But Sony insisted that the device was purely for home audio enthusiasts and should not be used by professional recording studios. The much more expensive Sony 1610 system was the only one designed for professional use they insisted. It was considered poor form to question the sound quality, which was admittedly impressive for such a physically small device. Market Penetration of DAT is relatively small. Common sense tells us that mostly all people have used or even own some form of cassette recorders.
Average people know how to use tape recorders.
But, both with the DAT and MiniDisc, the formats, technology, and operation systems are confusing. I only know one person who uses MiniDisc and records his own mixes, but I don't know anyone who uses DAT for personal use. Contrarily, I could walk down my hall and count the number of tape recorders. News surrounding digital audio tape are uncertain. DAT is floundering in the market, as it was mainly directed at consumers.