The 25 Most Memorable Tech Moments in Pop Culture History

Remember the times.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Technology has not only rapidly evolved over the past two decades, it's become increasingly personal. Never before has technology played such a major role in everyday life. We live in a time where nearly everyone has a personal computer in their pocket. People communicate via text more than they do voice, and movies and shows are viewed on screens much smaller than the one in your living room.

Technology has become so pervasive that it's seeped its way into nearly every corner of our culture. It's not uncommon to watch a show and see someone using the same cell phone or computer as you. Or to see a tech commercial become stuff of legend. And boy, were there a number of unforgettable on and off-screen moments that leave us in an euphoric state of tech nostalgia. So we welcome you on this throwback journey as we breakdown the 25 Most Memorable Tech Moments in Pop Culture History.

Related: The 90 Best Gadgets of the '90s 

25. Carrie Bradshaw's "98 Laptop"

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24. Fabolous Introduces the Sidekick in "This is My Party" Video

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Date: October 2002 

At a time when we lived without Android, the iPhone, and BlackBerry devices, those in the know clutched onto a special phone that sported a distinct form factor and number of groundbreaking features. That gadget was the Danger Hiptop, or as most of us know it, the T-Mobile Sidekick. And Fabolous introduced it to the masses in his “This is my Party” music video. With the ability to text, web browse, and message via AOL IM, the Sidekick changed the mobile game forever. 

23. Back to the Future Nikes Finally Drop

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22. Apple II Discovered in Mysterious Lost Hatch

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21. The Catchphrase That Sold Us On Dell

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20. Sony PlayStation Ushers in New Generation of Console Gaming

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19. The Simpsons's Apple Parody

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Date: Nov. 20, 2008

You're nobody until The Simpsons talks about you. The world’s largest tech company received the parody treatment near the peak of its i-Invasion, as the showrunners introduced Springfield to the Mapple universe and its myProduct line at the Mapple Store, which mocks the NY Fifth Avenue “Cube” location to the T. Needless to say, the end result was comic genius.

18. Minority Report Predicts Future Technologies

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17. Chappelle's Show's Real-Life Depiction of the Internet

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16. Seinfeld's Love of the Mac

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15. TiVo Introduces Us to DVR

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14. Apple "I'm A Mac" Campaign

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13. Kanye West's 80-Tweet Rant

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9. Zack Morris Makes Boss Moves With Motorola DynaTAC

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11. HP Makes the Computer Personal Again

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Date: May 9, 2006 

HP one-upped Apple’s “I’m A Mac” commercials by delivering a more ambitious and innovative campaign for its new line of personal computers. “The Computer is personal” ads provided testimonials from popular acts such as Jay-Z, Mark Burnett, Pharrell, and Serena Williams, which simulated the everyday actions of each figure in exceptional fashion.

10. YouTube Launches and Turns Everyone into Stars

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12. Pirates of Silicon Valley Gives Close Look at the Apple vs. Microsoft Saga

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8. The 2008 Presidential Election

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7. AOL Instant Messenger Changes the Way We Communicate

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6. The Social Network Hits the Big Screen

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5. The iPhone Debut

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4. The Beats By Dre Takeover

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3. Apple Changes Super Bowl Commercials Forever

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Date: Jan. 17, 1984

Rated as the "Greatest Commercial of All Time" by TV Guide, the "Greatest Commercial" by Advertising Age, Apple's "1984" Super Bowl ad forever changed the game. Created by Chiat/Day, the commercial cost an unprecedented $900,000 to produce and was directed by Ridley Scott. It was meant to advertise the Apple Macintosh but instead worked as a mission statement for the company that still pervades every ad and product it releases to this day.

2. Napster Sets Off the P2P Revolution

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1. The Y2K Scare

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