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The Future Unveiled
The first computer I ever saw in real life was an Apple IIe. The text was green and there was a flashing line under the letters to let you know where you were working. In the third grade, I thought 8" floppy disks were so cool! -
Our First TV Satellite Dish
My mom and step-father had a rotating satellite dish for our TV. I don't remember how many channels we were able to watch, but I am sure Golden Girls was on whenever possible! When reception was weak, there was a dial we could turn to rotate the dish in hopes of finding a better signal. -
Introducing... The Bag Phone
When my boyfriend (now my husband) began driving to and from Tampa every week to attend USF, his mom decided he had to have a mobile phone - just like Don Johnson in Miami Vice. It cost $20/month and .75/minute. -
Brother AX-28 Word Processing Typewriter
College required all kinds of "high-tech" devices. Our electronic word processor allowed us to see two entire lines of text before printing. It was a lifesaver! -
Our First Home PC
Looking back, I am not sure why we needed a computer... At the time (and I hoestly have no idea what brand it was), we used it primarily to make lists and play solitaire. My husband still loved it:) -
Along Came The Motorola Pager
And there went our ability to have a moment of privacy. Suddenly, everyone could reach us at any time. The sounds of the pagers could be heard in a crowd and often haunted our dreams (watch video to enjoy for yourself) .
Old School Motorola Pager Sounds -
And Then There Was The iPod
With the invention of the iPod, we no longer had to carry around CD holders clipped to our car visors. Instead, we spent hours downloading songs from the internet or transferring from those aforementioned CD's. We once waited 17 minutes for Garth Brooks' Friends In Low Places to download to iTunes. -
Can't Forget About My Blackberry
The Blackberry was the first smart phone I was ever given by an employer. It was mainly used to send emails, and it certainly increased productivity from that standpoint, but it was also the next step in being constantly accessible. -
Finally, High-Speed Internet
I don't think anyone ever missed the sound of a dial-up modem! We were so excited to have broadband with 1116 kbps. We never could have imagined that today we would be downloading at 1 Gig!! -
Hello, Facebook
On May 21, 2009, I created my Facebook account and became an avid observer of other people's lives. Facebook, like all social media, is a double-edged sword, I found many old friends who I would never have found otherwise. In most cases, that would have been okay. -
The Incredible Droid, I Mean Droid Incredible
The first smartphone we ever bought for ourselves was the Droid Incredible. The best thing about that smartphone (and all smartphones, in my opinion) was the ability to carry our camera with us at all times. Family photography and documentation was made so much easier with the invention of the smartphone!! -
The SmartBoard: Working Smarter, Not Harder
When my children were in middle and high school, their schools had interactive whiteboards that leveled up the teaching game. These boards not only encouraged collaboration, they inspired movement and excitement as students eagerly awaited their turn at the board. -
The Apple iMac
In 2022, I made the switch to iMac from PC. There is definitely a learning curve, but my new computer is beyond amazing! Quite a change from the first computer I ever touched (in 1979). I wonder what type of device I will be using 44 years from today...