retroremakes
January 26th, 2010, 22:20
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/500x_bigtrak.jpgMost of Gizmodo is comprised of whippersnappers who can only just remember the Bigtrak from the '80s, so we asked an actual, genuine, grey-haired old man* to tell us his thoughts upon hearing it's to make a comeback (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/bigtrak-is-back-80s-robo-toy-resurrected/) this year.
Back in 1980, Bigtrak's chunky all-terrain monster truck looked like the most exciting toy on six wheels, especially with its futuristic programmable navigation system, but it was a fad that passed faster than a Sinclair C5.
Forget remote control, you had to laboriously punch in the direction and distance you wanted it to go before it would do anything. Few kids really got their heads around how to program it and fewer still could actually afford one on 1980s-level pocket money.
Our school bought a Bigtrak and Trailer—its only accessory—as a teaching aid and the novelty soon wore off. As my dad was headmaster of the school, it's now sitting in my parent's attic, gathering dust and eBay value. 30 years on, it seems I've got the last laugh against my schoolyard enemies.
With the seriously scaled-down reissue about to go on sale, interest in the hulking originals will be sky high, but I'd love to get one of the new smaller models when they go on sale.
*genuine grey-haired old man being my fiance. Sorry, Jim! [Wired (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/bigtrak-is-back-80s-robo-toy-resurrected/)]
http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?p=1 (http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?p=1)http://a.rfihub.com/eus.gif?eui=2226http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:H0mrP-F8Qgo) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:yIl2AUoC8zA) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:D7DqB2pKExk</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:D7DqB2pKExk) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:V_sGLiPBpWU</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:V_sGLiPBpWU)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/K41l5cMYqsU
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/K41l5cMYqsU/grey+haired-man-fondly-remembers-the-bigtrak-which-is-relaunching-this-year)
Back in 1980, Bigtrak's chunky all-terrain monster truck looked like the most exciting toy on six wheels, especially with its futuristic programmable navigation system, but it was a fad that passed faster than a Sinclair C5.
Forget remote control, you had to laboriously punch in the direction and distance you wanted it to go before it would do anything. Few kids really got their heads around how to program it and fewer still could actually afford one on 1980s-level pocket money.
Our school bought a Bigtrak and Trailer—its only accessory—as a teaching aid and the novelty soon wore off. As my dad was headmaster of the school, it's now sitting in my parent's attic, gathering dust and eBay value. 30 years on, it seems I've got the last laugh against my schoolyard enemies.
With the seriously scaled-down reissue about to go on sale, interest in the hulking originals will be sky high, but I'd love to get one of the new smaller models when they go on sale.
*genuine grey-haired old man being my fiance. Sorry, Jim! [Wired (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/bigtrak-is-back-80s-robo-toy-resurrected/)]
http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?p=1 (http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?p=1)http://a.rfihub.com/eus.gif?eui=2226http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:H0mrP-F8Qgo) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:yIl2AUoC8zA) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:D7DqB2pKExk</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:D7DqB2pKExk) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?i=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:V_sGLiPBpWU</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/gizmodo/full?a=K41l5cMYqsU:q3Ig8j0cu6w:V_sGLiPBpWU)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/K41l5cMYqsU
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/K41l5cMYqsU/grey+haired-man-fondly-remembers-the-bigtrak-which-is-relaunching-this-year)