Old things youngins might like to know

[Roll]

Speaking of LaserDisc (well that is a weird sentence)...



If anyone can identify that monstrosity (that's only like 1/4th of the modules shown there) you win.

[Cassi]

Beats a type writer.

Though really, even pre-modern internet it wasn't like computers were incapable of communication. For years there were BBSs(who wants to explain those?), local intranets, and more.

For me though personally? VIDEO GAMES!

During the early 1970s, IBM came out with what was called the MTST which stood for the Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter.

Prior to that IBM had the selectric typewriter which instead of having individual striking letter/number keys, had what was called an Element which was a small ball that had all the letters.

They took the typewriter and hooked it up to a small computer that recorded stuff on a wide tape.  Basically, the tape recorded or saved things just as you would in a file folder on your computer.

[Julia1996]

Speaking of LaserDisc (well that is a weird sentence)...



If anyone can identify that monstrosity (that's only like 1/4th of the modules shown there) you win.

It looks like part of a surround sound set up. Is that it?

[Roll]

Also, this thread reminded me of:
http://www.cc.com/video-clips/k1iu23/stand-up-john-mulaney--on-the-phone-with-blockbuster-video

First 30 seconds are super relevant.

[Julia1996]

Speaking of LaserDisc (well that is a weird sentence)...



If anyone can identify that monstrosity (that's only like 1/4th of the modules shown there) you win.

It also looks like my DVR converter box except it's not close to being that big.

[Julia1996]

It looks like part of a surround sound set up. Is that it?

Oh wait, it's one of those laser disk things!

[Cassi]

It also looks like my DVR converter box except it's not close to being that big.

Pioneer CLD or Compact Laser Disc.  The parents of our DVDs

[Redlo]

How about roller skates that attached to your shoe using a skate key. Or fizzies!!! Throw it in water and drink. Or if you were like me, pop it in your mouth and the foam coming out of your mouth makes you look like a rabid dog ... LoL

[Cassi]

In another 10-20 years I wouldn't be surprised if video technology had advanced so far as creating something like the hollow-deck on Star Trek where you view a movie as a holigram.

[Roll]

It looks like part of a surround sound set up. Is that it?

Okay so. Laser disc. Was super huge record sized CDs basically. Completely obliterated by DVD, and also because it was stupid. So along comes Pioneer, with an absolutely staggeringly brilliant idea:

Pioneer Executive 1: "Let's release a series of giant boxes that all hook together and get up to 2 feet tall with a bizarre combination of functionalities no one ever needed in one machine, and each module should cost several hundred dollars. Also, let's create our own proprietary video game console and include it as part of this."
Pioneer Executive 2: "And we will use laser disc as our medium!"
Pioneer Executive 1: "You, sir, have read my mind."
Pioneer Executive 2: "And also have giant proprietary karaoke albums on laser disc for four time the price of a regular album!"
Pioneer Executive 1: "You're stark raving mad, and I LOVE it."
Pioneer Executive 2: "And we'll only make about 1,000 of them for the entire country!"
Pioneer Executive 1: "I'm glad sexual harassment isn't a big deal yet, because I am about to make out with you so hard."
(4 hours of Pioneer executive sloppy make-out session later.)

... *Ahem*. Anywho. It is called the LaserActive. It was released piecemeal as individual modules that included multiple video game consoles (which, honestly was kind of cool), a CD player, a tape player, I'm pretty sure a VHS player, a karaoke machine, the proprietary LaserActive game console module (I think it was the main one you had to have maybe), etc. A local place actually had one that had about 4 of the better modules and was selling it for $1100, and to my knowledge never sold. The system... did not succeed.

In the picture I posted I think those are the two video game modules for the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16. A great console that no one ever heard of, and was not exactly a strong selling point for the Laser Active even if cool for game nerds like myself.

[Deborah]

I knew some other kids that had polio and ended up with leg braces.  That one might come back though with all the boneheaded anti-vaxers around today.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Julia1996]

Okay so. Laser disc. Was super huge record sized CDs basically. Completely obliterated by DVD, and also because it was stupid. So along comes Pioneer, with an absolutely staggeringly brilliant idea:

Pioneer Executive 1: "Let's release a series of giant boxes that all hook together and get up to 2 feet tall with a bizarre combination of functionalities no one ever needed in one machine, and each module should cost several hundred dollars. Also, let's create our own proprietary video game console and include it as part of this."
Pioneer Executive 2: "And we will use laser disc as our medium!"
Pioneer Executive 1: "You, sir, have read my mind."
Pioneer Executive 2: "And also have giant proprietary karaoke albums on laser disc for four time the price of a regular album!"
Pioneer Executive 1: "You're stark raving mad, and I LOVE it."
Pioneer Executive 2: "And we'll only make about 1,000 of them for the entire country!"
Pioneer Executive 1: "I'm glad sexual harassment isn't a big deal yet, because I am about to make out with you so hard."
(4 hours of Pioneer executive sloppy make-out session later.)

... *Ahem*. Anywho. It is called the LaserActive. It was released piecemeal as individual modules that included multiple video game consoles (which, honestly was kind of cool), a CD player, a tape player, I'm pretty sure a VHS player, a karaoke machine, the proprietary LaserActive game console module (I think it was the main one you had to have maybe), etc. A local place actually had one that had about 4 of the better modules and was selling it for $1100, and to my knowledge never sold. The system... did not succeed.

That's.....different.  Expensive too.  One more question, why do you still have it? Isn't it obsolete? 

[Julia1996]

In another 10-20 years I wouldn't be surprised if video technology had advanced so far as creating something like the hollow-deck on Star Trek where you view a movie as a holigram.

They have VR headsets for iPhones.

[Roll]

That's.....different.  Expensive too.  One more question, why do you still have it? Isn't it obsolete?

I wish I had it. That is just some picture I pulled off google. It would cool to have as a collector. (Well, if I weren't selling everything to help cover transition costs. )

[Julia1996]

I wish I had it. That is just some picture I pulled off google. It would cool to have as a collector. (Well, if I weren't selling everything to help cover transition costs. )

Oh ok. Lol. Sometimes if I suggest my grandma throw away something obsolete and outdated she will say " do you know how much it/that cost"? I'm sure it was expensive way back in 1975 but it's 2018 now. A collector?  You collect obsolete electronics? That's an interesting hobby. I've heard of collecting old cars, my dad would do that if he had a lot of money, collecting coins and collecting stamps but never old electronics.  Though I once saw a guy who collected old toilets. That was different. And once I saw this guy on some TV show who collected old vacuums and even had a museum of them. And people actually went to his museum! A museum full of vacuum cleaners. I wonder if they hand out cyanide capsules at the entrance so people have a way to escape the BOREDOM!  But I think a museum old electronics might be kind of interesting.

[Laurie]

Julia, The robot in the original Lost in Space was named Robby the Robot IRL and was an experienced actor having gotten his start in 1956 in the classic Sci-fi movie Forbidden Planet long before Lost in Space. He appeared in quite a few movies and TV shows. On November 22, 2017 Robby was sold for 5.6 million dollars.

Laurie

[Lady Sarah]

Speaking of LaserDisc (well that is a weird sentence)...



If anyone can identify that monstrosity (that's only like 1/4th of the modules shown there) you win.

I recently sold a stereo that size, but topped with a 100 disc CD carousel / changer. I needed a pretty good amplifier to use the 12 inch woofer to go with the Bose speakers. These days, you can get the same effect with a cellphone and a bluetooth speaker.

[Roll]

I recently sold a stereo that size, but topped with a 100 disc CD carousel / changer. I needed a pretty good amplifier to use the 12 inch woofer to go with the Bose speakers. These days, you can get the same effect with a cellphone and a bluetooth speaker.

The crazy thing is that this isn't even anywhere near full size. But yeah, those huge stereos are another great thing Julia would love to be baffled by. My dad had a really expensive one that was in this wood cabinet which stood about, uhhh, I want to say about 4 feet with only a tiny portion of the bottom being storage. Even at the time it was way, way too big. I had a far more reasonable one like....

Wow, actually, I just googled 90's stereo and my exact one popped up. This is what I had:


NOSTALGIA!

... wait, did I just call this thing reasonably sized?

[Julia1996]

Julia, The robot in the original Lost in Space was named Robby the Robot IRL and was an experienced actor having gotten his start in 1956 in the classic Sci-fi movie Forbidden Planet long before Lost in Space. He appeared in quite a few movies and TV shows. On November 22, 2017 Robby was sold for 5.6 million dollars.

Laurie

I've seen forbidden planet. The special effects were really good considering when it was made. Robby robot was cool too. I just like the lost in space robot waving his dryer vent arms around yelling danger will Robinson. It's funny.

[Julia1996]

The crazy thing is that this isn't even anywhere near full size. But yeah, those huge stereos are another great thing Julia would love to be baffled by. My dad had a really expensive one that was in this wood cabinet which stood about, uhhh, I want to say about 4 feet with only a tiny portion of the bottom being storage. Even at the time it was way, way too big. I had a far more reasonable one like....

Wow, actually, I just googled 90's stereo and my exact one popped up. This is what I had:


NOSTALGIA!

... wait, did I just call this thing reasonably sized?

My grandma has one of those huge things. It's a huge wooden cabinet. The top lifts open and there's a turn table, radio and some sort of other thing. The front slides open and it has this big round looking TV screen. The TV doesn't work anymore but she still plays records with the turntable part. This is what I mean when I say she doesn't ever throw anything away.