The PTAC units shown in the article look like something from the 1950s. Minisplits have been the way the world has done AC for a long long time now. It's interesting how foreign of a product it is in the US.
It uses R-22 so it's pretty old, but probably not 1950s. Maybe 1970s. R-22 was phased out starting in the 1980s, and banned in 2010 (that's in Europe, maybe later in US).
When I lived in the US I tried to get a minisplit and they wanted $4000 for a medium size unit! The same one where I live now is $400 installed.
When I lived in the US I tried to get a minisplit and they wanted $4000 for a medium size unit! The same one where I live now is $400 installed.