Any gizmo geeks in here want a good laugh?

[Wretch]

OMG...

I take personal issue with #2 and #11. How exactly is the PS2 more influential than the original Playstation...which literally changed the face of gaming by ushering in the 3D age of gaming. It split the business side of console gaming and nearly put Sega out of business.

...and I'm sorry but...the Ipod? Over the CD player and the Beta VCR? lol Perhaps I'm just misinformed, but has that thing been THAT influential? Anywho...I don't read PC World or Computer Shopper; and haven't in a millenium it seems. These guys are bought and sold lol

Notable ommissions...the CD burner? PONG...? Cordless Telephone?

Insane. What a worthless list.

[Lascar78]

I agree as far as ps2 vs ps, but I think you underestimate the impact of the ipod. As a grad student I see undergrads all the time and they ALL have ipods. Those things are everywhere. And in terms of impact, I suppose it represents the impact of people "acquiring" mp3s versus just buying records/cds.

I agree about the cd burner also

[Lascar78]

also, I'm going through the list and 21 is amazing me. I had never heard of it

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The first widely used TV remote control had four buttons (power, volume, channel up, channel down) but no batteries; press a button, and a tiny hammer inside the remote would strike an aluminum rod, transmitting an ultrahigh-frequency tone to control the set. The Space Command ruled the living room for more than 25 years before being replaced by remotes using infrared technology. And thus a nation of couch potatoes was born. For more information, see Zenith's remote control history page. Photo courtesy of Zenith.

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[Wretch]

I know the iPod rocks, and it has massive amounts of storage...but was it the iPod the first commercially successful MP3 player? Or even the first? Personally, I remember having a LONG before the iPod came out and I had to order it because it was always sold out locally.

Further, myself and nearly everyone that I know was downloading MP3s and burning music to the HD (or *ahem* burning them to CD's) LONG before we could carry an MP3 around with us and listen to it.

...regardless, the iPod over freggin' VCR? The first device that allowed you to RECORD TV? Laughable... And even more laughable is that they would list it at 29 and say that "Few gadgets have had a bigger impact than the first stand-alone video cassette recorder" lol

Even funnier is that they put the TiVo at #3, probably where the VCR should be.

This sh!t is just comical. lol

[Admin]

I would put the DVR ahead of the VCR. Simply because of what it allows you to do makes the VCR look like a dinosaur. The ability to pause/rewind/fast forward LIVE TV is the biggest innovation in television since color TV ... and that doesnt even take into account being able to record tons of shows without needing tapes or discs of any kind.

[Wretch]

lol...

Anywho, meant to say I had a Diamond Rio long before the iPod came out.

[Wretch]

Maybe a tie...because TiVo does rock..

But thinking back to our first VCR... Man, I just can't describe the feeling of being able to record Danger Mouse, He-Man, GI Joe, and Voltron...and watch them any time I wanted.

Not to mention being able to dub Emmanuelle on Cinemax After Dark. lol

[chillzatl]

I agree on the ipod. It's just like sports, we see someone today, who is good, and we instantly talk about htem being the greatest ever. The Ipod is here, today, so it's easy to forget the impact of things that came before it.

the ipod is in no way on par with the cd player. Ipods are just the most popular of the portable music players (and only in this country). They were not the first either, not even close. They just did a good job of marketing thier products so that people who weren't paying attention would think that Ipod were revolutionary and not simply evolutionary.

[chillzatl]

oh yah, Tivo doesn't come close in impact. Tivo is nice and all, very convenient. But VCR's dominated for 20 years and were the catalyst for a billion dollar movie rental market that still exists today. Tivo and DVR's can't come close to that.

[Admin]

The ability to control live TV is a MAJOR innovation. The ability to record shows is cool, but its being able to control live TV that makes it such a huge step forward. DVR is this generations VCR. VCRs also didnt lead the way with being able to watch movies at home either as they had competition for that with the BetaMax. The DVR on the other hand is a revolutionary technology for home recording and control of live TV, which makes it equally as important in history.

[chillzatl]

yes it's cool and the technology is far and away more advanced that simply recording TV. But its impact on society is nowhere near that of the VCR.

I'm just saying, it has no place being on that list ahead of the vcr/betamax. The entire list is skewed anyway, there are things on there in the 30's that should be in the top 5-10 easily.

Just like any list, it's limited to the opinions of a few. But it's cool, it's all just for fun.

[AHF]

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yes it's cool and the technology is far and away more advanced that simply recording TV. But its impact on society is nowhere near that of the VCR. I'm just saying, it has no place being on that list ahead of the vcr/betamax.

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Agreed.

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The entire list is skewed anyway, there are things on there in the 30's that should be in the top 5-10 easily.

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The list only goes back to 1956 so it would be hard to include those things from the 30s.

[Wretch]

There's stuff listed lower than it should be.

...and I know it's opinion and all, but this is ridiculous. These guys make a living off of researching and reviewing electronics. For them to create THIS list...THIS half-assed and skewed and present it on the front page of MSN is simply laughable. lol To be honest, this is simply reflective of all their reviews and whatnot. It's why I don't read any of their crap anymore. They have zero credibility with me.

[AHF]

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There's stuff listed lower than it should be.

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Oops. Didn't read that closely enough.