When Phones Were Fun: AOL Mobile Communicator (2001)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
  • Sponsored by Noom. Click here noom.com/mrmobile to take your free Noom Evaluation.
    [WHEN PHONES WERE FUN: AOL MOBILE COMMUNICATOR, 2001]
    If you were a middle-class US citizen getting your first taste of the internet around the turn of the century, odds are the ISP on the other side of your modem was America Online, which since 1993 had bombarded every mailbox and retail counter with enough free-trial disks to amass a market value of over $200 billion at its peak.
    But AOL wasn’t content to stay synonymous with the desktop internet. In 2000, it tried to redefine what it meant to “be online” by selling a rebadged BlackBerry that would live alongside the phone on your belt ... so that you would never have to be offline. This is the story of the AOL Mobile Communicator.
    [SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]
    www.youtube.co....
    [ABOUT WHEN PHONES WERE FUN - AOL MOBILE COMMUNICATOR]
    This is the sixteenth in a series of MrMobile videos exploring the mobile tech world's most vibrant period in design and experimentation. In “When Phones Were Fun,” Michael Fisher re-reviews cellphones from the golden age of mobile, the decade-long span from the turn of the century to approximately 2009.
    When Phones Were Fun: Episode 16 features two AOL Mobile Communicator devices purchased by MrMobile / Future plc and one COMPAQ-branded BlackBerry Inter@ctive Pager 950 on loan from an anonymous friend of the channel. No manufacturer or carrier paid a fee or otherwise offered compensation in exchange for this coverage (nor did any such company preview or approve this content before publication).
    [LINKS - BOOKS]
    Losing The Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry [Amazon]:
    www.amazon.com...
    Harvesting The BlackBerry: An Insider’s Perspective [Google Books]:
    www.google.com...
    [LINKS - PRINT]
    PCMag, February 2001 [Google Books]:
    books.google.c...
    Popular Mechanics, August 2001 [Google Books]:
    books.google.c...
    RadioShack Catalog 1999 [RadioShackCatalogs.com]:
    www.radioshack...
    [LINKS - WEB]
    AOL Mobile Communicator - A Piece Of History! [Idealistically Caspan]:
    caspan.com/2016...
    AOL Mobile Communicator User Guide [Archive.org]:
    web.archive.or...
    Wireless Data: An Opinionated Buyer’s Guide [Forbes]:
    www.forbes.com...
    AOL Mobile Communicator Review [PCMag]:
    uk.pcmag.com/f...
    AOL Mobile Communicator Review [BetaNews]:
    betanews.com/2...
    AOL Anywhere:
    www.tvtechnolo...
    RIM BlackBerry 950 Review [The-Gadgeteer]:
    the-gadgeteer....
    AOL Mobile Communicator vs RIM BlackBerry 950 [FlyerTalk]:
    www.flyertalk....
    AOL Cuts Mobile Communicator Price [ZDNet]:
    www.zdnet.com/...
    AOL Mobile Communicator Going Dark [e-Week]:
    www.eweek.com/...
    AOL Anywhere arrives, giving users expanded access [Chicago Tribune]:
    www.chicagotri...
    [LINKS - VIDEO]
    AOL Mobile Communicator Commercials:
    • America Online - Mobil...
    • AOL Mobile Communicato...
    AOL Commercials:
    • Early AOL Commercial (...
    • America Online 4.0 com...
    AOL Dial-up Sequence:
    • AOL (Sign On - Dial Up)
    Interview: Frank Sandtner [TWICE]:
    • TWICE Interview: Frank...
    [SOCIALIZE]
    / themrmobile
    / themrmobile
    / themrmobile
    mrmobile.tech
    [DISCLOSURES]
    This post may contain affiliate links, which afford MrMobile / Future plc a commission if you make a purchase.
    Additional information concerning MrMobile’s ethics policy can be found here: mrmobile.tech/...
    #aolmobilecommunicator #whenphoneswerefun #aol #americaonline #throwback #retro #notstalgia #retrotech #2000 #2001 #blackberry #blackberry950 #pager #beeper #mrmobile #noom #noomfluencer

ความคิดเห็น • 563

  • @TheMrMobile
    @TheMrMobile  2 ปีที่แล้ว +106

    Thanks to Noom for sponsoring this video. Click here noom.com/mrmobile to take your free Noom Evaluation.

    • @bits2646
      @bits2646 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Want to sell the locked one? I don't need the functionality, It'll just stay behing the glass looking "retro, oh yeah.." :PPP

    • @Protoaster
      @Protoaster 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bits2646 what you tryn to do buy something that he owned

    • @bits2646
      @bits2646 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Protoaster no just tryin to get stuff cheap 😂 u have sth cheap to sell? Need other stuff as well, as well have to sell some 😎

    • @joksimrovcanin9346
      @joksimrovcanin9346 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I like your videos a lot, you bring me to past, nostalgia..... thanks.

    • @Protoaster
      @Protoaster 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bits2646 uhhh well I have a 24k gold iPod touch 1 but other that that nothing

  • @DjadamGee
    @DjadamGee 2 ปีที่แล้ว +646

    This feels like an LGR Tech Tales episode, in the absolute best way possible. Clint would be proud! Such a great video mate, cheers!

    • @jdatlas4668
      @jdatlas4668 2 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Surely you mean tales, not tails? :P

    • @tbuddy888
      @tbuddy888 2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      I thought it was until it loaded.

    • @TheMrMobile
      @TheMrMobile  2 ปีที่แล้ว +136

      I'm honored; thanks!

    • @DjadamGee
      @DjadamGee 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@TheMrMobile You are very welcome my friend

    • @DjadamGee
      @DjadamGee 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@jdatlas4668 yeah that lol

  • @sloeginandsleep1170
    @sloeginandsleep1170 2 ปีที่แล้ว +234

    I remember this particular oddity well. I’m half British and Half American and spent most of my childhood in England……and when my dad was back in New York for work, his AOL Communicator was his constant companion.
    I remember meeting him at Heathrow airport as he got off the plane and seeing this bizarre creation for the first time. It seemed so futuristic and incredible.
    I just showed dad this video, now happily retired and he said, and I quote “Damn, I forgot how crap they were! Productive, but crap!”
    Thanks for the video Mr Mobile!

    • @TheMrMobile
      @TheMrMobile  2 ปีที่แล้ว +74

      Ha! Thanks for sharing the video with an actual erstwhile user! Your dad seems like a cool tech fan.

    • @sloeginandsleep1170
      @sloeginandsleep1170 2 ปีที่แล้ว +56

      @@TheMrMobile He was always ahead of the curve and he’s passed on his love for gadgets to me……
      He fully embraced the foldable revolution, I’ve now joined him, him with his Razr, me with my Z Fold 3. He’s dropped you a sub tonight too, love of tech never grows old!

    • @michaelcorcoran8768
      @michaelcorcoran8768 2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@TheMrMobile I absolutely love "productive crap."

    • @xenotiic8356
      @xenotiic8356 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@sloeginandsleep1170 This is adorable, I love this story so much!

    • @sloeginandsleep1170
      @sloeginandsleep1170 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@xenotiic8356 Thank you!! Memories are often fleeting but I’ve still never forgot it 😊

  • @RubyRoks
    @RubyRoks 2 ปีที่แล้ว +166

    "Well that only took 8 months" Is the reminder i needed that it takes a very considerable amount of time and effort to upload 15 to 30 minutes of video on a consistent basis

  • @duffin.caprous
    @duffin.caprous 2 ปีที่แล้ว +275

    It is interesting. I remember back in the day if you were on AOL and someone messaged you, they'd get angry if you didn't respond immediately because back then, if you were online, it meant you were there in front of your computer. No one logged on and walked away for long periods of time. It's the opposite now. We're always online and if someone messages someone else, it's expected it could take a bit of time to respond since you don't really know if they're in front of their phone or not.

    • @Sassquatch0
      @Sassquatch0 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      My house was backwards to this. Dad worked for the phone company and we had a 2nd line that was used by an always-connected PC acting as our network gateway. He was studying Novell Networks, and we'd gotten a couple "cheap" systems for that time, so we had a small LAN to share the printer & internet.
      We started with Prodigy, then moved to a local ISP, instead of the national stuff like AOL or CompuServe. Because of that, I was the snob running ICQ instead of AIM. 😝

    • @ElectricInevitability
      @ElectricInevitability 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Remember the chatrooms? ASL?

    • @Mattboy300
      @Mattboy300 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      You know, that's a really true thing. The other thing for me is that back in the AOL days, you'd be talking to people for the sake of just having a conversation. Now with things like texting and Discord basically being the modern AOL, I feel like just messaging someone to say hi seems weird and I really should only send a message if I need something. I guess that's what being so connected does to us!

    • @ryuuseiSoul
      @ryuuseiSoul 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yeah, you had to write AFK to let them know you'd be away.

    • @kingzach74
      @kingzach74 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@Mattboy300 Weirdly enough I know exactly how you feel. I feel that more than you can imagine.

  • @abhisheksengupta1773
    @abhisheksengupta1773 2 ปีที่แล้ว +59

    That last line hit real hard. I still miss those days when we went online only for a moment and not the entire day. World was a much better place back then

    • @treylennon4858
      @treylennon4858 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Absolutely. And going back to that nowadays seems virtually impossible.

    • @r00tan16
      @r00tan16 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      exactly this. when i tell people i miss this era of the internet they always say things like "well, just dont go online as much" but the reality is, in this day and age you are EXPECTED to be online 24/7.
      maybe its a regional thing, but jobs no longer take in-person applications, a cinema i worked at no longer offered viewings/times over the phone, shopping centres/malls are dying due to the rise in shopping online, etc. everything now is happening on the internet, and its impossible to remove yourself from it to the extent we used to have it.
      the internet no longer feels like a fun gadget, it feels bleak and dystopian. its been forced upon people in the worst way (combine that with the minamilist design that plagues most webpages now and its just a miserable experience tbh)

  • @ThisIsTechToday
    @ThisIsTechToday 2 ปีที่แล้ว +242

    Wow, EIGHT months to get a working unit. Insane.

    • @TheMrMobile
      @TheMrMobile  2 ปีที่แล้ว +62

      The joys of sourcing vintage!

    • @DenaturedProtein
      @DenaturedProtein 2 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Ikr 😂 u could get a working tiny human, in the same duration.

  • @ZombieChrist265
    @ZombieChrist265 2 ปีที่แล้ว +119

    This was one of the most enjoyable “when phones were fun” the frustrating and long process on acquiring/making the phone work was interesting to watch. As well as the added story about how these things worked and how popular they were.
    Well done.

  • @mcdonnell-douglasdc-1056
    @mcdonnell-douglasdc-1056 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I really do miss the days of being offline, and everyone understood that and went along with it. Moments where you disconnected from the world and enjoy your life your way, without worries from missed calls or friends, families and acquaintances desperately trying to reach you when you wish to be offline.
    In our world progressively becoming more connected online, this is but a mere pipe dream. You had to put in the extra effort to notify everyone that you wish to be offline.

    • @vishnumenon6541
      @vishnumenon6541 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      i guess being offline will be difficult as Michael stated in this video that even something as simple as a microwave are getting "connected". I tried being offline from social media, except for instant messaging apps and the occasional TH-cam videos on tech and memes, and the amount of information that I missed from my friends like them sharing achievements, good/bad news made me out-of-sync with the world. I even had some asking me why i wasn't being online on Twitter and Instagram to the point they enquired if i was doing well mentally😂

    • @planetphatness
      @planetphatness 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      There's days I leave all my devices at home and it feels good.

    • @mcdonnell-douglasdc-1056
      @mcdonnell-douglasdc-1056 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@vishnumenon6541 Just tell them you are trying to limit your online usage. It will work wonders, when you decide to disconnect and enjoy your life your way. No one is requiring you to stay online.
      Been doing this for the past year, and I am not as anxious or grumpy as I used to be.

    • @vishnumenon6541
      @vishnumenon6541 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mcdonnell-douglasdc-1056 yes. i have limited my presence on Twitter and it has done wonders..

  • @AstralPhnx
    @AstralPhnx 2 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    The man still has Jibo sitting in his office despite the service being dead. That's dedication

    • @sexyscientist
      @sexyscientist 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      3:59

    • @ahmedkamalhasin2070
      @ahmedkamalhasin2070 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      That Jibo farewell video was so emotional I literally shed a few tears after watching it.

  • @clincej7
    @clincej7 2 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    Hats off to you Michael for taking us back in time once again.
    I think I speak for all of us when I commend you on your perseverance to acquire a working unit to take us back in time to when phones… were fun

  • @Wren6858
    @Wren6858 2 ปีที่แล้ว +96

    I always enjoy his videos. They're a well produced and succinct trip down memory lane.

  • @ccroy2001
    @ccroy2001 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I remember getting so many AOL CDs in the mail we used them as coasters! AOL did open a world to me. Good Times.

  • @H4lminator
    @H4lminator 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Damnit, I love these throwbacks to the 90’s/00’s. A magical time! Well, back to binge watching The Office.

  • @RandomRoger
    @RandomRoger 2 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    I'm still hoping you will do one of these on the palm treo 600 series with the infrared. That phone was super cool!

    • @tonymarenno9568
      @tonymarenno9568 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I used to Love my Palm Centro! 🙂

    • @TheMrMobile
      @TheMrMobile  2 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      @@tonymarenno9568 Hope you caught this episode! th-cam.com/video/QvaFGGOUud4/w-d-xo.html

    • @TheMrMobile
      @TheMrMobile  2 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      I may do the Treo as part of a larger video on Palm OS. Meanwhile I really loved spending time with the Palm-powered i500 from Samsung: th-cam.com/video/C4J3QREiuJ0/w-d-xo.html

    • @sloeginandsleep1170
      @sloeginandsleep1170 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@TheMrMobile If you do a Palm OS video, I’d be on that immediately! I had a brief dabble before my Blackberries took over. That’s another one I’d love to see.

    • @RandomRoger
      @RandomRoger 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@TheMrMobile Saw that one! Very nice video as always. Your production quality is top notch! I sold that phone back in my days as a RadioShack employee. (9 years, 2000 to 2009). I was not a big fan of that one. I was addicted to physical keyboards like on the Treo 650, and had a hard time liking anything without one lol

  • @joshualebowitz
    @joshualebowitz 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Great video. I loved my RIM BlackBerry 950. Still remember how astonished people were to see that I was able to instantaneously reply to e-mails while on the go. The AA battery on that thing lasted for weeks as well.

    • @joshualebowitz
      @joshualebowitz 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      And kudos for the Office Space reference in your e-mail. ;)

    • @jimmystrickland1034
      @jimmystrickland1034 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That’s about all they were good for back then, e-mail or texting. And that one fun lil video game. Not worth the money they wanted for one unless your needed it for working while fishing out on the lake. And it didn’t work for ish outside of a city.

  • @eddiebooth4466
    @eddiebooth4466 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Can confirm, AOL discs were just as prevalent over here in the UK.
    8 or so years ago we were emptying out the Blockbuster I worked at after they went under and guess what we found under one of the shelving units?

    • @LoFIJak
      @LoFIJak 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      My mum used to save all the ones we got in the post and turn them into hanging mobiles for the window

  • @evefavretto
    @evefavretto 2 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    Oh the 2000's, when we were still trying to cram things onto small devices with often bad results.
    I miss some of those oddities

  • @SuperJodeculos
    @SuperJodeculos 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Plot twist: Mr. Mobile wants to go back to a time when there were almost no moblie phones

  • @jacksghost
    @jacksghost 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Hello Michael, from a very long time viewer I never fail to smile watching every video! The effort and time put into the content really shows! Thank you from every bit of my tech love for doing what you do. No matter the company who makes it, tech is a passion!

  • @vajdanamal
    @vajdanamal 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Absolutely love this series. I haven't used or seen any of the devices featured. but it was always my dream growing up. Thank you for bringing this content.

  • @atvega7
    @atvega7 2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Love this series. This design is pretty epic and with today's tech, could really offer a unique experience. HTC deserves a feature in this series also. I think about their touch pro's with slide out keyboards, hidden boom box slide out speakers and I even remember an HTC phone that was so large, it came with a separate BT phone as an accessory. Back to the video, these were too far ahead of the curve.

  • @techspeak5801
    @techspeak5801 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I have read Losing the Signal, great book!

  • @RonDAvilar
    @RonDAvilar 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This guy is one of the best TH-camrs in terms of videos producing, it's like watching a television show rather than a TH-cam video.

  • @Decco6306
    @Decco6306 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    WOW thats a 386 CPU. that actually has a lot more horse power than most people might think.

    • @TheMrMobile
      @TheMrMobile  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      And 60% more power-efficient than RIM's projections. They planned to power this unit with two AA batteries but because the CPU was such a boss, they ended up just needing one! (See "Harvesting The BlackBerry," linked in the description.)

  • @NoDeathforDinner
    @NoDeathforDinner 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This definitely takes me back to simpler times when I would immediately log onto aim after school to chat with my friends who lived in other states. This has to be my favorite series on TH-cam. Amazing job!

  • @NeonSonOfXenon
    @NeonSonOfXenon 2 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    God, the days of carriers putting their own os on devices...
    Dark times, those. Dark times

  • @FigWidIt
    @FigWidIt 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Now this is the content I've been enjoying in the mix along with the usual smartphone reviews of recent releases. After watching so many Pixel 6/6 Pro reviews, since I'm currently waiting for mine to be delivered, these type of videos are such a nice treat to your subscribers.

  • @isegrim1978
    @isegrim1978 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I love this series and the lengths you are willing to go to provide us with all the background information and details that give me that nostalgia feeling.

  • @m1ll1on4r3
    @m1ll1on4r3 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you very much for making these videos about old tech! I was born 1989 and I can remember all that tech.

  • @GuantaiN
    @GuantaiN 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    You have the best device journeys! This one was a treat.

  • @sexyscientist
    @sexyscientist 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    When devices run on AA,
    being offline was the norm,
    and -phones- RIM were fun.

  • @ericminerv
    @ericminerv 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I've said it once and I'll say it over and over, the only youtuber i see his sponsor plugs not only from start to finish, but actually look forward to. No bull.

  • @danstenger1
    @danstenger1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    The Office Space reference at 2:23 is the *perfect* touch for this era of device. The little details like that make this one of my favorite series on TH-cam.

  • @drew5903
    @drew5903 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Michael, this video gives away you age! Big Smiles. Them days are long long gone buddy. Your videos are awesome and super classy to say the least. Thanks for all the work you put in to make them. Cheers to you from DownUnder. Stay safe.

  • @jdatlas4668
    @jdatlas4668 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Whoa, there's a new When Phones Were Fun? This is hands down my favourite series on this channel

  • @DesertFoxz
    @DesertFoxz 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The story of having to jump through so many hoops including do your own repair got me hooked. I had to know whether it worked out or not!

  • @theadamtron
    @theadamtron 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thankyou for this video! I had no idea this device existed! I am quite taken by the simple design and that blue indigo backlight is just the kind I'd fall in love with. That scroll wheel seems like a unique way of navigating the menu while still giving a tactile feel. As connected as we are now full of its distractions having a dedicated device that gets back to basics and does one thing really well simply I too wouldn't mind going back. 🙏

    • @vishnumenon6541
      @vishnumenon6541 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Smartphones and internet connectivity have turned from a luxury to a necessity.

  • @arjunvalsaraj6315
    @arjunvalsaraj6315 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Your's is the only channel whose in video ads, I don't like to skip. They are so well made.

  • @leebee1100
    @leebee1100 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    YAY 4K 60FPS!! Congratulations! I’m aware that that’s a high bar to cross for high quality production time and cost wise. Thank you for making that investment just in case some of your nerd fans (me) are high resolution and high fps addicts. Your videos are awesome and beautifully edited/produced, so being able to see every detail at double the fluidity is the cherry on top of the cake.

  • @TheEtonRifles360
    @TheEtonRifles360 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great trip down memory lane. Still have and use my AOL email address every day.

  • @the7569
    @the7569 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love the incredible quality that you put in your videos and the sheer dedication that you have. You spent eight months to find a working unit and then opened one up to them fix it to make a working unit all for you to immediately say that you can't do anything with it

  • @Fuuntag
    @Fuuntag 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I know I should be commenting on the content and not the provider but damnit Mr Mobile; you have been going after my heart recently.

  • @biancaugalde3829
    @biancaugalde3829 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    OMG yes I wouldn't mind going back to those times either! Being online and available ALL OF THE TIME is just so exhausting

  • @jaydenjinomathala3202
    @jaydenjinomathala3202 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    With the quality of these videos he deserves more than 7 million subs

  • @JohnMedved
    @JohnMedved 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great video Michael. I love this series. I was lucky enough to have the Motorola Talkabout through my job at the time (probably around '94). Great memories. It's amazing how far we've come.

  • @darkdeity2012
    @darkdeity2012 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Enjoyed the inclusion of what a pain it was to actually get a functioning version of one of these. It's an important part of the retro tech collecting experience and honestly very interesting to people who might think about picking one up. Great video as always.

  • @oneminutewonder77
    @oneminutewonder77 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Oh lord I remember the days when my parents had AOL way back when and it was amazing just to be able to even use the internet. How far things have come in the last three decades or so.

  • @fuzz33594
    @fuzz33594 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Michael - I love this series and appreciate the time you spend creating content that both informs and entertains. Exceptionally well done.

  • @MarcoR6
    @MarcoR6 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    "All your base are belong to us". Damn it, that brings back memories... :) Thanks for another great one, Michael.

  • @mp5wes
    @mp5wes 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'm still using the "You Got Mail!" and AIM sounds for my phone notifications. Good thing the files were easy to find back in the day 😁

  • @erich6096
    @erich6096 ปีที่แล้ว

    I had one of these units. It worked very well. RIM did an awesome job with these. Solid and reliable using a 2 way paging network. The keyboard was the most comfortable compact keyboard Ive ever used, even today. Designed for two thumbs. It truly was fun to use. It's intended replacement the T-Mobile Sidekick was horrible. It worked well as a phone but frequently lost it's data connection. So IMs would not get through either way until it regained a cellular data connection. It was so frustrating I returned the Sidekick to T-Mobile. Which was a shame because I had been looking forward to the next leap with wireless AOL with it's color display and more PC sounding alert tones (the mobile communicator used 8 bit sounding beeps). So glad I didn't cancel my other phone back then. It was after all a phone. I didn't need another phone, I already had one. Other things on it I didn't need were games, like an Asteroids like game. I was hoping for AOL Mobile Communicator 2.0. Maybe with the ability to enter chat rooms and display pictures (which of course is was not at all what the Sidekick was). I used the mobile communicator right up until the day the plug was pulled on it's service. It would still send out pulses of data to a no longer existent service. It's last emails and IMs stuck inside the unit as they were when last received. I threw it away. I wish I had it now as a keepsake but it would be of no practical use today. Service shut off forever in 2003. Even AOL Instant messenger itself is now dead.

  • @kkm969
    @kkm969 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    One of the best tech series out there. I think at the end of each episode of 'Phones were Fun',need few seconds to show how it's a pain in arse to get those Phones nowadays which were Fun😅😅

  • @Ibrahim1999
    @Ibrahim1999 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    there's something about your video style that is so captivating and calm , like a cup of coffee , and i dig it , i enjoy seeing retro tech vids and yours show me that indeed there were phones outside of Nokia at the time 😅

  • @herfamusic
    @herfamusic 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Absolutely phenomenal work Michael 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻♥️♥️♥️ Your content is incredible on so many levels and you just keep on surprising us and raising the bar. This was super entertaining and educational and nostalgic. And that last sentence about how you wouldn't mind going back to a time like that resonated so much with me too! As always, thank you for your beautiful work ♥️

  • @sjk5845
    @sjk5845 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I’ve watched you since your days at pocketnow, and I have to say this has become my favorite video of yours. Thanks for all your hard work over the years.

  • @GaryDarbyshire
    @GaryDarbyshire 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Excellent video Michael, I do love these nostalgic looks back. Although I was never on the market for such a device. Oh and fun fact the best weekend I had recently was the one where I left my phone at my mother in laws and I was offline for a whole weekend. #mustlearnselfdiscipline 😀

  • @TheNotoriousKID
    @TheNotoriousKID 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I had that exact blue RIM aol mobile communicator. It was such a flex to have a device like that back in the very early 2000s. I had quite a few 2 way pagers back then. Phones and pagers were so cool back then.

  • @Stabity
    @Stabity 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is still the best phone series on TH-cam!

  • @vincentwarte4435
    @vincentwarte4435 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great video! Love those nostalgic trips. It was an amazing time and those devices felt so magical.

  • @thecliffold5879
    @thecliffold5879 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Mr. MOBILE, thank you so much for the video! We are the same age and I just went back to my high school days with your video, I got chills man! Wow thank you so much for this, I had so much fun watching this!! Oh and how I miss the BlackBerrys, especially that Nextel 7520!!
    Love your original Mr Mobile music too.

  • @DominickRuocco
    @DominickRuocco 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This video was a beautiful trip down memory lane and a quick reminder how much I miss the 90's. I still actually have my old AOL email address and even remember my password. I logged on right after watching this video. Thank you for making this!

  • @mindflayer
    @mindflayer 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow! I led the AOL Mobile team back then. What a blast from my own past!

  • @STICKOMEDIA
    @STICKOMEDIA 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    These videos are so nostalgic and always make my day, your voice is so calming, thank you

  • @Slash18622
    @Slash18622 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    WHAT AN AMAZING VIDEO!!!! Have been waiting for this kind of video so long! Mr. Mobile is THE 2000s device guy! I got that BlackBerry back in the day and I was so exited.

  • @thedrunkengardener9367
    @thedrunkengardener9367 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I enjoy your content! This is a great example of how you are not trying to sell anything.
    I am Texas Instruments calculator old and this was a fine revisit ✌️

  • @Areavampyre
    @Areavampyre 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    My friends and I had the Ogo from AT&T. It was a text messenger and email in a clamshell with full keyboard. It was just what we needed

  • @xliquidflames
    @xliquidflames 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    My cousin and I worked in the AOL call center in Jacksonville Florida from 1999 to 2002. I remember these fondly. I wanted one so bad but the company didn't give us lowly tech support agents a company phone. They were so cool. What's weird is I don't remember ever getting any calls about them so they weren't very popular.

    • @xliquidflames
      @xliquidflames 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I was also a sales rep at RadioShack. The batteries were 4 for 10. Four 4 packs for $10.

  • @mlpb
    @mlpb 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    The reason why I like this series is because of the paradigm changes from functionality to necessity. The quote he read off at the end is a good example of a perspective I actually consider very foreign. I grew up in the era of transition with smartphones coming in, but still had a button phone.

  • @AnthonyMartinez6567
    @AnthonyMartinez6567 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    You don’t understand how much I wish I could have a device like this today. If it wasn’t for my business needing me to have an iPhone I would have a small messenger like this and I would never call again ahhh I wish lol. Love your videos and the nostalgia it brings me thank you keep up the amazing work 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I am NEXTEL fan boy and wish it would come back 😭😭😭😭

  • @robertolopesino4942
    @robertolopesino4942 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This was great! I still remember how excited I was when i first saw a motorola beeper in the 90's

  • @justinbristol8315
    @justinbristol8315 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I had that AOL RIM device back in the day and loved it. Thanks for this

  • @nricardoe
    @nricardoe 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Michael has the capacity to got me, and throw me to the early 2000s, and suprisingly, even if I didn't notice that a lot of memories lives on my mind, they surge up, and show me how awesome was the social exciment for technology, the 2000s idea to embrace the future, and everyone wanted to be there.

  • @ElectricInevitability
    @ElectricInevitability 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    AOL was my first ISP and that's here in the UK....they completely DOMINATED back then. Met my son's mother in an AOL twenty something chatroom 😆🤣😂
    ASL?? 😜

  • @sergiogutzalenko3520
    @sergiogutzalenko3520 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Mr. Mobile is legendary with the tech documentaries!

  • @Anilu777
    @Anilu777 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you for the fascinating look at early mobile devices. Much appreciated!

  • @Ed.E
    @Ed.E 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    oh my god a first actually useful sponsor!! i've been looking for something like noom and wouldn't have found it without the sponsor spot :)))

  • @mafoggy1995
    @mafoggy1995 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fun fact - I'm a med student and we're still using those one-way pagers here in hospital :D
    Greetings from Germany in 2021^^

  • @koryaiine7393
    @koryaiine7393 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Omg that Timex blue backlight reference is so nostalgicccccc 😩😩👌

  • @SirLoinDeRes
    @SirLoinDeRes ปีที่แล้ว

    AOL was popular even here in Mexico. I remember watching a lot of commercials on TV, and by the way, it was my first ever internet service, weird telecommunications sounds included.

  • @kaitlint3987
    @kaitlint3987 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    It's neat being reminded that the internet features and were a service back then. I think after 15 years or so we forgot that

  • @Edward135i
    @Edward135i 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    There's a BlackBerry 950 at the 9/11 memorial museum. It's was carryed by a CEO of a company in the second tower, he was late to work and saw the first plane hit tower one from the ground. He used it to email his employees and told them to get out, he saved everyone at his companies life. He donated it to the museum as said blackberry was the reason why his employees survived 9/11.

  • @ArthurZakaryan23
    @ArthurZakaryan23 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I feel like this era of tech while naturally ancient from today's lenses, were downright other worldly in the 90s and way 2000s.
    My first exposure to the internet in the early 90s when the notion of an ISP was still not a ripe concept as we know it today, with players like AOL, Prodigy, and CompuServe jockeying for who will win consumers over, being a kid on the cusp of the teenage years with a thirst for technology anywhere it can be found, finding any way I can get to go "online" was a rush that nothing else got close to beating.
    This is my favorite series, please keep exploring all the things that made tech great in this era, tech today in comparison feels insanely saturated and boring to the point that year to year you almost don't care what the latest smartphone has in store.

  • @electricmiragemedia
    @electricmiragemedia 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Poignant ending. This is one of my favourite eps of "memba when?", thank you.

  • @TuPhonez4Free
    @TuPhonez4Free 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Man, me and my boss was just having convo about AOL and Yahoo Messenger and MSN and stuff. Man! I miss these days! lol

  • @insertnamehere6559
    @insertnamehere6559 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Ah, this is funny! I go to the University of Waterloo, where RIM was founded. A hell of a lot of buildings have Lazaridius printed all over them, never bothered to look up who that was. Guess it makes a lot of sense!
    He's since moved out of here, but not before sprucing up a mansion about an hour's walk from the campus.

  • @aleksandartokin6914
    @aleksandartokin6914 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Tech like this really makes me nostalgic for days when smartphones weren't mainstream, when you had a device that did few things but did them perfectly fine

  • @popcultureforever
    @popcultureforever 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Michael Fisher and his team are storytelling geniuses.

  • @gabrielleraul488
    @gabrielleraul488 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Please don't ever stop making this Nostalgic series! Love your videos! ♥️

  • @rangorangila1306
    @rangorangila1306 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    "it takes a lot more effort to sign off than log on"
    brilliant!

  • @mxbblife_mu
    @mxbblife_mu 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Watching on my Surface Duo 2, the most underrated phone of 2021 .

  • @CandyGirl44
    @CandyGirl44 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I remember dial up internet so well! And when we asked the computer guy to put a 1gb hard drive in our desktop, he asked if we wanted to run our city on it lol!

  • @NightMotorcyclist
    @NightMotorcyclist 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    My brother had one of these along with a black Motorola StarTac and Dell Latitude laptop with a Pentium II processor and a new fangled DVD drive! Of course he was quite a bit older than I was at the time and I had to make do with the old gray Packard Bell to connect to AOL. My brother had 3 cellphones by 2002 despite being in his mid 20s as he loved to spend on tech live everyone else in the family.

  • @IvanaV_
    @IvanaV_ 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Always happy to see a new video on this channel!

  • @mr_ice117
    @mr_ice117 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Awesome episode as always, i always want to know more about communication tech of the 2000s. I lived through it but i was young and everything moved so quick i feel like i missed it. With these episode i feel like i can take the time to appreciate it. My first unofficial phone was a old sprint phone that my dads friend gave me back in 2004. I thought it was the coolest thing ever til i got my first official phone, a Motorola I90 on nextel back in 2005

  • @cabbitkisser2620
    @cabbitkisser2620 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    every time i hear about aol. i can still hear that tune. you got mail.

  • @shadowpapito
    @shadowpapito 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    My RIM pager was one of the very best things I have ever had. It is in my top 5 best of the best computer devices! I did not have the AOL version. Thank you, you reminded me that I have one or two in my basement! I will power it up and see if it still contains information! Cheers!!

  • @2011Kestrel
    @2011Kestrel 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks to AOL, no matter how many people were over my home was never short of drink coasters. 🙃

  • @Errcyco
    @Errcyco 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dude the days of AIM/AOL were awesome. Having a dope away message.. or freezing someone’s computer using a punter. I miss the 1998-1999 era interwebs lol. So nostalgic.

    • @TheMrMobile
      @TheMrMobile  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      So many emo song lyrics lived and died in my away messages ...

  • @DeusRegum
    @DeusRegum 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Michael, I really appreciate these nostalgic moments you provide us. Thank you sir!