Nothing seems to delight the 21st century twenty-something so much as wandering around to their own individual sound track, piped through the headphones from the latest device on the market--and it's a fact that's borne out by the manner in which they've descended on the latest products in the personal audio market with unmatched avarice.
Always a winner with the gadget nuts, the personal audio market is currently an invigorated and exciting arena, as folk seize on the newest devices for blocking out the cacophony that threatens to turn modern living into a relentless, squawking grind.
With two emerging product areas--flash and hard disk--there's an air of enthusiasm surrounding the sector, and a slew of products that offer easy sell-up points and credible features, all geared towards milking the maximum amount of money from the lowing herds lumbering into your shops, offering up credit cards and clumps of cash for the shiniest noise-making boxes on display.
It's nearing harvest time for digital audio, as years of education and early adoption are paying off. Increasing numbers of people are getting to grips with gigabytes and going out and buying these products.
There's no question that the personal audio landscape is shifting, but Nadia Allen, product manager for personal audio at Panasonic, is on hand with maps.
"While MiniDisc has suffered a decline in sales over the past year, personal CD players have maintained a large proportion of the market, and interestingly Internet-based file sharing is fuelling this sector, with many people using a PC to burn MP3, AAC or WMA to CD. Consumers are using the Internet to sample music before buying the albums on CD from the high street.
"In addition, we are seeing a dramatic rise in solid state audio sales, fuelled by increased penetration of SD Memory Card based products and the explosion in PC downloads. This trend will see change as more consumers install home PCs and become increasingly aware of the versatility and ease of use experienced with today's digital technology.
"Products such as the Panasonic SV-MP20 have proved popular with a combination of an MP3 player facility plus an FM radio. Its ease of use and small size have made a winning combination, illustrating the growing popularity of the MP3 market.
CAPACITY
