed cd's. Didn't like using MP3, as it left a 1 sec silence. That's all I used to carry in my school bag. With my CD player in my hoodie, love these things, making a hole inside so security won't catch you. Haha, I've gotten caught so many times, even though they'd take it I'd come back the next day with another one, so they just gave up

[Jaq]

Never owned a Discman, or a Walkman, and still don't own an iPod. Never really been much for listening to music away from the house in anything other than my car.

You wanna trade old fart memories? My parents had friends across the street that listened to their music on reel to reel tape.

YOU HEARD ME. 

[ZBomber]

Never owned a Discman, or a Walkman, and still don't own an iPod. Never really been much for listening to music away from the house in anything other than my car.

You wanna trade old fart memories? My parents had friends across the street that listened to their music on reel to reel tape.

YOU HEARD ME. 

We have a reel to reel player in my basement I've wanted to bring upstairs for awhile now, seems like it would be pretty cool except I dont have any albums to use with it.

[WebRaider]

Definitely had a discman. I never used it very much as I preferred my Walkman. I HATED how often portable cd players skipped. I would get so angry when the things would skip I'd quickly give up listening. I'd rather not hear it if I had to listen that way.

By the time the devices got skip or anti-shock protection I had really just given up on portable cd players. Cassettes on the go and CDs at home.

Was very glad to see the mp3 age for the portability alone.

[pogoowner]

I used to use my portable CD player all the time. Didn't get an mp3 player until about a year ago (though I hadn't really used the CD player in a few years either).

[King Postwhore]

I mowed my lawn with the discman.  Was very happy to downsize to an MP3 player that indeed, never skipped and was lightweight.

[AcidLameLTE]

I used to have a portable CD player and jeez were those things awkward to carry around.