Despite occasional scurrilous and slanderous insinuations to the contrary, I am
not a Luddite. For example, I have been a so-called "hi-fi nut" for many
years. I was among the first on my block to have an all-transistor amp and
pre-amp (Dynaco PAT-4 and PAT-120, 1967), acoustic suspension speakers
(AR-3a's, 1967), a CD player (Carver, 1983).
Except for the AR-3a's, which are in the bedroom, being powered by a tube amp
and pre-amp, all the other stuff is long gone. Transistors and CDs are
convenient and reliable. Vinyl and tubes are a lot more trouble, both in use
and maintenance. But, oh, they sound so much better. An LP played with a good
cartridge and tone arm on a proper turntable, not some piece of crap from
Circuit City or Best Buy for $200, is still today, 20 years after we were told
we were getting "perfect sound forever," obviously, to any but the hearing
impaired, superior to a CD. And if the amp and pre-amp give off both the aural
and visual glow of tubes, so much the better. I've got lots of CDs, but I
still buy vinyl when I can find it.
On the other hand, as a hobbiest restorer of old sports cars and pickup trucks
for many years, we routinely converted vehicles from the '50s, '60s and '70s to
electronic ignition, disk brakes instead of drums, electric wipers instead of
vacuum-powered, replaced 8-track players with cassette units, and so on. Where
new technology was an obvious improvement over the old, I've never had a
problem accepting and adopting it. When I tried it and it proved not to be
better, I dropped it, often trying it again after improvements had been made.
"New" ain't synonymous with "better."
Being an old, old fart, I was one of the first to have a color TV (RCA, 1962),
microwave ($500, 70 lb. Amanna, 1979), fuel-injected car (Corvette, 1962) and
"plastic" handgun (Glock, 1984). I could enumerate several other "firsts," but
I think you get the idea. When I am satisfied that there is a digital camera
the technologically mature and competent equivalent any of the aforementioned
were at the time I invested in them, I'll buy it. Until then, fuggedaboudit.
My little Camedia 2000Z still satisfies my digital jones.
Walt
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