I enjoyed this story about a teenager, Scott Campbell, who gave up his iPod [^] for a first generation Sony Walkman. 
Yes, cassette tape against modern electronics. At least it was a Sony, not one of the generic ones that most of us had. The verdict: big, heavy, battery-hungry, and Scott’s biggest grumble there’s no shuffle. And he didn’t even get to experience any tape munching or mangling either.
It’s amazing how the must have gadgets from the late 1970s through to the mid 1990s now seems so alien. It just makes you wonder, what’s an iPod going to look like in 25 years time? Me, I’m happy with my MiniDisc Walkman . . . for now.