Adam Lisagor: Consumer Electronics of Old

Times sure have changed. I checked into one hotel during my recent trip to Scotland, and found that they have iPod/iPhone chargers and speakers next to every bed. Not USB ports. Not standard—-audio-jack speakers. A 30-pin connector which will charge and play music from your Apple device.

You’d be hard-pressed to find anything looking remotely like this on the market today. Not just the cassette deck, but the overall æsthetic is so dated. Most things would come in a minimalist, pristine white or piano black plastic now—not the matt silvery-black this comes in.

Another item of note, which kind of ties this excuse for a link post together, is the Apple PowerCD, part of Apple’s ill-fated first (mid-90’s) attempt to move into the consumer electronics market.