30 Years of Cellular Technology

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/5517519.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/si...ley/5517519.htm</a><br /><br /></div>"Even in 1973, New Yorkers had a reputation for taking things in stride. But when Martin Cooper emerged from a Hilton Hotel 30 years ago Thursday to make the first calls with a portable cellular phone, he drew a crowd of gawkers. Today, the only gawking would be directed at the Motorola prototype he used, a brick-sized device that weighed 30 ounces. Today, we do more than talk with our phones; we keep track of people and appointments, take photos and browse the Web. Today, Cooper heads a Silicon Valley company that sells technology for high-speed wireless data connections."<br /><br />Oh, how technology moves. ;) I'm sure some of you dealt with the good ol' Motorola bricks, bag phones, and the like...

[Don Tolson]

Actually, as a Ham Radio Operator, I can remember working with the pre-decessor of cellular phone, which was 2m walkie-talkies -- connecting through a repeater to the phone system via a 'patch' (i.e. radio controlled switch for transmit and receive). From thence, the hams started building a dedicated system for transmitting email messages between themselves with dedicated repeaters which evolved into the cellular system we see today.

It's been fun to watch the 'evolution' -- from voice to messages to voice to messages...

[Janak Parekh]

Well, everything is ultimately evolution, right? ;) But yes, it's been fun to watch.

--janak

[phanprod]

I, too, remember carrying around the 'ol 2m HT - My father was a ham, his father was a ham... etc. I remember getting my first cell phone way back when, and listening to him complain... "Why do you need it? You can use the autopatch for free... it's nothing but an expensive gadget!"

Sure I could, if I took the time to explain to the person at the other end that only one of us could talk at a time, and they couldn't curse at all, and to try to talk in a clear voice... it was just easier to pay $30 a month and actually make phone calls. Besides - I could actually travel some great distance, I said, without losing the signal.

My father huffed and hawed - for years. Now, he has a cell phone. And he owns a pocket pc. But he still has a 2m mobile radio in his car......