“It was really interesting to be able to turn back the clock and explore the impact this technology has had,” Brownlee told Newsweek. “It’s kind of wild to think about the world before this technology existed. Having an appreciation for the beginning and what made new tech possible, it would be nice to see more of that.”
For this project, Brownlee has been working with a full production crew and liked the idea “that it could be facilitated by people more talented than me.” Partners like Vox offer access to a large video team and archives, increasing the scope of what are just seemingly high-budget reviews.
The “RetroTech” series on Brownlee’s channel currently has six episodes discussing everything from the Sega Genesis to the classic Walkman. Though new technology is smaller and more powerful, Brownlee acknowledges that the “tactile” feel, like the clicks of a Macintosh keyboard or the buttons on a Walkman, are satisfying.
Brownlee started his YouTube career in 2009 when he was still studying in high school. Looking for a laptop to buy, he started watching review videos, but he noticed they weren’t as comprehensive as he had hoped. With just a webcam and an idea, Brownlee posted his first few videos and it snowballed from there, eventually amounting to more than 1,000 uploads on his channel. Over the course of the decade, he’s since worked with brands like Google and Apple and interviewed industry icons like Elon Musk and Bill Gates.
“I feel like I’ve always wanted to make videos people want to watch,” Brownlee said. “As long as that worked, that’s been my guiding core principle.”
Given the task of reviewing over 100 smartphones and dozens of computers, some content creators might have trouble coming up with new things to say, but Brownlee sees the unique differences in each featured product. “It’s part of my job, and part of the challenge, to be able to describe those differences and evaluate whether they’re good or bad changes,” Brownlee said. Being a good reviewer requires a certain level of skill and honesty; evaluating the tech on a critical level without holding anything back.
“If you don’t say that things are honestly bad, [companies] are going to get that same information from somewhere else,” Brownless suggested. “My job is to give them what they need to hear and to share that information to potential buyers "
Brownlee shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to post videos multiple times per week. Burnout, or succumbing to creative fatigue, has never been an issue for Brownlee who feels that it’s not his “job to be entertaining,” but rather it’s up to the “tech companies to keep things interesting and advancing.” The closest he gets to restlessness is when there are lulls in the product release schedule and he has to find new videos to upload. What he feels he lacks in entertainment value, Brownless makes up for in perspective.
‘I can evaluate it in my own way, and I’m most at home in front of the camera,” Brownless said.
You can watch the first season of “RetroTech” on Brownlee’s YouTube channel.
