The neatest thing appeared in my Google Alerts this morning: Robert Ambrogi's LawSites 'A Chronology of Legal Technology, 1842-1995.' According to his site, Ambrogi came across a chronology he had created back in 1995 (hence the end date of 1995) and thought it might be worth sharing on his blog. I always find it fun to read through timelines like these, to see how far we've come or perhaps where we stalled a little along the way. I've listed some of my favorite bits below, though I highly recommend going to the full list because Ambrogi was incredibly thorough and doesn't appear to have left anything out, including the kitchen sink!
I do wonder if now that he's found the list, will Mr. Ambrogi find it in him to update it through 2010? I imagine if he did, the additional 15 years' worth of info would be just as long and involved as the previous 157 years tid bits combined!
- 1938: Xerography developed. [HALLELUJAH!]
- 1950s: Transistors and miniaturized circuits lead to invention of the silicon chip.
- 1977: Tandy Corp. becomes the first major electronics firm to produce a personal computer.
- 1981: Average price of a facsimile machine: $10,500.
- 1982: Apple's Lisa computer, the first to allow users to carry out many functions by using a "mouse" to click on an icon.
I neglected to put the very first entry in Abrogi's list, for 1842. "The fax machine is invented by a Scottish physicist. Images were sent by wire and the receiving machine recorded the images on damp electrolytic paper." This invention is both a blessing and a curse, as we've been fussing with those contraptions ever since...
Admit it, we've all had an 'Office Space' fax beat-down fantasy!