|
|
|
May 15th, 2009
02:32 pm - As IF
Predictions of the future in 1969.
'An electronic correspondence machine, or Home Post Office, which allows for instantaneous written communication between individuals all over the world.'
Yeah, right.
'What the wife purchases on her console will be paid for by the husband on his computer.'
Now, that's more like it!
|
What's most interesting about that is the strangely mechanical way they envision a home computer will operate. The screen is simply for viewing pictures, everything appears to be controlled by knobs and buttons and while there is a keyboard there, it's not being used for communication. Also, they both seem to have multiple screens for some reason.
It makes me wonder how much innovation is working out ways to combine multiple inventions in a single device as opposed to merely creating new inventions. yes, they semed to need to imagine a different machine for each individual task that a computer might perform. But nevertheless I thought it was impressively predictive. I bloody hope none of our current preductions are anywhere near as good as this, because they are unifrmly gloomy as far as I can tell. It makes me wonder how much innovation is working out ways to combine multiple inventions in a single device as opposed to merely creating new inventions.
It occurred to me a few years ago that mobile phones are developing in this way. Not by adding on all this extra hardware whizziness like cameras and audio players (although I don't deny that that's happening, and that it's significant), but more process-driven uses like using your phone credit to pay for car parking or cinema tickets. It's the electronic wallet that all those SF writers were banging on about decades ago :) Wow, that's just brilliant. The year I was born! Thank you for linking. Love it :) I'm hugely addicted to past versions of the future... That's pretty good, even with the immediate printout--rather like Star Trek having floppies ahead of their time. Even if the wife seems only to shop, style her hair, and make sure the kids are playing nicely, the husband is also just there to pay the bills (with resignation) and look worried with all those responsibility on his shoulders. I see he made notes with a stylus on a pad which probably saved images for recall and/or sending.
I'm a bit concerned at maintenance consisting of telephone operators with plugboards. I bet they make mistakes and plug the housewife into her husband's favourite video feeds. :-P |
|
|
|
|
LiveJournal.com |
