This fact may come as a shock to you, but we are big fans of '90s nostalgia here at Digital Converters. Some might argue we favour this decade's outdated technology a little too much.
But, do you know what? At least, I can confidently say that I know what it feels like to repeatedly slam my finger on the eject button in anger at a VHS tape staying in the player. Or that I have experienced how indestructible '90s technology is compared to computers today after breaking a PC by dropping a VHS tape on it...
So, I have asked the team about their favourite memories of '90s technology. Here is our list of top 10 '90s nostalgia for outdated technology:
1. Fighting for the laptop with a full keyboard in class
Source: Daryl, iReTron Blog
Laptops were a pain in school. The keyboard buttons were so easy to pick off, muddle up or even throw away. It's no wonder that every '90s kid knows how to type without looking at the keyboard - most of the time, the letters were not even there to look at anyway!
2. The tension of choosing what save files to delete off your memory card
Source: PSXDEV Network
Ah! The thought of deciding which game saves to lose now makes me anxious. Do I keep Abe's Odyssey or Rayman? The pain of finding out that your new game takes up three save slots was the worst. Guess I'm saying goodbye to every game I started and never finished.
3. Lobbing your Fisher-Price cassette player down the stairs
Source: worthpoint.com
The pinnacle of '90s tech has got to be Fisher Price's finesse of creating indestructible children's toys. Just think of the power Fisher-Price would have if they collaborated with Apple?! Your child could kill a man with the sturdiness of a Fisher-Price iPhone...maybe it wouldn't be such a great idea, actually.
4. The tension in the household when someone wants to tape a programme
Source: TV Over Mind
Don't you dare tape over my recording of 90210!
It was a weird period in our lives when we had to decide between keeping precious family memories or recording a programme on the telly. We have had many a customer send in their wedding tape to be digitised only to find their child recorded The Lion King over it.
5. Friday night trips to rent a film
Source: Atlas Obscura
Video rental stores were the ones! I swear any film you selected from a rental store will always be a better watch than finding a movie on a stream. There was something about indulging in the video case during the car journey and hyping yourself up for the film that made the experience so enjoyable. Although, rewinding the tape was a chew.
6. Girltech worked better for boys than girls
Source: Pinterest
Girltech's voice recognition rarely worked for me. But, worked perfectly for my brother?! He could say any old gibberish, and the diary would open. But, honestly, thank god for invisible pens; otherwise, my brother would have known all of my crushes.
7. Days spent dreaming of having multiple conversations on the house phone
Could phones do that? Like, was that an actual thing where you could set up a four-way conversation with all your friends? Either way, it really helped move a plot along in a '90s rom-com.
8. Minesweeper was luck at the end of the day
Source: Tech Radar
Did you think you could open a picture on the internet? You fool! Get ready to spend the next hour playing all the pre-installed games on your computer until the webpage loads. Pinball and Solitaire were the better games to play, but there was something so intriguing about Minesweeper.
9. Overhead projectors were a sign of dominance
Source: The Deal Experts
Everyone was jealous of the student who got to change the hymns on the overhead projector. You went to the assembly before everyone else and got to sit at the front of the hall. Sometimes, you even got to choose the hymns. Think of the control you had over the other students.
10. "Your Dad's got a car phone?!"
Source: English-Language Thoughts
What is more businessman than a car phone? That was an exclusive device for those with fancy cars that came with a phone. They were clunky, ugly phones and the only kind of phone my Dad would ever use. So if you ever wanted to ring him, "Dad Car" was the first number to try.
Bring your '90s technology into the 21st century with Digital Converters. We can digitise your old tapes, cine reels and film photographs for as little as £18.99.
