Living Car Free - Revisiting older technologies

We spend a lot of time in this forum talking about technologies that saw their rise in the 19th century and have been revisited by later generations. Of course, the bicycle fits that scenario, but so does the street car, the passenger train.

I work in software development and one very common feature of software upgrades is what we call feature-itis. Good software is upgraded with new features that detract from the original idea. The end result is that a product starts off being a great idea and then evolves into a very bland product. Eventually people stop using it and switch to a new product that is much like the original.

Ok... my question... what old technologies would be worth a visit? I keep think of Wordstar word processing or the old (non gas) push lawnmower or non-electric razors or even the mighty clothesline (as an alternative to a gas or electric clothes dryer)!

Ok... my question... what old technologies would be worth a visit? I keep think of Wordstar word processing or the old (non gas) push lawnmower or non-electric razors or even the mighty clothesline (as an alternative to a gas or electric clothes dryer)!

Word Star was awful and should remain buried. No macro, outline or WYSIWYG capability worth a dang. It was little better than an electric typewriter with word wrap and Spell check.

If you want a simple DOS version Word Processor with tons of capability it is Word Perfect 5.1; the entire program fit on three 3½" floppies. The Windows version of WP 5.1 (six floppies) was 100% compatible with the DOS version but the macro writing was far simpler and the WYSIWYG and True Type printing made it easier to use and far, far more capable than Word Star.

Word Star was awful and should remain buried. No macro, outline or WYSIWYG capability worth a dang. It was little better than an electric typewriter with word wrap and Spell check.

If you want a simple DOS version Word Processor with tons of capability it is Word Perfect 5.1; the entire program fit on three 3½" floppies. The Windows version of WP 5.1 (six floppies) was 100% compatible with the DOS version but the macro writing was far simpler and the WYSIWYG and True Type printing made it easier to use and far, far more capable than Word Star.


That was a slick little program. For almost all users, it was easy and transparent. And fast. The similar vintage WP for Mac was even better. Best program ever.

j

vi

vi
:eek:
OK.... you've proved your point. I take it all back.

:eek:
OK.... you've proved your point. :q!

fixed that for you.

If you want a simple DOS version Word Processor with tons of capability it is Word Perfect 5.1; the entire program fit on three 3½" floppies.

I'm still waiting for "Brief" to return. Now there was a text editor.

I dunno, it seems that a lot of consumer technologies have plateaued in 30 years or so. My kitchen and bathroom today look much the same as they did in the 80s, when I was a kid. The latest kitchen technology of any relevance is the microwave oven, and many people that I know -- myself included -- do not own one. Remaining innovations have been bells and whistles that few people care about (e.g., a refrigerator that washes your balls, gives you directions, etc).

My wooden broom isn't much different than one that might have been found in the 15th century. I have a plastic one too, but aside from its material composition, it performs the exact same function in the exact same manner.

Computer technology has plateaued in certain respects as well, at least as far as the needs of average consumers is concerned. I haven't noticed much of a performance difference between my current machine and my last one, in spite of the fact that it has twice the RAM and processing power. For people who are mainly interested in web browsing, multimedia, and office functions, these advances don't make much of a difference. Of course, a lot of these functions are moving from the desktop to the web, and our devices are getting smaller and less dependent upon landline connections.

Ok... my question... what old technologies would be worth a visit?

How about the kite. Getting kids outside and do a little running compared to video games and internet.

Ok... my question... what old technologies would be worth a visit?

How about the kite. Getting kids outside and do a little running compared to video games and internet.

I would have to second the good old clothes line. I having just moved to South Korea, I have discovered that no one here owns a drying machine. All apartments are furnished with a washer (even my 250 squar foot one!) and a rack that hangs from the ceiling next to a large bay window. The rack is lowered with little drawstring much liek you would lower your blinds. Works great and saves me a lot of money. Clothes come out kinda wrinkly but I have never cared about that sort of thing in the states. I also would have never even considered using a cloths line until I came here, habit is a strange thing.

Push mowers work pretty well. My dad has a policy that if you can't start a power lawnmower, you shouldn't use it. Between me, my mom and my sister, he ended up with 3 people who couldn't start our power mower. So he picked up an inexpensive push mower, and it ended up doing years of yard work for us... and him. Sometimes he'd rather have the quiet.

The only power tool in my kitchen is a blender. I know how to use an icepick, but a blender really is faster... and doing a pureed soup by hand is a huge pain and takes a lot of equipment we don't have. Bread dough, cookies, meringue, cakes, and all the chopping get done by hand. It doesn't take very much strength, and it's a lot easier to store wooden spoons and a chef's knife than a Kitchenaid mixer and a food processor. Also a lot easier to *wash*.

We do have a vacuum cleaner, but we don't have much choice... wall to wall carpeting can't have the dirt beaten out. If I could have hardwood floors and regular carpets, the vacuum would be gone in a heartbeat. (it would probably get replaced by a wet/dry shop vacuum, but that's because I've dealt with enough wet basements and minor flooding to know how to use one... beats the hell out of towels)

One bit of "new" tech that I'd like to experiment is solar water heaters... it would be interesting to see if one could be made effective enough to work in Wisconsin winter. I *like* radiators and steam heat, so a solar or semi-solar system would be neat.

oops I almost forgot. Kite Fighting is also a very popular sport here. Each kite has its front end covered with a ceramic or even diamond edge. The object is to try and cut the other players kite string. Pretty fun to watch I must say! Though I am not sure its appropriat for the American youth :(

You mentioned razors. I've gone back to the good ol' double-edged razors of the 50' and 60's, like the Gillette "Fat Boy", pictured below. I get a much better shave and produce less waste than with the disposables. I've thought about getting a straight razor, but keeping it sharp might be a bit of a hassle.

http://www.countryjoescollectiblestuff.com/media/images3/58-fatboy.jpg

Forgot to mention: A good shaving brush and a bar of shaving soap have replaced the aerosol can of shaving cream.

I use vi. Fast and efficient. Clothes lines and drying racks work, the clothes on
my back now were dried outdoors on a line in the sun. But, in some communities or apartment buildings using a clothes line is against the rules, according to some friends who were ordered to remove their clotheslines.

For living car free, don't underestimate walking it predates the invention of the bike. For recreational boating or fishing I've never understood why rowboats aren't used more. I've spent many fun hours rowing to my favorite fishing spots or picnicking places. With several people you take turns rowing or, one rowboat
I owned had two rowing stations and each person could take one oar.

Sails, as seen on the Shin Aitoku Maru:

http://www.marine-marchande.net/groupe%20mar-mar/Documents/Perchoc/Navires%20a%20voiles/871_Shin%20Aitoku%20Maru.jpg

You mentioned razors. I've gone back to the good ol' double-edged razors of the 50' and 60's, like the Gillette "Fat Boy", pictured below. I get a much better shave and produce less waste than with the disposables. I've thought about getting a straight razor, but keeping it sharp might be a bit of a hassle.

http://www.countryjoescollectiblestuff.com/media/images3/58-fatboy.jpg

Forgot to mention: A good shaving brush and a bar of shaving soap have replaced the aerosol can of shaving cream.

Where did you get that? I've been looking for similar, and they just aren't in the brick and mortar stores around my town.

If you want a simple DOS version Word Processor with tons of capability it is Word Perfect 5.1; the entire program fit on three 3½" floppies. The Windows version of WP 5.1 (six floppies) was 100% compatible with the DOS version but the macro writing was far simpler and the WYSIWYG and True Type printing made it easier to use and far, far more capable than Word Star.

I second that. I wrote hundreds of pages of grad school papers with WP 5.1. It was the benchmark word processor for several years, until that oligarch Bill Gates murdered it. MSWord adds very little that's useful.

Ok... my question... what old technologies would be worth a visit?

I hearken back to old fashioned derailleur gears on bikes instead of the newfangled single-speeds or IGHs with 7 speeds or less. Give me 14 or even 27 gears like we had in the good old days!

I hearken back to old fashioned derailleur gears on bikes instead of the newfangled single-speeds or IGHs with 7 speeds or less. Give me 14 or even 27 gears like we had in the good old days!

I always considered the popularity of single-speed/fixed-gear bikes to be based upon a nostalgic fondness for simplicity (which I share, as a SS rider). I could see the need for 3-speeds in hilly cities -- in fact, the bike I am planning to build will be a 3-speed. However, I don't see why anybody but a long-distance racer would need a deraileur. And didn't deraileurs come later? Of course, I think you should ride whatever you prefer :)

Here's a technology that we don't need to revisit: the horse! Who needs all that poop in an urban environment?

I always considered the popularity of single-speed/fixed-gear bikes to be based upon a nostalgic fondness for simplicity (which I share, as a SS rider). I could see the need for 3-speeds in hilly cities -- in fact, the bike I am planning to build will be a 3-speed. However, I don't see why anybody but a long-distance racer would need a deraileur. And didn't deraileurs come later? Of course, I think you should ride whatever you prefer :)

I was being a little sardonic. Anyhoo, the hipster's idea of simplicity sometimes turns out to be more complicated and more expensive than what he/she started with.

Where did you get that? I've been looking for similar, and they just aren't in the brick and mortar stores around my town.

Try Ebay or the Shave my Face forum
(http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=10) in the "Selling and Trading" section.

You mentioned razors. I've gone back to the good ol' double-edged razors of the 50' and 60's, like the Gillette "Fat Boy", pictured below. I get a much better shave and produce less waste than with the disposables.

I don't think the Gilette Fusion with 5 blades produces much more waste than the double-edge. And the Fusion's shave is 100 time better. So in this case I'm not going back to the old technology.



http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ZgxOcciAOvvbBM:http://www.jedelstein.com/jandg/fred_cut_shaving.jpg

I think making things out of some metal instead of plastic would be nice. Being able to rebuild something instead of having to throw the entire thing away.

I know many people try to find old Singer sewing machines because they are indestructible.

emacs

Thats better!

I don't think I'll ever use a razor--disposable or otherwise--again. An electric hair clipper does a good enough job for me. I've been using the same one for years now.

old razors
vim
push lawn mowers

are all good suggestions :) being only 22 I don't remember many older technologies!

My theory is that we have quite a few of these abandoned techologies which, for reasons other than utility, have been replaced with bloated, over-engineered ones. Occasionally some really nifty technologies have to be abandoned because society can no longer support them or because they no longer fit the environment they are used in.

A good example is provided by Jared Diamond in "Collapse". The Vikings moved to Greenland with some very powerful technologies, particularly their farming and herding. They were probably much more evolved than their Inuit (Eskimo) neighbors. However, due to a number of factors like over-grazing and climate change, these superior technologies could no longer cut the mustard in western Greenland. As a result, the Vikings, who were unable to de-evolve and become more like their Inuit neighbors, died out. The Inuit managed to hone their skills in the area for many centuries after.

If the Vikings had picked up the art of skin kayaks and fish-catching techniques, they might have survived too.

Hmmm retro-grouches of the world unite!:roflmao2:

Shaving...I use a Rolls Razo (http://www.geocities.com/safetyrazors/Rolls_Page.htm)r that belonged to my GRANDFATHER! Still works great, also use soap, brush and mug. Bicycles have been around for quite a while, my favorites are the ones with the 3 speed hubs, been around since 1902 with a few improvements.

Many years ago I took wood working courses, we had to learn to do things the old fashioned way with hand tools before we were allowed to use the more modern power tools. It teaches you not to waste motion, or materials and allows you a chance to fine tune and plan things. Take a power saw and make a few cuts, waste some lumber...you won't want to that with a hand saw, too much lost time and expended effort.:p

I honestly think that we need to keep in touch with some older forms of technology, they may come in handy in the future. One that comes to mind at the moment it touch typing, they no longer teach that in schools, now it is called keyboarding.:innocent: I can still type over 70wpm on a regular typewriter, spell check and word processing can speed that up even more.:thumb:

All new technology isn't necessarily a good thing. Someone mentioned solar hot water heating...I live in a house along the Gulf Coast in Florida that was built in the 1920's that had solar heated hot water. Big cypress tank painted black in the attic with glass panels in the roof to allow the sun to heat the water...modern technology my foot.

Aaron:)

I don't think the Gilette Fusion with 5 blades produces much more waste than the double-edge. And the Fusion's shave is 100 time better. So in this case I'm not going back to the old technology.



http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ZgxOcciAOvvbBM:http://www.jedelstein.com/jandg/fred_cut_shaving.jpg

:eek: Five blades? A battery? A "moisturizing strip"?

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930

I love using antique tools for the quality of the steel and design. The same reasons I love my Raleighs.

Ok... my question... what old technologies would be worth a visit?

How about the kite. Getting kids outside and do a little running compared to video games and internet.


Fiber Optics.....It's taken technology so long to catch up to Fiber Optics that alot of the cable that was laid underground is already 10-15 years out of date, even though it's barely been used.

I hate push mowers...Unless you keep the blades razor sharp and mow every 4 days, you'll just beat up the grass, you'll barely cut it. Safety razors (the double edged ones) pull your hair, they don't cut. I do use a straight razor. Glorious. I find that older tools and equipment often works better than modern stuff, or has simplicities available that you can no longer get.

For instance, did you know that you cannot get a new Ford truck with a manual transmission? There are very very few cars that are offered nowadays that even have manual windows!

Yeah manual transmissions became irrelavent when trucks became cars. And I didn't even know that they made any car with manual windows anymore. Even the cheapest cars seem to have power windows standard.

We spend a lot of time in this forum talking about technologies that saw their rise in the 19th century and have been revisited by later generations. Of course, the bicycle fits that scenario, but so does the street car, the passenger train.

I work in software development and one very common feature of software upgrades is what we call feature-itis. Good software is upgraded with new features that detract from the original idea. The end result is that a product starts off being a great idea and then evolves into a very bland product. Eventually people stop using it and switch to a new product that is much like the original.

Ok... my question... what old technologies would be worth a visit? I keep think of Wordstar word processing or the old (non gas) push lawnmower or non-electric razors or even the mighty clothesline (as an alternative to a gas or electric clothes dryer)!

Passenger trains, clotheslines, and walking never fell out of fashion in the Big Apple.

However, I think gentlemen's hats are worth reviving, because in current fashion there's no way to face the elements in class!

I have used trac II razors my entire shaving life, thought about a straight razor but,I was/am worried that I would accidentally cut my throat and bleed out.

Also drive a standard transmission in my truck

For instance, did you know that you cannot get a new Ford truck with a manual transmission? There are very very few cars that are offered nowadays that even have manual windows!

Irrelevant since we car free don't own cars. You can still get bikes with manual transmissions. Windows? We car free don't need no stinking windows on our bikes.

Irrelevant since we car free don't own cars. You can still get bikes with manual transmissions. Windows? We car free don't need no stinking windows on our bikes.

:roflmao2::thumb:

FWIW my company truck has manual windows, no cruise, but it does have A/C and an automatic....:rolleyes:

Aaron:)

Replace all the modern military equipment with swords, spears, and bows. Transport on foot, or horse for the officers. Suddenly going to war looks like far more bother than it's worth. Let the Iraqis keep their stinking oil!

Replace all the modern military equipment with swords, spears, and bows. Transport on foot, or horse for the officers. Suddenly going to war looks like far more bother than it's worth. Let the Iraqis keep their stinking oil!

The technology of 1000 years ago didn't seem to put a damper on making war at the time, unfortunately.

... (e.g., a refrigerator that washes your balls, gives you directions, etc). . .

What, what What!?!?

I've gone back to using a pencil, got tired of pens running out of ink or writing poorly and just dug a pencil out of the drawer. Works great, easy to sharpen, still writes after months of use.

Steam powered cars. Seriously!

vi

+++++++
vi is <3 and happiness

+++++++
vi is <3 and happiness
zz

Irrelevant since we car free don't own cars. You can still get bikes with manual transmissions. Windows? We car free don't need no stinking windows on our bikes.

I realize that and am car light myself, but what I'm getting at is that there are irrelevant things that nobody NEEDS, it just increases complexity and is completely unnecessary in most situations. Kinda like electric shifting on bicycles.

Forget the reel mowers...been there done that, they work great for a very small lot that you can mow once a week. I have over an acre that needs to be kept trimmed up. I went even further back on the technology curve...:roflmao2: (actually haven't done it...yet:innocent:)

Aaron:)

http://www.pieinsky.com/hillsidecrop.jpg

Are Rollerblades considered old technology? It has been thirty years since they came out. I've never tried them but want to get some.

I'd like to get some that have some type of quick release so they can be removed quickly. I could carry some sandals to use for walking once arriving at a destination. I figure that if I put some really good gel insoles in them the ride might be really comfortable.

Has anybody used Rollerblades or regular roller skates as their preferred method of transportation in good weather?

Are Rollerblades considered old technology? It has been thirty years since they came out. I've never tried them but want to get some.

I'd like to get some that have some type of quick release so they can be removed quickly. I could carry some sandals to use for walking once arriving at a destination. I figure that if I put some really good gel insoles in them the ride might be really comfortable.

Has anybody used Rollerblades or regular roller skates as their preferred method of transportation in good weather?

I used to Roller Blade competitively. NOT aggressive stunt skating but racing. I would never really consider them a really good transportation option because the wheels are so small that you have to have REALLY excellent roads the whole way too and from your destination. Then again I spent the vast majority of my time on flat indoor rinks that had been leveled off perfectly with lasers. When I did race outdoors I used different skates which helped but you still had to be pretty careful when you select the roads for the race.