Monday, Oct. 25, 2010
Sony Watchman
With a black-and-white screen smaller (5 cm) than most current cell-phone displays, the Sony Watchman FD-210 isn't much by today's standards, but when it was released in 1982, it was a marvel. You could watch TV just about anywhere you went — in church, at work, on the bus or even while you were out jogging. And at 3.4 in. by 7.8 in. by 1.3 in., it fit reasonably well in your pocket. Later iterations came with larger screens, AM/FM radios and color, but Sony discontinued the line in 2000. With TV stations making the switch to digital in the U.S., and with smart-phone apps that let you tap into your cable box remotely, the Watchman is nothing more than an antique today.