Another year and another birthday. Last week I celebrated another milestone without folly. I’m not going to tell you how old I am, but I will say I was born in the 70’s. Although I haven’t seen as many style changes as some of my readers, I have seen a fair amount and am taken back to see so many come full-circle.
Clothes I was happy to send to Salvation Army in the 80’s are coming back and kids are finding them at used clothing stores. Madras shirts from the 60’s and 70’s are also bursting back onto store shelves under the guise of new styles and names – some of which I can’t pronounce. Even balloon pants that were in bloom in the 90’s are coming back. Yes, I said balloon pants.
Cars, home decor and many other items have come full-circle as well. When Chrysler released the PT Cruiser for the 2001 model year it was clearly a throwback to 1940’s styling. Volkswagen re-released the Beetle in 1997 and sold tons of them to hippies reliving their youth as well as new and younger customers who never had a chance to drive the original.
As the title of the article states, this isn’t about aesthetic and cosmetic appeal and certainly isn’t an article about style. What do I know about style? Please don’t answer that question. For the past week I’ve been tossing the idea that technology is one thing that really doesn’t come back around. Nobody is going to rummage boxes in their cellar to reuse a 1980’s cell phone. I would hope most people aren’t going to run down to RedBox to rent a VHS tape.
A major reason technology is not replaced is because it no longer suits the original intent. My little store sells a lot of custom gaming computers which we try and design for current as well as future needs. After the technology needed to play the games has expired many customers refurbish the rigs for less demanding uses. Eventually the systems will be of little to no use to anyone and will be recycled.
Over the past year or so I’ve made mention of technologies becoming displaced. VHS tapes have been replaced by DVD’s and Blu-Ray discs. Cassettes have been outdone by DVD’s and online music distribution websites like iTunes. Much of this type of displacement is simply due to quality and convenience. Blu-Ray discs have significantly higher quality than VHS tapes and take up about one third the space.
Sometimes we’re forced to change technologies when another changes. A few years ago when flat screen televisions started to peak in popularity analog broadcasts started to phase out. The federal government passed a law requiring television channels to discontinue broadcasting analog signals. Store shelves filled with converting equipment and federal funds were set aside to assist people who couldn’t afford the $40.00 converter. Consumers were simply forced to purchase a new television or a converter.
Out with the old and in with the new isn’t such a big deal. Our system is efficient enough to handle the onslaught of offloaded equipment created by cyclic changes in technology. Future generations won’t have the option of reverting back to relics unless they’re fortunate enough to find an old tube TV or 8 track in Grampy’s garage. As long as the old equipment is properly disposed of, modern recycling centers can work their magic turning the old into new again. “Be Kind Rewind” may no longer refer to technology; however, it will always have a place in clothing stores.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can call him directly at (978) 919-8059) or visit www.LocalComputerWiz.com.