Retro Tech: We want to hear your stories
A set of marks on the surface of Mars is shown in a cropped image taken with a 34-millimeter Mast Camera on NASA's Curiosity rover on August 18, 2012 on Mars.
I have a third-generation, chunky looking iPod that I keep ticking along through thick and thin. I know how to pry open its case and have changed its hard drive once and its battery twice. Given the culture of upgrades we have in this world, people sitting next to me on airplanes tend to marvel at my iPod’s antiquity. I also have a Speed Graphic press camera from the 1940s that takes big 4-by-5 negatives with aplomb. What do you have?
I ask because I was looking at story in the publication Extreme Tech labeled "Built to Last: Computer Systems that simply cannot fail." The piece lists things like Curiosity, the Mars Rover, that has a computer that should not need help for earth for fifteen years. I asked the author of that article, John Hewitt, an engineer who has worked on satellites and medical equipment, how to make technology fail-safe. Sadly, he said absolute fail-safe can't be done.
Mr. Hewitt then rhapsodized fondly about a computerized milling machine he bought used from Boeing. The unit is from the 1980s and has something called "bubble memory" in it, not even a hard drive. The machine sits by his garage door though every season, sometimes getting damp, sometimes crawling with stinkbugs that seek its warm circuit boards. Fires up every time, Hewitt said.
Don't we all have retro tech that still gets the job done? No, don’t mention a shot glass from 1979 that is still working for you. We're imagining a piece of technology from the past that in your view needs no upgrade.
A lensatic compass is the one piece of old tech I possess that still works as well as the day I got it. Even in the age of GPS the basic skills and common sense you accumulate by learning to get around using a compass and map are valuable - especially when your GPS device leads you astray or decides not to work when you really need it.
My retro tech device of note is a GE clock radio that I've had for at least 30 years. When my father brought it home, it was quite notable, featuring an LED display and ability to set two different alarm times and four AM or FM stations. That was fairly high-tech back then. And it's just the steadiest, most dependable appliance or device I've ever had. I hope commenting here doesn't jinx it. I made it my profile photo here, but it's probably too small to appreciate.
The oldest tech gear I have working is an RCA shortwave receiver from September, 1941 (if the USN BuShips placard is to be believed), followed by ga Bell Labs Type 500 dial phone, but my favorite old tech is my Proton radio alarm clock which still sounds wonderful, 32 years after I bought it.
The oldest tech gear I have working is an RCA shortwave receiver from September, 1941 (if the USN BuShips placard is to be believed), followed by ga Bell Labs Type 500 dial phone, but my favorite old tech is my Proton radio alarm clock which still sounds wonderful, 32 years after I bought it.
I don't think that Tech Companies know we exist, and think that we are sort of an urban legend, a myth.
We are a single income family of 5 that intentionally doesn't go tech crazy.
We have decided to trade certain things for experiences. My husband and I decided before we had kids that I would "stay" home and raise the children and he would work his low to average paying job with good benefits, yes, Education and try to live as frugally as possible.
We both have the same 2 year old model cell phone. We can, text, take pictures, and video. It could also have web access, but we chose not to pay the "data" access fees.
It won't break if you drop it or get it wet. It doesn't have a keyboard and it's not flat.
We think it's crazy to buy a $300.00 phone and pay $100 a month for access and data fees.
We also do not have a land line.
We also do not have DS's or phones for the kids, nor do they have computers or tvs in their rooms.
One of us does have an ipod shuffle.
We read "real books" that don't break if you drop them.
We do have cable internet access.
We haven't had cable tv for 3 years. After the last rate increase we disconnected our cable tv.
We don't have a dish. We use bunny ears. We get our local cbs, nbc, abc, pbs, wb, fox and some hdtv channels.
We have Netflix, but are still ticked off that they charge more for dvds.
We also check out or download new and bestseller books, cds, and dvds for free from our local library.
We have conversations with our children over dinner every night and discuss our day and upcoming elections.
We will own our home outright in 10 years.
We feel that at this time,we get more out of the low tech things in life. Not that there may be a time and place for super new improved high tech, but not right now.
Buzzworthy
Recent comments on our stories..
The safety payoff of the big business of gun training
Great story, but I didn't hear the two most important things in firearm safety. A gun is ALWAYS loaded, and don't point a gun at...
JerryCPP | May 22, 2013 Three life rules from Donald Rumsfeld
Journalism: Practiced. Excellent interview. Thank you.
Annapolis57 | May 17, 2013 Three life rules from Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld's interview on Marketplace today was absolutely unbelievable. Really. Is one of his rules not to believe your own spin? I...
jgrothues | May 16, 2013 Three life rules from Donald Rumsfeld
Ryssdal's interview with Rumsfeld was breathtakingly inappropriate. "Marketplace?" If Ryssdal wants to promote his obvious biases...
rcd43 | May 16, 2013
