Similar. It is a mistake to say, "We made our MVP but nobody wanted it." That's a contradiction in terms. The minimum VIABLE product is the minimum thing that people do want, and are willing to pay for. That's what viable means. What do you think viable means? (Genuinely curious.)
As I've heard it defined, the "viable" part basically means that you could tell someone with a straight face that this product would be useful to them. It doesn't need to have wide-market appeal, since the point is to start as small as possible and use early feedback to guide the development of the full product.
In my reading, it was not enough to be a viable product, because it did not play back sounds. For this reason, it was not yet marketable; it could not be sold. It was less than the minimum product which could be sold. I think it's pretty clear and I'm kind of shocked that you disagree with me.
Which is why he didn't expand on it until he got to the MVP stage. Not wanting to make an MVP, because you're a scientist not a salesman, does not mean that what you do make actually already is an MVP. It's a distinction with a difference. I just used it as an example to illustrate the idea.
