Some years back, the young daughters of a family friend were visiting when they spied a box of donations for a local charity. In that box, and of great interest to these lasses, was an analog telephone.
For those readers with knowledge of an analog, or dial, telephone, you may skip to the next paragraph. For the rest, analog phones had a dial with ten-holes into which the user would insert a finger. The dial would be spun counter-clockwise and released, thereby allowing the dial to make the appropriate number of electronic clicks that would be repeated until your entire desired phone number was completed. Then, magic! Your chosen number was dialed and soon connected.
As the conversation turned to various services available, including the “party line,” their eyes glazed over and the banter changed direction. Again, for those without first-hand knowledge of a “party line,” they weren’t as much fun as the name would lead you to believe. But, I digress.
This exercise in explaining the mechanics of telephone company operations was arduous, at best. But, it drove home the point that not everyone was aware of antique communication devices.
I immediately recalled my days of programming Fortran language for computers. My efforts began – and ended – in 1968. I wasn’t very good at it and actually made the public and formal declaration that “no one would ever use a computer if this was the way they communicated.” Once again, I was correct.
To program Fortran, one would write code with commands that would be transferred to a punch card. That card was then inserted into a computer which inevitably concluded you made an error. The entire episode of programming can be likened to putting one’s hand into a running garbage disposal, then plunging the bloody stump into a bowl of salt.
But, eventually, computers and their operating software improved. Timex, the watch company, marketed a computer that was roughly the size of a sandwich. Its abilities were much that of a sandwich, too. Although inexpensive, they could play crude games and accept all sorts of peripherals such as expanded memory and a real keyboard. Yes, they were the big hit you’d expect.
Meanwhile, Apple introduced a computer, just as Coleco and Radio Shack did. Again, all were as robust as an abacus when it came to actually computing.
It took years and things changed with electronic components becoming smaller and processors faster. Soon, our home-programming fell by the wayside and commands to effect an action were replaced with icons.
This is true technological advancement with icons, apps, and voice-dialing capabilities now being used nearly universally.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to keep up with the daily trends and high-tech improvements, even for a guy who predicted the demise of computers in the ‘60’s.
How refreshing to know that I can let go of those old computers, phones, and ideas about future trends. All I ask is for some patience and pity as wonders exceed my abilities and expectations – via e-mail, not snail mail – of course.
