RE: ADSactly Tech News - A Walk Down Memory Lane, Forgotten Devices of the Past (Part 1)
So, you are just baiting me, aren't you.
The first computer I worked with was a Wang Mini in '78. Storage Media held roughly 2 pages of data and looked a lot like the gramaphone records shown earlier. I got to tell you, I think Hewlett Packard and Texas Interments both made better calculators than Wang. I still have an HP scientific notation calculator.
Both of my Grandparents had 'Victrola' record players. One had the horn like your photo and the other had a rude and crude speaker. Played 78 RPM records and were a marvel to us children. One set of grandparents still had their parents 'Edison' a cylinder player.
I learned to type on an Underwood business manual. Took typing for a half year and the other half was journalism. You had to hit those keys hard which is why I am a 'bash typer' today who wears out keyboards with stunning regularity.
I still own a Smith Carona portable typewriter that was my mothers.
The first phone when I was growing up was mounted on the wall and was roughly the size of 12 pack of beer. Speaker was on a cord with an 'earpiece' you held to your ear as you spoke into a 'microphone' in the middle of the thing.
So. I can attest to your accuracy. Fine article that will amaze young folks and is a walk down memory lane for me.
Admittedly I had hoped this would motivate you to come out from under that rock and help me with a bit of commentary. Note taken about the Wang in terms of it having nothing on HP and TI devices and perhaps that is why they are obscured from history today. I've only seen the type of gramaphone shown above in museums so that would be freaky to walk in and see one sitting in your grandparent's living room. In regards to the phone I know what you are talking about.... Shame I didn't do a writeup on that model instead as it did precede the one I wrote about! It seems I might have a nice niche built here so I think you've inspired me to keep going down this tangent for a few more articles, see if i can dig up some more fond memories of the past.
In regard to the Edison player I do believe I'm aware of this model, if I'm not mistaken its the one illustrated in the picture below right?
Thanks for your feedback as always @bigtom13. Getting a bit of on-chain discussion always makes this job more rewarding!