One of the many computer-y gadgets I loved as a young geek was the Franklin Spelling Ace. It was pretty amazing for a mid-to-late-80s device: it had a full dictionary, right there, along with a number of small word games. Of course I liked the games, but playing on that teeny LCD screen was a little awkward. Then again, do you need a Retina Display for hangman? The answer is no.
There’s nothing particularly amazing about the Spelling Ace anymore; dictionaries are built-in to lots of computing devices. But in case you still need it, Franklin still makes it.
Posted in Childhood Memories, Technology
Madara January 12, 2011, 1:48 am
I had one of these. It was super cool. It made me such a good speller and increased my vocabulary to such an extent that my new boyfriend refuses to play scrabble with me. Should I keep dating a guy who won’t play Scrabble with me because he loses every time?
Paul January 12, 2011, 1:29 pm
I’m going to say yes, Madara. My wife – who is extremely competitive and also awesome! – doesn’t play Boggle with me anymore because I win about 99% of the time. Don’t let word games get in the way of romance.
And that’s your Ping Romance Advice for the day.