Tag: computer

This store was called Incredible Universe. This one is in Palo Alto, California – the center of Silicon Valley. 58,000 consumer electronics products. Total fun and engaging for tens of millions of Americans and people around the world who were also fascinated by the computer, by software, by electronic games, by a variety of electronic handheld products, by fax machines and printers and all the “stuff” that went behind it, cables and plugs etc.

This was filmed in about 45 minutes when my team just went into the store to see what was happening. It was like being at the circus. My guess is that the average person spent at least $60. One helluva business but after Frys bought them, several years later they went out of business and the whole thing was over. There still are some stores selling software and other computer and camera and cell phone products but is not excitement like what it was like then.

I put this together so people old enough can have a moment of nostalgia and remember their own first time visiting a consumer-products store. Those younger subscribers watching this may also find it colorfully interesting because you can see earlier generations of what you now use and enjoy and work with.

I can remember that in those days it was exciting to buy any computer mouse and to try to read the back of the boxes of software which all sounded like they were offering something that was a totally new world and made things easier. I know that commentators on my videos now debate whether things have gotten easier. They want easier for me but I am much more able to do what I want to do and continue to make these videos because of the Internet and my computers and cell phone technologies – wireless of course.