Random Alan

Feeling nostalgic? Well I am – and I’m going to give you a ‘blast from the past’ – technology-wise, that is!

So, sit back and have a read of my top gadgets and technological advancements from the past. Some of you will remember these from your childhood, while others will probably hear their parents going on about them!

First up is colour television.

What a breakthrough. This was one of the biggest moves for television… going from black and white to colour.

I’ve still got a black and white CRT set in my garage – just for those nostalgic days. In fact, I used it recently for a 50s-themed party I held! It was great!

I can remember getting our first colour TV when I was a young boy – I don’t think I’ve been that excited since then to be honest, and I really do think getting that colour set was what set me off on technology!

Next on my list is the MP3 player.

This really revolutionised the way we listen to music – and continues to do so today. First we had the cassette, then it was the compact disc (CD), then it was the mini-disk (which never really took off)… and then it was the MP3 player.

50 years ago, no-one would have thought it was possible to move digital files from one device to another without some form of physical vehicle – such as a CD or cassette!

What could be next though? I’ve got a few small ideas, but I honestly couldn’t say what will happen to MP3 players in the future – it’s just too hard to say!

The final gadget on my list, and probably my favourite, is the laptop computer (or in some cases, the notebook).

I don’t know how many of you remember the very first computer – it was huge. If you haven’t seen pictures just search for some. The size of the thing will shock you!

Just compare that to the size of the laptops and notebooks we have today. It’s absolutely incredible. I’ve just picked up a new notebook from my local technology store and my oh my… this thing is special.

It’s so tiny, yet it’s so fast and powerful. This, by far, is one of the greatest technological advancements in recent years (for personal use, of course… there are other greater advancements – in medicine, for example).