The old RadioShack and the tinkering days

posted by Jeff | Sunday, July 18, 2010, 4:58 PM | comments: 0

There was a story in Wired about the changing of RadioShack from an electronics parts store for hobbyists to a cell phone retailer. It's an interesting read from the standpoint that it really demonstrates the difference in the way we view technology.

I remember as a young kid, someone bought me one of those electronics kits, where you could wire up different circuits using pre-cut wires between the spring terminals that connected to the transistors, capacitors, resisters and what not. It was fascinating for me to build the circuits, but I never took the time to understand what they did, or why they did it (something I kind of regret to this day). It did at least give me some kind of basic respect for electronics though. I remember spending about ten bucks (hard to come by when I was 15) on a metal project box, a button, some wires, a light and a battery holder, to make my own model rocket launching switch. I also bought parts to wire some external speaker jacks to my very first boombox (which was red).

I liked tinkering with stuff in those days, and it became even more interesting for me when I could program a computer. I had my Atari 8-bit computer starting in grade eight I think, and the Apple II+ by grade nine. It's still funny that I didn't make that something I did for a living until four years after I graduated from college.

But as the article states, people don't have that tinkering mentality the way they used to. I can't imagine messing directly with electronics these days, aside from perhaps building my own cabling and such for video gear (another thing I really enjoyed in my broadcast career). Programming for the Web has really satisfied my need to tinker, and the idea of making something for a mobile device is appealing too.

The story brought back a lot of memories. It also makes me realize how much we take for granted things like iPhones.


Comments

No comments yet.


Post your comment: