45 Old Gadgets That Were The Trendsetters Of Their Time

Dumb phones were the opposite of smartphones (obviously!). They were just meant for sending and receiving calls and messages. No apps, no games — except for the snake game, of course.

The instant Polaroids could never come out perfect. But even then, the instant Polaroid was a vintage symbol of authenticity and spontaneity. Its unpredictable colors made each Polaroid unique. It was always there to create cherished memories.

These humble squares that came around in 1971 could store up to 1.4MB of data. The only place they’re seen today is on the “save” icon.

Cassette tapes had a unique charm. Music lovers could create mixtapes and meticulously curate their favorite songs to share with friends and loved ones. Their mechanical whirr and warble added a texture to the music. Sadly, they slowly faded away as digital music became more popular.

Phone booths went from iconic landmarks to extinction pretty quickly. Maybe they simply got tired of hearing our endless babble!

A long time ago, typewriters would create a symphony of clacking keys — notifying that someone was hard at work. Sadly, they were outpaced by personal computers and laptops. Still, their clickety-clack charm remains far superior to keyboard typing.

The Game Boy was the bestselling gaming device in the early 90s. Its monochrome screen and pixelated sprites captured the hearts of many youngsters.

These portable music players once were the only way for people to enjoy their personal list of songs. They were dethroned by YouTube and Spotify.

Vinyl records were the timeless treasures of music enthusiasts. These elegant pieces of technology are a reminder of a time when music was savored, and collected with reverence. They haven’t faded out completely like other obsolete gadgets. A lot of music aficionados still have a turntable and vinyl records.

The NES had several pixelated games. It was discontinued as high-definition gaming emerged.

These virtual pets captured the hearts of every ’90s kid. You could feed, play, and care for these adorable pixelated creatures, and watch them grow and evolve. It was a relaxing and compulsive way to enjoy pet ownership without all the fuss.

You’re truly a ’90s kid if you remember the screeching and beeping as dial-up modems connected to the Internet. This obsolete technology from the ’90s had a snail-paced connection speed. If someone picked up the phone, you’d have to do the frustrating dance with technology once again.

These were portable assistants that had a lot of useful features, such as storing contacts, calendar updates, a time management tool, and note-taking software. 

Back in the ’90s, people would rent VHS tapes to catch up on the latest movies. Now there’s Netflix and many more streaming services.

They were once a ubiquitous presence in offices (along with the pesky dot matrix printer). These machines emitted strange noises and became a symbol of the mundane work environment. Today, we have emails, scanners, and cloud storage, offering faster, paperless solutions.

They once used to be the centerpiece of dimly lit classroom presentations. Students could place their sheets on the glass of the projector and put on a dazzling presentation. As technology leaped forward, the overhead projector was cast aside.

Before mobile phones, rotary phones, with their finger-spinning dials, were used in several homes. Their cords would wind and knot around like a hot mess. Thankfully, smartphones came around and we finally said goodbye to those knotty wires.

They once used to be clipped-on status symbols. Pagers would buzz with urgency and display cryptic messages of no more than a few characters.

Sony developed the Digital Audio Tape (DAT) in 1987. They were used for recording music. They lost their relevance in the early 2000s.

Imagine waiting for a printout as the daisy wheel and dot matrix printers sprayed tiny dots of ink on the paper. You could take a lunch break, and they’d still be printing. They were a true test of patience.

The Nintendo 64 was very popular when it was launched in the late ’90s. But as the new millennium approached, sleeker consoles emerged, and the console, with its 64-bit processor, fell behind in the race.

Portable DVD players were the ultimate travel companions, delivering movies with a few clicks. However, they struggled to keep up after smartphones and tablets were invented.

Film cameras required patience and craftsmanship. They could only click 36 photos at a time, so every aspiring photographer had to be very selective of what to snap. The film roll then had to be developed meticulously in a dark room to avoid overexposure. A few photography aficionados still own (and use) vintage film cameras.

Long before LCD and LED flatscreens, our parents owned cathode-ray tube televisions. They had a bulky frame with an antenna that needed constant adjusting (and a few thumps) to catch the perfect signal.

The Atari 2600 was a pioneer in the gaming world. Its iconic joystick brought the thrill of arcade games right into our living rooms.

They were the equivalent of geek chic in the ’90s. The tech-savvy trendsetters could solve simple math problems for you.

This technology is not obsolete but has been around for so long that it deserves a place on our list.

The default keyboard and mouse connections to desktops had to be made using PS/2 connectors. They’re not completely obsolete as they are still used by gamers to connect different devices.

They first came out in the 1970s and had a 1.5-inch screen to help you avoid boredom.

They ruled the roads before mobile phones were invented.

The VCR is another obsolete technology example that was very popular for its time. These home entertainment systems revolutionized how people consumed movies and TV shows in the ’80s and ’90s. They also came in handy when you had to record a TV show.

In 1991, Sega debuted the Game Gear, a portable 8-bit gaming system. It was a bulky device that craved a lot of batteries.

They came preloaded with a film reel that could take up to 36 photos.

The 8-track tape car stereos were the ultimate travel companions in the ’60s.

The original 128K Macintosh made Apple the industry leader in personal computers.

They were reliable companions for busy professionals who wanted to take notes. Now we have voice-recording apps.

DVDs have a much larger storage capacity compared to CDs. A conventional DVD has a maximum storage capacity of 4.7GB, whereas upgraded versions have a maximum storage capacity of 17.08GB and an extended lifespan.

Clappers were light switches that responded to claps to turn the lights on and off. They were convenient for anyone feeling lazy. They aren’t completely redundant, and you may still be able to buy a clapper online.

This was an innovative accessory of the ’90s, far ahead of its time. It promised an immersive gaming experience; however, its functionality was limited.

iPods gave us 1,000 songs in our pocket. Now, with music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, iPods have become a thing of the past.

The ColecoVision had over 145 games and gave us gems like Donkey Kong, and Frogger. It was discontinued in the ’80s.

The BlackBerry is another obsolete technology that was very popular in the late 2000s. It was quite a status symbol in the business world with its sleek design and signature keyboard. You would often hear people asking, “What’s your BlackBerry PIN?” as a subtle snark that they owned a BlackBerry.

Our list of old gadgets from the ’80s wouldn’t be complete without LaserDiscs. They were popular among cinephiles as they offered better video quality than VHS tapes. However, they were fragile and susceptible to damage. They gave way to DVDs.

The Robotic Operating Buddy (R.O.B.) was perhaps the first attempt to introduce AI into the real world. It had a distinctive design and offered interactive gameplay. The R.O.B. added a futuristic twist to our gaming experiences.

After paper maps, people relied on GPS navigation systems — bulky devices that could be fitted on the car dashboard. But as smartphones became smarter, standalone GPS devices gradually lost their shine.