Yes, the CES show in Las Vegas is winding down. It’s the first time in a long time that we’re not covering it in person, at least if you don’t count the 2021 show which was all virtual. It’s not the show it once was, and I’m bringing the receipts to prove it.
Did he think DVD was really right for his family?
You have to love the look on this guy’s face as he holds up a very early production DVD. Did it have to be The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert? The photo dates from 1996 it was part of a past essay on Gizmodo that sadly, isn’t there anymore. Still, that sneer haunts us from a time long distant. At least the suit is (sort of) coming back into style.
Yes, that photo essay, which was full of Associated Press photos of old shows, has fallen victim to link rot. Just like the products from old CES shows, it’s just not what it was. Still, you can find a lot of content about old CES shows if you try. Take a look at this article from Electronic Products showing shows throughout the years. There’s a great photo essay from the Las Vegas Review Journal that will take you through the top products of years past. Most of them just want to make me bury my head in my hands, but I can’t deny that at one point or another I really wanted most of the things on this list.
The real point here is that there was a time that CES was really full of excitement for new products. It’s been a long road, but let’s be honest… the number of new products has been declining for a long time now. Yes, Samsung and LG do gigantic exhibits full of things you can’t afford. But what really lit me up back then was the garden-variety goofy stuff that you might (or might not) see at your local Circuit City at some point.
Everything looks dated, eventually
It just goes to show you that the state of the art in tech is always changing (although honestly the Meta Quest 2 still looks like it comes from the 1990s) and what looks cool to us this year probably will look utterly ridiculous in the future. Still, it’s a tantalizing look at what could have been and what actually was. It’s also a reminder that some of today’s “breakthrough” technologies have been tried before. If you don’t remember the devices shown in these pictures, that’s because they failed in the market. Think about that for a second.
Meantime, if you need something today, don’t worry about what it might look like in 25 years. Just shop at Solid Signal for everything you’ll need to live your best digital life right now. If you’re not sure what you need… no problem. Call us at 888-233-7563 and our team of experts will help you any way we can. If it’s after hours, just fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you at the time you tell us to.
