• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

What's cool in technology then (80's) and now (2015)

"Throughout the '80s and '90s, people used floppy disks to save information and install programs. Today people back their data up to the cloud."

In the 1960s, people also backed up their data to the cloud.

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ”Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither.”

I'll keep my local backups, thank you.
 
Most of that stuff wasn't actually cool in the 80's, only considered cool looking back. Delorean was a total flop, no power, too small inside, and too expensive.

Small portable walkman type devices though were cool.
 
I don't see any improvement. So things were bigger and more square in the 80s, and less complicating. 80s ftw
 
mikeford said:
Most of that stuff wasn't actually cool in the 80's, only considered cool looking back. Delorean was a total flop, no power, too small inside, and too expensive.

Small portable walkman type devices though were cool.
Click to expand...

IRRC the Deloran had to switch power-plants right before production and wound up with a limp V6, I always loved the body style though. Also the Nike shoe with the box on the end is LOL, I never saw one or even knew they were around.

EDIT: The DMC 12 could do 0-60 in 8.8 seconds so for it's day that's not bad at all, in the early '80's "muscle-cars" were really watered down, not much fast was available unless you got into exotics like a Lambo.
 
Last edited:
The comment about the Delorean is bullshit - the fiberglass body was nothing new, the Corvette already had it for almost 30 years.
 
dougp said:
The comment about the Delorean is bullshit - the fiberglass body was nothing new, the Corvette already had it for almost 30 years.
Click to expand...
True, it is bullshit. The Delorean had a stainless steel body (fiberglass chassis). Author is a twit.
 
CraKaJaX said:
I remember when my parents got me an NES. One of the best days of my life.
Click to expand...

I remember when my twin brother and I got some birthday money in the mail from our out-of-state grandmother. We paid-off the last $40 to get the NES out of layaway at K-Mart.

I can't describe how excited we were on the way home. We were always very poor growing up, and we knew we wouldn't be able to afford any games other than the Super Mario Bros. + Duck Hunt pack-in game. We were promising each other that we would only play it a few minutes every other day so we could enjoy it as long as possible without getting bored of it.

I was so wrong! I still play that game today...on a real NES.
 
Ichinisan said:
I remember when my twin brother and I got some birthday money in the mail from our out-of-state grandmother. We paid-off the last $40 to get the NES out of layaway at K-Mart.

I can't describe how excited we were on the way home. We were always very poor growing up, and we knew we wouldn't be able to afford any games other than the Super Mario Bros. + Duck Hunt pack-in game. We were promising each other that we would only play it a few minutes every other day so we could enjoy it as long as possible without getting bored of it.

I was so wrong! I still play that game today...on a real NES.
Click to expand...

Hell yes. My NES and all the games I acquired over the years is back home in the garage somewhere. I'm sure if I plugged it in and blew in the cartridge a few times... it would fire right up! Life was much simpler back then.
 
CraKaJaX said:
Hell yes. My NES and all the games I acquired over the years is back home in the garage somewhere. I'm sure if I plugged it in and blew in the cartridge a few times... it would fire right up! Life was much simpler back then.
Click to expand...

If you get it out from storage, pick up a decent CRT from a Goodwill thrift store for $5. The games really do look better at native resolution on a CRT than a flat panel. Use composite AV cables (superior to RF).

If it's too difficult to make the games work reloading and blowing in the carts, get a replacement cartridge connector on eBay / Amazon. Super easy to install and the NES will be good-as-new for a while.

I've replaced my cartridge connector twice in 10+ years. SMB3 still worked first try when I played through it 2 days ago.
 
IronWing said:
"Throughout the '80s and '90s, people used floppy disks to save information and install programs. Today people back their data up to the cloud."

In the 1960s, people also backed up their data to the cloud.

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ”Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither.”

I'll keep my local backups, thank you.
Click to expand...

I do both, crashplan is awesome.
 
Ichinisan said:
Yeah. I thought that was funny. For 99% of people who ever used camcorders, they'll just use their smartphone now.
Click to expand...

I bought a $300 camcorder in '08 for my newborns but no longer use it. If I had newborns today, I'd still seek out a good DSLR that has recording features - quality pics and videos in one. Not many did video too back in '08. Smartphones may capture in 1080 but I don't think they're the best option for important videos - focus and zoom are still lacking. They are great for random videos while you're out though. Now that my kids are older I don't take nearly as many and most are with the smartphone. I sacrifice quality for convenience.

As for the camcorder, they are so cheap today I can't even sell it for something decent.
 
Last edited:
rh71 said:
Yeah having to blow on the cartridges and insert them just right or it won't load was a way of daily life.
Click to expand...

Yep 😀

I remember a few times someone would go to walk in between me and the TV and accidentally hit the controller wire which would make the NES get a nice jolt.. sometimes freezing the game right on the spot. Then you'd have to reset it and hope it worked on the first try. First world problem back in those days.
 
rh71 said:
I bought a $300 camcorder in '08 for my newborns but no longer use it. If I had newborns today, I'd still seek out a good DSLR that has recording features - quality pics and videos in one. Not many did video too back in '08. Smartphones may capture in 1080 but I don't think they're the best option for important videos - focus and zoom are still lacking. They are great for random videos while you're out though. Now that my kids are older I don't take nearly as many and most are with the smartphone. I sacrifice quality for convenience.

As for the camcorder, they are so cheap today I can't even sell it for something decent.
Click to expand...

My daughter was born in 2012. I bought a Kodak ZX3 Playsport portable video camera for $40 (refurb) off Ebay. It's got decent sound and does 1080p, plus it's waterproof. Yeah...not much for zoom, but light correction and HDMI out isn't bad. For 2-5 minute video clips, it's been great with a 16GB microSD card from my old smartphone. I had a VHS-C back in the day and it's biggest flaw was that indoor video resulted in hearing the motor turning through the mic.
 
I think if anything it shows that life isn't crazy different. We had the same stuff back then, it was just "worse" versions (if you can really call the NES worse than a PS4).

This concept really stuck out to me when I watched the movie Boyhood. The kid in that movie was consuming games and media exactly like when I was a kid a decade earlier. The games were different/"better," but the concept behind them is the same- a controller, taking over a TV, multiplayer as a main feature, etc. The 80's were really when modern life began.

I think the biggest difference in the tech are obviously the phones and tvs. TVs are huge, any time I see a pre-00's Sci-Fi with CRTs in the "future" I lose respect for the program as they stand out so much. That was something both 2001 and Back to the Future 2 nailed. The phones are the other big thing, how they have become more than phones and have become personal portable entertainment devices. Any kid with a Gameboy knew that feeling, but now we have adults who play the game of Facebook or Candy Crush all day.
 
Last edited:
elliott-electronic-computer.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top