Sunday, May 5, 2013

What do you remember in technology that today's younger "digital" users may never know?

We live in a fast paced world. A 5 to 7 inch LCD society. Much different than what even a mid-40's person of today grew up with!  Our parents thought their world was changing fast when they were our age,  But...if you think about today vs. even 4 decades ago; while life has more conveniences than ever, there's some things many youngsters may never know, may never see, may never use, and yet all these things and many more led us to where we are today!  Sad, in a way.  Yep!  It's "technology museum time!"    I use and enjoy  my cellphone, my flat screen TV, GPS, laptop, Roku box, On-demand digital programming, and the like, and I live-with and love modern technology.....but..... Maybe you can add to the list of things that our younger generation may never know.....

Dialing a telephone. Literally using a rotary dial. Might even "confuse" some young folks today.

The cl-click, cl-click, cl-click of that old round-dial TV antenna rotor to dial in a picture.


The "snow" of a weak analog TV signal from a distance as you try to watch a show that is only on a far away station.


Ditto machines in schools. Those blue-printing, strange-smelling test papers we grew up-with.


Cassette tapes.  8-track tapes.  45 RPM records.  All favorites and all "king of the hill" at one time or another  in our past.


The "Record Changer" that dropped the next selected record in a stack of up to six on the cener spindle, and the "slipping sound" the records made as they first contacted each other and the top one gained speed.


Mechanical pushbuttons on a car stereo, the kind you pulled-out to set then pushed-in to lock your favorite AM or FM station. Also the "FF/Eject" button.  Pre-digital.  


The L.E.D. "STEREO" indicator glowing at you from your favorite home or portable stereo (boom box) or car stereo, now replaced by boring LCD letters, if anything.


TV in glorious, crisp, "Black & White"


The "Boom Box" itself. (though I hear these are coming back again!!)


Winding a watch.  We're so digital, so micro, so "informational" that many young people may not know how to wind a watch!


Analog telling of time!  Yes, it's true....some people have grown up "all digital" and don't know this.  A crime, if you ask me!


The "home computer" (no, not the PC or "personal computer)...I mean the one like the Radio Shack Color Computer or the TI-99, or the Timex sinclair, all of which were going to "revolutionize" our homes and lives, and all of which needed to hook to the good ol' TV set.


The horizontal and vertical hold controls. For that matter, any KNOBS on a TV. (Wouldn't it be fun to have a  retro digital, flat screen with tuning and volume KNOBS?)


Walkie Talkies. 


The console stereo in the living room.


An honest to goodness physical answering machine (with tape or without.)


True CAMcorders that used large any non-digital recording media, like  VHS, or the (defeated even when new) "VHS-C" tape. 

Waiting to rewind.  Anything. Not "scan," a full "analog rewind."

Call me strange, I'm okay with that, but some of these bring fond memories of how we used and enjoyed the technology of "the day."  Maybe for you, as well.  Would you admit to a part of you actually "missing" any of them, or other instances from the technology of our youth you recall?

What others can you add?