On July 1, 1979, the Sony Corp. sparked a revolution in personal electronics when they put on sale the first personal stereo cassette player, the Sony Walkman. Like the cell phone or the digital camera, the Sony Walkman changed the electronics landscape. It came about when a Sony executive wanted a more portable way to listen to music. Initial internal resistance to selling a playback-only device was overcome, and a salable product was ready within 4 months.