July 1, 1979 (launched in Japan as the "Walkman") Released in the UK/US in 1980 as the "Sony Soundabout" (US) and "Sony Stowaway" (UK), though the "Walkman" name was soon adopted globally. It was the first portable stereo cassette player that let people listen to music through lightweight headphones while walking/moving. Kathy's most treasured possession is her cassette tape of "Never Let Me Go" by Judy Bridgewater, which she plays repeatedly on her tape player. The Walkman revolutionized how people experienced music privately and personally - just as Kathy uses her tape for private emotional comfort and identity formation. The Walkman didn't just play music; it created personal, portable worlds - perfect for understanding how Kathy uses her cassette tape as an anchor for her identity and humanity in a world that denies both. The technology was already nostalgic by the late 1990s, adding another layer to the novel's meditation on things (and people) becoming obsolete.

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