Thanks! I am old enough that this is quite relevant to me.
I think it was 1975 when my grandfather purchased an early Texas Instruments calculator. Just the most basic of functions (add, subtract, multiply, divide). I think he paid around $300 for it.
My dad was in the Air Force stationed at a radar facility along the Gulf Coast. He told me how seagulls used to come swooping in off the gulf, fly too close to the towers, and immediately drop to the ground. An hour later they’d still be sizzling on the inside. I pointed out that he had missed his chance to invent the microwave oven.
I recently disposed of a non-remote television set I had purchased in 1991. And it was my primary set well into this century. It was obsolete even when purchased, but having grown up with such sets I thought paying extra for the remote was a waste. Thought about trying to get it fixed, but when Pennsylvania banned old TV’s from landfills I was afraid I might get stuck with it forever.
I got a TI-99 computer one year for Christmas. After spending 6 1/2 hours writing hundreds of lines of Basic code to accomplish something I could have done with a pencil in 60 seconds, I decided “it will never catch on!” and pushed it to the back of the closet. Total lack of foresight on my part.
Ahh, Pong! My brother and I spent hours on the display model at Sears. My dad thought it was stupid and refused to buy one.
Worked Christmas of ‘85 in an electronics store. The first really big Christmas for VCR’s. Sold over 300 units myself between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. They ran about $350. On a really good sale you could pick one up for $299.
Low-end individual cassettes went for about five bucks apiece.
When my cell carrier tries to upgrade me I tell them thank you, but I am perfectly happy living in the 80’s.
Though I refuse to believe that women EVER went without hair dryers.
If you still have it, might be worth some money.
“An hour later they’d still be sizzling on the inside. I pointed out that he had missed his chance to invent the microwave oven.”
IIRC that is how the idea got started, someone had a bunch of radar systems left over from the war. I think I saw prom on being able to cook your entire turkey in two minutes or something crazy.
But the oven was so large, and I think the energy leaked out until they figured it out for actual use.
“Though I refuse to believe that women EVER went without hair dryers.
“
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We opened the oven door and let our hair dry from the heat.Rollers or bobby pins,not blow dry.
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