February 2, 2016

Technology Past and Present

The March of Technology from the 1980’s to Today

by Malcolm Saunders, Pre-Press Team Romax

80s – BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ!!! Goes the old analogue alarm clock I used to have, as an apprentice off to work in the 80s, shocking, brash and waking up the whole house…….

Today – compared to the relaxing ambient soothing alarm clock sounds most of us have on our phones today, I know what I prefer!

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80s – Downstairs for Breakfast, at the table, listening to the radio…….reading the newspaper…..having conversations with the rest of the family (No morning TV then!).

Today – In the sitting room eating breakfast off my lap watching TV, from a choice of hundreds of channels, whilst checking social media and news on my phone….

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80s – Out the door and off to work…..’how are the trains today?’ Not a clue, I’ll find out when I get to the station! Pull on my earphones and press play on my Sony Walkman, Beastie Boys cassette to ease me through the journey.

Today – Out the door and off to work – my train is delayed, I know, I have checked on my phone! On the train and flick through the free newspaper. Beats earphones on and chose from 7000 tracks, decisions decisions…….

 

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80s – Arrived at work, do my parents know? No, they just assume I made it there OK!

Today – Arrive at work, text the wife to let her know I’m here safe and sound whilst grumbling about late trains!

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pc-80

80s – Stand at my lightbox, scalpel, ruler and eyeglass in hands, ready to start a day of final film planning (lithography – the print trade). At lunch, ask to use the boss’s phone to call my girlfriend, he’s in a good mood – thanks!

Sit at my desk, switch on my computer, and do what required 4 different staff back in the 80s. Whilst keeping in touch via email and text, with friends and family from all around the world, with the tap of a finger and thumb.

 

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80s – Hometime – Hop onto the train, buy the Evening Standard, continue listening to the Beastie Boys on my Sony Walkman, though they are starting to sound like Barry White?! Great, the batteries are running out, will have to charge them up this evening!!!

Today – Facetime my wife to let her know I’m on my way home, have a lovely chat with our 3 year old Son, and she warns me of train delays using the travel app technology. Put my music on shuffle for the journey home – that can have some nice surprises………Pink Floyd followed by The Arctic Monkeys?! How random!

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Technology today

Marketing Schedule80s – Home – Telephone my friend to see what’s going on tonight, he’s out, so I ask his Mum to call me when he gets back in.

Dinnertime and we are all sat around the table, chatting and discussing our days, and what’s on TV tonight. After washing up we all sit down in the living room and watch TV, with a massive 5 channels to choose from!

Bedtime and time to settle down with a book………..goodnight!

 

Today – Back home, and time for some quality time with my Son, playing, and watching funny dogs and cats clips on Youtube. Then off to bed for him with a story or two read to him….

Then time for a run, I text my friend to join me but he shares his location, at his local pub, oh well, a run on my own it is. Off I run listening to more shuffled music (Guns and Roses v Johnny Cash). Whilst my Running App measures every step I take, every elevation during the run, and speed too amongst many other readings.

Dinner when I get in whilst I watch live news coverage through cable TV, with the teenagers all in their bedrooms with their mobile devices and dirty cups and plates. I facetime my Brother in Australia, then it’s time for bed, and time to settle down with a book………..goodnight!

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This has very briefly touched on the massive changes in our everyday lives, I sometimes cannot understand how we all used to get by with the lack of technology as covered above, but I sometimes long for the closer family times, the irony being that social media has made a lot of us pretty unsociable!

Another point to note is some things do not change, the comfort of reading a newspaper first thing in the morning, and the reading of a book at night too. This highlights that although technology is running away, print still stands strong in our lives, and will, I think, for a very long time.

 

romax_logo_tag_blueRomax Marketing & Distribution, a Greenwich-London based company, provides a wide range of services in Direct Marketing for B2B and B2CDirect Mail, Data Management, Printing, Discount Postage and Membership Communication Services and Consultancy. Contact us: hello@romax.co.uk +44 (0) 20 8293 8550

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