1996 Best Buy Ad

[MayrMeninoCrash]

Saw on FARK. Holy shit have we come this far technologically?

http://www.iheartchaos.com/post/10489506835/best-buy-ads-from-1996-look-like-they-might-as-well

I think the best item is the $400 hard drive with 1/5th the storage space of my cell phone.

 

[Jacuzzi Billy]

I got my eye on that 27 in panasonic for $399.

Kitchen appliances have not changed much.

 

[Don the Radio Guy]

How are washers and dryers not any cheaper than they were then?

 

[CM Mark]

Wow, the Sega Genesis for $122.99.

 

[Aaron Burrito]

How are washers and dryers not any cheaper than they were then?

Electronics vs mechanical

 

[Party Rooster]

How are washers and dryers not any cheaper than they were then?

They've been around for decades and the markets and technology are very mature.

I actually had that Motorola flip phone. I think it was $40 a month for like 50 minutes.

 

[Buster H]

I think the best item is the $400 hard drive with 1/5th the storage space of my cell phone.

What about the $129 memory upgrade (16MB) that has the 1/2000th the storage space as my iPhone

 

[whiskeyguy]

Regarding the CD-ROM section, I think I enjoyed Warcraft II more than any other game I've played since. I remember trying to play that shit as a kid with my buddies over dial-up modems.

 

[mikeybot]

I want that sweet HP deal for $1899

Fuck, White Light, White Heat, White Trash came out in 96?

 

[Voss's Tumor]

Regarding the CD-ROM section, I think I enjoyed Warcraft II more than any other game I've played since. I remember trying to play that shit as a kid with my buddies over dial-up modems.

Hell yes, that was the best shit ever.

Funny how frustrating it was explaining to your computer illiterate buddy how to set the game to call you, because teaching him to set his shit to receive your call was completely impossible.

 

[CousinDave]

How are washers and dryers not any cheaper than they were then?

they have a lot more features now

I think appliances are just one of those things they they keep "improving" so costs will not lower

That and I think Whirlpool manufactures every washer and dryer sold in North America

 

[Begbie]

Amazing how 1996 doesn't seem that long ago, yet technology...specifically in communication...is entirely different. During those days, you might've had a cell phone if you were an important businessman, you probably had a computer with dialup, you had a landline phone with an actual answering machine, and the glove box in your car might've had a couple maps. Oh, and you would break the camcorder and camera out for special events. And you would probably have to go to the one hour photo to get the film developed. You also read books to look up info and stepped foot in a library.

I can't remember the time when all I would carry is my wallet and keys. But that was me in 1996 and that was totally normal. Now I've got one device that does all of things listed above...anywhere I go. (Well, not anywhere...I do have AT&T :icon_cool) It's amazing.

 

[Voss's Tumor]

Amazing how 1996 doesn't seem that long ago, yet technology...specifically in communication...is entirely different. During those days, you might've had a cell phone if you were an important businessman, you probably had a computer with dialup, you had a landline phone with an actual answering machine, and the glove box in your car might've had a couple maps. Oh, and you would break the camcorder and camera out for special events. And you would probably have to go to the one hour photo to get the film developed. You also read books to look up info and stepped foot in a library.

I can't remember the time when all I would carry is my wallet and keys. But that was me in 1996 and that was totally normal. Now I've got one device that does all of things listed above...anywhere I go. (Well, not anywhere...I do have AT&T :icon_cool) It's amazing.

My parents had the first run cell phones in 1996, of course I had a pager.

My dad had one of the first digital cameras... It actually had a full 3.5" floppy drive on it.

We also had "internet access" for a full 3 years before my dad ever mentioned it to me. Basically, he'd been paying like $30 a month to plug the phone cord into the computer because it supposedly "made it faster". I had always only used it for dial-up BBSs and direct connect gaming.

 

[whiskeyguy]

Oh, and you would break the camcorder and camera out for special events.

My parents came home one night with something amazingly fucking cool around 1990. It was a camcorder and VCR... and the camcorder actually recorded directly to the VHS tapes! Things we're easier then. Now I have to record HD video to my cell phone, launch a media server app, and then pull the video up on my network-connected HDTV via wifi. I miss connecting cables or handling tapes.

 

[LiddyRules]

My parents had the first run cell phones in 1996, of course I had a pager.

And now you're an actual drug dealer.

Spoiler

Oil maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan oilman.

 

[Buster H]

Since VT went through it a bit.... I'll go with the milestones as I remember them:

1. Internet access 28.8modem (May 96)
2. First cell phone: motorola flip phone pictured in that flyer (Jan 97)
3. 56k modem Spring of 97
Had a few different cell phones over the next few years, but overall, I didn't do any large leaps.
4. cable modem summer 99
5. Started using my cell routinely for things other than just emergencies in 99 as well
6. Got rid of my land line 2002

 

[Voss's Tumor]

And now you're an actual drug dealer.

Spoiler

Oil maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan oilman.

2. First cell phone: motorola flip phone pictured in that flyer (Jan 97)

The Motorola Startac was the best thing since sliced bread. I kind of still want one for nostalgia reasons.

 

[Buster H]

The Motorola Startac was the best thing since sliced bread. I kind of still want one for nostalgia reasons.

i didn't have the Startac. I had the HUGE grey one that looked like it was straight out of Star Trek

 

[Party Rooster]

My parents came home one night with something amazingly fucking cool around 1990. It was a camcorder and VCR... and the camcorder actually recorded directly to the VHS tapes! Things we're easier then. Now I have to record HD video to my cell phone, launch a media server app, and then pull the video up on my network-connected HDTV via wifi. I miss connecting cables or handling tapes.

I had the precursor to that. It was a video camera that plugged into half a VCR that you would wear by a strap on your shoulder. The camcorder was huge, looked like a real TV camera. The VCR was split into two "components." One side was the tuner, the other side was the mechanical part that played the tapes. You could separate them and the VCR part took a huge battery. I actually still have it. The VCR has been in our extra room and been used as a tuner because it got a better picture than the built-in one on the TV. It's made by GE and it's at least 25 years old.

 

[phillyfranko]

I had the Original Pong game...but lost it last time i moved in 04' ...I always wondered what its worth today...+ still have Intellivision ...pd $269 for it when it came out in 78' - 79' +nintendo and sega genisis...still have em and they still play...got about 31 cartridges/gms for Intellivision...

 

[Creasy Bear]

I had the Original Pong game...but lost it last time i moved in 04' ...I always wondered what its worth today...+ still have Intellivision ...pd $269 for it when it came out in 78' - 79' +nintendo and sega genisis...still have em and they still play...got about 31 cartridges/gms for Intellivision...

They're not worth all that much. They mass produced(30 million of them) those things and lot's of people have them stashed away in boxes up in their attics. You might get around 250 bucks for a working Atari 2600... if it's got all the accessories and some game cartridges.

You can actually get them for less now than the price they originally sold for.

 

[Awful Me]

My first hard drive upgrade was to that 1.6 GB.

I also had that pager with the slide out holster case.

 

[stevethrower]

How are washers and dryers not any cheaper than they were then?

Because all they really do is change the control panel (for the most part) the service manual I got for mine covers like 5 years or models from like 3 different manufacturers.

 

[MayrMeninoCrash]

My dad had one of the first digital cameras... It actually had a full 3.5" floppy drive on it.

The Sony's with the floppy disks came out around 1999. I remember getting an email alert from a "half.com" type site offering one for $350 and my credit card flew out of my wallet (I believe they went for $5-600 back then), in 2000. Nothing more badass than capturing EIGHT digital pictures on a 1.44.

My parents came home one night with something amazingly fucking cool around 1990. It was a camcorder and VCR... and the camcorder actually recorded directly to the VHS tapes! Things we're easier then. Now I have to record HD video to my cell phone, launch a media server app, and then pull the video up on my network-connected HDTV via wifi. I miss connecting cables or handling tapes.

The JVC camcorder from 1985 (that Marty uses in BTTF and Clark Griswold uses in European Vacation) was the first all-in-one home VHS camera that carried the full-size tapes on board for recording.

I had the precursor to that. It was a video camera that plugged into half a VCR that you would wear by a strap on your shoulder. The camcorder was huge, looked like a real TV camera. The VCR was split into two "components." One side was the tuner, the other side was the mechanical part that played the tapes. You could separate them and the VCR part took a huge battery. I actually still have it. The VCR has been in our extra room and been used as a tuner because it got a better picture than the built-in one on the TV. It's made by GE and it's at least 25 years old.

My parents had one too. Need to see if they still have it in the basement (Mom is a bit of a hoarder). They bought the VCR because my dad's school had a camera (Which were like $3000 at the time) that plugged into it and he borrowed it all the time. Our Christmas morning videos from 1981-1985 were taped on that behemoth.

 

[Begbie]

My parents came home one night with something amazingly fucking cool around 1990. It was a camcorder and VCR... and the camcorder actually recorded directly to the VHS tapes! Things we're easier then. Now I have to record HD video to my cell phone, launch a media server app, and then pull the video up on my network-connected HDTV via wifi. I miss connecting cables or handling tapes.

Wow, yeah...my dad had one of those, but more like the one partycock mentioned. It was around the late-80's made by Sharp. It was this pretty chunky VCR that he'd have in a case that you can carry. You'd then have a few wires coming out of it to the actual camcorder. He had so many tapes of my brother's football games, which I'm sure don't exist anymore. I'd love to find them though. My dad also had the portable car phone in the late 80's and early 90's. It was about as big and heavy as a PS3, standing up, and it was in a case with the actual phone attached to the top.

My first cell phone was the popular Nokia 5160 back in 1999...service thru Cellular One, which became Cingular, which is now AT&T. It was really the late 90's where you'd see countless 1-800-COLLECT commercials...I remember David Spade being on a couple of them.