25 Years of Apple Technology

This post by Alison Bechdel reminded me of the first Mac I worked with in 1987, a Plus at an agency in State College. Crazy to think back on working on such a small monitor, and working with the OS, which at the time was amazing GUI. 

Today's BoingBoing pays perfect tribute to that here. 


I bought a similar Plus model at Surplus and Salvage a few years ago, just out of nostalgia. The first Mac I owned was a LC II, which I did freelancing work on in between the stint at Graphics II and getting hired Penn State in 1993. Today, we have an iMac, iPods, and an iTouch at home, and I use a Tower at work, and my daughter-in-law has an iPad. Apple’s technology and the way it has become ingrained in our lives is fascinating, and I wonder what things will look like in another 25 years.

Memento Mori

via make
Cory Doctorow writes, “I’m often puzzled by how satisfying older technology is. What a treat it is to muscle around an ancient teletype, feeding it new-old paper-tape or rolls of industrial paper with the weight of a bygone era. What pleasure I take from the length of piano roll I’ve hung like a banner from a high place in every office I’ve had since 2000.

How much satisfaction I derive from the racing works of the 1965 mechanical watch I received as a Father’s Day present this year, audible in rare moments of ambient silence or when my hand strays near my ear, going tick-tick-tick-tick like the pattering heart of a pet mouse held loosely in my hand.

The standard explanation for the attractiveness of this old stuff is simply that They Made It Better In The Old Days. But this isn’t necessarily or even usually true. Some of my favorite old technologies are as poorly made as today’s throwaway products from China’s Pearl River Delta sweatshops.”
Read the rest here.

Digital Detox

via utne reader

“The National Day of Unplugging (NDU) is observed from sundown Friday, March 4, until sundown on Saturday, March 5, NDU challenges us to turn off our smartphones, shut down our laptops, and unplug our televisions to observe a modern day of rest. Developed by Reboot, a nonprofit organization that aims to reinvent Jewish traditions, the NDU is for people of any faith or no faith. The 25-hour period is guided by Reboot’s Sabbath Manifesto, which encourages a weekly “time-out” following ten principles: 1) Avoid technology; 2) Connect with loved ones; 3) Nurture your health;     4) Get outside; 5) Avoid commerce; 6) Light candles; 7) Drink wine; 8) Eat bread; 9) Find silence; and 10) Give back.”

Read the rest here.

The Fading Sounds of Analog Technology

Via NYTIMES by David Pogue

“As digital technology takes over, we're losing the sounds of analog technologies. And sometimes that's a real loss. A dial tone can serve a useful purpose . . . ”

Read the rest here.