Back in 1984, smartphones and tablets didn’t exist, so checking email wasn’t quite as easy. One BBC reporter traveled all the way to Japan to show us how people completed these tasks using an acoustic modem and a TRS-80 Model 100. The latter is basically a portable computer first introduced in 1983, and one of the first notebook-style computers equipped with a keyboard as well as liquid crystal display. Read more for the video and additional information.
No, sending an email isn’t as simple as finding an area with good cell phone reception, as this notebook-style computer requires a large modem that the phone plugs into to establish the connection. Now if you’re not at home, the payphone would require a chunk of change to make an international call from Japan back to London. The presenter does make it to a hotel room to successfully send a message.
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He’s not using the Internet, but it did exist then pic.twitter.com/EnOXAwWr49
— A Maker of Bonnets and Hoods 💙 (@danielearwicker) May 18, 2021
