Post by aidan7777 on Jun 24, 2015 11:34:17 GMT
Back in the old days, Pokemon were an unknown creature, With many types of them coming to knowledge all around the globe. This is how the pokedex went from a hardcover book to a must-have accessory for the everyday pokemon trainer.
But first, Let's look at a simpler time.
'The complete pokemon index' was published as a hardcover book in 1969 after the complete discovery of every pokemon species. It was well recieved with the scientific community and licensed pokemon handlers. You had to be over 18 in order to gain a license.
In the mid 1970's, Groups of individuals aged 19 to 27 would start venturing out into the wilderness in offroad vehicles to find and capture pokemon with the intent of bringing them back home as pets or for sporting purposes. This would be a dangerous expedition with the chance of quite a few disastrous things happening. Say, The vehicle breaks down, Or the team runs out of essential supplies such as food and water. These people would become the original pokemon trainers.
And now, We fast forward to the beginning of a new generation.
In 1987, The original 'Electronic Pokemon Index' was to be sold on shelves for the retail price of 700 US dollars. It had a monochrome screen, sturdy construction consisting of thick PBT plastic and aluminium, a matte beige colour scheme, 2 hour battery life, A built in voice synthesizer, And Cherry style mechanical switches for the directional controls and selection buttons. It was noted for being the size of two bricks next to one another.
1987 was also the year when the maximum age for a handling license was lowered. Pokeballs were also introduced to the middle market, Which is a drastic change from only being found in speciality stores after their release to the public in 1985.
Then followed the 'Electronic Pokemon Index MK2' in 1991, This model would share the same construction and quality as the MK1, As well as being only the size of one brick instead of two. This retailed for 800 US dollars. With the hefty pricetags of electronic pokemon indexes. They are obviously geared towards wealthy individuals.
But in 1997, Profits for Electronic Indexes started to plummet. In order to save the company, The Pokemon Index was to be redesigned with cheaper materials and construction to retail for 250 US dollars on shelf. The 'Electronic Pokemon Index MK3' was the same size as a school notepad, and would be geared towards the young pokemon training community. It had the same monochrome screen, But dropped the voice synthesizer, replaced the normal mechanical switches with cheaper rubber domes, Replaced the old batteries with modern batteries, boosting the battery life to 6 hours, and replaced the usual sturdy construction with an all-polymer base. But despite the corner cutting, It managed to become an overnight sensation with the young pokemon training community.
In 2002, came the 'Pokemon Index MK4.' Updated with a colour screen and an advanced search function for the massive list of pokemon. It was the size of a small notebook, Had a 10 hour battery life, and was the first pokedex to come with camera fuctionality. Retail price of 300 US dollars.
And in 2008, The MK5 was released, Quite possibly the most feature-rich pokemon index at the time, It had introduced app functionality, Touch screen user interface, 20 hour battery life, Both complimented with even more pocket-sized dimensions. It retailed for 320 US dollars.
Pokemon Indexes are now released every 2 years, Each with more and more gadgets to play around with. But the first 2 versions will be popular for the same reason the International Business Machines Model-M keyboard is popular among enthusiasts.
And that is because the MK1 and MK2 were built sturdy enough to last over 28 years with their superior construction. Far surpassing the much shorter lifespans of modern electronic pokemon indexes. (5 to 8 years).
The interfaces of the MK1 and MK2 are also a lot easier to use than modern touch screen interfaces, And can stand a lot more punishment than the newer, more feature-rich indexes.
The newer models are popular with the young trainers of the 2010's, With many useful features for everyday modern life. But the rugged veterans will always prefer the older models.
But first, Let's look at a simpler time.
'The complete pokemon index' was published as a hardcover book in 1969 after the complete discovery of every pokemon species. It was well recieved with the scientific community and licensed pokemon handlers. You had to be over 18 in order to gain a license.
In the mid 1970's, Groups of individuals aged 19 to 27 would start venturing out into the wilderness in offroad vehicles to find and capture pokemon with the intent of bringing them back home as pets or for sporting purposes. This would be a dangerous expedition with the chance of quite a few disastrous things happening. Say, The vehicle breaks down, Or the team runs out of essential supplies such as food and water. These people would become the original pokemon trainers.
And now, We fast forward to the beginning of a new generation.
In 1987, The original 'Electronic Pokemon Index' was to be sold on shelves for the retail price of 700 US dollars. It had a monochrome screen, sturdy construction consisting of thick PBT plastic and aluminium, a matte beige colour scheme, 2 hour battery life, A built in voice synthesizer, And Cherry style mechanical switches for the directional controls and selection buttons. It was noted for being the size of two bricks next to one another.
1987 was also the year when the maximum age for a handling license was lowered. Pokeballs were also introduced to the middle market, Which is a drastic change from only being found in speciality stores after their release to the public in 1985.
Then followed the 'Electronic Pokemon Index MK2' in 1991, This model would share the same construction and quality as the MK1, As well as being only the size of one brick instead of two. This retailed for 800 US dollars. With the hefty pricetags of electronic pokemon indexes. They are obviously geared towards wealthy individuals.
But in 1997, Profits for Electronic Indexes started to plummet. In order to save the company, The Pokemon Index was to be redesigned with cheaper materials and construction to retail for 250 US dollars on shelf. The 'Electronic Pokemon Index MK3' was the same size as a school notepad, and would be geared towards the young pokemon training community. It had the same monochrome screen, But dropped the voice synthesizer, replaced the normal mechanical switches with cheaper rubber domes, Replaced the old batteries with modern batteries, boosting the battery life to 6 hours, and replaced the usual sturdy construction with an all-polymer base. But despite the corner cutting, It managed to become an overnight sensation with the young pokemon training community.
In 2002, came the 'Pokemon Index MK4.' Updated with a colour screen and an advanced search function for the massive list of pokemon. It was the size of a small notebook, Had a 10 hour battery life, and was the first pokedex to come with camera fuctionality. Retail price of 300 US dollars.
And in 2008, The MK5 was released, Quite possibly the most feature-rich pokemon index at the time, It had introduced app functionality, Touch screen user interface, 20 hour battery life, Both complimented with even more pocket-sized dimensions. It retailed for 320 US dollars.
Pokemon Indexes are now released every 2 years, Each with more and more gadgets to play around with. But the first 2 versions will be popular for the same reason the International Business Machines Model-M keyboard is popular among enthusiasts.
And that is because the MK1 and MK2 were built sturdy enough to last over 28 years with their superior construction. Far surpassing the much shorter lifespans of modern electronic pokemon indexes. (5 to 8 years).
The interfaces of the MK1 and MK2 are also a lot easier to use than modern touch screen interfaces, And can stand a lot more punishment than the newer, more feature-rich indexes.
The newer models are popular with the young trainers of the 2010's, With many useful features for everyday modern life. But the rugged veterans will always prefer the older models.
