pester: overview
Conceived at the beginning of the 70s, it is thought to be the earliest known example of a multimedia phone. It contains a cassette player, camera and games as well as a phone.
The original premise of the PESTER was to allow businessmen to move outside of the office while staying in contact at any time. As it developed through prototyping, new features were added, and it became somewhat of a status symbol amongst the young and successful. The popularity with this group along with the exciting and diverse culture of the 70s resulted in PESTER evolving from a simple business tool to a striking device which combined fun and functionality.
PESTER relied on a wired network using Connection Points positioned at convenient locations. These included parks, shopping centres and restaurants as well as regular sites along streets. These Connection Points allowed callers to access an operator who could let them communicate with landline users, fellow PESTER owners and also record and send vocal messages.
PESTER contains a cassette player for musical capability and portability. The ability of cassettes to hold as much music as an LP while only a fraction of the size meant that they were the obvious choice.
The inclusion of a camera into the design increased the appeal of the product further. Not only this, but its integration into the handset was a step forward from the standard functionality of a normal phone.
With video games in their infancy, as well as being incredibly cumbersome, the designers of PESTER decided to incorporate a set of playing cards into the back compartment for their recreation. This meant a wide variety of games could be played both individually or against others.
However, the PESTER had flaws. It’s awkward bulkiness, necessity of having to use connection points and, most importantly, with the development of cellular networks by the 80s, meant that the PESTER was soon looked upon a fad.
Although looking into the history and design of the PESTER, it is clear that the creators unwittingly laid the foundations for modern day mobile phones.
pester: in pictures
pester: in film
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Click to Launch
The PESTER Film
 Winners of Two Golden Gears Awards |
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pester: research sites
Methods of Musical Notation: from aching hands to garage band (John Drummond)
iPeep (Euan McGhee)
contact the designers/restorers
John Drummond
Euan McGhee
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