50 Greatest Gadgets

[Launch Mini]

I just found this link to the 50 greatests gadgets of the last 50 years.
Flashback for many of us.
I have owned many of these items, and was amazed at what they could do in their time.
http://www.pcworld.ca/news/column/e7...b63735/pg1.htm

[JJ Irani]

Good one, John....but the SONY BETAMAX turned out to be one of the biggest White Elephant in the Asian market during the late '70s.

People who rushed out and bought the Betamax format were in for a very rude awakening. 99% of the formats in Asia riverted to the VHS one with the slightly larger cassette. The Betamax machines were rendered completely useless and redundant. TOTAL LOSS!!!

Every household, every video library, every VCR to come into the market, came in with the VHS format. Betamax was sadly....history.

JJ

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Good one, John....but the SONY BETAMAX turned out to be one of the biggest White Elephant in the Asian market during the late '70s.

People who rushed out and bought the Betamax format were in for a very rude awakening. 99% of the formats in Asia riverted to the VHS one with the slightly larger cassette. The Betamax machines were rendered completely useless and redundant. TOTAL LOSS!!!

Every household, every video library, every VCR to come into the market, came in with the VHS format. Betamax was sadly....history.

JJ

It took a while for Betamax to die, at least commercially. However, they are still the standard format for electronic news gathering. They also offer better resolution and sound than VHS ever could.

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Atomic

It took a while for Betamax to die, at least commercially. However, they are still the standard format for electronic news gathering. They also offer better resolution and sound than VHS ever could.

Agreed 100% about the resolution and sound bit and also that Betamax did prove very popular in Western countries.

However, in the Asian market it just died before it could even catch its first breath. People were in one big rush to grab whatever they could from abroad and get it back into India and other Asian markets without realising that the VHS format would come in with a big bang!!

It turned out to be a very big issue at the time.

JJ

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Launch Mini

I just found this link to the 50 greatests gadgets of the last 50 years.
Flashback for many of us.
I have owned many of these items, and was amazed at what they could do in their time.
http://www.pcworld.ca/news/column/e7...b63735/pg1.htm

Very cool! I owned # 1, 7, 12, 27, 28 and 47. The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X has been cloned into a GSM, with modern technology but the same look as the Motorola. 80's chic revisited

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Good one, John....but the SONY BETAMAX turned out to be one of the biggest White Elephant in the Asian market during the late '70s.

People who rushed out and bought the Betamax format were in for a very rude awakening. 99% of the formats in Asia riverted to the VHS one with the slightly larger cassette. The Betamax machines were rendered completely useless and redundant. TOTAL LOSS!!!

Every household, every video library, every VCR to come into the market, came in with the VHS format. Betamax was sadly....history.

JJ

Even worse was the Philips Video 2000 system. Even better picture and sound quality, double sided cassettes and very advanced VCR's for the time. An absolute lemon! Wrong timing for introduction and pricey. Stillborn.

[C.J.]

Great thread, John Some of thise things are still in use too JJ still uses his speak and spell

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by C.J.

Great thread, John Some of thise things are still in use too JJ still uses his speak and spell

And you use # 31 for a golf cart, you tosser

[C.J.]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

And you use # 31 for a golf cart, you tosser

Ah, a good one from waaaaaaay down on the list And you must still play number 38 in your shiney gold pants

[Goodwatch]

Simple Fransie says? Now that wasn't nice, even among friends

[C.J.]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

Simple Fransie says? Now that wasn't nice, even among friends

[Otis]

I've still got one of the old Polaroid Land Cameras sitting on a table at home
Love those bellows.

Funnily enough, we had to pull out an old betamax deck at work. I looked at it and asked "what the hell is that?" before being told by those who were alive then. Apparently that evolved into today's betacam format, which is widely regarded as the industry standard for commercial digital videotape.

Now a truly useless device is the Zip drive. Expensive and just silly IMO. I started uni, and they told us "OK everyone.... you'll need to go out and buy several of these zip disks if you want to use the computers..."
I didn't on purpose, and managed to save myself several hundred dollars.

[s7horton]

Originally Posted by Otis

I've still got one of the old Polaroid Land Cameras sitting on a table at home
Love those bellows.

Funnily enough, we had to pull out an old betamax deck at work. I looked at it and asked "what the hell is that?" before being told by those who were alive then. Apparently that evolved into today's betacam format, which is widely regarded as the industry standard for commercial digital videotape.

Now a truly useless device is the Zip drive. Expensive and just silly IMO. I started uni, and they told us "OK everyone.... you'll need to go out and buy several of these zip disks if you want to use the computers..."
I didn't on purpose, and managed to save myself several hundred dollars.

Interesting. When I was in college, we used zip disks all the time. Much quicker than the first cd burners of the time. I agree, they were expensive.

[mailman]

Originally Posted by C.J.

Great thread, John Some of thise things are still in use too JJ still uses his speak and spell

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

And you use # 31 for a golf cart, you tosser

Originally Posted by C.J.

Ah, a good one from waaaaaaay down on the list And you must still play number 38 in your shiney gold pants

Did somebody mention gold pahnts?

[Rockrolex]

Well, let's see. I've got (or had):

1. Sony Walkman TPS-L2 (1979)
6. Motorola StarTAC (1996)
8. Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera (1972) - still use it on occasion
15. Phonemate Model 400 (1971)
19. Sony Handycam DCR-VX1000 (1995)
22. Hamilton Pulsar (1972) - the only watch I ever discarded.
27. Commodore 64 (1982) - it's up in the attic.
33. Franklin Rolodex Electronics REX PC Companion (1997) - it was great until they stopped supporting it.
48. Sharp Wizard OZ-7000 (1989) - needs a battery,but still works.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Atomic

It took a while for Betamax to die, at least commercially. However, they are still the standard format for electronic news gathering. They also offer better resolution and sound than VHS ever could.

Agree John a better format than VHS but alas most of the rental companies and the big manafactores other than Sony and Sanyo took the VHS route.I still have a Sanyo Betamax machine Sanyo VTC5150 from 1983 and it still works

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by padi56

Agree John a better format than VHS but alas most of the rental companies and the big manafactores other than Sony and Sanyo took the VHS route.I still have a Sanyo Betamax machine Sanyo VTC5150 from 1983 and it still works

Is it the Welch model with steam hose connection?

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by mailman

Did somebody mention gold pahnts?

That movie did no good for our reputation, Mike Meyers, I hate you!

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

That movie did no good for our reputation, Mike Meyers, I hate you!

What??? He's a national hero here at home.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

Is it the Welch model with steam hose connection?

Cerydda Frans 'n ddeuol allu glo agera a nwy,correct but the top model with dual power steam and gas.

Went through the list... I have or have had #s 1, 6, 11, 14, 23 and 27.

I don't have an ipod, but I do have an MP3 player.

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by padi56

Cerydda Frans 'n ddeuol allu glo agera a nwy,correct but the top model with dual power steam and gas.

Ik begrijp er helemaal niets van Padi, but was it the model with the steam turbine? The DeLuxe model?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

Ik begrijp er helemaal niets van Padi, but was it the model with the steam turbine? The DeLuxe model?

'r briga model stereo cystal chwblha ag manual llywodraetha.
The very top super model complete with manual control too.

[Otis]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

Is it the Welch model with steam hose connection?

Don't laugh, some places still use the old 1-inch reel tape machines that are air powered