It is known as the "Little French Box", a 1980s design classic now seen as the ultimate in beige plastic kitsch. But once it was an audacious precursor to the world wide web, introduced the first cybersex into people's living rooms and had a user-friendly design that may have inspired Steve Jobs's first Macintosh computer.
Yet, on Saturday, the plug will finally be pulled on the Minitel machine, France's one-time pride and joy, 30 years after its launch.
And while the nation marvels at the fact that 800,000 of the clunky terminals with massive buttons are still in circulation, the Minitel is shedding its square image and enjoying a moment of mass nostalgia. Farewell parties and newspaper memorials are reminiscing about the time when, thanks to the Minitel, the French public could electronically check the weather, book a holiday, monitor their bank accounts and view share prices or horoscopes more than a decade before any other country. And yet the Minitel failed to sell abroad and existed in almost glorious isolation in France.
Who Voted for this Story
Theyxz.in democratizing digital media, discover, discuss and share the links you wish to index and Subscribe to Thexyz.in Tech Industry News by Email
Explore Thexyz Network:
|
Connect with Thexyz Support Team: |
Latest Posts:
|
Copyright © 2013 Thexyz.in | Twitter | Advertising | Web Hosting | Advanced Search | RSS Feeds