With the approaching 2013 CES show I decided to dig out my show guides and take a peek at what we thought was cool waaaay back then. And bear in mind, that most of the items listed below were not even for sale yet to the public.
Samsung unveiled a crude 19 inch LCD monitor for only $750. Today, I’ve seen some fairly decent ones for less than $79.
A well known tech writer was lamenting the lack of a high-def tuner for VCRs. Even then I wondered what he was smoking.
Two to three megapixel cameras dominate digital photo sales. Of course there are 24 megapixel cameras today. Heck, even cell phones have 8 megapixel sensors now.
Sharp was releasing a new “cheap” 42 inch, standard definition plasma TV for only $3500 … no longer even produced.
Panasonic showed a 20-inch LCD TV for $2000, and Samsung introduced us to the world’s largest LCD TV. It was HD (720, not 1080) and a full 46 inches! Just $11,000. And “a day late and a dollar short” Sony introduced a 30 inch LCD TV for $6000. I just saw a more advanced 32″ model today for $179.
In perspective, if gasoline was following the same pricing fall as electronics, it’d be about a dime a gallon in today’s dollar.
Seems that this was the year that home networking was starting to take off ….. But most of the stuff was so badly designed that it usually required a couple of IT professionals equipped with “Harry Potter magic wands and rabbit’s feet to get it to work.
Phillips showed a TV with “Alert Guard” that would light up one of four LED lights on the front to warn you of what disaster just occurred. Talk about a “feel good” product … “Good evening American family, as you sit down to dinner, this red flashing light indicates you have 30 minutes ’till the end of the world”. Have a nice day!
