The 1980s is a decade often remembered for its significant contributions to shaping the technology of the future. The release of Nintendo GameBoy and NES, the rise of Sony Walkman and Trinitron televisions, the popularity of the Casio pocket calculator watch and the enthusiasm for the Video Home System or VHS determine the eventful ten years to a large extent. If you are obsessed with the 80s gadgets, this list is a step back in time for you.
Apple Macintosh
When Steve Jobs first unveiled the Macintosh on January 24, 1984 at the Flint Center on the De Anza College campus, it wasn’t just another computer. It was Apple who told the world how to make a personal computer for the mass market. The Macintosh 128K, as it was then called, was remarkable in every way. It had a 9-inch monochrome display and came with a keyboard and mouse. Not to mention, this was the first computer to bring graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to the masses. The first Mac also had two serial ports and could accommodate a 3.5-inch floppy disk. Sales of the Macintosh were strong at first, reaching 70,000 units in the first year. The original machine was priced at $ 2,495, down from about $ 6,000 today. It was replaced by the Macintosh 512K with more RAM in September 1984. Jobs left no cost in promoting the original Mac. Ridley Scott directed the iconic Super Bowl commercial in 1984 that cost Apple $ 1.5 million and made the brand a household name.
Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo entertainment system. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Nintendo Entertainment System
When the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released in the United States in 1985, few would have thought of its impact on the video game industry. Originally released as Family Computer (Famicom) in Japan, the US version of the Famicom single-handedly saved the home console industry, which had nearly collapsed at the time. Not many know that Nintendo actually planned to team up with Atari to bring the Famicom out in the US under the name “Nintendo Advanced Video Gaming System”, but the deal fell through. The “Famicom” was redesigned in the west and the idea of renaming the console worked. The NES made its US debut with nearly 17 games, but Super Mario Bros wasn’t ready for the US market just yet. The NES will always be remembered for Nintendo’s biggest first-party IPs, including The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. In total, NES sold over 60 million consoles and 500 million games worldwide.
The original Sony Walkman. (Photo credit: Sony Walkman Video / Screengrab)
Sony Walkman TPS-L2
The 1980s iPod, Sony’s Walkman, has a glorious history. Introduced on July 1, 1979, the iconic Walkman TPS-L2, a palm-sized portable mini-cassette recorder with silver buttons and two headset jacks, forever changed the way people listen to music. When it debuted in the US, the Walkman soon became one of the most successful consumer goods of all time. Sony has released several iterations of its Walkman since then, and although Apple’s iPod replaced Sony’s portable cassette recorder, it is still considered an icon of modern and popular culture. Sony discontinued the classic cassette-based Walkman line in 2010, but continues to sell digital Walkmans. In fact, the most expensive high-end Sony Walkman costs a staggering $ 3,199, despite being aimed at audiophiles. Sony has sold more than 400 million Walkman players worldwide since the TPS-L2 model debuted.
Casio popularized pocket calculator watches in the 1980s. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Casio calculator clock
Do you remember the watch Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future? This watch (Casio CA-50) experienced massive enthusiasm in the 80s thanks to the built-in pocket calculator. Casio apparently made one of the most advanced watches on the market in the 1980s. You could store names, numbers, contact information, and more on a tiny watch. The Databank series brought modernity to watches, which Cupertino is now doing with the Apple Watch. Wearing a calculator on your wrist was something that was considered unconventional. Casio’s database series proved that designers planned to use the wrist for other purposes. To this day, the database has a special place among Casio watch enthusiasts. In fact, Casio is still selling calculator watches. The CA53W-1 offers, for example, dual time, daily alarm, stop watch, car calendar and 5-year battery. The case is 50 meters water resistant and the watch is only $ 25.
The original Game Boy was released in 1989. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons (
Nintendo Game Boy
Nintendo Game Boy was released in 1989 and rocked the video game market. It wasn’t the first handheld game console, but it was the most popular. Like Nintendo’s current consoles, the original Game Boy wasn’t a technical wonder. The 8-bit handheld console had a chunky physical design, monochrome display, and supported interchangeable cartridges. However, it promised an amazing 30 hours of battery life. What really worked for Nintendo was its pitch: an NES in your pocket. The Game Boy had a layout similar to the NES controller, with four buttons and an eight-way D-pad controller, making it easier to play. In addition, the Game Boy enabled local multiplayer mode for up to 16 people via a special cable. Given these features and the fact that Nintendo was offering Tetris as one of the launch titles as one of the North American launch titles, the Game Boy was an instant hit. The Game Boy launched at $ 90 despite facing stiff competition from Sega. In the first Christmas season alone, he sold over 1 million units. Nintendo sold nearly 120 million units of the original Game Boy worldwide in its lifetime. The popular handheld console was replaced by the Game Boy Color in 1998.
Recognitions
Sony Trinitron television
In the 1980s, Sony was dominant in all product categories, including televisions. Japanese products were considered superior – and Sony was the biggest brand from Japan. Owning a Trinitron television was considered a prestige in North America and Europe. A stylish television with a premium price tag and superior CRT technology made the Sony Trinitron television a household name in western markets. In fact, the craze for a Trinitron television was so great that wealthy Indians often fly to Singapore or Hong Kong to buy the television. Trinitron’s image quality was so good that Sony began licensing its CRT technology to computer manufacturers such as Apple and Dell. However, in the 1990s, CRT technology was challenged by flat panel displays. Sony has sold 280 million trinitrons worldwide since televisions were launched in 1965 and decided to stop manufacturing televisions using CRT technology in 2008.
VHS player
If you grew up in the 80s you may be familiar with the Video Home System, or VHS. The VCR revolutionized home entertainment by allowing users to tape their favorite shows and watch them at their own pace. Back then it was considered a technological breakthrough. But when Hollywood stopped releasing films on VHS, the format lost to DVD in the 1990s. While VCRs may no longer be remembered by people, its impact on home entertainment cannot be forgotten. Due to VHS tapes, there has been a shift in binge watching habits and the way people consume media content on their televisions.
Atari 2600
That list is incomplete without mentioning Atari, a company where Steve Jobs started his engineering career after dropping out of Reed College. The rise and fall of Atari is fascinating. The role Atari played in video gaming, especially in shaping the home console market in the ’70s and’ 80s, will always be remembered. While Atari became famous with arcade hits like Pong, it shone with the Atari 2600 and subsequent consoles.
