Outdated technology in the OT from today's perspective

[sdp]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I don't know if this counts but you do see the Twin Towers in the background of several episodes. Not counting when it was used for the main plot of one epiosde either.

Probably a touchy subject especially this time of the year and this year in particular but if a turtles show had been on the air I wonder if 9/11 had been acknowledged. I'm guessing it wouldn't have and maybe I'm a terrible person but I think it would have been interesting to see. Heck the 2003 turtles obviously lived through it since it only happened 2 years earlier as did the rest of the characters so I wonder what they're thoughts were and whatnot or maybe we should assume 9/11 never happened there and there were never twin towers in the 2k3 universe.

[pannoni1]

After seeing this video, I think Donatello's automatic pizza making machine from "The Old Switcheroo" looks so boring, given that it lacks a TV with online surfing. It's funny how sometimes fiction becomes reality.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Not quite on topic, but remember in the 1990's they were talking so much about virtual reality and it was present in some of the Dregg episodes? How much do we hear about it nowadays?

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Oddly enough the OT had technology even more advanced than the modern era.

There were countless intelligent robots in the old series, even ones made by normal humans like the police officer robots, the robot meter maids, etc.

I think the funny thing is how advanced Donatello's computers were.

This is true. lol they have a lot of out dated technology, but had a lot of advance technology compared to today's standards

[Stingray69]

Look at the computer monitor graphics and how dated they look.

As for 3d any one remember the old virtual boy?

[gobo]

No one uses those anymore.

[oldmanwinters]

Believe it or not, wristwatches may be an appropriate inclusion on this list. Most people who still use them do so merely for style rather than practicality. Phones and other electronic pocket devices pretty much make the wristwatch obsolete in modern times.

So I wonder if April would still be rockin' that ol' white timeteller these days.

Originally Posted by ABrown

Ha, even the Technodrome is outdated. Today's Techonodrome would have their dimensional portal screen in HD.

I was thinking the same thing!

Originally Posted by Jephael

I know in a couple episodes Channel 6 offices had landline phones with cords attaching the reciever to the unit.

In my experience, many offices still use landline phones. It may be their last bastion, however.

[Avatar Yuffie]

I love how the Turtlecom works back then.

And yeah, video rentals are dead. Also casette players. VHS Tapes.

[sdp]

watching the OT the show is filled with outdated technology by late 80s/early 90s standard, I think they were also going with "the turtles can't get all the latest stuff" I mean they did live in the sewer. unlike the 2k3 turtles which lived better than any human in the sewers.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Believe it or not, wristwatches may be an appropriate inclusion on this list. Most people who still use them do so merely for style rather than practicality. Phones and other electronic pocket devices pretty much make the wristwatch obsolete in modern times.

Not necessarily. There are a lot of times where checking your watch would be more socially acceptable than looking at your phone. Plus it's a little faster to just look over at your watch really quickly than dig in your pocket for a phone.

Then again most people's phones don't seem to leave their hands these days.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by sdp

watching the OT the show is filled with outdated technology by late 80s/early 90s standard, I think they were also going with "the turtles can't get all the latest stuff" I mean they did live in the sewer. unlike the 2k3 turtles which lived better than any human in the sewers.

[CyberCubed]

I love how there were robot meter maids, tons of intelligent AI and supercomputers...all more advanced than what we have now.

[Konchadunga]

Originally Posted by sdp

Probably a touchy subject especially this time of the year and this year in particular but if a turtles show had been on the air I wonder if 9/11 had been acknowledged. I'm guessing it wouldn't have and maybe I'm a terrible person but I think it would have been interesting to see. Heck the 2003 turtles obviously lived through it since it only happened 2 years earlier as did the rest of the characters so I wonder what they're thoughts were and whatnot or maybe we should assume 9/11 never happened there and there were never twin towers in the 2k3 universe.

If I remember correctly, there was going to be an episode of the 2003 show called "Tower of Terror." Though it didn't really have anything to do with the World Trade Center, someone must have figured that language would bother people, and changed it, although to what, I'm not quite sure. The interesting thing is Disney had no problem calling a ride that years later.

As to the OT looking comically-outdated in some areas and very advanced in others, that's probably because technological progress is not a specific set of developments, but a random set, motivated by events. For example, had the Cold War gone on instead of giving way to an era of international trade, it's possible that space technology would keep being developed while communications technology lagged. Also, though they were big and well-armed, the REX robots still ran some of their functions on tapes.

[Kendamu]

I do remember at one point Don was threatening some handheld AI (super advanced technology) with overloading it with 50 megabytes of data. Nowadays 50 megabytes is almost nothing.

[Falconhood]

I'm always aware of this in many shows. I remember when they were talking about the Transformers movie, and WHAT in the HECK will Soundwave be??? There are not Tape Players these days, so what would his buddies be if not tapes?
And Star Trek...how we wished we could have a PDA(often on DS9), and now everyone has them.
Some of the plots that rely on the old devices, like a pay phone, would have to be completely changed if the script was reused.
Superman is just going to have to find a new place to change.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Konchadunga

If I remember correctly, there was going to be an episode of the 2003 show called "Tower of Terror." Though it didn't really have anything to do with the World Trade Center, someone must have figured that language would bother people, and changed it, although to what, I'm not quite sure. The interesting thing is Disney had no problem calling a ride that years later.

As to the OT looking comically-outdated in some areas and very advanced in others, that's probably because technological progress is not a specific set of developments, but a random set, motivated by events. For example, had the Cold War gone on instead of giving way to an era of international trade, it's possible that space technology would keep being developed while communications technology lagged. Also, though they were big and well-armed, the REX robots still ran some of their functions on tapes.

Agree. Man would have been to Mars, Titan and whatever now if governments laid down more money on spaceflight. Yes, some people say it's expensive, but at least better than war.

[Konchadunga]

Originally Posted by Falconhood

I'm always aware of this in many shows. I Superman is just going to have to find a new place to change.

Actually; the payphone bit is so dated that it was already spoofed in the old Christopher Reeves movies, though not in the same way it would be now. Instead, he just tries to change in a payphone but finds it's a newer model that isn't an enclosed box, so he can't.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

We had rotary dial at home until 1993 or something. It wasn't until circa 1990 that the telephone keypad had almost phased out the rotary dial, except some homes.

[gobo]

I donated my personality alterator to Toys For Tots years ago.

Originally Posted by Swedenfan 1982

Agree. Man would have been to Mars, Titan and whatever now if governments laid down more money on spaceflight. Yes, some people say it's expensive, but at least better than war.

Amen, reverend.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by Swedenfan 1982

Agree. Man would have been to Mars, Titan and whatever now if governments laid down more money on spaceflight. Yes, some people say it's expensive, but at least better than war.

But it wasn't spaceflight that defeated Naziism and Communism. It was war-which, as the old saying goes, is an extension of diplomacy. Of course, the reason the US sent men to the Moon in the first place was to show that we could. (Another old saying is "put a claim on the Moon, and try to conquer that!")