tion electronically linked to com-
pany headquarters 50 miles up the
freeway.
Will it all happen? Ten years ago,
few consumers would have pre-
dicted cars that "talk" to drivers, or
videotapes and VCRs, or tele-
phones that "redial" at a touch. In
electronics, yesterday's revolution-
ary discoveries are used routinely
today. And even greater changes
are expected for tomorrow. The
future is shaping up fast-and it
promises to be very exciting.
So, why not get a head start on
the "user-friendly" years ahead?
Learn to get the most from the con-
sumer electronics you already have.
And if you're in the market for
more, look for equipment that can
help you now-and introduce you
to the future!
A ... Is for Applications:
Putting Electronics to Work
*o YOU have an electronics
"graveyard"-a hiding place
for yesterday's unwise buys? Most
often electronic equipment that
goes to the graveyard does so
because (once the novelty wears off)
buyers realize it doesn't do anything
they really need.
What's a smart buy in electron-
ics? Equipment with "applica-
tions" to your life, the capacity to
provide services you need.
Consider the possible applica-
tions of these popular consumer
electronic buys:
* Personal computers: PCs can
make any kind of academic work
easier-from researching English
papers to number-crunching for
calculus class. Students also use
PCs to edit/revise papers... type
class notes ... produce resumes,
club newsletters, ads for on-campus
activities... access information
from a data base ... run a campus
business... keep track of work
schedules... balance the student
council budget (or their own!).
* Video equipment: VCRs and
camcorders can be fun and useful
too. Some ideas: Plan a VCR film
series, with your room as the mini-
The ideal electronics
equipment will
fit your life. I
theater... Use "time shifting" to
tape TV segments useful for a
course or research project... Get a
"fitness" tape and turn your room
into a gym... Use a video "cam-
corder" to tape special events on
campus, or to help you rehearse for
a job interview, speech, class pre-
sentation, etc.
* CDs: Right now, compact discs
are pure entertainment. But there's
more to come: CDs that offer
knowledge, not music. Already a
$295 "Bookshelf" CD is available;
it contains digitized versions of 10
popular reference volumes, from
Roget's Thesaurus to the World
Almanac. By using it, PC writers
can call up information without
interrupting their word processing.
* High-tech telephones: An-
swering machines, call forwarding,
and other features make it easier to
run a campus business, a club, or a
student government committee.
Can't get your study group together
in one place? In a pinch, a telephone
system with conference-call capaci-
ty can solve the problem.
* Tape recorders: Taping class lec-
tures is a tried-and-true study aid
-but do you ever find yourself
short of playback time? Some new
tape recorders can play a lecture
back at up to twice the normal
speed, without voice distortion.
* Audio equipment: Personal
headphone-style tape players/re-
corders are great for students burn-
ing the midnight oil-when listen-
ing to taped lectures or other "in-
formation" might keep your room-
mate awake or disturb the peace
and quiet of the library. A wireless
device that lets you (but nobody
else) hear the sound of music, TV,
or videotapes is also on the market.
* Special-interest software: The
new wave of consumer electronics
gives artists, musicians, designers,
video freaks, and other people with
special interests something to smile
about. Computerized electronic
keyboards open up new possibilities
for composers and performers...
designers (of everything from
dresses to skyscrapers) can use com-
puter-aided design software to pro-
duce quicker, better drawings...
video editing programs are terrific
for budding film editors, broadcast
journalists, etc.
The ideal equipment will fit your
life-what you do, how you do it,
what you plan for yourself. It will
do things you need and maybe even
offer some unexpected applica-
tions. And as you put the equip-
ment to work for you, it can begin
to shape your life-giving you new
possibilities, changing old patterns.
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