90's Noteworthy: Top Ten - Technology

November 7, 11:21 AMPhiladelphia Generation Y ExaminerKimberly Zapata

In today’s 90’s Noteworthy, I am going to take a look at the top ten tech gadgets and technological advancements of the nineties. In many cases, these gadgets defined and redefined our generation and our culture. However, in almost every instance noted below, the technology itself was discovered and created many years (decades even) before it became mainstream. But without further ado, and in no particular order, here are the top ten technological toys of the 90’s.

1. Pagers – Whether you referred to it as a pager, a page, a beeper, or bleeper, pagers, undeniably, were a staple of the early nineties (until cell phones came into the picture that is). Pagers enabled their users to be beeped with a phone number whenever one needed to contact them. Find a phone, personal or pay, and you too could contact the emergency correspondence on the other end; although, in the 90’s, emergencies were often less urgent (i.e., what are you up too; do you want to grab a bite to eat). However, when cell phones hit the scene, pagers seemed to drop off the radar—though they are still used by many in emergency response positions.

2. Cell Phones – Years before the iPhone, mobile phones made their debut. Though the cell phone existed for several years before they became mainstream, the mid to late 90’s truly was the time when the cell phone redefined communication in our culture. No longer was one unreachable; with cell phone towers popping up nationwide and abroad, everyone is now connected wherever, whenever (for good or ill).

3. CD’s/Portable CD Players – Somewhere between the death of the tape and birth of the MP3 lived the CD (the bastardized middle child of the ongoing data storage race). While CD’s were available, commercially, in the mid to late 80’s, the lack of commercially available (and affordable) CD players forced the medium to stall for a couple of years as many music aficionados clung to their cassettes, winding and winding the gears with a pencil to rewrap the kinked and crumpled tape.

4. Video Gaming Systems (i.e. home consoles) - As noted in the Top Ten Toys of the 90's, home gaming systems such as Nintendo, Super Nintendo (SNES), Sega Genesis, Playstation (aka the PSOne), Dreamcast, and a plethora of portable, handheld gaming systems (both well known, such as the GameBoy and nearly forgotten--i.e. Game.com) redefined not only the technology of gaming, but the very way we, as a culture, play.  Cold winter day? Why toss a football in the snow when you can direct your virtual character around the frosty field?  Moreover, the technology itself, from commercial conception to the current incarnation of gaming, has grown so rapidly it is almost inconceivable to think where the industry will go next.

5. DVD’s – Much like CD’s, DVD’s saw a somewhat late cultural start, as DVD players were far from mainstream in the early 90’s (all back to the tape, wind, rewind, fast forward, wind). But during the decade, the price of players dropped, and DVD’s became the groundbreaking way to view movies. 

6. Laptops – According to about.com, the laptop was first created in 1981. This laptop was “a portable computer that weighed 24 pounds and cost $1795.” Clearly, this is a far cry from the consumer laptops currently in the market (many of which are weighed in ounces and not pounds). However, in the nineties, laptops were streamlined (compared to their 80’s counterparts) and a slim and trim six or seven pounds.

7. Computer and cable modems and DSL connections – Unlike many other gadgets and advancements noted in this article, cable and DSL modems saw their birth and prime in the 90’s. Cable and DSL enabled users to connect to that confangled Internet and, as I note below, download porn at semi-tolerable speeds. Not only were we connected via voice (i.e. the cell phone) now we could sit down, plug in, and power up anywhere that had a corresponding connection. Ah, progress...

8. Apple’s iMac - The Apple/Macintosh empire has been around for decades.  However, until the advent of the iMac and eMac computer systems, the company was often overshadowed by the overcrowded PC market.  The iMac has Apple's main computer system for over ten years now--with a new and improved version being introduced every couple of years.  This particular computer is one of the few models able to give PC's a run for their money, and coupled with the 21st century success of the iPod and iPhone, was able to make Apple a much more household friendly name.

9. Digital cameras - For years, photos have been the memories of millions.  Point, click, and capture (after developing the film of course).  However, digital cameras changed the way we look at the world.  In an instant, we could view our lives through snapshots, check for red eye and smiles, and, if necessary, erase the image and start all over again.  Then, pictures could be uploaded, posted, and printed all from the privacy of your home computer.  While images have become crisper and cleaner, I for one miss the feel of photo paper and the gloss, sheen, and shine of a printed image.   Moreover, it is so much easier to destroy an image, moment, or memory in this digital age; simply click delete.  Regardless, digital cameras have certainly enabled us to capture moments that, otherwise, may have gone unnoted--be it do to the lack of a camera or the lack of money for film and development.

10. The Internet – Truth be told (and of course not surprisingly), the Internet was hardly an invention of the 90’s; in fact, the origins of the Internet date back to the 1960’s. But with personal, home computers increasing in numbers each and every day, and the previously noted advent of the progression of Internet connectivity mediums, the Internet truly came into its own in the 90’s. During this time, the Internet became accessible to nearly everyone (thanks to a wide variety of public Internet providers) and we were all able to search for porn from the privacy of our own homes—or, in some cases, offices.