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Adam
@adam-
"Sony tackled skipping in the their discmen through mechanical & design improvements, reinforcing the chassis & refining servo mechanisms to stabilize the laser’s tracking. Still, the basic system struggled with vibrations, especially during movement, falling short for active users. By 1992, Sony cracked the code with ESP which introduced a small RAM buffer that pre-read and stored 3 seconds of audio data. In 96, Sony extended ESP to a 20-second buffer. Unlike later systems, its larger buffer relied on increased memory rather than advanced reading techniques. Sony’s anti-skip quest peaked in the late 90s with G-Protection, which combined a 40-second buffer with shock-absorbing mounts and refined laser tracking. By the end of its life cycle the CD Walkmas could belt out tunes for up to a whopping 115 hours on a mix of gum-stick and AA batteries." https://obsoletesony.substack.com/p/how-sony-solved-the-discmans-biggest
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tyler ↑
@trh
Never would have guessed that’s how they did it, but the feature branding makes more sense now.
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links 🏴
@links
Great article!
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Thumbs Up
@thumbsup.eth
I had this, and several that followed. They all still skipped honestly. It was fine if you were walking on flat ground but bumpy ground, jogging, a car or bike ride: no sir. Skip city.
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rickacrane 🎩
@thepapercrane
Despite all that I dont remember many people having one of these and the cassette walkman remains the icon of portible music.
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LWatts
@lwatts
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