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| The inside of an ancient beast London, ON February 2015 Thematic. Electricity. Here. |
For reasons I'm still trying to better understand, modern consumer technology products generally don't seem to age well. While that ancient Rolex your grandfather bought will probably be handed down with pride from generation to generation well into the next century, your first Mac either sits abandoned in a dusty basement corner, its cracked and yellowed case a far cry from the days when it was an object of aspirational desire, or it long ago made its way into landfill.
Beyond the environmental nastiness of discarded technology - use electronics recycling, please - there's a certain sadness to an old computer. Whether you're looking at its outsides or its insides, it's always fairly evident when a once-vaunted machine has devolved well past its prime. Worse, the moment when that high-tech wonder-device becomes yesterday's news often arrives shockingly early.
Still, whether they're old, new, or somewhere in between, there's something fascinating about peering into the insides and seeing what makes - or made - them tick. Accelerated obsolescence aside, there's a certain haunting beauty to tech devices that invites further exploration. And reflection.
Your turn: Your favorite piece of old technology is...?
Beyond the environmental nastiness of discarded technology - use electronics recycling, please - there's a certain sadness to an old computer. Whether you're looking at its outsides or its insides, it's always fairly evident when a once-vaunted machine has devolved well past its prime. Worse, the moment when that high-tech wonder-device becomes yesterday's news often arrives shockingly early.
Still, whether they're old, new, or somewhere in between, there's something fascinating about peering into the insides and seeing what makes - or made - them tick. Accelerated obsolescence aside, there's a certain haunting beauty to tech devices that invites further exploration. And reflection.
Your turn: Your favorite piece of old technology is...?
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2 comments:
I had to let my old Apple IIgs go to the dumpster when I moved, Carmi. Too much stuff, not enough room. I used to write programs on it for my first real job after I got out of college.
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Carmi: Your post reminded me of the old Magnavox Disc Player--a forerunner of the DVD. They never worked properly, and a friend insists that the company cancelled production after a couple of years and placed all remaining inventory into a land fill.
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