Video summary
In 1992, the narrator recounts the memorable experience of sending their first mobile email using a specialized kit provided by Ardis, the company behind FedEx's private Cosmos network. This early setup consisted of two distinct pieces of technology: a Motorola data modem and a Hewlett-Packard Model 100 LX, which was essentially a portable DOS computer with limited battery life. To connect these devices, the user would power them on, link them via a small cable, and launch an application called Radio Mail, which was the sole software installed on the device. This simple configuration allowed the user to send and receive emails directly through the modem, marking a significant moment in personal communication history.
The excitement of this technology was vividly illustrated by a specific trip where the narrator flew into O'Hare airport and took a shuttle bus to their hotel, a time before services like Airbnb existed. Upon arriving at the hotel, they unpacked the kit, connected the modem to the computer, raised the small antenna, and successfully sent an email. The reaction was one of pure astonishment, with the narrator exclaiming that the experience was just "freaking cool." This moment captured the thrill of innovation, as the ability to communicate wirelessly from a moving vehicle or remote location felt like magic at the time, representing a massive leap forward in connectivity.
However, the narrator quickly realized that this technological marvel would soon seem completely antiquated within their own lifetime. The rapid pace of innovation meant that what was once impossible and exciting would become humdrum and eventually normalized to the point where it no longer felt special. Today, we carry devices that not only handle email effortlessly without blinking but also serve as high-definition movie cameras and perform countless other functions simultaneously. The contrast between the clunky 1992 kit and modern smartphones highlights how quickly technology evolves, transforming extraordinary achievements into everyday utilities that we barely notice.
Ultimately, this story serves as a testament to the incredible speed at which technology progresses from being a novel curiosity to an essential part of daily life. While the specific hardware used in 1992 is now obsolete, the feeling of wonder experienced by the narrator when they first connected to the network remains a powerful reminder of human ingenuity. The journey from manually connecting cables and raising antennas to seamlessly sending messages with a tap on a glass screen illustrates how we adapt to new tools, often forgetting the struggle and excitement that preceded them as these innovations become invisible foundations of our modern world.
Read the full video transcript
Uh
I'd like to tell you the story of the
first time I sent a mobile email.
Uh in 1992
I had been given
this hefty little kit uh in comparison,
this is the size of a modern smartphone
that does
a lot more than this does, but this kit
was from Ardis the people who built
the people who built the data network
for FedEx called Cosmos that ran on a
private network
that had data modems like this one from
Motorola.
And uh the second item in this little
kit is a Hewlett-Packard model 100 LX.
This is a pocket DOS
computer. So, it's a little baby DOS
computer. It's battery says will have
long run out. Uh but it comes with a
little cable.
I would power both devices up, plug the
little cable one into the other, and run
an app called Radio Mail on this little
computer. It's the only app I had
installed on it.
And with Radio Mail, I could send and
receive email through this data modem.
And I remember one day getting off a
plane at O'Hare and taking a shuttle bus
to the hotel I was staying at at the
time. This is way before Airbnb or
things like it. And opening this little
package up connecting the two devices,
opening this, raising the little
antenna, and sending an email, and going
"Oh my god, that was just astonishing."
That was just so freaking cool.
Not realizing that within my lifetime
this would look
completely antiquated.
Email would be antiquated and we would
all be walking around with little
devices that not only do that without
blinking, but are high-definition movie
cameras, one of which is taking this
image right now
and a whole mess of other things.
This is a story of the speed of
innovation and the speed with which
things go from seeming impossible
to being humdrum, to being completely
normalized to the point where
we don't feel like anything special just
happened. But, I'll tell you, in 1992,
this little magic trick was wonderful. I
loved it.