Through last weekend contemplation, I thought I knew where my “Gadget Freak” came from.  Recollecting my memory, I think my late father can be ‘blamed’ for my addiction to gadgets!

I just realized how my father had always been an “early adopter” of new technology.  He was one of the first owners of Sony Betamax video player in town, he bought my brother the first Walkman introduced by Sony, and it was my first time to see a Compact Disc player looking at his. Geez, I should have known this!

It was fun to remember those gadgets and stuffs he owned, many of them I did not realize that it was so cool to have that time (maybe my daughter will remember the coolness of my iPad later in the future).  Through memory recollection and internet browsing of those gadgets collections, here are some of them which directly or indirectly, have inspired and influenced me!

Sony Walkman. Long before the iPods, this was the coolest gadget back then. My father bought my brother a red colored walkman which allowed us to hear music wherever we were through earphone. The first of its kind! I still remember it had this external microphone function, which with 1 button slide, allowed you to hear the voice from outside. Cool! I don’t know why the next iterations of Walkman did not have this feature anymore.

Sony Portable AM/FM Radio ICF 7600A. My father used to love this radio so much. When he was travelling for business, he always carried this radio with him. He always turned it on when he was about to sleep. He even told my mother “not to make a mess with it” when she told him to replace with the newer one, citing the radio had been his “best friend” for years. A simple but nicely portable radio with 3 bands (FM, MW and SW – old technologies!), this proved to be a keeper. Maybe as important as iPod Touch to mine nowadays

Pentax Program Plus. One of many cameras my father used to have (yeah, I got the photography hobby also from him!). The Pentax Program Plus was revolutionary back then (in my lack of knowledge, at least) with two features: (1) the program mode allowed you to leave the aperture and shutter thinking to the computer (2) the self-timer was then digital (with its blinking LED light- the first!), departing from the analog-roller type of self-timer switch. 

Pentax Program Plus, came with cool self timer switch

Sony Betamax Video Player/Recorder SL C7. The beast of consumer electronics device. Revolutionized the home video scene in early 80s. The Betamax format dominated the industry before VHS swept away in late 80s. But during its hey-day, you could find it in almost every home. Came with the video recording ability, it helped us to tape the late night show of CHiPS TV series, so we could watch it after school.

Sony Betamax SL C7, revolutionized the home video industry

Casio Digital Diary SF 8000. Probably one last gadget my father bought before he passed away. He only used this for a very short time. When he passed away, I found this Casio in his bedroom, and brought it to Semarang with me. It was my first PDA, I used it a lot to keep contacts, appointments and memos when I was in college. It was short lived though, it fell from my jacket while I was riding a bike and lost some of its memory. But I guess the memory of my father and all of his cool gadgets lived on with me and shaped me the way I am now. So please don’t blame me if I have soft spot on gadgets! It runs in family!

*in memory of my beloved father, Kresnadi Koesoemo, Bc.P. May He rest in peace.*