The new phone book is here!

[espo]

On 1/19/2023 at 10:16 AM, NOBLNG said:

……..and it got recycled in the outhouse.?

That was only because the pages were softer than the Sears catalog. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, espo said:

That was only because the pages were softer than the Sears catalog. 

Yeah, but the Sears catalog was a definite luxurious step up from a corn cob.   

[peteski]

I'm thinking one of the reasons that phone books are obsolete is that land-lines are also quickly becoming obsolete, being replaced by mobile phones.  Phone books were tied to a name and address, but cell phones are not really tied to any address, and the phone numbers are portable so you the area code or exchange code are no longer tied to a location.  They are .. . mobile.  Also, there is no longer single phone monopoly (Ma Bell) issuing the phone books,  Now there are dozens of phone companies, so things are not as simple.

[Rob Hall]

True about cell phones and land lines. I haven’t had a land line in almost 15 years.  Have had the same cell number for over 20.  Moved 4 times in 3 states in that period. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Edited January 21, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

[Ace-Garageguy]

[Ace-Garageguy]

[Ace-Garageguy]

[slusher]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

I'm thinking one of the reasons that phone books are obsolete is that land-lines are also quickly becoming obsolete, being replaced by mobile phones.  Phone books were tied to a name and address, but cell phones are not really tied to any address, and the phone numbers are portable so you the area code or exchange code are no longer tied to a location.  They are .. . mobile.  Also, there is no longer single phone monopoly (Ma Bell) issuing the phone books,  Now there are dozens of phone companies, so things are not as simple.

Cable taking a big chunk of old land in Holmes and business phones ☎️..

[Ace-Garageguy]

[Danno]

"App for everything."   A local McDonald's does not allow countertop orders. You MUST use their app or the kiosk in the lobby that is always "closed."  I went to Burger King.

Ray Croc: what has happened???

Edited January 21, 2023 by Danno

[Rob Hall]

9 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

The Dark Ages...I remember those black phones..my folks still had one in 1980..

[peteski]

Yes, those Bell System black Bakelite phones.  They were well made, and had some heft to them.  My GF has one of the phones from the '40s.  Even older than the one pictured above.  Anyways, It is still compatible with the standard subscriber land-line. And the central office still accepted pulse dialing (along with touch tones) as late as about 15 years ago.  So the phone was fully functional and she had it in her living room.   One day the neighbor's kids were visiting (in their early teens) and they wanted to make a call.  When my GF pointed them to that old phone the had no idea how to dial the number.  The world is changing . . .

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

...One day the neighbor's kids were visiting (in their early teens) and they wanted to make a call.  When my GF pointed them to that old phone the had no idea how to dial the number.  The world is changing . . .

Lot of 'em seem to have problems using round things...globes, balls, phone dials, clocks, anything with wheels that isn't self-propelled...

Edited January 21, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[misterNNL]

Most if us are thinking that the phone tech we have now will remain forever. Wrong!  In another couple of years the phone in your pocket will be obsolete and lost in clutter of the bottom of one of your junk drawers. We are Becoming conditioned to automatically upgrade our devices as soon as something newer is available.

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 minutes ago, misterNNL said:

Most if us are thinking that the phone tech we have now will remain forever. Wrong!  In another couple of years the phone in your pocket will be obsolete and lost in clutter of the bottom of one of your junk drawers. We are Becoming conditioned to automatically upgrade our devices as soon as something newer is available.

Yup, that's it in a nutshell.

In not that long, all the ultra-cool-modren-hot-hip-happening-be-there-or-be-square crapp will just be more obsolete "quaint" relics, and all the folks who think they're so leading-edge-with-it today will just be another generation of old men shouting at clouds.  

[Rob Hall]

2 hours ago, misterNNL said:

Most if us are thinking that the phone tech we have now will remain forever. Wrong!  In another couple of years the phone in your pocket will be obsolete and lost in clutter of the bottom of one of your junk drawers. We are Becoming conditioned to automatically upgrade our devices as soon as something newer is available.

That's technology...constantly evolving, moving forward..I get a new iPhone every 24-36 months.   A good laptop (Mac), though will last me 5-7 years before becoming too old for a daily use machine.   And with the constant updates and new features in cabin tech, cars become obsolete pretty fast.  My Jeep is a 2014, only has 70k miles but is feeling a bit dated inside as far as the nav system, etc compared to the new ones.  Will trade up sooner or later... 

[espo]

To tell a story on myself. When I was first aware of what a phone was, yes this is a long time ago, I remember seeing what was called a "Candel Stick" phone in old movies and remember as a child visiting my father's office and they even had a few around on the desks. They worked well in that the mouthpiece was at the top and the receiver could be held to your ear with one hand and you could talk to someone while writing something with the other hand. Remember how we used to hold the receiver between our shoulder and our ear until your neck would cramp. Anyway, back to the Candle Stick phone. When I moved around '73 I did one of the bedrooms as an in-home office setting and since I also had an old roll top desk, I thought a Candle Stick phone would be just the thing to have. I found it worked better for what I was doing in the office than a regular phone. Can't find a picture, but I'm sure that there are many that would really be scratching their heads trying to figure that one out. 

[peteski]

Internet search for "candlestick phone" brings up hundreds of photos.  I see these when watching old shows like the "Andy Griffiths Show".

Original ones had no rotary dial. Taking it off the hook connected you to the switchboard operator. You had to tell her (yes, a woman) who you wanted to call, and she would then manually set up the connection.

[NOBLNG]

Second one is available on Amazon.?

[von Zipper]

 

[espo]

2 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Second one is available on Amazon.?

The photo of the black phone is what I had. 

[restoman]

On 1/20/2023 at 11:56 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

No kidding!

I used to laugh at my wife and son almost breaking a leg runnning to answer the phone.

Now, with their cell phones, they never seem to answer any calls... 

[NOBLNG]

1 hour ago, restoman said:

No kidding!

I used to laugh at my wife and son almost breaking a leg runnning to answer the phone.

Now, with their cell phones, they never seem to answer any calls... 

cause they can tell it’s you calling???

Edited January 23, 2023 by NOBLNG