Let's talk about everyday TECHNOLOGIES.

Specifically entertainment devices. What I have in my room right now is a HP laptop (2008) hooked up to a 42 inch 1080i Vizio HDTV that I got with a Viore DVD upconverter via HDMI plus a very used Xbox 360 via Components, GameCube via AV cables, and VCR via Antenna/Cable cable (because why not). I'm blogging with a wireless keyboard and mouse on the monstrosity of a TV in my room right now. I have a PS2 and Dreamcast strewn about as well. The N64 is in the living room. I bring this up for two reasons. With the addition of new videogame consoles in a world of increased gaming, higher definitions and 'gamer culture,' there have arisen these 'Battlestations': the setups very much like the one I described above. Such battlestations can be TV or computer monitor based, but usually involve devices and technologies that are newer, more expensive than traditional models and are setup for the user's entertainment. I have seen high powered gaming PCs with 6+ monitors. I have seen my current PC-to-TV model used YEARS ago by a friend. I have seen every videogame console known to man in one cabinet. I have also seen a big-screen with Bose surround speakers plus a Playstation 3 and Apple TV. The point is, it's created by the user to the user's liking. Battlestations are a staple in gaming culture (though not entirely necessary). The second reason I bring this up is: How old are these technologies really? What would it look like if I tried to make a similar setup 10 years ago? 20 years ago? My mother still has her stereo from when she was in college. It is several units in a cabinet including radio, cassette player/recorder and turntable and includes giant sub-par speakers. The greatest part about them was the compatibility with my mom's old keyboard with scaled down keys - she would play 'Roll Out the Barrel.' Add this sound system to her Zenith 24" CRT behemoth she bought when I was little and add a VCR player and a Nintendo or Atari system (her brother owned the games at one point in their lives - plus she now owns two Pacman straight-to-tv joystick games). Her pre-historic Battlestation takes up most of the living room, complete with a TV stand full of bulky VHS. A friend of mine started to build up his Battlestation last year. 50+ inch 1080p HDTV on a tall stand, those Bose speakers, Blu-Ray collection and connectivity with his brand new Mac computer, wirelessly. His modern-age Battlestation takes up noticeably less space than my mom's with more to add to it. Where Mom has a TV, (condensed) Music system, Movie watching mechanism and one or two videogames, he has the TV, the sound system (direct iPod connectivity), movie theater (Youtube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Apple TV), plus the Playstation 3, able to play most of these things plus Blu-Rays and tons of downloadable content (it can even turn the TV into a picture frame) - all in the same, if not less, amount of space. AND it has a sub-woofer. Ah, the evolution of technology. Of course there are tons of other factors in this entertainment device craze. Mobile phones/gaming. The app revolution. THE ENTIRE INTERNET. And the fact that culture now is nothing like how it was when my mother was in college (late 70s). It's a giant sub-cultural movement that is both interesting and fun to think about. I just wanted to share my two cents about that. TL;DR - Battlestations: Then and Now. Think about it.