Wednesday, September 07, 2011

The March of Technology

I like watching old TV shows, in part because you get a glimpse of a different time. Lately I've been enjoying All In The Family on Antenna TV, an over-the-air channel I get.

In one of tonight's episodes, from 1978, Edith wanted to buy Archie an "new color TV" for their 30th anniversary. She needed $500.

$500 in today's deflated money would still buy more TV than Edith could have bought at any price in 1978. Same goes for computers and all sorts of technological gadgetry. I love how that works.

I still have my first computer--complete with printer/cassette interface. I assume all it needs is some new hearing aid batteries to bring it back to life. If memory serves, the whole thing cost me $300 in the early 80's.

3 comments:

Brooks said...

Hello hello,

I've been a long time reader of this blog and I thought I'd post my first comment.

I'm Canadian so I have a little different perspective than you do, but I'm right wing and a teacher as well so I'm sure we have much in common.

I came across an article in one of our national newspapers, The Post, on "Students give E-Learning a Grace of Incomplete." I thought you might be interested. Here's the link:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/09/08/students-give-e-learning-a-grade-of-incomplete/

I also write for a blog called City of God. Since I'm a teacher I write about some education policy here and there, like here:
http://www.civitatedei.com/2011/09/teachers-union-ad-fail/

And yes, you heard that right. Our Ontario public teachers (I'm private) top out at $92,000/year. And they're paid in a currency that isn't being inflated away by Bernanke!

Keep up the good work.

Darren said...

Thanks for the info! And I hope you keep coming back here to read.

Joshua Sasmor said...

I fondly recall my first computer - a Commodore 64, bought in September of 1982, at the introductory price of ~$600 :)