(no subject)

[beamjockey]

mmcirvin offers an interesting proposition:

"20th century futurism concerning communication devices is almost always much more accurate than any other type of 20th century futurism."


Briefcase computer prop built for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which does not appear in the film

Comments

[rook543.livejournal.com]

Anybody remember the Osbourne portable computer?

ROTFLMAO

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

at the handset-modem with the rotary dial

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

There's a scene in Inherit the Stars, written by James P. Hogan back before he went completely nuts, in which a couple of characters are riding a suborbital hypersonic rocket-liner in the fabulous Space Age, and one of them pulls out a gadget that I recall being described as very much like that.

The briefcase styling is also slightly reminiscent of the TI Silent 700, a small acoustic-coupler terminal that my dad carried around through most of the 1970s. But that shallow video display in the lid would have been a rather fantastic touch--the Silent 700 just used a thermal printer for output. And it used a phone rather than incorporating one!

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

...I think one of the things that makes it appear quaint is that it's such a conglomeration of discrete parts rather than a single unit with a molded case--which is probably just a consequence of it being a custom-made movie prop rather than a mass-produced item.