A Person Time Travels From 1960 To 2015

9 years ago

Color TV, flat screen TV, TV's with a screen size over 13in. Cable/satellite tv with more then three channels. Cordless phones, cell phones, answering machines and voice mail.
Computers. Automatic transmissions on cars being standard and manual transmissions becoming optional. Electric cars and motorcycles.
Cannabis costing more then $20 an ounce, cannabis still being illegal.
I know there are a lot more those where just from looking around my living room and remembering 1960.

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seasoned

9 years ago

Originally Posted by ThomM

Color TV, flat screen TV, TV's with a screen size over 13in. Cable/satellite tv with more then three channels. Cordless phones, cell phones, answering machines and voice mail.
Computers. Automatic transmissions on cars being standard and manual transmissions becoming optional. Electric cars and motorcycles.
Cannabis costing more then $20 an ounce, cannabis still being illegal.
I know there are a lot more those where just from looking around my living room and remembering 1960.

They HAD color tv/film in the 1960s! It is simply that the difference in cost was so great that many more bought black and white! They ALSO had TVs larger than 13". I don't remember seeing a home with a TV that small in their living room. Of course, the size of the TV had a big impact on its cost ALSO. They ALSO had more than 3 channels! The average TV VHF had 12 available channels, IIRC. MOST of LA had at least SEVEN active(2,4,5,7,9,11,13)! For whatever reason, IIRC, there WAS no channel #1! They ALSO had UHF which likely had close to 100 channels, and it seemed most places had at least 3 of THOSE channels active(I often watched #52)!

They ALSO had computers, they just weren't used by very small businesses or the average resident. They had automatic transmissions, and they were VERY common in the US! Of course, even TODAY, some cars come only with manual, and some prefer manual. They had electric cars as well.

A lot of the other stuff was only a few years away. The cordless phones were probably delayed because AT&T was trying to restrain the whole telecommunications industry.

Steve

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ThomM

9 years ago

Originally Posted by seasoned

They HAD color tv/film in the 1960s! It is simply that the difference in cost was so great that many more bought black and white! They ALSO had TVs larger than 13". I don't remember seeing a home with a TV that small in their living room. Of course, the size of the TV had a big impact on its cost ALSO. They ALSO had more than 3 channels! The average TV VHF had 12 available channels, IIRC. MOST of LA had at least SEVEN active(2,4,5,7,9,11,13)! For whatever reason, IIRC, there WAS no channel #1! They ALSO had UHF which likely had close to 100 channels, and it seemed most places had at least 3 of THOSE channels active(I often watched #52)!

They ALSO had computers, they just weren't used by very small businesses or the average resident. They had automatic transmissions, and they were VERY common in the US! Of course, even TODAY, some cars come only with manual, and some prefer manual. They had electric cars as well.

A lot of the other stuff was only a few years away. The cordless phones were probably delayed because AT&T was trying to restrain the whole telecommunications industry.

Steve

Just curious Steve are you going by what you remember living in 1960? Nobody I knew had a color tv or one with a screen size larger then 13in. If you where real lucky and lived in the right area your antennae might pick up a couple more then three channels, but it was rare.
Manual transmission in cars where called standards, because they where the standard transmission sold in a car, automatics where an expensive upgrade.
It was around 1966 before the bank my mother worked it got it's first computer and it was little more then a big keypunch machine used to figure interest on accounts.

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Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
Getting old ain't for sissy's
As you are I was, as I am you will be
You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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seasoned

9 years ago

Originally Posted by ThomM

Just curious Steve are you going by what you remember living in 1960? Nobody I knew had a color tv or one with a screen size larger then 13in. If you where real lucky and lived in the right area your antennae might pick up a couple more then three channels, but it was rare.
Manual transmission in cars where called standards, because they where the standard transmission sold in a car, automatics where an expensive upgrade.
It was around 1966 before the bank my mother worked it got it's first computer and it was little more then a big keypunch machine used to figure interest on accounts.

YEP, pretty much! They were established when I was a little kid, and I remember them, because they worked all throughout most of the areas I was in, growing up. Apparently the first NATIONAL color broadcast was in like 1954, other color broadcasts happened earlier,. 13" is TINY, seriously, our smallest set was bigger than that! I don't think ANYONE in my immediate family had such a small set. The laptop I am on now has a bigger display than that.

My father had a nice console that I believe he bought in the early 1960s. He didn't get rid of it until the late 1980s. In LA COUNTY the channels we got were, 2 KCBS 1948 ,4KNBC 1949, 5KTLA 1947, 7KABC 1949, 9KCAL1948, 11KTTV 1949,and 13KCOP 1948 and they were STRONG! As you can see, ALL were active even before 1950! According to an article I read, KTLA was the FIRST western station to start broadcasting!

BTW we usually had one of those big tuned antennas, that was on the roof.. They were not the little rabbit ears type though, from what I remember, we had NO trouble bringing in VHF with good rabbit ears. Of course, my point was simply that they were available.

I NEVER said automatic was cheap! Even TODAY it is generally an expensive option.

Keypunch machines aren't computers, but input devices, or rather they format input. And a particular bank may not have had them.

Steve

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Kay King

9 years ago

The social tools that have interconnected us beyond our expectations.

The ability to place a call anytime, anywhere - and be reachable by phone. The ability to connect with people around the world in real time.

Online shopping that requires no travel to a mall - no visiting multiple stores to compare prices - that delivers to your home reliably. GPS that helps you gets where you want and texting that lets you have a conversation with friends/family who may be far away or down the street.

How money is moved and used today would be a biggie - no waiting several days for a check to clear....for most people, no checks used at all. Instant money transfers, getting cash from your bank 24/7 rather than during banking hours.

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seasoned 9 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

The ability to place a call anytime, anywhere - and be reachable by phone. The ability to connect with people around the world in real time.

It seems you could do THAT in 1960 as well. SURE, they didn't have remote phones yet, but they had everything else.

Online shopping that requires no travel to a mall - no visiting multiple stores to compare prices - that delivers to your home reliably.

Well, they DID have mail and phone order. Ironically, IIRC, it took 2 young kids to start the quick delivery concept. I thought it was more recent, but their corporate history says a 19yo started the company, formerly called AMC, in 1907! TODAY, it is known as UPS! They didn't even get their first CAR until 1913! Apparently, they started next day air a bit before 1985.

How money is moved and used today would be a biggie - no waiting several days for a check to clear.

OK, this I have GOT to hear? When did THIS happen? BofA says that their FULLY INTERNAL and FULLY ELECTRONIC system takes a business day!!!!!! Last I heard, checks take an average of a WEEK to clear! I had one check that took over 2 MONTHS. The only change I am aware of is that a couple decades ago they restricted how long the bank could wait before releasing the money.

What is the difference? It is a BIG ONE!!!!!! When they release the money, you get it, and can spend it, but it is essentially a 0% interest LOAN! If your check then fails to clear, they will debit your account.

Even using credit cards, it could sometimes take days to clear, though that generally depends on the merchant account agreements.

Steve
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Dan Riffle

9 years ago

I think everyone carrying around computers in their pockets infinitely more powerful than the computers that sent men to the moon would be rather surprising. Given that, they'd probably be just as surprised that most people max out their usage of said tech playing Candy Crush.

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lanfear63 9 years ago

And you all missed the Auto-Flush toilet!
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- ThomM 9 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by lanfear63
  
  And you all missed the Auto-Flush toilet!
  
  I miss the regular flush toilets, just lousy aim I guess
  
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  Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
  Getting old ain't for sissy's
  As you are I was, as I am you will be
  You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.
  
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- Frank Donovan 9 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by lanfear63
  
  And you all missed the Auto-Flush toilet!
  
  You have toilets in your cars? This country's got some catching up to do - we've only just moved them indoors.
  
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Mark Singletary

9 years ago

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tagiscom 9 years ago

Thats easy, back then, (well before then) Dick Tracy was a cool idea, well his watch was!

Samsung will bring out a watch soon that can make video calls, That is the first thing that would bowl me over!

Well, that and being able to carry around a computer that is more powerful than, the massive, card punching desktop one they had back then!
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Kurt

9 years ago

If he/she ended up in Cuba, they'd wonder why cars haven't changed in 55 years...

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seasoned

9 years ago

Originally Posted by lanfear63

Completely unprepared,

Putting aside the politics, world history, social and economic changes, wars and climate change etc...

What would be the technological innovations that would wow them the most?

Well, I was born around then, and started studying about a lot of this stuff. I think I would have been surprised at how PC boards are constructed today, the size of the products, and the frequency. To tell you the truth, I didn't think they would legally get NEAR 1Ghz by even NOW!

Yeah, the thin LCD doesn't surprise me, I expected it SOONER! The Computers didn't surprise me, I expected THEM sooner. Some of the ICs don't surprise me. And I am sure EVERY kid of my era expected us to have portable phones AND, if that were NOT possible, we could have EXTENDED RANGE WALKIE TALKIES(EXISTED in 1960 and EARLIER), that would use a DTMF type device(Technology like that used in MOST remote controls then, and used in phones since the 70s, and was an OBVIOUS move), and connect to a LOCAL HUB(POPULAR CONCEPT EVERYWHERE, and used in BOTH world wars, etc....). SURPRISE! That IS what we have today! The HUB is now called a CELL, and the phones are glorified walkie talkies. They DO use the same DTMF type device.

BTW Don't ask me why, but it seems most residential remotes in the 1960s were ultrasonic. I guess they did that to comply with FCC guidelines, that radio controls may violate. TODAY, most such remotes are infrared. I never saw LED stuff until the 70s, so maybe they simply couldn't use them in the earlier controls.

Steve

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laurencewins

9 years ago

I remember going to school in high school in the 70s and carrying a heavy back pack. nowadays they all need laptops and they can do a LOT more. Makes the teachers' jobs much easier.

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seasoned

9 years ago

Originally Posted by laurencewins

I remember going to school in high school in the 70s and carrying a heavy back pack. nowadays they all need laptops and they can do a LOT more. Makes the teachers' jobs much easier.

YEAH, THAT is astounding! They had us carry ALL these HUGE books and NOW you could take the substance of ALL those books, and ALL the schools records and grades and handouts since the school STARTED and save them to a tiny device that you can barely see and has virtually NO weight! And you could put that device into almost any reader made in the last 5 years, or into an adaptor that works for the last 10 or so, and read the stuff, formatting, fonts, and graphics.

Steve

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seasoned

9 years ago

My father told me about this technology IBM was working on *****DECADES***** ago that was supposed to provide INCREDIBLE density. I don't know if they EVER really worked with it. ANYWAY it is, in theory, SO relatively complicated, and the current technology is SO good, that it may NEVER see the light of day, even though IT is effectively the crystal memory they always speak of in sci fi!

Steve

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HeySal

9 years ago

I would think that someone from the 60's would be amazed by a technology that's still amazing us now. 3D printing.

I can't remember when we got our first color TV. It was before 1962 because we got it before we moved from the country. 19 inch. We were just plain state of the art! We were still only allowed to watch an hour a day or so back then, though. On saturday mornings we got to watch 2 hours of cartoons because mom and dad didn't always feel like getting up early on weekends.

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When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
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A Person Time Travels From 1960 To 2015

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