2013 Is When We Say Goodbye to Sony Tape Recorders

Magnetic tape storage is still used as a backup solution by enterprises, for their data centers, but consumer applications are quickly becoming extinct, especially with Sony's latest decision.

According to a report from My Navi, the company has decided that cassette tapes and players have become obsolete.

As such, it will cease sales of tape recorders and tape-based dictaphones early next year (2013).

For those familiar with the company's product lines, the TCM-400, TCM 410, and TCM-450 won't be around for long.

Still, audio players that also have support for other storage media will continue to be sold for a while. Hi-Fi gadgets with tape decks and CD players are one example of this.

All in all, this move is similar to how Sony stopped manufacturing walkman portable cassette players two years ago.

Flash-based recording devices are the next big thing.