Today its Thursday and it’s Maggie’s turn to pick the Throwback Thursday Challenge. The subject is Technology Influences. Maggie’s post should be interesting because she has had a long and varied career in I.T.
What kind of technology existed around your house as a child?
We had huge wireless full of valves which too years to warm up! Dad had a telephone, it was part paid for by the NUVB National Union Of Vehicle Builders, because he was a union rep and shopsteward for the organisation and worked tirelessly for them every evening and occasionally weekends after a long day’s work at his day job. He was an upolster and made the seats for the London Tubes and Buses… He was a body maker for London Transport.
What technology do you remember coming into your home for the first time?
The Telephone of course, The electric iron poor mum had to cope with a heavy iron irons that you heated up on the stove! When I was about twelve/thirteen years old our first TV arrived! We rented ours from The Rediffusion retail chain, renting and servicing TVs, radios, VCRs and hi-fi systems, was common on high streets until it was bought by Granada Rentals in 1984. The VCRs and stereo system were beyond our means!
What kind of televisions or radios did you have – post pictures if you can find them.
We had a rental T.V. black and white and not very big. As I said the radio / wireless was huge and like the T.V it had valves too. Eventually my brothers and sisters got transistor radios, they seemed tiny and we had a red and grey Dansette record player and there was a reel to reel tape recorder.
How did music technology change in your lifetime?
Well we went from scratchy 78s to 45s and 33¹/³ vinyl to tapes, cassettes, CDs to streaming on line and funnily enough back to vinyl!
When was the last time you purchased music? In what form was the music?
Streamed from iPlayer Imogen Heap, and a CD also Imogen heap!
Did you have a home computer? If so, what was it?
Not when I was young …my hubby had one from work a Toshiba I believe. Our eldest first purchase in his early teens was an Amiga. The boys progressed to towers and laptops, tablets and phones!
Did you have a webcam? Did you stream content with it?
Yes I do but no not really.
What kind of phone did you have? Do you have a landline today?
I have a Moto 600 5G. Yes we do have a land line .
Did you have toys with integrated technology, robots, automation, etc?
No but the boys did.A dog robot.
What technology ‘blew your mind’?
Nothing really I just accepted it all!
When did you get your first cell phone?
I held out against a cell / mobile phone for ages , I guess it was late 90s and was either a motoroller or Samsung. Compared to my present phone it was a brick and was just a phone.
What brand and model was it? Did you carry a pager?
As above but no I never had a pager but hubby and the boys have all had them for work . I remember in 1988 hubby came home from work and he had a brief case which when opened up had a large phone in it almost like a walky talky lol we were impressed a mobile phone!
Is there any current technology you refuse to own or have in your home?
No I don’t think so …not keen on internal security cameras but they do help us look after Ruby 💜💜
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