TECH N ME
The Non-Stop 90s Nostalgia
Tales on Technology from the 90s and Now
Souls blessed by the divine to be born between 1992–1998 mainly fall under this 90s Kids Category.
DISCLAIMER: This post on technology transformations was not curated using AI.
The above statement would have been irrelevant if I had composed this blog even three years ago. AI was still in the books and was not an everyday tool then.
This simple example illustrates the lightning speed at which Technology unfolds every other day, right in front of us from all walks of life.
However, the rapid technological changes that we, as 90s kids, have experienced are overwhelming and almost unimaginable. Our childhood memories that are hardly three decades old are now memoirs so quickly.
Within a decade, we are nearly two generations behind, which is perhaps not the case for any of our predecessors! The age and generation gap used to be proportional, unlike our case.
Age gap < Generation Gap now.
I am pretty sure most of you will agree with this. Hence, our experience is nothing short of a techno-roller coaster ride. So, join me as I take you through the nostalgic ride from my seat.
Don’t worry, it’s a ticket-free ride … so hop on :)
My Nostalgic Ride: Techno-Roller Coaster from the 90s
STOP 1: The TV Station
Our first TV was a black Sony with a bulky back and curved edges, sitting comfortably on a table. Though I can’t recall the exact screen size, it was around 30 inches.
We saw some local, a few national, and a very few international channels via the TV cable service provider.
Now, imagine this hypothetically:
You’re watching the song- BIRDS OF A FEATHER on a 90s TV at a high volume, shutting the doors of your house, closing your eyes, gracefully dancing according to the tune, all engrossed in the music, listening to the soft, melodic voice of the singer as the lyrics go…
I want you to stay
’Til I’m in the grave
’Til I rot away, dead and buried
’Til I’m in the casket you carry
If you go, I’m goin’ too, uh
’Cause it was always you (Alright)
And if I’m turnin’ blue, please don’t save me
Nothin’ left to lose without my baby
Birds of a feather, we should stick together, I know
I said I’d never think I wasn’t betterRRRRRRRRR
Suddenly, there is a glitch, and you hear a KRRRRRRR..noise. You open your eyes to the dancing black & white grains on the screen blaring with this sound until you power off or mute the TV!
That is what happened with cable TVs in those days when there was a technical fault or a natural calamity that disturbed the telecast. Had I known this would cease to exist, I would have recorded it for future reference — poor me!
I am doubtful whether my description gave you the correct impression, but I think I took you somewhere close to it.
Later came the LCD, LED, and now the Smart TVs. They are thin, weightless, and powered by the Internet. They offer a ton of other options as well.
STOP 2: Tele-Brick-Smart Phone
I have literally seen the transition from wired landline telephones (which were not easily available in every household) to cordless phones.
They came with limited memory, showcasing the luxury of storing numbers and checking call logs manually to see the missed calls on the smallest screen.
It always glowed with a bright orange or yellow background to keep you on a “Fire Alert” mode when you get anywhere near it.
Then came the brick-model mobile phone. Yes, you can re-read it. It is not a typo. The earliest or first invented Nokia 3100 (displayed in Science Museums today) was a solid, tough one, just like a brick.
It was fall-proof, contrary to today’s hyper-sensitive touch phone that dies in one and first fall.It was heavy with a small screen, a keypad full of buttons, and a removable battery.
The hilarious part was typing names to store contacts. The pressing frequency of the buttons determined the alphabet we typed. So, we often typed the wrong letters and started from the first. It happened so frequently that we got used to this- typing, re-typing, and repeat-exercise (more likely an imposition..Hahaha..)!
The only game we had on that mobile was the moving snake that hits the wall and retards in all directions. As simple as that. No competitors, no subscription, no collecting of coins, no slashing someone, and also no dying like the Blue Whale thing!
Then came the touch & type model and now the latest touch phones.
WEIRD FACT ALERT!
I got, that is, my parents bought the first phone of my life in my 11th grade.
Children these days see, access, and use phones from the age of 2 or 3, like my daughter.
STOP 3: Computer Class to Computer Less
My Computer in School
After seeing computers in the pictures of my textbooks, I first saw them in my “Computer Lab” period.
Yes, we had “Computer Lab” periods, not the “Computer Science” periods now. I think around my 4th or 5th grade (that is, in 2004–2005). Of course, they didn’t teach any programming. It was about creating a Word or Paint document, after all. Haha.
The process of attending the lab classes by itself was fascinating. We had to form a line and go to the lab, located a little far away from our class, at the end of the corridor.
It will take half the period to finally settle down at the designated system when one of the Hero computers will go blank! Just Blank. It will enter the Zen mode for no reason. The only option you have is to complain to the Computer Teacher.
He will directly ask you to share another computer with one of your classmates. If it is a friend, great; if not, that’s great too. In either case, we won’t do anything on the system. Just chill, chat, or mind your own business!
So, technically sharing another’s computer = free period…hahaha…We pray to every God we know( see, we were simple-minded to believe there was and is God) to get that Hero Computer.
If you were unlucky, the“Computer Class” actually starts now. :(
They taught about the parts of the computer. The“Computer” Computer that Charles Babbage (actually) found.
Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that it would become a slim laptop or, worst still, a palm-sized portable computer known as a “Smart Phone.”
Things you may see in a science museum today were all newly taught in school “labs” then.
Would you believe it if I said that our exams were only about sending a “How are you?” Or a “Welcome” email to our teacher’s email ID? While this might sound too easy, imagine the number of steps you need to get right. It is a sequential process, so you cannot skip or reorder it.
- Switch on the CPU and monitor. (Starts at the hardware level)
2. Enter the password and wait for the “Windows XP” logo.
3. Click the Start button or Google icon.
4. Go to Gmail, log in, compose the email, and hit send.
5. It will show loading until it is delivered successfully.
My, sorry, Our First Home Computer
When we first bought our computer at home, we had to buy something called a“Computer Table” essentially to accommodate all the parts of the computer that came with it.
The big monitor needed at least a 5x5 table to accommodate its big fat back. Then came a CPU, a keyboard, and a mouse. I mean, the wired mouse (sounds weird?). If you had the privilege of buying a UPS, that also adds to the list.
There was only one computer per house, so everyone used it turn by turn. When the government started hosting a broadband service to provide Internet (for me, it was BSNL in India), we could finally buy a Modem to connect and access the Internet.
If you have these additional parts, your switching ON regime will follow a different sequence: UPS, CPU, Monitor, and Modem.
Then? Wait… Wait… Wait…
The system will boot up and take some time to show the login screen. Then enter the password… TaDa.. Oh… no no… hold on… you need to Wait.. Wait.. and Wait.. again..phew…
Now, it has blessed you with the sight of your desktop screen. Since it is your home computer, you may have tweaked its wallpaper with some family pictures of yours.
Since customizing the wallpaper will consume more memory space, it will increase the load time. So, your desktop screen may appear OK, but you won’t be able to click on anything for a while. Yes, you need to Wait… Wait…and Wait…
And finally, here you go…!
Now, you have your computer ready to listen to you.
From the moment you decided to use it until you began using it, it might have taken you at least seven or ten minutes.
But kids today cannot bear a load time of even 2 minutes when their laptop hangs!
After teaching these series of steps to others in my house, here I come. With a broad smile and head held high, the proud and experienced computer professional in our family, next to or nearly equal to my dad.
STOP 4: Digital Camera Photos to Phone Selfies
I think we bought our first and last Sony digital camera when I was in the 8th grade.
I bet most of the ’90s kids would have had one. It will always be most valuably revered by the family and only accessed on special occasions or vacations to click a few snaps.
It was always maintained clean and handled with care. Each component was put back in its respective compartment in the case after use. The cable, battery, camera, memory card, charger, and charging wire were to be kept in the given setup, undisturbed, unchanged.
Remember, only one of the esteemed family members is granted access rights to the expensive digital camera. Taking pictures, carrying them around during the trip, or backing up the photos are all the duties/ responsibilities of that sole soul.
The primary responsibility was to constantly maintain its battery level and clear the memory to keep it ready to use. So, once we get back from a trip or an event, I immediately plug into the computer using the USB-HDMI cable provided and transfer the photos (Basically copy and paste).
But now, we take selfies as and when we like, and they are backed up automatically in some cloud. We also get videos and collages made with our photos from a few years ago on the same day!
All this was fun for us back then, but it might seem funny to you now. Right, I get you!
Ride Ends, Reality Strikes
Today, everything is a matter of a click of a button. Anything is served immediately, literally from food to news. Technology is accessible to everyone irrespective of age, place, time, or any damn factor.
Scientists or terrorists, theists or atheists, everyone can equally access and use Technology.
Online scams, Cyber attacks, Social Media abuse, False and incorrect news becoming “Viral”, convincing people to buy that crap story!
Is that it?
Before I leave you with a question, here is a quick movie recommendation!
Watch this Tamil movie called — “Comali” which depicts how a 90s kid who went into a coma in the late 90s after he wakes up in 2019, just 15 years later, finds everything around him alien.
So, this is my question to US = you, me and everyone
When Technology has simplified so much, are we using it sensibly and mindfully?
