Posted August 10, 201014 yr I've noticed I have way less electronic crap than I used to. If you walked into my living room, aside from modern furniture, it has a lot in common with the year 1900. The only piece of technology in that room is a lamp with incandescent light bulb (fixture won't fit CFL) My dining room has my computer, but it's an imac so it's not bulky, which is also connected to my flat screen TV. Accessories include an external hard drive and my camera. Next to that I have an itouch and my cell phone. That said, the majority of my technology sits on a 65" x 30" desk. Items I've gotten rid of, or may have once needed in recent times but don't anymore 1. Alarm clock (replaced by cell phone) 2. Hard line phone (obvious) 3. Answering machine (what the hell is that?) 4. Stereo (replaced by computer) 5. DVD player. (computer plays DVD but still requires an external device for Blu-ray 6. I've thrown out/donated all my CDS. Don't need them, I have them in my music library Alot of devices have merged too with mp3 players, phones, and GPS. Laptops are becoming increasingly irrelevant as they are replaced by smart phones. So it's possible some people may not see the need for the computer either if they accomplish the majority of their daily tasks with a phone and type up a long memo with a pocket wireless keyboard. I personally like that I can keep technology less visible. I deal with the complexities of technology everyday at work and it's nice to come home and see less of it. I think it's going to even disappear more when our screens become invisible sheets on the wall and all our data and processing power is done at offsite cloud centers.
August 10, 201014 yr Interesting post. Even though they have gotten larger,much larger the flat screen TVs are are just so much less invasive in a room. The new TVs are probably more of a focal point due to the size but the tube or projection TVs had such a large footprint and usually required a large piece of furniture that they demanded attention in the room. North Andre, you obviously are doing much better than me. I am a packrat so I just collect electtronic devices....
August 10, 201014 yr I'm not going to break down a complete list because It would take 3 pages. Suffice it to say I still have a walkman.
August 10, 201014 yr I'm not going to break down a complete list because It would take 3 pages. Suffice it to say I still have a walkman. Mine is in my nightstand. Yellow Sony Sport model probably from '89 or '90l. Still works. Funny the numerous Discmans I had all bit the big one. Portable CD players always kind of sucked.
August 10, 201014 yr I don't like "convergence". I'd feel like I was living 1984 if I just had two telescreens and a joypod. Consequently, I need things like the house phone and the alarm clock around .
August 10, 201014 yr We've got tons of tech all around, all the time. TV, DVD player, PS3, PS2, Wii, SNES, NES, surround sound stereo system, a separate home audio system for music (receiver, dual cassette, 25 disc changer, record player), hundreds of cds, probably over a hundred DVDs (regular and Blu-ray...mostly regular), two desktops, a laptop, house phone, alarm clocks, etc. Yep, we've both got smartphones, too. I've still got a discman i bought off a buddy of mine in 2001 when he got a mini-disc player. Of course, we're not living in an apartment in Chicago with nowhere to put anything.
August 10, 201014 yr Well, I noticed the OP said that the alarm clock was gone because it was "replaced" by the cell phone, which apparently means we're defining our tech footprints by the *size,* not the quantity, of our electronic devices. I've got a plasma TV and a PC with a dual-monitor setup. Those are my big tech footprint items. And a PS2. Pretty much everything else I've got could fit in a pocket.
August 10, 201014 yr desktop supercomputer that I built 24" flatscren monitor 52" flatscreen TV surround sound system wall clock (for aesthetic, really) laptop DSLR with bunch of lenses alarm clock (needed because I always forget to turn the cell phone off vibrate) cell phone (doubles as my mp3 player) lamps I guess that's a lot less than I thought I had, since I consider myself a bit of a closet tech buff/computer nerd. Most of it isn't invasive to the home at all, though, with the obvious exception being the TV and the typical modern living room situated around it.
August 11, 201014 yr We are very un-techish. We still do not have any flatscreen TV's. Infact, our newest TV was manufactured in 99. Our oldest one, which is in our bedroom was my wifes that she got for Christmas in 1986. We have the following. Desktop DVD player-Actually has to be routed through a VCR into the TV. Landline Phone-Mounted on the wall with a cord. Our friends and family always make fun of that. Answering machine lamps CD player-No MP3 or Ipods Personnally, I just don't like raising the kids in a house with all of the tech stuff. I think it takes the fun, imaginitive, and enginuity side out of the kids. When they become school age to the point that they need internet conncection, I will be morethan happy to let them walk to the library. It is a beautiful library within 3 blocks of our house.
August 11, 201014 yr OK, I'll play along. This is for my fiance and I who have lived together for about 2 years. Desktop Computer (brand new HP Elite!) Netbook iTouch (currently broken...) iPod Nano Small digital camera 42" Samsung LED TV Surround Sound + Blu Ray DVD Player Small tube TV Two (2) alarm clocks Stereo (hooked up to desktop computer) Printer Two (2) cell phones Wireless Router Cable box and cable modem (do these count?) Looking at my list it sure does look like a lot, but I don't feel like I'm surrounded by technology in my apartment. Well... maybe I do. The TV and surround sound pretty much dominate the living room and the desktop computer with it's 23" screen dominates the second bedroom. I'm ok with it though. It's just the world we live in now. When/if we move into a house I'm sure the technology won't be so invasive.
August 11, 201014 yr This is a great list for helping me figure out who I want to rob. Alright, I'll give this a go I have 3 or 4 26'' tube tv's, and one 30'' one. Only two work. The other two are in storage. I haven't thrown them out because they're too heavy to carry up from the basement. - one 32'' flatscreen, which is in the kids' playroom (show's you who is in charge in this house) -laptop computer - DSL modem / wireless router - surround sound system (only the front speakers are hooked up though), AM/FM Receiver with dual tape deck, 200 disc CD changer, all of which is probably 15 year old. - the previously mentioned generic walkman knockoff - a Sony portable CD player - Desktop tower with flat screen in the basement for the kids to muck around with (we bought them a crayola mouse which lights up with a bunch of different colors, and a keyboard with giant keys. I want them for myself!) -we also have lamps, which are powered by e-lec-tricity - ipod 30gb from 2005 - cordless phones, landline phones, I have a rotary phone somewhere, and 2 cells. - flip video, old style sony mini-sd camcorder and a couple P&S cameras. (my father in law still has an old VHS cassette tape, rest on the shoulder video camera from the 80's. I must get it working again!) - various and sundry DVD and VHS players. - also, both of us have alarm clocks. Can't rely on the cell's to do that, since I charge them downstairs. Edit: Thought of a few more things - Tivo (v.2) - The joystick games I mentioned below - Wii - Super Nintendo (the kids LOVE playing super mario on this), we also have a Gameboy Color, that the kids love too. - Pants Press (for the suits) - electric shoe buffer - electric tie rack (unplugged as I don't have a socket in the closet (I do have a zamp in the lamp and a yottle in the bottle, though), so really, just a tie rack)
August 11, 201014 yr Seems like a good way to kill a half an hour... Our electronic footprint, keep in mind I have an unfinished basment and attic to store all this crap. Currently in use: 42" LCD TV, 32" Tube TV downstairs in front of the treadmill, 19" TV/VCR combo in our bedroom Home Theater in a box Stereo/5 Disc DVD Player hooked up to the living room TV Wii (LR) PS2 (LR) DVD Player (bedroom) DVD/VHS player (basement) Desktop w/ 19 LCD monitor u-verse box Laptop w/dock hooked up to LCD TV to stream movies from desktop and HULU 2nd Working Laptop Work laptop 30 GB ipod, 60 Gb ipod, 16 Gb ipod touch, 32 gb ipod touch, 3 or 4 various llittle MP3 players AIWA Bookshelf Stereo 3 disc changer (basement) iHome (kitchen) ipod dock radio thingy (bathroom) alarm clock Walkman (not really in use but it still works) All in one printer scanner copier connected to desktop. 2 Nintendo DS 1 Awesome handheld that plays NES games! 2 Leapsters 2 Drawfuls of DVD movies /Wii/PS2 games Cordless phone/answering machine w/ 2 handsets & 1 dock 1 corded rotorary phone (great sound quality, came with the house, we actually included it in the contract) 2 cell phones. Several hundred CDs in CD Books 20 or 25 NES games Taking up space: Broken laptop that my sister gave me to fix for the kids Working Windows XP desktop 25" TV works laser jet printer (works but has LPT1 connector) 19" Tube monitore 21" Flat screen graphics quality Viewsonic tube monitor parted out desktop 4 or 5 old harddrives 3 or 4 old CD/DVD roms 200 or 300 tapes in shoeboxes several spindles of cd/dvds (need to be sorted) Various keyboards and mice Old wacom drawing tablet. Various old cell phones. 8-bit Nintendo Comodore 64
August 11, 201014 yr Commodore 64!! Awesome. I want my old TRS 80 back from school 10 CLS 20 Print "Andy is awesome!!!" , 30 Goto 20
August 11, 201014 yr I have every single video game console from 1977 on except: Sega Saturn (sold it), Sega Master System (it died), Dreamcast (was obsolete by the time I could buy it) and an Odyssey, but I have all the others. I want an Atari 5200. I love records, and record players. I have a laptop and a desktop. I have 3 MP3 Players and random computer parts/half computers around the house. Eventually I want a netbook and a media center/computer for my TV. I love love love gadgets.
August 12, 201014 yr This is a ridiculous thread but insanely fun. Our list: 52" LCD HD TV (almost paid off, makes me happy) Cable Box w DVR Wii Receiver - 15-20 years old, but it is just used for outdoor speakers until I can get my nice Surround Sound system (we currently have no DVD payer because of this) Digital Picture Frame (never set up, should get the wife on that) Big Wall Clock HP Desktop 20" flat screen monitor Wireless Printer, Copier, Scanner, Fax Wireless Router Cable Modem 19" TV/VCR combo 27" TV (tube variety) 2 iPhones 2 alarm clocks Various Lamps, but more importantly ... Ceiling Fans - they are really underrated
August 12, 201014 yr I too have ceiling fans, and an attic fan...which believe it or not makes a real difference in heat like this. I also forgot to put down that I have 3 of those joysticks that have games from the 80's in them. So you know I'm down with Pac-man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga and Dig Dug!
August 15, 201014 yr North Andre, you obviously are doing much better than me. I am a packrat so I just collect electtronic devices.... Alot of it had to do with the fact that I've moved alot. When I moved to Chicago, I wanted to make my lifestyle more light-weight. From owning less stuff, to living close to work, ditching my car, purchasing devices that are all in one, etc. Despite that I'm streamlined at home, work is another story. I do a ton of 3d rendering and my computer rig is 3 towers, 2 24" flat screen monitors, and two sets of speakers, two keyboards, and two mice. The area under my desk is a mess of a criss-cross of wires that everything has to be labeled so it can be disconnected and reassembled. Because our company is going through growing pains, I've been moved twice, fortunately to good spots. It takes exactly 3 hours to relocate my work computer to another station, not to mention the towers are incredibly heavy......16 processor cores and 20 GB of RAM, you don't want to drop it.
August 15, 201014 yr I have a photograph of my grandmother at her office circa 1940. She had two rotary telephones on her desk. Two phones! Not one phone with multiple lines, but two phones! I think that photo is so quaint. :-)
August 15, 201014 yr Can I count my toaster? It has settings for bagels and frozen pastries, and cool blue LED's.
August 16, 201014 yr Can I count my toaster? It has settings for bagels and frozen pastries, and cool blue LED's. Damn, I was going to make the toaster joke! Well, at least I've got these four microwaves. Two of them even work! Edit: or an actual list of my stuff: - Laptop computer - Desktop computer (very rarely used) - 17-inch LCD monitor (shared between laptop and desktop) - External hard drive - Wireless router/DSL modem - Printer - 400 lb television with antenna and digital converter box - DVD player - Sega Genesis with Sonic 1 and 2 - 3 year old bottom-of-the-line flip phone (to be replaced tomorrow with smartphone) - iPod Nano - Floating globe - Three window fans - One clock radio and one weird LED clock - Pencil sharpener - Two digital cameras (one SLR, one point-and-shoot) - GPS for the car - Parking meter... purely mechanical, though
August 17, 201014 yr Ah pencil sharpener. I need one. I go downstairs to the leasing office and use theirs. They really hate it. The final straw was when I started using their copy machine. "Enough!! Go back upstairs and buy your own!"
August 18, 201014 yr Ahahaha, I used to used to go to the landlords' office downstairs to do stuff. Then one day they asked me to help them with their server. I was known as "The Finance Guy" at that time. Finance people always get asked to fix computers when there's no IT people around. Problem is, I don't know anything about servers.
August 18, 201014 yr Ah pencil sharpener. I need one. I go downstairs to the leasing office and use theirs. They really hate it. The final straw was when I started using their copy machine. "Enough!! Go back upstairs and buy your own!" You can have my pencil sharpener. I probably don't use it more than once a year. I'll just get by with whittling next time it comes up. Copier, though... you're on your own!
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