At 30, Walkman close to being museum piece

TOKYO: When the Sony Walkman went on sale 30 years ago, it was shown off by a skateboarder to illustrate how the portable cassette-tape player delivered music on-the-go - a totally innovative idea back in 1979.

Today, Sony Corp is struggling to reinvent itself and win back its reputation as a pioneer of razzle-dazzle gadgetry once exemplified in the Walkman, which had its 30th anniversary yesterday marked with a special display at Sony's corporate archives.

The Japanese electronics and entertainment company lost $1.02 billion in the fiscal year ended March - its first annual loss in 14 years - and is expecting more red ink this year.