After the Dust Settles...

What ever happened to dust covers?

Being in a shop the other day, buying an electrical item, I was offered (hassled) by the salesman to take out a 3 year warranty - which is basically a super sales tax for idiots.  But back in the day, when buying your precious new computer for gaming, it was dust covers that the salemen pushed. 

Apparently, not buying one was akin to taking your computer home and throwing it down the stairs before letting elephants trample it.  Dust was the enemy.  A few specs could cause your Commodore 64 or Atari ST to explode like a poorly constructed Death Star. 

We bought dust covers in fear...

So, what happened?

Are the 2000s a less dusty gaming environment than the 1980s and 1990s?  Not on the evidence of the keyboard I'm typing this blog on (there's enough dead skins cells on this keyboard to make another me, if you squashed it all together hard enough).

No, it seems the decline of the dust cover for your console or computer was due to two factors. 

No1:  It was bollocks - dust never really posed any threat to your machine. 

No2: The modern salesmen can make so much more money flogging you extended warranties and anti-virus protection. 

Fear Still Sells

But back in 1984, there was no way I would go to bed at night without putting the beige plastic cover over my Vic 20.  Even forgetting it for one night could have let the Sandman come and destroy my precious.