Isn't Technology Wonderful: What Do You Remember or Never Knew about?

[Geof]

Having my evening meal last night in one of my favorite Greek restaurants when the owner mentioned a young girl at an adjacent table was asking what a Pager was.

This got me thinking about the gadgets that are more or less taken for granted these days and which have become practically indispensible, and also about technology that has come and gone in my lifetime. I figured I would see how much people know/remember, what their age is and their knowledge of what it is/how it works. The first on the list I actually grew up with because I lived on a remote farm in New Zealand; we didn't even get electricity until I was eleven and I never used a dial telephone until I was sixteen.

Party line crank telephone.
Crystal set.
78 rpm record.
Hydraulic tracer.
Plug control machine.
Pager.
Telex.
Mimeograph machine.
Gestetner.
Wirephoto.
Eight track.
Who made the eight track and what other successful product is he known for.
Same guy what unsuccessful project did he pursue for a long time.
Spruce Goose.
Polaroid.
Atari.
Commodore 64.

Some of them should be easy.

Perhaps some other old (or elderly), maybe maturity challenged people is more PC, can add to the list, on both ends in a chronological sense.

[Bubba]

Frieden Calculator
Commodore Pet
Round tube black and white TV
SEVERAL auto companies that most won't even recognize the name of!

This list could go on for a long way:})

[SCRAPWOTSCRAP]

lmao, suddenly I can smell the old mimeogragh. Your fault Geof.

9v transistor radios
Washing machines with AUTOMATIC wringers
6 volt car batterries
"three on the tree"
the ever present sliderule
pocket protectors (the original "geek" badge of honor).

[palenn]

Friden Flexwriter to punch tape for NC control.
Wind generator on about every rural home.
Windmills for pumping water.
Party line telephone service.
Dirt roads to school.
Outhouse.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by SCRAPWOTSCRAP 9v transistor radios

I don't think it qualifies because you can still get 'transistor' radios; maybe the transisors are a lot smaller.

Come on we need some young people to balance the age.

[SCRAPWOTSCRAP]

Well, you made me google it and......most results show "vintage" and "retro", lol. But it's your thread oldtimer.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by SCRAPWOTSCRAP Well, you made me google it and......most results show "vintage" and "retro", lol. But it's your thread oldtimer.

Vintage!!! Bloody hell how to make a guy feel really old.

I think it was 1956 that my Dad who was in the New Zealand Air Force came back from Singapore with a transistor radio, I was 13 at the time.

Incidentally what were you doing when the news about Sputnik broke?

[Bubba]

Geof,
Well, guess that puts me in my place as I am a wee tad older than you!!!!!

BUT, I don't feel quite like a dinosaur YET:})

[SCRAPWOTSCRAP]

Originally Posted by Geof I think it was 1956 that my Dad who was in the New Zealand Air Force came back from Singapore with a transistor radio, I was 13 at the time.

Hmmmmm, just Geof's way of makin everybody in the forum WANT to do some math?

[Al_The_Man]

Originally Posted by Geof Incidentally what were you doing when the news about Sputnik broke?

Receiving the News from the TASS News agency in Morse code, British Military
Al.

[Bubba]

OOPS, somebody with more "experience" than me! I was in high school chasing girls:})

[beege]

Payphone
Rotary Princess Phone
My Mother the Car
Pushbutton Transmission (on the dash)