posted in Asklemmy
What is something that's crazier than the wildest dreams of any ~1970s nerd, but exists today? I'll start with an easy one:
Replying to @yogurtwrong@lemmy.world
I got to thinking about like, Amazon. To an American in 1970, the equivalent would have been Sears, the retailer that sells literally everything though an enormous catalog. They had department stores you could visit in person and they’d publish a phone book thick catalog for mail order. And there was a time that Sears could have bought Amazon outright for chump change. I remember a Tim Allen stand-up routine where he talks about mail ordering a tool from Sears, and it arrives 6 to 8 weeks later. Shipping is now usually a matter of 1-4 days.
But no, the real answer is probably wireless headphones. Like if you were showing around a tech enthusiast from 1975 around my house, the thing that would probably break his brain the most is a pair of wireless earbuds.
Replying to @captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works
Unfortunately they don’t sound near as good. Maybe in the future they will.
Replying to @Tabooki2@lemmy.world
Compared to a lot of headphones available in the 1970’s they sound amazing.
Replying to @captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works
Not so sure about that claim. In the 70s everything was analogue. Bluetooth can barely do mp3 quality let alone CD which is still far from full analogue tape. Many headphone from back them line Sennheiser HD 414, Koss Pro/4AA, and Stax SR-X blow away anything some makes now
Replying to @Tabooki2@lemmy.world
Allow me to re-state, with emphasis:
Compared to
A LOT
of headphones available in the 1970’s, they sound amazing.
Yeah, there’s been good audio gear for decades, but there was also utter garboleum.
Replying to @captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works
My issue was back then things got better every year. People chased sound quality. Now people use Bluetooth and listen to music mixed on a laptop with autotune.
Replying to @Tabooki2@lemmy.world
Christians of Lemmy: You think your god would have bothered creating the universe if he knew it would inevitably lead to the existence of audiophiles?
Replying to @captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works
Let me guess it’s okay to appreciate good food. It’s okay to appreciate sweet touching. But it’s not okay to appreciate good audio. Gotcha
Replying to @Tabooki2@lemmy.world
It’s one thing to appreciate good audio, it’s another to be so snobbish about it to the point of academic dishonesty.
Replying to @captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works
Indeed, Sears had every chance to become Amazon. I kind of miss my old Sony Walkman with the foam earpads.
Replying to @Gammelfisch@lemmy.world
They were Amazon long before your mommy and daddy were born. Do you think Bezos had an original idea? Amazon will be as impressive as Sears if they last as long.
Replying to @captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works
Wireless anything really, in the 70s everything had a damned cord.
Replying to @Zedd_Prophecy@lemmy.world
I’m picturing Bob Barker hosting The Price Is Right with that weirdly long microphone of his in his hand with a cable draped across the set.