Life Before Touchscreen Phones for Ladies

Come_Hither1 · Feb 9, 2023

https://images.i.thechive.com/__0316c23eb12412c6096ad8a735829d2d.jpeg

SomaSlave · Feb 9, 2023

Come_Hither1 said:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/0e96d27b7c3dc58039128ae44c781afd/tumblr_pga4j8vsfS1usuzfno1_1280.jpg

Good composition, but bad reading light: the sunlight from the window will make it hard to read.

SomaSlave · Feb 9, 2023

Come_Hither1 said:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/d7446a4e79c1849179a02cda027fa923/a8557bdccc71b1f2-99/s1280x1920/e68d9e759ddc811f905d3c343b18256a4d5e8ed1.jpg

Reminds me of the reason BetaMax died out as a format. It was created by Sony and competed with VHS to be the standard format for video recording. BetaMax was actually technically superior, but Sony wanted to control what content could be recorded on it. In particular, they were opposed to video porn. The VHS folks weren't so picky and the rest is history.

Porn has been the driver of consumer video products almost from the beginning. I remember the early days of multimedia. At a multimedia convention in San Francisco in the late 80s, I believe, there were several companies selling porn on CD-ROM. While the organizers had them sequestered in a corner, that corner was packed with attendees (mostly younger to middle aged techies) watching the demos (free porn movies on the convention floor). No swag, unfortunately, and no appearances by models, though the corporate spokespeople were all professional women, doubtless to counteract the sexism card.

Come_Hither1 · Feb 10, 2023

https://64.media.tumblr.com/a03fc64cea64ee3f90607aedbaa566d5/tumblr_oychhyMkXn1uv63w6o1_1280.jpg

RandyRebecca · Feb 10, 2023

SomaSlave said:
Reminds me of the reason BetaMax died out as a format. It was created by Sony and competed with VHS to be the standard format for video recording. BetaMax was actually technically superior, but Sony wanted to control what content could be recorded on it. In particular, they were opposed to video porn. The VHS folks weren't so picky and the rest is history.

Porn has been the driver of consumer video products almost from the beginning. I remember the early days of multimedia. At a multimedia convention in San Francisco in the late 80s, I believe, there were several companies selling porn on CD-ROM. While the organizers had them sequestered in a corner, that corner was packed with attendees (mostly younger to middle aged techies) watching the demos (free porn movies on the convention floor). No swag, unfortunately, and no appearances by models, though the corporate spokespeople were all professional women, doubtless to counteract the sexism card.

Wasn't another big reason due to VHS tapes being able to have 3-4 hours on them, whereas Betamax tapes were only 2 hours? So despite Betamax being better picture quality, VHS was better for mass marketing and merchanidizing, and the latter appealed to the corporations.

SomaSlave · Feb 10, 2023

RandyRebecca said:
Wasn't another big reason due to VHS tapes being able to have 3-4 hours on them, whereas Betamax tapes were only 2 hours? So despite Betamax being better picture quality, VHS was better for mass marketing and merchanidizing, and the latter appealed to the corporations.

There was that as well, but it’s more fun to talk about the porn connection. The truth no one wants to admit is that porn is the driver for new technology, or, as we all know, sex sells.

SomaSlave · Feb 10, 2023

RandyRebecca said:
Wasn't another big reason due to VHS tapes being able to have 3-4 hours on them, whereas Betamax tapes were only 2 hours? So despite Betamax being better picture quality, VHS was better for mass marketing and merchanidizing, and the latter appealed to the corporations.

There was that as well, but it’s more fun to talk about the porn connection. The truth no one wants to admit is that porn is the driver for new technology, or, as we all know, sex sells.