Are you an 80s kid, and can you remember any of these popular devices?
1. VHS Tapes
Back in the day, you couldn’t just download a movie from a streaming service. You had to rent a chunky VHS tape from a store like Blockbuster and return it to avoid a fine – a bit like a library, and the tapes weren’t much smaller than your average novel!
2. Walkman
Walkmans were like the early evolution of an iPod, but instead you had to play rectangular cassette tapes in it and power it with AA batteries. And let’s not forget the magnetic ribbon inside – how many of you pulled that out at least once from curiosity?
3. Boombox
The infamous boombox was a portable sound system shaped like a large box. It was taken to every house party and blasted out hits from the decade with extra bass.
4. Overhead Projectors
Every 80s child is familiar with the overhead projector that took up almost the entire teacher’s desk. At intervals, the lights would be dimmed and the teacher would pop their annotated transparent sheets on the device before fighting to get it into focus.
5. Pager System
A pager system was like a phone that didn’t ring. Instead, a beep would sound to let the user know that a message had just been received.
6. Floppy Disk
Last but not least, the floppy disk – now commonly perceived as the ‘save’ icon, it could power a whole game at only 5.25 inches!
What replaced the gadgets we grew up with
Many familiar gadgets have since been overtaken. VHS tapes began to give way after DVDs arrived in the mid-1990s, and DVDs are now losing ground to streaming services that offer almost any film or programme on demand. Personal stereos playing cassettes, and later portable CD players, were replaced by digital music players and phones that stream music, so nobody needs to carry a bag of tapes or discs.
Instant cameras gave the satisfaction of watching a small square photo develop in your hand. Digital cameras and then smartphone apps made taking hundreds of pictures far easier, if less tangible. Paper maps have largely given way to GPS and online directions.
At home, bulky televisions with curved screens, built around a cathode ray tube, were replaced by flat screens that led on to HD and Ultra HD sets. Slow dial-up internet, which tied up the phone line, gave way to faster wired and wireless connections. Even physical buttons are disappearing as more devices rely on touch screens.