Over the years it has been exciting to buy the new TV with the latest technology. Remember when color came to TV? In was in the ‘60’s. By the ‘70’s it was much more prevalent. By the ‘80’s everyone had color TV in their homes. By 2000 there was a color TV in nearly every room of the home.
Computers were those funny little keyboards with program cartridges you slid in. Hooked to a small portable TV, you had a computer terminal complete with monitor! At first it was games for the kids. Pac Man and such. Later we adventurously attempted to write programs that would inventory our record or cassette collection.
Later still the Personal Computer came into being – the PC. We wrote some small programs to serve personal use, but mainly we bought programs that we could readily use. Database managers for one; word documents for another; and still more games.
As PC’s entered our office spaces we became more used to their presence and utility. Eventually personal computing and work applications merged. We were processing all sorts of things, still mostly documents, files and replacement of electric typewriters.
When the Internet came into being we were connected to the world, or so they said. Yes, that was true; world connectivity became a reality and by 2019 we are loaded with potential connections everywhere to the point of exhaustion.
Parallel to these developments, music collections morphed from LP records, to 8-tracks, cassettes and CDs. Now we are shifting to records again, but on-line music files and selection have made most sound technology obsolete. Amplifiers, speakers, CD players, turntables, TV connections, surround sound and all the rest. A dizzying array of products and services to please the ear and the mind.
These same technologies became wedded to our automobiles. CDs, sophisticated stereo systems, GPS navigation, all were heaped into our cars using countless tiny computers hidden behind the dashboard. Now our cars talk to us, we converse with them, and the brakes, steering, HVAC and sound systems coordinate with one another for a rich driving experience. Or one of horrendous distraction and crashes!
And then there is Wi-Fi. Cordless connections between devices. Convenience magnified by a factor of 10. And voice activation as well.
And the complexity. What we thought was mind-bogglingly complex, became even more so.
Now add age of the user. We used to crawl along the floor, near baseboards and dusty corners to connect one device with another. Plug-ins for this channel and the other, stereo and video inputs, and outputs, and all the rest. Speaker not working? Check the cable connections. Switch plug-ins.
Consider the permutations available, and try each one.
Finally, we crawled back a few feet, tried the switch again, and…nothing. Maybe some static; but not the music or the TV image wanted. Back to the baseboard and dusty back of equipment. Try more plug-in alternatives. Read the tiny script of what is what and where is where. Follow an outline of the wiring diagram in your head. Think through the circuitry required. Check that plug-ins mirror this diagram. Have I missed anything? Ah, yes. Now try it.
Back to the front of the equipment array and switches. Flick the power switch on. Suddenly music pours forth, and all from the correct speakers. The channels are aligned and so is our surround sound. So are my TVs, computers, wireless headphones and what not. The only thing left to do is figure out which remote control controls which device, then keep them separate. And yet conveniently placed for rapid access.
We don’t get on the floor anymore except by accident. We cannot get up from the floor very easily. We must huff and puff and pull and push to get upright again. This makes arranging wires and plug-ins impossible today.
Later this afternoon a member of the Geek Squad will visit for the first time. We will tell him of our audio needs and wants. We have the equipment. It just isn’t set up correctly anymore. Too many add-ons of newer equipment over the years. Too many new technologies vying for dominance among the older ones. Connectivity, intermingling and appropriate integration is needed. Can this young man make this happen? [Note I am assuming a young man!]
If he can, we will have our stereo system back. And our CD player. And our surround sound. Wow!
I’ll let you know how this works out. Meanwhile, we will have fun watching him bend, stoop and crawl where we no longer can go.
August 9, 2019
PS: It worked out just dandy. In less than an hour he had everything set up right, even had time to teach us how to use it all. Tomorrow will be fun getting back to some great Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and all the rest of my old friends.
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