Difficult as it is to believe for those of us who, like Cassandra, the main character in The Rock Star’s Wife series, were teens in the 1990s, the decade is more than 23 years ago. Times have changed and technology along with it. What was commonplace during Sexual Awakening seems outdated or quaint now.
Technology evolves during Mr. Right is a Myth, book two in The Rock Star’s Wife series, even if from our standpoint it’s a bit outdated. Cassandra and the other characters in the novel embrace the start of the digital age. No one shouts, “I love technology,” but they certainly aren’t afraid to give computer and phone tech a try.
Without looking at title or cover, I take the book from her and shove it into my Music is Life tote bag next to my Walkman and my copy of Toad the Wet Sprocket’s fear. – Sexual Awakening, Chapter 1
Walkman was a brand of Sony portable audio players. Like Kleenex and Q-Tip, Walkman also became a generic term for all portable players. The device ran on batteries and was used with headphones. In the 1990s, there were tape player and CD versions.
The Walkman brand still exists. Today, players are digital.
1990s Tech: The Boom Box
I go upstairs to tell Nessa she has a call and discover she’s listening to Sarah McLachlan on my CD boom box. Mine! The most expensive thing I own. – From Chapter 2
The Walkman replaced the boom box in popularity. The portable music players featured a handle and speakers with a heavy bass sound. They surged in popularity in the 1980s. In the 1990s, there were radio, tape and CD versions, and they were powered by battery or power cord.
Although the market is only a fraction of what it was in the mid-1990s, boom boxes still exists, playing CDs or MP3s.
1990s Tech: Corded Phones and Phone Extensions
Our yellow phone hangs on the kitchen wall near the doorway to the dining room and is maybe two steps from the kitchen table. It’s rotary dial and was probably brand new around the same time as our avocado fridge and stove were in style. – From Chapter 2
That way if it’s some crazed person, they won’t know anyone is home, and I can call the cops from the extension in my parents’ room. – From Chapter 16
In the 1990s, only the rich had car phones or cell phones. Everyone else had a reliable landline. Some households had two telephone numbers – one line for the parents and one for the family’s teenage children – but most families shared the same number and phone. This often caused a lack of privacy and also potential embarrassment when calling for someone because you had to ask for the person you were calling and introduce yourself to whoever answered.
Although push button phones had been around for nearly 30 years by the 1990s, rotary phones were still common. My paternal grandparents had one in their kitchen. It sat on a desk. My maternal grandparents had a corded phone attached to the wall (in the dining room), but it was push button.
Cordless phones debuted in the 1990s. Cassandra doesn’t go into detail about her parents’ extension. It could have been a corded or a cordless phone. Either way, pick up the extension and you could overhear a conversation occurring on the telephone.
1990s Tech: TV Guide
I haven’t been able to find much on besides Jay Leno and infomercials, and I’m tempted to tug on the TV Guide but I don’t dare because Mom fell asleep on top of it and if I wake her up, she’ll be cranky. – From Chapter 2
In the days before digital cable, streaming and on-screen channel guides, people decided what to watch based on the listings in TV Guide. Different versions were printed in different television markets to reflect local stations. In addition to the daily program, the magazine also featured a list of movies and cable features. At the beginning of each issue were articles focused on various programs and actors. The Fall Preview edition each year tended to be thicker than the other editions and previewed new programs that were debuting for the fall seasons on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX.
1990s Tech: VCR
I glance at the clock on the VCR. – From Chapter 6
VCR, videocassette recorder, was a device that allowed people to record television programing with a removable, magnetic tape videocassette. The tapes could be used for recording multiple times until the tab on the bottom front corner was removed. If a tape was used multiple times, sometimes brief portions of previously recorded program could be seen. Tapes used too many times could snap or tangle when rewound.
In addition to taping, VCRs could be used to view movies that were purchased or rented.
1990s Tech: Cars
Mrs. Mueller locks her rusting yellow 1974 Volkswagen Dasher and heads toward the backdoor. – From Chapter 1
Jenny’s mom is driving us because she has a minivan. You’d think she was a suburban mom or something. – From Chapter 8
Why did we take Dad’s tiny Ford Escort instead of Mom’s Chevy Celebrity station wagon? – From Chapter 9
When we reach Jen’s car, she hands me her keys. “She’s from the 80s, so no airbags or anything. Don’t fucking kill us.” – From Chapter 30
Various vehicles are mentioned in Sexual Awakening, although not all by make and model. Of those that are, none are still in production.
The Volkswagen Dasher, known as the Volkswagen Passat outside North America, launched in 1974 and ceased production in 1981. It was available as a station wagon or a hatchback.
The Ford Escort launched in 1981. It was a compact car that came in both coupe and sedan versions.
The Chevy Celebrity was produced between 1981 and 1990. It was available as a coupe, sedan or station wagon.
Vans and minivans increased in popularity in the 1990s, replacing the station wagon as a family vehicle. Young women were warned not to park next to vans out of fear they would be kidnapped by an assailant lurking in the vehicle with a sliding door.
Airbags became standard equipment in 1998, after Cassandra and her friends graduated from high school.
1990s Tech: The Tape Deck
The family’s tape player ate one too many of my cassettes. – From Chapter 3
Tape decks recorded on or played a magnetic tape. The technology had a tendency to “eat” cassettes, that is tangle or break the tape within the cassette so it could no longer be played. Cassettes and mixed tapes (songs recorded off the radio to make a compilation album) are generally associated with the 1980s, but cassettes still could be found in record stores in the 1990s. During the 1990s, they began to be replaced by CDs which are indestructible compared to tapes and featured better sound quality and the ability to easily jump to or replay tracks.
Tape decks were available for home use or as standard equipment in vehicles. My first car had a tape deck.
1990s Tech: The Answering Machine
I open my English notebook to a blank page, and Todd jots down his phone number along with private line and answering machine. – From Chapter 12
Before mobile phones and voicemail, landline telephones could be hooked up to an answering machine. Messages were recorded on a tape. Starting in the 1990s, answering machines were increasingly digital.
The user recorded an outgoing message and set a predetermined number of rings. If the phone rang until the predetermined number and no one answered, the prerecorded message answered and prompted the caller to leave a message after the beep.
1990s Tech: Computers
He’s doing something on the computer when I walk in unannounced and take a seat in Papou’s chair. – From Chapter 24
Computers in the 1990s featured large monitors with small screens and not much power when compared to modern versions. Cassandra was 16 when Windows 95 debuted. Before that, it took multiple screens to log into a computer.
I remember having DOS-based computers in my high school computer lab. They sat alongside typewriters. That was high tech compared to my K-8 school. Computers there required two floppy disks (not the hardback kind either, they were floppy) to log in. Monitor screens were tan with green type. The printers printed on giant perforated sheets of green and white stripped paper. As for the internet? Never heard of it until I went to college, and it was dial-up.
1990s Tech: Early Digital Cameras
As a congratulations gift, Tiffany’s parents bought her a digital camera. It’s a Fuji and probably cost $1,000, maybe more. – From Chapter 30
She shrugs and shifts Noah from one hip to the other. “I guess. Be careful with it, though. I don’t have any extra rolls of film with me.” – From Chapter 32
The 1990s were the transition period between film and digital cameras. Film cameras came in two varieties: one-time use or a version where you inserted rolls of film.
Businesses that did nothing but develop film were common in the 1990s. Drug stores also developed film. It took days to get back developed prints, although one-hour printing became the norm by decade’s end.
The first commercial digital cameras debuted in the 1990s, but they were cost prohibitive for many.
1990s Tech: Pagers
Jen’s pager goes off, scaring the shit out of us. – From Chapter 30
In the 1990s, before cell phones were common, anyone who was anyone owned a pager and pager stores were plentiful. One of my local malls had more than one.
Pagers were a way of receiving messages. The ones young people used could receive messages, but in order to answer the user had to find a phone and call back the person who left the message.
Pagers also were called beepers.
1990s Tech: Pay Phones
I wander the building until I reach the pay phone. – From Chapter 31
Pay phones were everywhere in the 1990s, and people were sure to have quarters with them when they went out in case they needed to make a phone call. Common locations were gas stations, malls, retail-store lobbies, the lobbies of other buildings, and street corners.
In 1999, there were 2 million pay phones in the United States. By 2018, 100,000 remained, according to the FCC.
While paper address books still are sold, before cell phones became common, women often carried address books in their purse. You know, in case you needed to find one of those pay phones to call back the person who paged you.
1990s Tech: The Internet
I suppress a laugh. Post them on the internet? Who would post naked photos on the internet? I didn’t even know there was an internet before I came to U of I. – Mr. Right is a Myth, Chapter 3
The internet, a technology developed in the 1960s, started to become available to the average person. Here’s a short timeline from Pew Research Center:
- 1992: First use of “surfing the internet.”
- 1994: Yahoo is created. So is the first banner ad. The first order is placed online. It’s for a pizza.
- 1995: 3 percent of online users have been on the World Wide Web. Amazon, Craigslist, eBay and Match are founded. Netscape, Internet Explorer and Windows 95 released.
- 1996: 77 percent of those online send or receive email.
- 1997: Google founded.
- 1999: MP3 downloading site Napster launches.
- 2000: 32 percent of users send online greeting cards, 48 percent have made an online purchase, and 78 percent don’t think downloading free music is a crime.
- 2001: Wikipedia launches.
1990s Tech: Calling Collect
“Once I get an apartment,” Shawna says, “I’ll have a phone and an answering machine, so you’ll be able to call me collect.” – Chapter 8
Calling collect, or reversing the charges, means calling another person at the other person’s expense. In the 1990s, this was possible only with the assistance of an operator. Large phone companies in the United States no longer offer the service, although there remain some smaller service providers who do.
1990s Tech: AOL Instant Messenger
I’ve been in the computer lab maybe an hour, dividing my time between doing research for an assignment and talking to Jennifer on AOL Instant Messenger. – Chapter 14
AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was an instant messaging service that launched in 1997. At its height, the service had more than 61 million users.
“But unlike AOL’s core services — which were only available for a fee — AIM was available as a free standalone app and open source code,” Smithsonian Magazine says. “Users could log on and instantly ping messages back and forth, remotely chatting with friends, colleagues and loved ones. Today, instant messaging has remained virtually unchanged. Slack, Facebook Messenger, Discord and countless other direct messaging features built into social media apps use the same basic structure that AIM first proposed.”
The service was discontinued in 2017.
1990s Tech: Netscape and Internet Explorer
I switch from Netscape to Internet Explorer to print the article I want to use for my homework assignment. – Chapter 14
Netscape and Internet Explorer were both web browsers used in the 1990s. At that time, there was no option to have multiple tabs open in one browser.
“It was a magical time, home computers sales were just booming and if you were lucky enough, your PC would come equipped with a modem for dial-up Internet access,” Techspot says. “You would hear the scrambling sound of your phone line connecting you to the world. Launching Netscape and staring at the throbber animation while a single web page loaded.”
Netscape Navigator launched in 1994 and was free for individual, academic and research users.
Internet Explorer launched in 1995.
1990s Tech: Cell Phones
After we got back to Chambana, my friends and I bought mobile phones, Nokia 3210s. Oh my God, they’re so cool. They have an internal antenna, customizable ringtones, games, and you can send picture messages. Anyway, we got the regional plan. It’s more expensive than the local plan but no roaming charges. – Chapter 24
Nokia 3210s launched in 1999.
“There was no launch event for the Nokia 3210, and few major publications bothered to review it,” Slate says. “In retrospect, however, it may have done as much to spark the mobile revolution as any handset in history. The 3210 and its successors redefined the role of technology in our lives, not through feats of engineering so much as feats of marketing and design. By rethinking the configuration of key components in the phone and paying attention to how young people were using it, they took something awkward and ungainly and made it simple and chic.”
Some things to keep in mind when operating a mobile phone from the 1990s:
- Cellular providers offered different plans depending on where the user planned to use his phone. A local plan usually only covered a small portion of a state, a regional plan covered perhaps the entire state and a national plan covered the entire country. The larger the plan the higher the price. If you left your plan’s area and made a phone call, you’d be charged roaming fees on top of your month fee.
- Texting was not quick or easy. As there were no QWERTY keyboards, number buttons needed to pressed up to three times to type one letter. There also was a fee for sending or receiving texts.
- There was no way to block a phone number.
- To access voicemail you needed to call a phone number and enter in a password. There was no way to skip a message, and you needed to listen to the entire message before it could be deleted.
Early Cell Phones
Motorola invented the first cell phone in 1973. It weighted 2.5 pounds, the battery life was 20 minutes and it cost $3,995. Motorola engineer Martin Cooper invited reporters to witness the first-ever wireless phone call from the streets of New York City to his rival at Bell Labs.
Motorola didn’t market its creation for 10 years. The DynaTAC 8000X sold for $4,000 and was nicknamed the Brick because of its shape and size. It worked on 1G and was capable of only making calls and storing contacts.
Nokia and Samsung released their first cell phones in 1987 and 1988.
Cell Phones in the 1990s, early 2000s
2G networks were born in 1991. The networks allowed cellular users to have a conversation with the call being eavesdropped on, and for SIM cards to switched between carriers.
The Nokia 2010 in 1994 was the first model had texting capabilities.
The first phone where the top half folded down to protect the display and keypad, the Motorola StarTAC, debuted in 1996. It only weighted 3 ounces.
The first phone with a built-in camera debuted in Japan in 2000 and the United States in 2002.
The early part of the decade also saw the first color displays and QWERTY keyboards.
First Smartphones
IBM invented the first smartphone in 1992, a model they called the Simon Personal Communicator. Commonly, it was called IBM Simon. Like modern smartphones, it had a touchscreen, could send and receive emails, and had apps such as an address book, appointment scheduler, and calendar.
When it was released in 1994, IBM Simon sold more than 10,000 units.
The first commercial smartphone was the iPhone in 2007.
“Without a doubt the most revolutionary phone of the early 2000s, the Apple iPhone was unlike any of its predecessors,” Architectural Digest says. “From a visual design perspective, it was a rectangular, minimalist gem, featuring a sleek metal-and-glass body, a singular button, and an extremely thin profile. From a technological design perspective, the touchscreen made waves.”
Although it wasn’t the first touchscreen phone, it was the first to not need a stylus. It also allowed web browsing and featured third-party apps.
1990s Tech: Microsoft Office 2000
Would it help for me to mention I’m taking a class on Microsoft Office as an elective? – Chapter 25
Microsoft Office 2000 was released in 2000. Five different versions were released. The standard package contained Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. The next tier contained Publisher, and the following tier contained Access. Frontpage and PhotoDraw were offered on the highest two tiers.
Microsoft Office classes were offered at universities to give students an advantage on their resumes when they entered the working world.
This article is part of the reader's guide for The Rock Star's Wife series by Melina Druga, a contemporary fiction series about sex, family, and rock & roll. The series follows Cassandra from her teen years into her 40s as she navigates relationships (both romantic and platonic) — all with music playing a prominent role.
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