| The so called recent phenomenon, of listening to a | | | | programmes and series, educational tutorials, in |
| variety of entertainment through a set of | | | | particular of course language tuition, travel and tourist |
| headphones or earphones is not exactly as new as | | | | guides, children's materials and of course stories, |
| many would have us believe. It is some years ago | | | | novels and tales from every type of fiction around. A |
| that Sony brought to us the Walkman concept | | | | truly mass market in the development stage. |
| which, in the Seventies and Eighties swept the audio | | | | Originally of course, all this portable material was (and |
| market by storm. So much so, that Walkman | | | | in many cases still is) built on the common cassette |
| became the generic description for all similar type | | | | tape format. The original Sony Walkman software. |
| products. A bit like the similar description of Hoover | | | | The problem is of course, the large quantity of |
| being given to every other type of vacuum cleaner. | | | | cassette tapes needed to record even the briefest |
| Admittedly the main (if only) use of the Walkman | | | | of material. Storing piles of tapes is very much an |
| was for music, but it spawned the idea that | | | | inconvenience and really dismissed any real thought |
| portability was something that was with us to stay. | | | | of genuine portability. |
| Likewise, the concept of the spoken word being put | | | | As with music, audio books have benefited from |
| onto tape had been with us for some time, but until | | | | changes that have made the cassette tape |
| now, had little to do with portability, but more with | | | | redundant. As it gave way to the CD, and |
| convenience, including of course helping those with | | | | subsequent newer technologies including a generation |
| eyesight and reading difficulties. | | | | and internet broad-band down-loads, of mobile |
| As the Portability concept has expanded, driven | | | | phones, ipods and MP3 players, and the unique |
| partly by technological advances such as the iPod and | | | | Mi-Vox product. The publishing industry has long ago |
| MP3 players and of course the ability to download | | | | overcome its fear, that all this recordable technology |
| material from the internet. But at the same time, | | | | wood be the death-knell of the printed book. It no |
| lifestyle changes have continued to spur the concept | | | | longer sees the audio medium as competition, but |
| of audio on the move. When exercising, travelling or | | | | have become willing partners in the development of a |
| just sitting around, it has now become an | | | | widening range of material, fuelling growth even |
| irreplaceable part of entertainment and leisure time. | | | | more... |
| Many people no longer see the book, magazine or | | | | However, there are still a number of problems that |
| newspaper as being the normal way of passing the | | | | the suppliers of audio books have to overcome, chief |
| time when travelling, it's the headphones plugged into | | | | of which is the size of many printed word items in |
| player of some description or the mobile phone onto | | | | relation to the average music recording. It can make |
| which material has been downloaded. | | | | downloading a long and tedious activity and storage |
| As part of this revolution, the talking book or audio | | | | capacity remains a problem. One of the most recent |
| entertainment has begun to emerge as a major | | | | and interesting innovations which certainly overcomes |
| player, piggy-backing onto the surge of popularity | | | | this problem is the Mi-Vox range of products. |
| created by the music industry. Bringing portability to | | | | Mi-Vox is an individual portable player which has each |
| an additional, perhaps less traditional portable audio | | | | title implanted into its memory and provides up to 60 |
| user. As we have said before, Audio Books or | | | | hours of recording time, more than enough for the |
| Talking Books as they are sometimes referred to | | | | largest of novels around. With no moving parts, each |
| have been around in some form since the 1930's. But | | | | book is self contained and each player comes |
| as we said earlier, originally with the intention of | | | | complete with headphones and battery. So every |
| giving the visually impaired or those unable to read | | | | book comes with all the accessories needed for |
| the opportunity to listen to material that otherwise | | | | portability. So anyone can build up their own Mi-Vox |
| would be withheld from them. | | | | library. A product that really embraces the audio book |
| But of course this surge of mass market appeal has | | | | concept. A product specially designed for the task - |
| given rise to a great expansion of programming - no | | | | not just the adoption of technology produced for an |
| longer just the choice of the odd novel or major | | | | entirely different purpose. A great breakthrough as |
| work of fiction, but mass entertainment - radio | | | | Audio books truly come of age. |