It has struck me just how do the must-have gadgets on Christmas lists from yesteryear rate up against today’s bad boys?
Do you hanker after that Christmas from yesteryear? The beguiling innocence and anticipation as you eagerly ripped into the stocking left at the end of your bed; what treasures lay inside? Your friends at school had been speaking of nothing else for months aside from the latest technological gadget: a Walkman, a Casio digital watch with the all-important calculator, an Atari games console or a Stylophone, which guaranteed musical fame! I still recall that feeling of being the proud owner of the item you’d up until now only seen on the recurring adverts on television; mum and dad, (or Santa!) had been listening to my wines and whims after all!
My opinion is you cannot compare them. Sure they may look old hat but these were the forerunners, without whom the Christmas must-haves this year wouldn’t exist. I know that the younger generations laugh, (as I surely did!) when they see the toys and household appliances from the past but without these extraordinary innovations we would never have seen the huge leap forwards that we currently enjoy.
You can also take this a step further when you think of the technology advances in medicine – vaccinations, antibiotics and transplants; environmental – wind-turbines, water treatment and sanitation and recycling; and travel – cars, trains and aeroplanes have made unbelievable leaps. Each generation thinks we have invented the wheel but the truth is it takes an innovative geek from the past to enable the innovation of today.
And I for one still loved my Casio watch!
Any favourites you can think from Christmases past?
