the PLAY symbol...

Opa-Opa · Post by **Opa-Opa** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:49 pm

I know there are quite a few musicians or music-related people here. So, I'm doing this work about walkman ergonomics and was thinking about talking a bit about the origins of the PLAY symbol. You know, the little triangle. Along with all of his friends. Anyway, I haven't been able to get any information anywhere, so you guys are kinda my last hope here.

Maybe not the last, but some hope.

C'mon, don't disappoint me! =)

MegaKitsune · Post by **MegaKitsune** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:00 pm

It was probably just a stylized arrow pointing in the way the cassette motor spun. And it just stuck for everything because the Walkman was so sexy. If you think about it, CDs also spin in the same direction. Even hard drives spin in the same direction.

That's just my theory.

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:00 pm

I'm more interested in what the deal is with the on symbol - the circle with the little line through it. Doesn't look like "on" to me. Looks like a weird Q.

MegaKitsune · Post by **MegaKitsune** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:02 pm

That's supposed to look like a key in a car igntion.

DackAttac · Post by **DackAttac** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:02 pm

I once had a portable cassette player (like, a walkman-style one) whose play button pointed to the left. That thing would always play my tapes slightly too fast. I miss it so.

Zeta - I think that line's supposed to be the path of the button, lowering it into the circuit (the circle), closing it and making it functional. Just a guess.

MegaKitsune · Post by **MegaKitsune** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:03 pm

http://www.historyofthebutton.com/2006/ ... ord-icons/

NVM: This isnt the answer...

Post by **Segaholic2** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:32 pm

MegaKitsune wrote:That's supposed to look like a key in a car igntion.

No, the power symbol is a 1 and a 0, and symbolizes an interference in the cycles of a system.

Shadow Hog · Post by **Shadow Hog** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:16 pm

Binary/boolean logic. 0 is false/off, 1 is true/on. Therefore, the symbol is just both "on" and "off" put together in a compact fashion.

Rolken · Post by **Rolken** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:52 am

The combined 1/0 on power buttons is just a reduction of the separated 1/0 on actual switches.