Last week we looked at the internet of 1994, this week we are looking at an “internet” of the 1970s as shown on Tomorrow’s World.
For those younger readers; Tomorrow’s World was a popular TV programme on BBC looking at science and technology – it ran for 38 years. It was famous for featuring current technology and it’s hit and miss predictions for the future.
The episode below was the last episode broadcast in 1979 and was a retrospective on the past decades technology and has a feature on Prestel an information service run by British Telecom. It was delivered through a phone line using a dedicated controller box and a television. It was similar to Oracle and Ceefax – Teletext services broadcast by TV companies – but with two communication between the user and the databases. Prestel could also support online payments with the right hardware.
It was an early “internet”.
Prestel was revolutionary for it’s time. One of the key industries to adopt the system were travel companies but it never really got market reach. The cost of subscriptions, equipment and subsequent phone calls all added up to make the service expensive. The hope for cheaper integrated TV units never really existed in the numbers or at the price point to make this a mass service. Oracle and Ceefax – both which were free impacted on Prestel’s success.
The episode also looks at nuclear power, Concorde, The Channel Tunnel and the Tyne & Wear Metro – there is a theme of cost overruns! Some things never change when it comes to government projects (HS2).
Other articles include; corrugated steel, kalolin poultices, a device to help people with stammering and the inspiring Toby Churchill.
Of course there is a flying car.
Of all the things covered the Tyne & Wear Metro is a success story. We regularly use it when visiting our son it Gateshead, it is clean, fairly efficient and well priced. (The image below is from a visit last summer.)
Tomorrow’s World on iPlayer
The above episode is on YouTube and I could not determine whether the use by the creator is licensed – so that episode may disappear. In case that video is taken down, there is a compilation episode on BBC iPlayer featuring computing in the 1960s.
BBC iPlayer – Tomorrows World – Computers in the 60s
That should be there for more then a year.
Have a good weekend.
Clive Catton MSc (Cyber Security) – by-line and other articles
