This paper presents the origin of digital information devices, the Silicon Audio, and its family. The Silicon Audio is the digital counterpart of the Walkman and the ancestor of the iPod. It employs the MPEG / Audio Layer II algorithm for data compression, which was standardized by ISO (International Standardization Organization)/ IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). A semiconductor memory card is equipped with to store the compressed signal. Since it has no mechanical movement, it is robust against shocks and vibrations that had been a serious problem for portable audio players. The background of the development, implementations, challenges toward a commercial product, and impact on audio players as well as personal information devices are discussed with its family including a video derivative, the Silicon View.
