The Evolution of the Techie Dorm Room
For centuries, the dorm room has been a venue where students sleep, study, and occasionally have some fun. They have often been the home of the latest and greatest tech, a venue for excellent discussions, and the final resting place of 59% of the world’s mini-refrigerators.
The evolution of the techie dorm room started accelerating exponentially in the 1990’s as more gadgets became affordable by college students and their parents. Fast forward 20 years and there’s enough equipment in 1 dorm room to power NASA in the 60’s.
This graphic by our friends at CourseHero gives us a visual glimpse into the rapid evolution of the collegiate bunkhouse. Click to enlarge.
I went to the University of Illinois in the early 90’s. The admissions officers actively told all of us students that they did not need to bring computers as the computer labs were sufficient. On our entire floor only one student brought a computer. What a huge mistake, come term paper time all the labs were completely booked and you had to sign up to use one. What’s that ? The next slot open is 4am, better have had your paper already written because you have only 4 hours to type it. Make that 3 because the last hour is stuck in the spool with the other 40 people sending their paper to the printer. Ah the good old days
The prices on electronics vs. food here in northern europe are getting skewed. It seems like students can sooner afford a digital device than eating nutrient rich food.
they cant be too techie…they use macs
Sad but true…I remember all those wasted nights on KaZaA…
The ‘early mid 90’s’ should include ‘Demo running on PC’ instead of Minesweeper. Demo’s were the craze in college back then.