Modern Nostalgia

As to be expected, the launch of the iPad created a whole new market for related accessories and applications. While browsing Mashable the other day, the article “USB Typewriter Will Make Your iPad Feel Ancient” caught my eye.

This new USB manual typewriter device for the iPad is not fast, but it has a certain esthetic, making it feel old and familiar, yet novel. iPads are intriguing to me—so cool, sleek, and modern—they are novel in their own right.



I find it a bit humorous and ironic that someone would want to pay $400-500 to make their cool, modern gadget mimic a slow, clunky typewriter of the past. Maybe it’s just nostalgia for simpler times that may make this appealing. What’s next, a rotary phone app for your iPhone?

Just like fashion, trends come and go. My mom never thought she would see me wearing bell bottoms and then a weird high school phase struck and I was asking her for her old 70’s garb. It will be interesting to see how this trend towards melding old and new technologies catches on and evolves.