Trimline telephoneIn 1965, the trimline telephone was made available to all customers throughout the service area of Michigan Bell Telephone for an optional $1 monthly extra charge. The company had placed the first trimline telephone in service in the U.S. on 21 Oct 1963. The dial and a hang-up button were no longer on a remote base, but instead integrated into the handpiece, midway between the microphone and speaker. A call could thus be dialled from the handpiece alone. A call could thus be dialled from the handpiece alone, which was more convenient in the kitchen or while in bed. It was dramatically different in style from earlier telephones, developed with the industrial design firm Henry Dreyfuss Associates. In 1977, Fortune magazine selected it as one of the country's 25 best-designed products.« |
