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New York, 8:26 AM
Wed Nov 25
62 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #giz79 more →

    1979: The Golden Age of Lego

    Yes, Good Old Retro 1979 Seemed Fun (But It Really Sucked!)

    1979 Rumor: Leaked Docs of "Compact Disc" Audio Format Using LASERS

    Then and Now: Microsoft

    The Network Before the Internet

    Then and Now: Apple Computers

    Digital Cams Still Haven't Caught Up to Film's Resolution: Does it Matter?

    What Is This?

    Then and Now: Sony's A/V Range

    Frog Design's Hartmut Esslinger On Design in 1979
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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of Pope John Peeps II Pope John Peeps II
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    My first sets were the galaxy explorer, the space base with the railroad car, and the yellow lego castle.
     Reply
    Pope John Peeps II was starred Pope John Peeps II was unstarred
    Image of OMG! Ponies! OMG! Ponies!
    07/20/09

    In reply to The Network Before the Internet
    Yeah.

    Big ominous cable with a label that says "LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH". That will keep prying fingers away from the geeks.
     Reply
    OMG! Ponies! was starred OMG! Ponies! was unstarred
    Image of liveinabin liveinabin
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    Ah, the first Space Lego sets. Awesome. I had that Apollo style launch pad, the big control center and the middle sized one of the transport craft. the 924. I remember gazing at the huge 928 in the Lego catalogue with envious eyes. Mine could carry a storage crate, the 928 could stow a whole jeep!

    Worth noting though, the little yellow spaceman in your pics? 1980. We only got the red and white spacemen in 79.
     Reply
    (Zombie) Goldwings promoted this comment liveinabin was starred liveinabin was unstarred
    Image of gemcosta gemcosta
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    Image 21 looks exactly like my own!!!! Could it be we both followed the manual! :O
     Reply
    gemcosta was starred gemcosta was unstarred
    Image of judacris judacris
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    Best Gallery Ever. This pushes the Lego Factory visits down a notch. Plus, I never knew there was a Airport Monorail set. What I would give for any 9V Train-related Lego set right now...
     Reply
    (Zombie) Goldwings promoted this comment judacris was starred judacris was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    Then again, I also had the Star Wars Death Star playset. Everyone I know had like the X-Wing or the Falcon. Me? I had the goddamn Death Star... And a motorized Land Speeder.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of Lite: hates Illinois Nazis Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    My all-time favorite space lego set was the Galaxy Commander. I really can't tell you how many damn ship variations I built out of that set and the 4 legged walker.
     Reply
    Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was starred Lite: hates Illinois Nazis was unstarred
    Image of gyffes gyffes
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    No, no, I always tossed the 'manual' without reading it at all.. wanted it to be just me an' the pieces. I had several of those space sets but none of the other fancy kits. I remember struggling to build swords out of the 1x3 and 1x4 pieces and shields out of 2x4s with bits stuck to the front (for spikes or heraldry, say), and my castles were things of beauty, all built from the 'basic' set pieces.

    Still, it's spaceships that held and still hold my interest.

    What's been most fun, however, is watching my boy, now 7, discover how amazing Legos can be; he can take a few loose pieces (they're EVERYWHERE in our house to my wife's chagrin) and make the most amazing little ship-lets.. or robots.. or or or..

    *happy sigh* Truly, the perfect toy.

    (for the record, we buy based on what appears to offer the coolest pieces for future spaceship making, although the boy DOES insist on building the model from the book, first)
     Reply
    (Zombie) Goldwings promoted this comment gyffes was starred gyffes was unstarred
    Image of Bandit Bandit
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    I had that ship in the main photo! Brings back memories. I was pretty young and got frustrated trying to complete it. Some years later I tried again and was successful. Ah..
     Reply
    Bandit was starred Bandit was unstarred
    Image of (DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD (DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD
    07/20/09

    In reply to 1979: The Golden Age of Lego
    I have some nostalgic memories of these. They weren't cheap either since those castles went for $125.
    In all my block, everyone played with their new SNES from Christmas. I on the other hand was busying reading the manual and making my lego castle.
    Great times :)
     Reply
    (DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD was starred (DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD was unstarred
    Image of zlo2 zlo2
    07/20/09

    @(Zombie) Goldwings:
    Never followed manuals :) I would just buy the box that had the most cool pieces and start building spaceships. Ahh . . . good memories.
    Lego = best toy ever invented.
     Reply
    (Zombie) Goldwings promoted this comment zlo2 was starred zlo2 was unstarred
    Image of (DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD (DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD
    07/20/09

    @zlo2: You're a mad man. Not following the manual? Crazy ;D
     Reply
    (DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD was starred (DEAD) Goldwings - Remembered for his bravery and heroism... xD was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    07/20/09

    @zlo2: Likewise. Unless the subject matter of the set had any real significance to me (like some of the classic Star Wars trilogy sets), I just about always took the parts and mixed them up to make something of my own. Really, that's what makes LEGO LEGO anyway. It's so easy to just do whatever the heck you want with it, unless it's those godawful giant parts that can't be used for much else.
     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
    Image of Margatron Margatron
    07/20/09

    @(Zombie) Goldwings: Crazy? More like brave! Although, it was easier to copy the picture on the box back then since they didn't include as many purpose-made weird pieces in the sets.
     Reply
    Margatron was starred Margatron was unstarred
    Image of strider_mt2k strider_mt2k
    07/19/09

    In reply to Yes, Good Old Retro 1979 Seemed Fun (But It Really Sucked!)
    Is that the guy from the Buggles?
     Reply
    Edited by strider_mt2k at 07/19/09 2:12 PM strider_mt2k was starred strider_mt2k was unstarred
    Image of Eruanno Eruanno
    07/19/09

    In reply to Yes, Good Old Retro 1979 Seemed Fun (But It Really Sucked!)
    ...actually, the world would probably be a better place without Twitter.
     Reply
    switchblade saints promoted this comment Eruanno was starred Eruanno was unstarred
    Image of switchblade saints switchblade saints
    07/19/09

    @Eruanno: Yes and no. IMO it does have some good qualities. I mean, look at the recent election in Iran. Twitter helped bring a lot of focus and exposure to the things going on over there.
     Reply
    switchblade saints was starred switchblade saints was unstarred
    Image of LolpantsofArabia LolpantsofArabia
    07/19/09

    @switchblade saints: Never forget that tweeting toilet. That is all.
     Reply
    switchblade saints promoted this comment LolpantsofArabia was starred LolpantsofArabia was unstarred
    Image of switchblade saints switchblade saints
    07/19/09

    @LolpantsofArabia: yeah that would fall in to the "yes i agree twitter is retarded" column.

    and the bathtub incident.
     Reply
    switchblade saints was starred switchblade saints was unstarred
    Image of LolpantsofArabia LolpantsofArabia
    07/19/09

    @switchblade saints: And, while we're at it, the fart-tweeting chair. Hardly the apotheosis of civilisation, is it?
     Reply
    LolpantsofArabia was starred LolpantsofArabia was unstarred
    Image of switchblade saints switchblade saints
    07/19/09

    In reply to Yes, Good Old Retro 1979 Seemed Fun (But It Really Sucked!)
    Well hats off, 'modo '79 was a blast.


    bitchin' in fact.

    Keep on truckin', man.
     Reply
    Don Nguyen promoted this comment switchblade saints was starred switchblade saints was unstarred
    Image of 92BuickLeSabre 92BuickLeSabre
    07/19/09

    @switchblade saints: Right on.
     Reply
    92BuickLeSabre was starred 92BuickLeSabre was unstarred
    Image of switchblade saints switchblade saints
    07/19/09

    @switchblade saints: thanks Don, Gizmodo.
     Reply
    switchblade saints was starred switchblade saints was unstarred
    Image of strider_mt2k strider_mt2k
    07/19/09

    @switchblade saints: Agreed.

    Really great fun!
     Reply
    strider_mt2k was starred strider_mt2k was unstarred
    Image of frigg frigg
    07/19/09

    In reply to 1979 Rumor: Leaked Docs of "Compact Disc" Audio Format Using LASERS
    Grrrreat. Another format war as Toshiba has already announced a compact disc format based on a MASER.
     Reply
    frigg was starred frigg was unstarred
    Image of Chimaera Chimaera
    07/19/09

    In reply to 1979 Rumor: Leaked Docs of "Compact Disc" Audio Format Using LASERS
    Totally plausible. Magnavox is already doing this with Video. This "CD" will probably be out in 5 years or so, but there are some caveats. 1) It'll be so expensive that only the five richest kings of Europe will have it. 2) I don't know how "compact" this thing will be. I can't imagine it'd smaller than a 45. 3) Won't play my current 8-tracks.
     Reply
    Brian Lam promoted this comment Chimaera was starred Chimaera was unstarred
    Image of egoods egoods
    07/19/09

    @Chimaera: Yeah the price is going to be out of this world. Think of how expensive lasers are going to be! I mean it's not like you can pick up a laser on the streets in NY or something. I've said it once I'll say it again, cassettes are all we'll ever need. Period. End of discussion.
     Reply
    egoods was starred egoods was unstarred
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