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Classic Tech Ads Memorialize Obsolescence

by Warren Riddle on September 19, 2009 at 03:57 PM


BuzzFeed, by way of Everything is Terrible, recently unearthed the above classic tutorial, intended for the computer noobs of old who needed help learning about DOS. That's Disk Operating System for all you youngins not old enough to experience the computer dark ages (or salad days, depending on your mindset) of the 1980s. Replete with hilarious and quotable lines ("Files have first and last names just like people do!"), the ad even includes a completely random disk-eating dragon.

To continue the trip down obsolescent lane, BoingBoing has five more humorously out-dated ads, all from 1996, that were recently re-discovered by Kim Moser. The selections include a Sony ad about how to pick up chicks with your futuristic Mini Disk Walkman, and a Packard Bell spot about how the Net can help you avoid the perils of venturing into what appears to be a Tim Burton-esque Gotham City. The best lines, though, come from AOL ("Conversations through your computer?!?") and the Internet World Magazine promo proclaiming that the mag will help you boost "Cyber Sales" by teaching you how to "Master the Internet."

If those ads alone don't inspire fond recollections of tech days gone by, don't fret. Behold this unforgettable Nintendo ad featuring the R.O.B. robot. There's also this spot for Prodigy (which touts its amazing encyclopedia at least three times). And do you remember the Sierra Network Granny (with awesome old-school avatars) who enjoys "any games with bullets or grenades?" These should offer enough shoulder pads, gadgets-of-old, and hilariously outdated lines to get you through the weekend. [From: BuzzFeed and BoingBoing]

Tags: 80s, advertising, dos, funny, geek chic, GeekChic, nostalgia, top

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