Retro technology: once upon a time there was hi-tech
During one of my many attempts to restyle my grandmother’s apartment, I took possession of a strange orange “box-radio“. I was going to take it to the dump until a well-informed colleague of mine insisted that it was a real piece of design history!
Hold on! Her old radio – on permanent loan on my desk – is a mix between a brand new Eton F250 and a shiny Brionvega.
The only (irrelevant) difference is that it doesn’t have USB, MP3 or iPod ports.
For years, I’ve been trying to give her a color plasma TV to replace that black and white device that looks like something out of a Disney cartoon!
Well, the thing I wanted to replace was a TV designed in the 60s by Zanuso and Sapper, which are now very trendy objects!
As if that’s not enough, my grandma’s phone – which I have my eye on – is a quasi antique with a funky 1970s receiver. Luckily, it has escaped from being damaged by use, technological consumerism and my clutches! Anyway, when I saw the new retro headphone set for Internet calls, it took my breath away. While her model is quite far from digital communication, there’s really no good reason to make her change it. So, how can I convince her that she could make video calls to her cousin in America, who she hasn’t seen in 20 years?
Well, I have to admit it. My grandma is so cool!
And maybe my design sense needs a complete check-up!
Technorati Tags: radio, design, Eton, Brionvega, Disney, Internet, digital communication
