In this series I've discussed several technologies in which I believe have paved the way for the smartphones we have and love today. Some of the devices that have been replaced by a smartphone (a sort of all-in-one gadget) include the PDA, the portable cassette player, the mp3 player, and the topic of this article, the portable television!
Portable televisions, such as Sony’s Watchman, were an idea that came a little before the ability of the media to catch up to it. With a limited selection of channels, sadly, they never really seemed to catch on.
The Sony Watchman is a line of portable pocket televisions trademarked and produced by Sony. The line was introduced in 1982 and discontinued in 2000.
Sony manufactured more than 65 models of the Watchman before its discontinuation in 2000. Upon the release of further models after the FD-210, the display size increased, and new features were introduced. The FD-3, introduced in 1987, had a built-in digital clock. The FD-30, introduced in 1984 had a built-in AM/FM Stereo radio. The FD-40/42/44/45 were among the largest Watchmen, utilizing a 4" CRT display. The FD-40 introduced a single composite A/V input.
The FD-45, introduced in 1986, was water-resistant. In 1988/1989, the FDL 330S color Watchman TV/Monitor with LCD display was introduced. In 1990, the FDL-310, a Watchman with a color LCD display was introduced. The FD-280/285, made from 1990 to 1994, was the last Watchman to use a black and white CRT display. One of the last Watchmen was the FDL-22 introduced in 1998, which featured an ergonomic body which made it easier to hold, and introduced Sony's Straptenna, where the wrist strap served as the antenna.
I remember owning a watchman back in the day. It was a fun little gadget and provided good entertainment at the time. I also remember tossing it aside when the Nintendo Gameboy crossed my path! What a device that was!!
Anyways, the watchman proved that good things come in small packages. Think about that the next time you bust out your smartphone for some quality time watching your favorite youtube vids!
Source:
Wikipedia