Post the very best in obsolete and failed technology

The Something Awful Forums > Main > Post Your Favorite: Carefully Curated > Post the very best in obsolete and failed technology

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Mister Kingdom posted:

The 7" records are generally called 45s or singles since the majority of them are 45rpm and have one song per side. There are exceptions, of course.

One of those exceptions being the single of "With or Without You" by U2. That song is Side A and spins at 45 rpm. Side B spins at 33 rpm and has 2 songs.

# ¿ Jul 15, 2012 00:44

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 07:06

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Mister Kingdom posted:

That's weird. I've never heard of that being done.

I thought so as well when I bought it. My first thought was "That's not going to work in a jukebox."

# ¿ Jul 15, 2012 01:21

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Not technology, but it's obsolete outside the US, and in October 2014, this becomes obsolete in the US:

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# ¿ Dec 3, 2012 20:51

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Ron Burgundy posted:

Funny to think that at one point, what we commonly call a parallel port connector was considered subminiature.

I remember when 320x240 graphics were considered "high resolution". Of course, that's true compared to a TRS-80 Model I, which had a graphic resolution of 48x128.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2013 22:35

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Another example of a "chiclet" keyboard. The original TI99/4, before it became the TI99/4A.

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# ¿ Aug 13, 2013 02:03

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Krispy Kareem posted:

Meh, those are scrubs. I was using trackballs in the 80's on my PCjr.

Speaking of failed technology:

I've had this thing for 6 or 7 years, it's currently glowing bluely on my desk. I've never found a use for it. I've only seen one in the wild and that's for kids to sign in for appointments at my daughter's orthodontist.

So cool, so pointless. I guess it's not a total failure since you can still buy them, but I have no idea what they're being used for.

Does that thing work with MAME? When I first saw it, the first thing I thought of was "spinny knob for Tempest".

# ¿ Oct 9, 2013 05:31

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

kmcormick9 posted:

When I was a kid I would sneak into the basement of our local arena where there was a sports bar.
In the bar they had a projection TV that appeared to be a regular crt facing a mirror reflecting the image up onto a projection screen. The whole unit was pretty compact with the TV directly under the screen and the mirror about a foot in front and it was all a single unit, not some Jerry rigged setup.
Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? This was late 80s-very early 90s

Here's a little picture of one.

This one was made in 1982.

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# ¿ Apr 1, 2014 20:57

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

We still have a drive-in here in Pueblo, Colorado. It's one of 5 still operating in the state. With 3 screens, it's the largest one. They just upgraded all 3 screens to digital projection this year. They use low-power FM transmitters for audio, no more speakers hanging off the window.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2014 19:35

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Mr.Radar posted:

Cross-posting from the presidential primary thread (of all places):

One of the world's first home theater PCs. $4000 (plus $300 S&H) in 1996 for something that was obsolete almost immediately

I remember those. Wasn't the screen resolution something like 800x600? Sure looked low res in that video.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2015 03:50

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

I saw something today that I thought was obsolete, or at least no longer being made. They had a Zune media player in one of the showcases on today's The Price is Right. Are Zunes still being made?

# ¿ Apr 23, 2015 02:21

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

DNova posted:

I'm sure what you saw was a re-run.

No, it was a new episode for Earth Day. It was taped back in February. TPIR doesn't show reruns until June.

Here's the golden-road.net recap.

http://www.golden-road.net/index.php?topic=24778.0

# ¿ Apr 23, 2015 04:57

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Lowen SoDium posted:

Oh god, sheep.exe

I had forgotten about this. But it reminded me of the similar program that made a tiny woman dance on top of your task bar. Don't remember the name of that one.

I remember one that had a woman that sat on the desktop. She showed CPU load by undressing, the higher the load, the more naked she got.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2015 03:08

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

W424 posted:

It's a machine designed to convert money into retarded bleeps and bloobs.

But when it's in the hands of someone like Greg Lake or the late Richard Wright, it makes awesome bleeps and bloops.

# ¿ Dec 20, 2015 22:57

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Jaguars! posted:

Found in an office cleanout:

I'm told our office had one at one point too.

When I was in high school, I took a computer programming class. Before we got to the TRS-80s, we learned to program the Monroe 1880.

Senior year, 1979-1980.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2018 23:21

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Empress Brosephine posted:

I remember Funspot in NH had this like ball you could get into that moved and played Beach Head 2000(?)

This one?

http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-saker-one-space-probe.html

# ¿ Feb 10, 2019 02:39

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Balliver Shagnasty posted:

The y2k aesthetic was strong with this thing. And get a load of the add-on MP3 player.

The y2k era seemed filled with devices like those that flopped hard as soon as people had smartphones figured out.

I seem to remember the company advertising it as a way to communicate with friends at school. Right around the time that schools left and right were banning students from bringing personal electronic devices to school.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2019 01:21

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Iron Crowned posted:

Early computers were all white/beige, because of German office regulations requiring office equipment to have a neutral color.

Apparently it was easier to just apply it world wide than just Germany

VWestlife made a video about it. Germany even had beige ThinkPads for a while. They gave in and allowed black ThinkPads in Germany, as long as they were labeled "Not for office use".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1skbgEGEn80

# ¿ Jan 31, 2020 17:46

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

Lurking Haro posted:

The needle is normally moved by a loop of string, connected to the knob and a variable capacitor. You change between the capacitors via the preset buttons, but i don't currently know how to set the preset in those radios.

1. Tune in desired station
2. Pull a button OUT
3. Push the button all the way IN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SVdAIqZ7O0

Now you're set.

rockinricky has a new favorite as of 21:44 on Sep 5, 2020

# ¿ Sep 5, 2020 21:42

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

mostlygray posted:

You have to be careful listening too much though. The old needles are heavy and eventually the record will play out and will be no good. Best to make an electronic copy and save the old records. That's what I did with my great-grandma's recorders. All you have to do is record them at 45 then speed them up to match a 78 for pitch if your turntable can't do 78.

Victrolas and other antique gramophones had a tracking force measured in OUNCES.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2020 04:08

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 07:06

rockinricky: Mar 27, 2003

I always thought Nixie tubes would make great score displays on a steampunk themed pinball machine.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2023 04:28

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