1990, when Radio Shack still had cool, interesting stuff and wasn’t just full of RC toys, crappy HP computers, replacement batteries and a Sprint kiosk. Oh yeah, and the replacement foam “headphone socks” that I need because earbuds never fit properly. If you wanted the latest tech back then, you could find it at Radio Shack (though chances were good that it’d be huge and have a battery the size of a small suitcase!) I like the disclaimer, “Cellular service available in most major cities,” and back then, you’d want to check because those fucking phones were at least $1200-$1500! Interesting to note that it’s in large, easily legible print, unlike AT&T’s for the iPhone.

2008-09, when Radio Shack is no longer cool (and indeed, many of them have closed), cellular phones are a whole lot smaller and do a whole lot more. Nineteen years ago, I don’t imagine anyone but the sci-fi nerds and computer geeks would even have dreamt of this, but now, it’s so commonplace that even D. has an iPhone (okay, so he doesn’t know anything about how it works, but he does have one)! 🙂

T-Mobile HTC G1 “Google phone” (it’ll make you smarterer, connecteder, funner, and all kinds of other “-ers”!) This would be a much cooler phone without the clunky-looking pull-out keyboard. I think the G2 is supposed to have an on-screen, though.

Apple iPhone 3G (this is my favourite of the “there’s an app for that” commercials, though I like them all…generally do like Apple commercials except for the smug ones that don’t feature John Hodgeman). AT&T’s disclaimer on this is in tiny light-grey-on-white print at the bottom, but it says, “3G not available in all areas.”

I’m glad I’m neither older nor younger because I’m at the right age where I’m old enough to remember 8-track tapes and the magic that was Pong, but young enough to adapt to new stuff as it’s developed. I have seen for myself how far we’ve come in what is really a very short time. So…yay for being middle-aged? 😛