I'm looking at various lines of vintage electronics trying to find the ones that were the most visually compelling.
The Sony Sports line is pretty interesting. Bright yellow, rounded corners, basic aesthetic pulled through the whole line.
What other vintage electronic lines were this dedicated to aesthetics?
@ajroach42 I wanted one of those Walkmen so much when I was about seven — too expensive, so I had to slum it with the low-end one. Still gives me a thrill of desire.
@ajroach42 Oh, to be a fly on the wall for the "yellow means sports activities" focus group
@ajroach42 @ahermitforhire I had the one on the bottom shelf, second from right. It was the first thing I ever bought with a credit card and I probably paid three times what it cost in interest and late fees. I didn’t even need a waterproof one (or a credit card while we’re at it), but I was a dumb kid and it was the 80s.
@itsjustdj @ajroach42 @ahermitforhire I don't recall Sony walkmans being used as much as history seems to paint it. They were too expensive, and not noticeably better. Than the "mid" brand name ones.
They were too big too.
Also the term walkman in common usage didn't mean sony.
Being waterproof wasn't so great, they just would physically wear out from pockets and purses and backpacks and lockers ... etc.
Not water.
I covet the realistic auto-reverse non-radio ones.
@pkw @itsjustdj @ahermitforhire I had a red realistic with auto reverse for a while, best sounding portable tape player I've ever owned.
@ajroach42 What I’d love to find is a PXL2000. I borrowed one for a college project (converted to 3/4” for editing because 80d) and the low res monochrome was amazing.
@theotherbrook I have one, but it needs a belt replacement.
@ajroach42 Of course you do and of course it does.
@theotherbrook it's on the road map
@ajroach42 If I’d known you 15 years ago you might have ended up with a fair percentage of my basement.
@theotherbrook I wish I still had the things that were in my basement 15 years ago, but I've had to move cross country in a shockingly short period of time 4x since then (back and forth) and lots got left by the wayside.
I see a great need for a laptop and smartphone with the same aesthetic.
@suetanvil @ajroach42 Big yellow rectangle smartwatch
Maybe buy a toughbook and paint it bright yellow...
(Note: I have neither the time, energy, or skills to pull this off so feel free to steal this idea. But please send me pics if you do it.)
@suetanvil I do have a toughbook collecting dust.
If someone at the makerspace is looking for a project...
@ajroach42 way jealous ... Very nice collection ... Hugz
Hugz & xXx
@melissabeartrix that's just a photo I found online to illustrate my point, but it is a very nice collection.
@ajroach42 cuttercore! as re: Hardspace Shipbreaker
@noracodes These words didn't connect with anything in my head.
@ajroach42 Hardspace Shipbreaker is a video game about industrial unions with a flawless and very yellow aesthetic
@ajroach42 It looked pretty cool at the time
@aram It looks pretty cool today. It's not my look of choice, but I respect it.
@ajroach42 exactly how I feel about Ryobi power tools
@ajroach42 beats by dewalt.
Anyway, I have a couple of Sony Sports items (a radio, a boombox, and a walkman) on the way, in addition to a couple of Strikingly red gizmos.
I'd really love to find one of those hi-8 cameras with it's waterproof shell. I can't think of a *single* useful thing to do with a hi8 camcorder (and I say that as someone who regularly uses a 1968 Sony Portapak black and white video camera) and even if I could, I can't find a single one that works.