Looking to the past in helps us get perspective on the futures we image for technology and society. This article reviews the Dick Tracy wristwatch phone, the Picturephone, and the set-top box for the home television.
“In retrospective writings about Picturephone, several reasons are frequently cited for its failure. Chief among these reasons are: that it was too expensive, that no one wanted to be seen in his or her pajamas, and that there was little reason to be the first to own a Picturephone when there was no one else to call. In fairness to the concept it should be mentioned that there were also regulatory restrictions on its introduction, but the two most important issues were the small number of other Picturephone owners and the questionable value of video itself.”
Link: Yesterday’s Dreams and Today’s Reality in Telecom (boblucky.com, see bellsystemmemorial.com for a detailed timeline of the PicturePhone)
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