Modern technology is constantly evolving; As new devices like the iPhone 14 hit the market, it’s difficult to keep track of which gadgets are outdated and which are current. With the ever-moving cycle of innovation, consumers are ditching their old gadgets faster than ever, causing many useful gadgets to gather dust, especially from times like the 80’s when technology boomed.
Although left for the sake of modernity, many gadgets from the 80’s could be used in modern times and make consumers’ lives easier, even if they are not as advanced as the technology they are used to.
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10/10 fax machines
Fax machines were the pinnacle of office technology in the 1980s. Eventually, they were replaced by paperless communication methods like email. The fax machine is not entirely obsolete, however, as many offices still use the now-obsolete technology.
Fax machines transfer messages just as quickly as email, but don’t get lost in waves of incoming messages or go to a spam folder where they may not be seen immediately. Although not among the most advanced technologies, the fax machine is possibly one of the most valuable communication tools of the 80’s.
9/10 boom box
Boomboxes have been replaced with smaller, slimmer Bluetooth speakers that connect wirelessly to phones, laptops, and other compatible devices. Still, few of these speakers match the volume and lifespan of a boombox. With huge speakers, boomboxes could be heard from great distances and by everyone at a party, making them the ultimate musical device even now.
While other speakers produce good sound quality, batteries can die in an instant and change the atmosphere of a party in an instant. Also, a boombox can play anything from radio (which phones without an app can’t play) to cassettes (which are now collectibles), with some having additional plug-ins that can be plugged into modern phones.
8/10 air popper
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With kitchen appliances becoming just as advanced as phones and computers, consumers have switched their cooking appliances as quickly as they switched their phones. The air popper declined in popularity as the more convenient microwave popcorn became more popular, but instant popcorn doesn’t taste the same as freshly popped.
Air poppers ensure all of the kernels are popped, while microwave popcorn often under- or completely burns. Although this gadget has been forgotten from the 1980s, this gadget could come in handy today as more people stay at home to watch movies instead of going to a theater to get fresh popcorn.
7/10 hair crimper
Hairstyles come and go, but one of the most iconic hair trends of the ’80s was frizzy hair. The crimper was eventually replaced by hair tools like the waver, which functioned similarly but produced a curl rather than a crimp as the crimped hairstyle went out of fashion.
But as with all trends, the ruffled style is making a comeback, with influencers trending towards a smaller wavy style over big bombshell curls that were previously in fashion in the 2010s. The crimper is one of the most user-friendly hair tools in history as it only requires a light squeeze of the plates to get the style you want and no hair styling knowledge is required.
6/10 Nintendo GameBoy
The 1980s was a critical time for Nintendo and its video game consoles as it was a decade of releases that changed the gaming industry, including the Game Boy that changed handheld gaming forever. While the graphics and screens have been replaced with clearer, more colorful handheld devices, the Game Boy idea is still something that gamers could find useful and entertaining.
Compared to newer handheld gaming devices like the Switch, the Game Boy is more compact, making it easier to carry and store. The simplicity of the games makes it easy for anyone to play and develop a love of gaming.
5/10 camcorder
Camcorders were the best way to record home video in the 80’s and are often featured in the best modern movies set in the 80’s, showing just how standard these cameras were and how important they were to the era. Now that people can film anything on their phones without the need for tape, camcorders have been forgotten; However, these larger cameras can still be used today. Camcorders can store hours of film before the tape needs to be changed, while phones can only record as much video as the device’s memory.
This leaves many users with the task of removing files from their phones to make room for videos, and yet they cannot store hours of videos unless there is plenty of free space on the device. VHS tapes can still be bought online at low prices, giving users plenty of tapes to fill with memories.
4/10 VCR
With the convenience of streaming services and smaller, more stylish DVD players, VCRs with other 80’s technologies faded into oblivion. While movies are no longer produced on VHS, the VCR is still useful for movie buffs who have taken up collecting classic movies on tape as a hobby and still want to watch their favorite movies, either by converting them to discs or by collecting dust in a box leave storage.
VCRs offer a nostalgic experience when you select a tape, insert it into the player, and fast-forward or rewind to get to that perfect spot in the video. Also, many classic movies have yet to make their way to streaming or aren’t always available as streaming services erase their entertainment choices, leaving movie fans to find another service that has the movie they want or find something else to watch. VCRs eliminate that frustration for those who still have VHS and want to watch any movie they want, whenever they want.
3/10 Sony Walkman
Sony Walkman allowed 1980s people to listen best 80s songs some TV shows became popular and featured in shows like stranger things shows how important these devices were back then and that people were never without them, just like modern music listeners are never without their phones to play their favorite songs. While cell phones can play music anywhere, they don’t have the social listening feature that the Walkman had with two headphone jacks.
Sharing a song requires sending the file to another device or playing the music out loud, which isn’t ideal for public settings. Even if cassette tapes aren’t that functional anymore, the idea of ​​the Walkman is still helpful and should be explored, even just for the social listening aspect.
2/10 The clapper
There is nothing worse than lying in bed after a long day and realizing that the light is still on. The clapper promised to take away that frustration by pocketing it and clapping to toggle the light on and off. Many home lighting systems can now be controlled via apps, but most homes still use regular light switches that have to get up and walk to the switch to turn the light on or off.
The Clapper is still useful for those who are disabled or need to use mobility aids to light up their homes, whether coming home at night or turning everything off for the night. The device also comes in handy when dark and light switches are hard to find.
1/10 speaking and spelling
Before kids used iPads to learn to read, write, and spell, Speak and Spell allowed kids to see the words being spelled in front of them while hearing the words they were trying to learn. The speaking and casting is still useful as its simple design is easy for kids to pick up, but it’s not distracting like an iPad or tablet can.
The device does not require Wi-Fi, making it perfect for travel or when parents don’t want their kids to use internet-connected apps. Speak and Spell could be used for children who are learning to read and come across a word they don’t know, allowing them to increase their vocabulary faster.
