Retro Tech Tuesday: RCA Selectavision

At some point RCA knew they were beat, and videotape, not media on a non-burnable disc was the future. (come to think of it, they were just a few decades too early.) And so it was time to leave their CED tech behind (CED came on big discs but unlike a laserdisc, used a physical groove and needle for picture and sound) and they embraced tape. And how better to get people enticed than to throw in blank media. Hey when you realize the ability to record is the reason you lost a format war, it makes a lot of sense to include media, and make it cheaper than the other guys to get started. The most fascinating thing about this ad is the "almost $100" value of four blank video tapes. Imagine if blank media cost that much today. Heck, imagine if we still used blank media...

Retro Tech Tuesday: Merlin electronic game

I remember finding a Merlin in a forgotten corner of my house. While it was from before my time, I was fascinated by the array of touch buttons, even if I could never figure out what to do with the darn thing. Thanks to this commercial I now know about the six(!) different electronic games you could play on Merlin. But I challenge anyone to explain to me how Blackjack worked in any playable manner. Enjoy this commercial which I think also serves to show we don't have enough musical ditties in electronics commercials anymore. (And kids, if you find one of these at a yard sale "penlite batteries" are AA.)

Retro Tech Tuesday: Commodore 64 Commercial

There was a time when computers weren't just about email and the internet. Heck, those things didn't even exist. In the shaky early days of personal computers, it could be hard to sum up just what a computer did in a 30-second commercial. Commodore was up to the task. Watch as they deftly show how computers lead to more fun at the water park, and allow you and your friends to use cryptic hand gestures:

Microsoft (Finally) Takes The Gloves Off

It really seemed like Microsoft was wandering in the woods looking for an effective ad campaign to pit against Apple. First we had those horrible Seinfeld ads, then up next was the "I'm a PC" campaign. It's still running, but it's days might be numbered. Microsoft is going for the Apple jugular: user perceptions that the Mac is more expensive.

Sure there are a dozen scenarios in which the computer "Lauren" wants could possibly be cheaper from Apple, but by having her look for a 17" screen, it was already painfully obvious how this would end.

I say kudos to Microsoft for finally creating an ad that will at least be on Apple's radar. We're fans of competition, and if Mac users get better/faster computers as a result, great. Check out the ad:

Genius Bar makes a cameo in the new iPhone ad

There it is! No, not the phone... Look at the background... Do those two monitors and logo look familiar?
Thanks for the tip, lanaka.