TIME reported that Gates and Winblad met in 1984 and “started going on ‘virtual dates’ by driving to the same movie at the same time in different cities and discussing it on their cell phones.”
"Somewhere in either Chicago, Baltimore or Washington, someone plunked down $3,995 to buy the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, the first handheld cellphone, on March 13, 1984"
"A handheld portable phone was considered a gimmick, a "look what I got!" rich man's toy with dubious utility. Measuring 13 x 1.75 x 3.5 inches and weighing 28 ounces, the 8000X was so big and heavy, even its creators had nicknamed it "The Brick." Plus, you could only use it for a half an hour before the battery gave out. Who would pay a quarter of the average salary in 1984 — more than $9,000 in 2014 dollars — to carry around such a useless load, especially since payphones were everywhere and only cost a dime to use?"
From that exact article...
Also who says they couldn't have bought them that year (1984) and used them? Its a whole year of which is still considered 1984
JFMAMJJASOND
^ he has 9 months of the year still... not to mention the idea that a rich person could have got them before it was commercially available which is what the article is referring to
Calling bullshit.
No cell phones in 1984 folks.
You're wrong, fren:
"Somewhere in either Chicago, Baltimore or Washington, someone plunked down $3,995 to buy the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, the first handheld cellphone, on March 13, 1984"
https://mashable.com/2014/03/13/first-cellphone-on-sale/
"A handheld portable phone was considered a gimmick, a "look what I got!" rich man's toy with dubious utility. Measuring 13 x 1.75 x 3.5 inches and weighing 28 ounces, the 8000X was so big and heavy, even its creators had nicknamed it "The Brick." Plus, you could only use it for a half an hour before the battery gave out. Who would pay a quarter of the average salary in 1984 — more than $9,000 in 2014 dollars — to carry around such a useless load, especially since payphones were everywhere and only cost a dime to use?"
From that exact article...
Also who says they couldn't have bought them that year (1984) and used them? Its a whole year of which is still considered 1984 JFMAMJJASOND ^ he has 9 months of the year still... not to mention the idea that a rich person could have got them before it was commercially available which is what the article is referring to
"Who would pay a quarter of the average salary in 1984 — more than $9,000 in 2014 dollars — to carry around such a useless load"
The same people that will stand in line for hours and pay $1000 when the latest and greatest cell phone comes out.
What's the point here?
You're trying to dispute the article you mentioned, on an entirely different point?