My garage cleanout uncovered a pile of 90s tech reviews

I was cleaning out my garage last weekend and found a box full of old gadget magazines from the late 90s. It got me thinking about how we used to get our tech news. Back then, you'd wait a whole month for a magazine to arrive, and the reviews were super detailed with lots of specs and charts. Now, everything is online with video reviews that show the gadget in action right away. Some folks say the old way was better because you really took in the info and made smart choices. Others say video reviews are better because you can see how stuff works for real. I miss the fun of waiting for that monthly issue, but it's so easy to watch a quick video now. What do you all think? Did we gain or lose with the switch to online reviews?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_christopher6d ago

Remember those massive PC Magazine spec breakdowns for a new sound card? Pages of IRQ settings and sample rate charts. Felt like you were learning something real. Now a YouTuber just plays a game and says "sounds good." But was the old detail actually useful or just filler? Like did anyone really need a side by side photo of 30 different 56k modems? Maybe we traded pointless specs for pointless unboxing rituals.

pat_thompson396d ago

Totally get what @the_christopher means about those spec charts... I'd stare at those tiny magazine photos for hours comparing stuff, but now a 10-second video clip shows me more.