Somehow, hidden away in the depths of the internet, are sites and pages that have been left untouched by time. The Internet has marched on with fervor since the days of text-based Lynx, moving right based gawdy HTML to whatever Web2.0ish entities exist today – and yet, there are still scattered pieces that haven’t seen an update in over a decade. Today, I stumbled upon one such site.

California Digital Inc, purveyor of fine technological goods from…1995. I have a laptop in my room released that very same year, which is what initially led me to the site. As it turns out, my aging Compaq would have cost a fine amount back then – not to mention everything else we happen to use today. So, without further ado, Technological Wonders of 1995!

1. Apparently in 1995, switching CDs out of your optical drive was a bit of a hazardous process. Those afraid of damaging their precious data had the opportunity to pick up this particular device, a Pioneer DRM-604X quad-speed six-disc external minichanger. That’s right – quad speed. Think your newfangled 52x read/write are fast? How about blazing along at 4x speeds? Pioneer even claims that, with the magic of SCSI technology, you can “daisy chain up to seven (7) total for nearly 28 Gigs online.” The thought of 7, stacked and whirring optical towers is enough to arouse a user in a way that only 1995-era technology could. $259.
2. What, you think that pen-based computing is something new? While you were sitting there with your grayscale Palm Pilot, real power users were toting Palmtop Computers. This particular pen-based computing beast from Fujitsu packed a stylish 100Mhz processor and could even be upgraded up the wazoo, with everything from PCMCIA cards to Hard Drives. And when it comes time to transfer data from your precious portable, “stored data can be transfered to other computers by attaching a serial cable”. That’s how you network with style.
3. This particular idea was probably cool in theory, but made a generation worth of internet users’ ears bleed. You see, sometime in the mid-nineties, Canon (yes, that Canon) and Musitek decided there was probably a market for turning ordinary old sheet music into computerized sound. And they totally did it. Using Musitek’s midiscan software, average computer users were given the opportunity to scan their favourite Tchaikovsky symphonies into pure MIDI form. The resulting files could then be embedded into webpages across the internet, laying the groundwork for what is, quite possibly, the worst feature of the Internet in the nineties.
4. This next item requires no explanation. “Create the Barbie look, become the new Barbie fashion designer. There are hundred of Barbie outfits to choose from. You select the fashions, the color the background locations. OK guys, this may not be the ideal program for you space rangers, but if you would like to get your daughter interested in computers, this is the product. Ideally prices at only $15. Do it- become a hero. DOS and Windows compatible.” That’s right everyone - become a hero.
5. This final gem truly takes the cake. During a time in which more and more cities are blanketing their streets with Wireless internet, it’s absolutely crucial that you not be caught without your trusty AT&T WaveLAN. That’s right, folks; for a ridiculously low entry price of $659, you too can give your brick laptop the freedom to roam! Apparently, the WaveLAN uses advanced radio frequency technology (read: tranmissions in the 915Mhz range) to give you a working range of over 800ft to the base anttena! This is the sort of technology that people in 1995 would never be caught without, whether they be attending trade shows, sports events, hospitals, or even police and fire emergencies!

There you have. Technology, circa 1995, in a nutshell. I don’t know about you, but the future seems pretty lame compared to what we already had.