Jan 4
The pinnacle of 1974 ergonomics: a device that looks like a high-tech brick and feels like you’re clutching a heavy-duty stapler. Sony calls this "sub-miniature," which in the 70s was code for "it won't actually break your wrist if you hold it for less than ten minutes." This was the original "voice memo" app, back when "syncing to the cloud" meant throwing a plastic tape into a drawer and hoping you didn't accidentally record over your meeting with a Fleetwood Mac track. The sheer intensity of that thumb-grip tells you everything you need to know—business in 1974 was a high-contact sport.
Sourced from the June 1974 issue of Esquire Magazine.
