By Andrea Mack, First Time Technology Office Manager
18 years sure is a long time. Since Byte Back’s founding in 1997, technology has changed a lot. Our staff, AmeriCorps, and students put our heads together to think of our funniest technology memories, from 1997 and beyond. Here are our favorite throwback memories.
1. I remember when I got my first pager (clear white or red) match all my outfits.
2. I remember listening to the radio ALL day to create the perfect mixed tape.
3. I remember thinking HitClips were the coolest thing ever. (“Oops, I Did it Again” and “Bye Bye Bye” were my jams.)
4. I remember my bright red Casio cassette player with matching fuzzy earphones.
5. I remember when you had to log into the Internet and the delightful dubstep-inspiring sounds it would make while logging in.
6. I remember playing the first computer version of Oregon Trail.
7. I remember when the only way to get those Sega and Nintendo cartridges to work was to BLOW AS HARD AS POSSIBLE.
8. I remember ATARI was the best thing to ever happen to a kid!!
9. I remember when you had to put a tape into your car to connect to your cell phone or iPod to play music.
10. I remember using my beeper to send 43770 (hello upside down) to my friends.
11. I remember when it took 10 minutes to connect to the Internet, with a “du, du, du, *static*, du.”
12. I remember dying of dysentery on Oregon Trail.
13. I remember when Internet Explorer was the only browser.
14. I remember when cell phones were just for making calls away from home – there was no texting, either!
15. I remember when AOL still sent out CDs.
16. I remember playing Snake on my Nokia 5110.
17. I remember when we had to use a typewriter with no erase functions for formal documents.
18. I remember when cell phones were huge. We used to call them bricks.
