After a slight detour, we’re back with episode 130! In this episode of You Don’t Know Flack I talk about my early experiences with pagers, PDAs, and cell phones. I also talk about the time I almost got killed.
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This episode was sponsored by VintageVolts.com — the way electronics used to be! If you like retro gadgets, pinball, old computers, and other bits of technology like I do, be sure to check out the Vintage Volts website!
[Links]
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I remember my first exposure to Palm Pilot devices.
I was on a “working interview”, where I was being interviewed for a job by attending a strategy meeting with one of the company’s customers. At the end of the meeting, a future meeting was decided on and almost in unison, everybody but ME reached into their suit pockets and pulled out an olive-grey colored box and proceeded to “randomly tap” away at the screen with a matching colored plastic stick that was pulled out of the device.
It was a surreal experience. At the time, I considered myself on top of new technology, but somehow missed this thing completely.
Rob,
I have been listening to your pod casts for a while now, and all I can ask were we separated at birth? You think the same way, and have done a lot of the things in the “electronic” life that I have. :)
Pagers, cellphones, PDA, computers, arcade machines, etc. Granted I didn’t go the Apple route with phones and MP3 players, I went MS Zune, and Android for the exact reason you did, to stay away from Apple, you went that branch and I went Android.
Pagers… I just let my subscription to my pager go this year. Granted I do miss it, but not the bill. Being on call 24/7 and not keeping my cell on all the time, it allowed the “important” calls be answered. I now just programed certain ring tones for the “important” numbers now, the rest are “silent” allowing me to use my Google Voice number to take place of my pager. Also my wife being in the medical field, they still use pagers, and she has her’s with her all the time.
PDAs…. I to used, and still have my Palms. Started with the III and went all the way to the TX. I still carry my TX in my backpack, but it hasn’t seen power in months. I built a really good data base program for it to maintain records for all my trips with my job. But now since I was able to convert it to my Android OS phone, and Rooted Nook Color, I am going to retire it. My Nook is my “iPad”, and my phone has taken place of my Palm, and my MP3 player. A few less things to carry now.
Cell phones… Been thru the Nokias. They were the best out there, durable, most power, etc. Again, being on call I have had one for many years. I went the HTC route with the smart phones. One, to stay away from Apple, and two, because of the easier route to root them and get away from the ATT blot ware. Most were handed down to my wife, then to my kids, and now are in a box somewhere….
If you are looking for a pager they have good prices for services. You can get nation wide, 1-800 number, email to pager, etc. and they have a pager app. http://directpage.com/
Anyway, keep up the great work. I really enjoy listening to your “stories”, they spark a lot of memories for me. Plus you were in the Seattle area last week, and that is where I grew up….
Emory Lehman