The 80 Best Gadgets of the '80s

The 1980s was a decade where science and technology reached groundbreaking strides. We’re talking about an era that introduced us to such high-tech innovations as 8-bit gaming consoles, compact audio systems, mobile phones, portable listening devices, and state-of-the-art music instruments. A time when Apple was just on the come up, Casio played trendsetter on the wristwatch front, Nintendo ushered in the next generation of home entertainment, and Sony reigned supreme as the electronics king. Being an '80s baby rocked. So we welcome you to join us in a trip down memory lane, as we take a look back at The 80 Best Gadgets of the '80s.

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80. Etch A Sketch Animator 2000

Year: 1986

Several retro bloggers and tech sites have panned this specific Etch A Sketch for its complex learning curve. They also failed to recognize the device for some of the cutting-edge innovations it brought to the table. The Animator 2000 stepped things up with the ability to do 22 frames of pictures and 99 frames of animation, while highlighting an auto-shutoff option for battery preservation. A cartridge slot was also added for expanded memory and video games, too.

79. Audio-Technica Sound Burger

Year: 1983

What was Audio-Technica thinking when naming its portable vinyl player? Who cares. The Sound Burger invited crate junkies to take in 45s and LPs anywhere. Granted it exposed one's record collection to environmental hazards, its tremendous sound quality encouraged owners to take that risk when out and about.

78. Armatron

Year: 1980

There was really nothing exciting about TOMY's user-controlled toy. Then again, there wasn't anything like it. Armatron was just a crane-oprated arm capable of picking up small objects through the use of two attached joysticks on its base. It also came with a countdown timer to build on the anticipation of lifting small boxes and spheres. Just one of the simple joys of being a kid during the early '80s.

77. Braun Micron Vario 3 Universal

Year: 1985

In an era where Tom Selleck mustaches and 5 o’clock shadows ruled, only one machine could help mold such an appearance on the regular. Braun’s electric shaver boasted an innovative slider button that flipped the beard trimmer 90 degrees for precise facial cuts—a feature that's been duplicated by most of the company's major competitors.

76. Nerf Blast-a-Ball

Year: 1989

All it took was a plastic gun to open up our imagination during fictonal gun fights. Then Nerf made things a little more physical with its push-and-pull ball blaster. The company cleverly packaged dual blasters for two people to engage in battle, firing Ballistic Balls from up to 40 feet away. Adolescents of the '90s were fortunate enough to toy with its monstrous successor: the Nerf Ballzooka.

75. Nintendo Power Glove

Year: 1989

Gaming critics will forever bitch about its inaccuracy and limited functionality. That won’t ever change. But Nintendo’s hand controller gains props for welcoming body motion controls to the home gaming console spectrum. It was in the Power Glove's failures where the Big N learned and excelled at the technology in the modern era with the Wii U. And let's not forget the massive hold it had on the pop culture market across all media platforms from fashion to film (The Wizard).

74. Amstrad CPC464

Year: 1984

Pitched mostly as a video game PC, the 8-bit home computer was backed by a strong collection of gaming software that helped the machine gain a huge international presence. The fact that Armstrad bundled the machine with all peripherals (CPU/keyboard, tape recorder, monitor) played in its favor, along with its low price tag.

73. Logitech C7 Mouse

Year: 1985

Tech experts attribute Logitech’s first mouse as the product to break the accessories maker into the home personal computer market. After becoming its biggest-selling device at the time and establishing a revenue stream that helped the company go public, who was going to argue? The C7 also boasted a number of novelties, the most valuable being its ability to draw power from a PC without the need of an external power supply. Logitech's come a long way.

72. Fisher-Price PXL-2000

Year: 1987

We like to look at Fisher Price's lo-fi plastic camera as the Talk Boy of its day. Expectations were low for a $100 video recorder restricted to capturing 100 lines of resolution at 15 frames per second. Most parents actually walked into Toys ‘R’ Us chuckling at its specs. But even with mediocre video quality, the PXL-2000 sold young children on the perception that they too could become a filmmaker in their own right. One could only imagine what WorldStar moments have been captured through the plastic lens of this recorder.

71. Atari Touch Tablet

Year: 1984

Apple might take credit for bringing forth the tablet revolution with the iPad. Well, Atari’s electronic slate could arguably serve as a precursor to the movement. The Touch Tablet let users doodle, draw, paint, erase, and drop and drag images through the use of a digital pen and Atari's Artist software. While inferior for modern technological standards, it was an impressive piece of hardware that never took off during the company's twilight years.

70. Koss PortaPro Headphones

Year: 1984

Talk about a pair of underrated headphones that continue to stand the test of time. These over-ears promoted one of the most comforting listening experiences thanks to a lightweight design accompanied by Koss’ signature “comfort zone” setting and three mechanical settings to adjust the tension of the earpiece against your dome. It's inconceivable to think such a great sounding pair of headphones came priced lower than a $100. In fact, the PortaPro’s became such a popular option throughout the past two decades, Koss re-released it as part of a special 25th anniversary edition bundle in 2009. How’s that for longevitiy.

69. Pocketvision 3

Year: 1985

Portable televisions were big in the mid-80s and anyone who walked into RadioShack might remember stumbling upon the Pocketvision 3. A favorite amongst overnight security guards and Fortune 500 travelers, the 3-inch miniature TV utilized a bizarre projection system that consisted of natural light coming through the white plastic panel to reflect a reversed image onto a mirror. Extremely technical. Nonetheless, the device produced impressive B&W visuals and viewing angles, and offered 10 hours of playback through 4 AAA batteries. Remember those?

68. Mr. Frosty Slush Master

Year: 1980

While the girls were busy cooking up sweets on their EZ Bake Dual-Temp Ovens, the fellas fed their icee addictions courtesy of Mr. Frosty. The contraption was just a simple ice-crushing machine that plopped out slush and let you drench it in flavored-heavy syrups. It was no substitute for the piragua man, but did the trick for sugar rushers. No wonder kids were so freaking hyper back then.

67. Braun ET66 Calculator

Year: 1987

Accountants and stockbrokers were practically naked without Braun’s number cruncher stashed in their business suits. A minimalist and functional design, along with its multi-colored keypad, made the ET66 one of the decade’s biggest surprises and most imitated creations ever assembled. Open up the calculator app on the iPhone and see for yourself.

66. 3D-Glasses

Year: 1985

The technology was nowhere near perfected. Watch Friday the 13th Part 3 again (if you dare) and make the call. However, the concept of viewing third-dimension visuals through a pair of polarization shades was groundbreaking. Creator Kenneth J. Dunkley established the technique of blocking someone’s peripheral vision through two points, therefore projecting the illusion of 3D. So the next time you hit the theaters and catch a 3D flick, impress your date with this fun fact, or better yet, pay Dunkley homage.

65. Apple Lisa

Year: 1983

The machine named after Steve Jobs out-of-wedlock daughter was the first commercial computer to offer a graphics user interface—breaking free from the text-command paradigm and initiating a more user-friendly, point-and-click experience. Lisa's $1,000 price tag and slow OS killed its vibe on the consumer market, even though it still commanded a number of advanced features that became condusive to the future of computing. On that checklist: co-op multitasking, protected memory, data corruption protection, built-in screen saver, and much more.

64. TOMY Omnibot

Year: 1980

The motorized android managed a variety of functions like the ability to carry light objects, rummage across the carpet, play cassette tapes, and talk in robotic fashion through a remote microphone. A digital clock with timers and alarms to schedule recordings were also found on the toy, designating it the perfect espionage (and blackmail) device to use against bully siblings.

63. Colecovision Expansion Module #1

Year: 1982

Even with top-notch graphics, the ColecoVision struggled to compete with the Atari 2600 because of its lack of titles. Then came the add-on that saved the console, the Expansion Module #1, which offered access to the entire Atari 2600 library and gave the machine the largest library of games on the market. On top of that, it also had control ports to plug in the original Atari joysticks. Atari might have lost its several battles to sue Coleco, but gamers came out the true victors in the war between both companies.

62. EPSON ET-10 Pocket TV

Year: 1984

Most of us know Epson best for its computer printer heritage and recent line of phenomenal screen projectors. So those who were heavy on portable electronics in the '80s might remember the company’s line of pocket televisions, primarily the ET-10. The world’s first liquid crystal pocket color TV produced 57,600 pixels and flexed an RGB color filter to render a wider range of colors. Knight Rider never looked so good on a 2-inch screen.

61. Sony WM-D6C Recorder

Year: 1984

Carrying over the same recording strengths as its predecessor, the WM-D6 upped the ante with the inclusion Dolby C noise reduction and enhanced dynamic range. Another sweet addition for the recorder was a line-in connector, providing direct connection to other audio hardware minus the use of a microphone socket. Sony squeezing in all these upgrades without compromising the system’s form factor was considered major.

60. Tamiya Grasshopper RC Car

Year: 1984

Tonka trucks became so yesteryear once this electronic buggy speeded its way onto your front porch. Solidly constructed and moderately fast, the battery-operated Grasshopper attracted males of all ages and remains an all-time classic on the RC competitor circuit throughout the past three decades.

59. Acorn BBC Micro Model B

Year: 1981

Acorn’s console is regarded as the greatest home computer in the UK, though its existence was MIA in the states. Still, the machine best known as the “beeb” sported a unique design layout and features unprecedent in most PCs at the time: including an analog joystick port, 1MHz buss connection, and an overwhelming number of connections hidden under the machine to accommodate design space. Its most popular attribute, the “Torch” floppy disk drive with a Z80 CPU, made the BBC Micro compatible with CP/M software and expanded UI capabilities.

58. Androbot Topo

Year: 1983

We all dreamed of having a personal robot like Rosie from The Jetsons to handle our personal chores. The Androbot Topo was the closest thing to fulfilling our lifestyle fantasies. The real-life android was controlled by a joystick and programmed through the Apple II interface, sporting two drive wheels and standing tall at an est. 36 inches tall. Targeted towards the consumer and education markets, the Topo failed to take the industry by storm, but has played a significant role in the development of robot productivity hardware. Reference the iRobot.

57. LEGO Brick Separator

Year: 1988

Ever tried prying LEGOs apart without one of these? Ridiculously frustrating. The eternal struggle came to an end as the toy manufacturer spared us the trouble of flinging our creations at the wall in order to seperate the plastic blocks.

56. Roland TR-808

Year: 1980

Drum machines didn’t come cheap back then. The 808 was one of the few affordable options that offered professional features and helped aspiring hip-hop artists create demos. Some of the decade's greatest records were recorded on this thing including Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock”. Upon being discontinued, the TR-808 became a regular at pawnshops, where broke producers purchased used models and started crafting beats. Its signature bass drum output was key for Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak LP.

55. Commodore 1530 C2N Datasette

Year: 1984

One of the primary complaints about the Commodore computer line was its inability to save all data and programming when powered off. Those who couldn’t fork up the bread to purchase the 1541 floppy disk drive settled for the nearly similar and cost-efficient alternative in the 1531 cassette tape drive. Granted the compromise of running with the latter was a slower data transferring speed (50 bytes per second), it was a lifesaver for Commodore users who valued data.

54. Desktop Fax Machine

Year: 1989

Email wasn't afforded to us back then. So office life sucked in the '80s due to the technological limitations of print copiers and landline phones. The universal popularity of the fax machine slowly caught on with American business, creating a faster way to share documents, photos, and secret messages with others across the nation.

53. Kenner Star Wars “The Force” Lightsaber

Year: 1980

Numerous toy manufacturers flooded the market with flimsy and terribly made lightsaber replicas. The force was strong in Kenner, as the company created the best iterations of the glowing fight sticks, even adding some unique touches such as hollow shafts that sucked in air to make humming noises when swung around.

52. Sega Master System

Year: 1986

Huge out in Japan and overlooked in the US, Sega's first gaming console had the graphics power and hardware peripherals to give Nintendo a run for its money. The Master System played both cartridges and programmed cards, and stored a hidden game in the console (depending on the version) that was playable when powered on. Most gamers remember the machine best for some of its classic titles like Alex Kidd, Phantasy Star, Rocky, Time Soldiers, and the Wonder Boy series. One thing is for certain—no other 8- or 16-bit console ported arcade games better than the Master System. Double Dragon and Shinobi speak for themselves.

51. Praktica MTL-5B

Year: 1985

Extremely limited in quantity, professional photogs fortunate enough to get their hands on the 35mm SLR appreciated the shooter for all its worth. Housed behind an unbreakable design were some contemporary photography features like TTL exposure metering and a match-needle display on the viewfinder indicating whether captured images would bear under-, over-, or perfect exposure. Guess the Germans knew more about photography that we presummed.

50. Tomy Racing Turbo Dashboard

Year: 1983

Laugh it up if you must, but back in the days, this was the closet thing we had to Gran Turismo or Forza. Tomy's driving simulator set the standard for racing games on the home gaming circuit by creating a machine equipped with four-speed gearshifts, speedometer, key ignition, and digital viewing screen. We remember it best as the D-battery killer.

49. Yamaha DX7

Year: 1983

The digital synthesizer became a pop music staple, producing distinct digital sounds that outshined most analog synths and standing out as the frequent peripheral for most '80s music producers. Its capability of tackling 16-note polyphony and reasonable $2,000 value were major selling points. However, its professional features, incredible range, and live performance ubiquity deemed it a musical game changer. Music visionaries such as Elton John, James Horner, and New Jack swinger Teddy Riley called it baby at one point in their careers.

48. Nokia Mobira Cityman 1320

Year: 1987

The Finnish telecommunications brand set its mark on creating a handheld mobile suited for one-handed use and accomplished its goal with the brick-inspired Cityman 1320. Nokia’s first portable cellular delivered a refined portable experience with its minimalist design and commendable call quality.

47. Sony PROFEEL Pro TV

Year: 1986

Sony pushed TV engineering to the upper echelon with the PROFEEL Pro. Aside from its phenomenal picture quality, the monitor fashioned a pro-level design consisting of a space-frame wrapped around the back of a trapezoidal enclosure that doubled as both a carrying handle and speaker holder. Some might consider it the hottest customizable television set ever created. We can vouch for that.

46. Sinclair ZX Spectrum

Year: 1982

Credited as the machine responsible for launching the UK IT industry, the 8-bit home computer carried such praise for its ultra-modern design, distinct keyboard, and ability to play popular arcade titles. Hardcore gaming circles believe the ZX Spectrum paved the road for future gaming consoles such as the C64 and NES. How flattering.

45. Teddy Ruxpin

Year: 1985

Meet the Tickle Me Elmo of its generation. Not the Cabbage Patch or Chucky My Buddy dolls, but Teddy Ruxpin. With moveable eyes and a mouth, which read stories to you before bedtime via built-in cassette deck, we had one less reason to have our parents accompany us to sleep. Seth MacFarlane's biggest inspiration behind Ted.

44. Sony Betamovie BMC-100P Recorder

Year: 1984

The “world’s first camcorder” might have held the unflattering honor of being the byproduct of an ill-fated media platform, but its advanced technology and filming capabilities helped usher in the new wave of video recorders. The BMC-100P combined a video camera and Betamax deck, also featured a single video head, which was one less than VHS and Beta VCRs at the time. Some of its design hallmarks made it iconic including the battery compartment housed in the grip.

43. Atari Lynx

Year: 1989

Atari’s 16-bit handheld got lost in the portable shuffle for several reasons: a bulky design, six-battery compartment, and an introductory $180 price tag. Those who looked past the Lynx’s flaws appreciated its true value in gaming performance. Besides being the first handheld with a color LCD, the handheld was admired for its built-in object scaling capabilities, multiplayer functionality via ComLynx cable, and impressive launch lineup. Nuff respect due.

42. Kodak Fling Camera

Year: 1987

There was a time when photography experts considered single-use cameras DOA. Kodak made fools of everyone after launching its highly successful line of disposable shooters. The fixed-focus camera became the perfect snapshot grabber and came at the unbeatable value of $7. And who can forget its trademark film-advance wheel on the front.

41. GRiD Compass 1101

Year: 1982

The magnesium alloy-enclosed laptop was one of the first to ever hit the portable computer scene and became a fixture for NASA and the U.S. military when launched in the early '80s. Powered by its own OS, the Compass came stacked with newfangled hardware facets: including an Intel 8086 processor, 6-inch panel with 320 x 240 resolution, 340-kilobyte magnetic bubble memory, 1,200 bit/s modem, and a IEE-488 I/O for multiple device connection. Sadly, its $8,150 value kept it out of the public’s reach. Our loss.

40. Bose Aviation Headset Series I

Year: 1988

It might have launched near the end of the decade, but all it took was a few months before Bose’s active noise-reduction headset cemented its legacy amongst the aviation industry and audiophiles. Designed specifically for pilots, the Series I reduced ambient noise present during flights to create a peaceful listening experience in the air and on land. The headset would become the foundation for Bose's revolutionary noise-cancelation technology, which as you’ve heard (literally) has yet to be matched by any audio competitor.

39. Milton Bradley Big Trak

Year: 1980

Electronic toy vehicles gained a huge boost in notoriety when MB’s computer-controlled tank bumrushed the market. Kids were able to program the Big Trak by typing commands onto the keypad found at the rear of the device, directing it to move forward, backward, turn, and fire in sequence. Simple in execution, engaging on all levels.

38. Polar Sport Tester PE300

Year: 1987

Since the release of the PE 3000, Polar's sat comfortably atop of the heart-rate monitor throne. It was the first device of its kind to introduce an objective tool for analyzing and monitoring health data on a computer. And like all future models, the PE 3000 never half-stepped on performance.

37. Sony CCD-V8AF

Year: 1985

As the first 8mm camcorder to incorporate auto focus, Sony's digital shooter emerged as an elite offering for videotape-recording conformists. A spot-on CCD sensor matched with a small CRT viewfinder encouraged every ecstatic soon-to-be father to have this on hand in the emergency room during their child’s birth.

36. Korg M1

Year: 1988

The M1 wasn’t your half-ass Casio electronic keyboard. It was a groundbreaking musical workstation that produced amazing audio quality and granted producers access to an MIDI sequencer with a palette of sounds, 4MB capacity, and expansion slots. The machine could also hold up to 10 songs, 100 patterns, and up to 7,700 notes, while offering full editing and quantizing options. Everyone from Aerosmith to Quincy Jones was on one. Korg’s instrument remains the top-selling digital synthesizer of all time.

35. Lite-Brite

Year: 1982

Although Hasbro’s light box with glowing pegs had been out on the market since 1967, it wasn’t till the early ‘80s when the toy became a standard in every family household. Lite-Brite opened the window of imagination for children of all ages to play digital Picasso by creating translucent patterned designs on a black background. It felt great turning on the magic on colored light.

34. Polaroid 660 Camera

Year: 1982

Polaroid’s instant development camera introduced a faster and simpler way of sharing pics at gatherings. Distinct features like a built-in flash and “Sonar” autofocus were dope, providing the camera a minimum focal range of two feet to work with. Yet the 660's dopest trick was its image processing technology, as photogs managed to create filters and other special effects for shots when exposing printed images to light. Sound a little familiar, Instagrammers?

33. Game & Watch Super Mario Bros.

Year: 1983

Nintendo's first true venture into the portable gaming sector came in the form of a multi-screen handheld that offered multiplayer action on both sides. Yea, you could actually play Mario Bros. controlling Luigi on the left and Mario on the right. Two decades later, Nintendo took the inspirational design of its Game & Watch creations and applied to another ultramodern portable beast: the Nintendo DS.

32. Sony CDP-101 CD Player

Year: 1982

The Japanese electronics giant gave us to the world’s first CD player, though it took months after the Japan launch for consumers to stock one in their living rooms. Numerous design hallmarks found on the CEP-101 were acknowledged as cutting-edge from its vacuum florescent display panel to the 16-bit DAC. Sound quality and playback were impressive as well. Seven Benjamins well spent.

31. Sharp PC-1211 Pocket Computer

Year: 1980

Sharp takes credit for setting off the handheld pocket PC movement with the PC-1211 receiving top billing. Owners had the flexibility of programming over 1,424 steps through BASIC, plus connect the device to a printer and tape drive. The full QWERTY-inspired keyboard provided solid tactile feedback and its insane battery life maxed out at 200 hours.

30. Lazer Tag

Year: 1986

Exclusively available at the Sharper Image, Lazer Tag was one of those inventions that made everyone feel and look futuristic because of its attracting phaser-like design and high-tech presence. Having these infrared-based light guns made you the cool kid on the block. Its popularity spawned an NBC animated series, Lazer Tag Academy, which only lasted one season. Guess the real gem here is remembering the TV show. Pew, pew!

29. Magellan NAV 1000

Year: 1989

Most of you might remember the “world’s first commercial GPS” heading into the ‘90s. We like to remember Magellan’s tracking receiver as a device that left its imprint at the end of one decade, while ushering in game-changing technology heading into the next. Ronald Regan had originally ordered GPS technologies to be available for civilian use, therefore leading to the battery-powered navigator’s creation six years later. The fact that we can access such utilities on our smartphones shows how far the technology has come. And we're completely grateful.

28. Leatherman PST

Year: 1983

Peep the Swiss Army knife that started it all. Leatherman's pocket survival tool stored a barrage of different handyman essentials like a pair of pliers, knives, scredrivers, saws, wire cutters, bottle opener, and everything else except the kitchen sink. Like an American Express card, you never left home without it.

27. Sony MHC-P77 Component System

Year: 1989

Your home entertainment system was labeled trash without Sony’s home audio solution backing it. The nicknamed “Pixy” welcomed a seamless control layout, new texture, and a sleek dark gray color scheme that provided a more affluent look than the standard black shade found on most audio sets. No other mini- or high-end component system compared that year.

26. Toshiba Deltawave

Year: 1985

Compact microwaves took off big in the ‘80s with the most popular model being Toshiba’s electric cookers. Many Hungry-Man dinners and holiday leftovers were nuked in this thing, all re-cooked to delectable perfection. Who are we kidding. It did the trick better than any other portable heater and that was good enough for us.

25. Apple Macintosh 128K

Year: 1984

Apple’s personal computer was met with much fanfare, standing out as the first cost-efficient machine to support a System and Finder application and the new Motorola 68000 CPU, which ran faster than most of the previous processors on the market at 8 MHz. Lack of software kept the Mac 128K grounded later on in the decade, though its introduction set the foundation for all future Apple products.

24. Casio C-80 Calculator Watch

Year: 1980

Calculator watches grew in popularity once Casio dropped its number-crunching wristband. Billed as “the watch that replaces everything,” the C-80 freed us from computing numbers on the stylus-centric smart watches of the era, donning larger buttons to accommodate easier calculating. Oh yea, its fashionable presence also resonated with every nerd, playboy, sports jock, and teacher in your high school.

23. Nintendo Game Boy

Year: 1989

Some might call it unfair to place Nintendo's portable gaming system on this list. Others will complain over its ranking. But even during its six-month run throughout the decade, the Game Boy borgarted the handheld gaming scene and made everyone think twice about investing in those medicore Tiger game systems. Final Fantasy Legend, Super Mario Land, and Tetris were all we needed to pass the time in class or on the train. And as we witnessed, the Game Boy went on to have a more dominant run in the '90s.

22. Dirt Devil Classic Red Hand Vac

Year: 1984

Every housewife (and bachelor) in the nation stored the hand vaccum in their closet. The wired dust buster was lighter and more portable to carry around the crib and made cleaning a less painful chore with its rotating brush design. It also sported a hose to clean up those hard-to-reach surfaces. Dirt Devil has gone on to sell over 25 million units in the US alone.

21. Yamaha SHS-10

Year: 1987

The keytar definitely struck a chord with aspiring musicians and wannabe rockers. It wasn't a hard sell for Yamaha seeing how the machine offered a 32-key clavier, two operators, chord sequencer, loudspeaker, and an internal FM synthesizer featuring 25 different voices with 6-note polyphony. Producers found the electronic keyboard most useful for its strong MIDI out features, transmitting drum rhythms on separate channels and pairing it with an external drum machine or sampler that could be programmed to playback those sounds.

20. Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100

Year: 1983

Strong keyboard tactility, great display quality, and surprising battery life—the TRS-80 Model 100 is revered as one of the greatest laptops ever built, with many citing it as the starting point for the PC notebook revolution. It offered an abundance of features including a text-editor, BASIC software, disk-video interface expansion box, and a CRT video adapter to mirror content onto an external TV. That alone made it one of Radio Shack’s biggest draws pushing over 6 million units sold worldwide. What else would you expect from the last computer system Bill Gates personally developed and wrote code for?

19. Simon

Year: 1980

The flash game made for fun and frustrating times depending on how great your photographic memory and timing were. Simon forced players to reproduce the same color patterns chosen in sequence by the opposition until someone F’d up the particular order. As we mentioned in the past, it was Horse in digital form.

18. Sharp Wizard OZ-7000 Personal Organizer

Year: 1989

Sharp’s digital organizer managed to keep frequent flyers and on-the-go businessmen in check through the use of several productivity apps including a memo pad, phone book, calendar and scheduler. A 40 x 16 B&W LCD screen and card expansion slot rounded out the OZ-7000’s notable attributes.

17. Betamax

Year: 1980

It might have been the butt of all the multimedia jokes in the Bundy household, but Betamax remained the go-to media player for a number of families in the early ‘80s. Minor upgrades to the video format such as high fidelity audio and increased bandwidth (800 kHz), along with its higher horizontal resolution helped the video format maintain a longer shelf life. Sony put the final nail in the coffin when it bowed out as the last Betamax manufacturer, producing VHS players shortly after.

16. RCA Dimensia TV

Year: 1987

The Dimensia series redefined the television set by introducing state-of-the-art features and killer picture quality. With a spec sheet consisting of a 27-inch panel, two-antenna inputs, on-screen time display, parental control, comb filter, and an automatic light sensor capable of automatically adjusting picture and brightness: who could argue? Really.

15. The Clapper

Year: 1985

The sound-activated electronic switch was an invention that reformed the way we interacted with our household, triggering the lights on or off in our apartments via two handclaps. Whether it was catching the itis in bed or killing the lights after noticing the not-so-hot-chick you scooped up from Limelight, the Clapper was there to the rescue. Clap on!

14. IBM 5150

Year: 1981

It wasn’t the most powerful piece of hardware, or the most attractive at that. But IBM’s introductory PC played a huge role in shaping the computer industry throughout the years. Great expandability options (audio-cassette and optional floppy drive), premium construction, and reliable performance on mediocre specs skyrocketed the 5150 to fame. Little known fact: the IBM PC was capable of running PC-DOS, CPM-86 and UCSD D-PASCAL operating systems. Unheard of at the time.

13. E-mu SP-1200

Year: 1987

The legendary drum machine and sampler is considered one, if not, the tech icon of Hip-Hop’s golden era in 1988. Village Voice music writer Ben Detrick described the machine as the “Dirty Heartbeat” that “defined New York Hip-Hop” with its “crunchy digitized drums, choppy segmented samples, and murky filtered basslines.” Considering the legendary producers who’ve put in work on the machine such as Marley Marl, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Dr. Dre, we strongly agree.

12. Nikon F3

Year: 1983

Having replaced its critically acclaimed successors of past decades, the F3 truly stood the test of time as the decade-long SLR that dominated the professional photography realm. The 35mm shooter kept functionality simple through the use of dial and button operations, but was built like a tank and produced marveling picture quality. Its aperture-priority automatic exposure control with manual setting was what sent the photogs of the era into a craze.

11. Epson HX-20

Year: 1983

Hailed as the world’s first notebook and handheld computer, Epson’s machine welcomed a variety of technological facets: including a 120x32-pixel LCD display, full-stroke keyboard, built-in rechargeable batteries, dot-matrix printer, and even an optional microcassette drive for data storage. Mobile conformists embraced the machine and found its 4-line, 20-character panel useful for writing on the fly, along with its 50-hour plus battery life. Would it be a sin to call it the MacBook of its day?

10. Casio G-Shock DW-5000C

Year: 1983

While not as popular as some of the other entries in the G-Shock line like the Frogman, the DW-5000C served as a testament to the imprint’s unbeatable damage-proof pedigree over the past three decades. Seeing how the action timepiece was capable of sustaining 10-meter falls and 200m water submersions, it isn’t hard to see why. Its collectable status speaks for itself on the wristwatch market.

9. Sony Watchman

Year: 1982

Sony really showcased its creative ingenuity with the launch of the Watchman. The portable TV weighed a meager 650 grams and fit seamlessly in any pocket, plus it produced impressive visuals to say the least. The grayscale five-centimeter display wasn’t much to work with in terms of size, but held up strong during quick viewing sessions at work or on public transpo.

8. Speak & Spell

Year: 1980

Texas Instrumental’s electronic toy turned out to be the most suprising educational tool, helping millions of children brush up on their spelling. Speak & Spell contained a voice synthesizer chip created specifically for speech purposes and stored read-only memory modules to generate vocalized words, which users would spell out on the keyboard. The device became a pop culture icon after its unforgettable appearance in E.T.

7. Promax J-1 Super Jumbo

Year: 1987

Look familiar? It should. Radio Raheem’s personal ghetto blaster became the perennial music symbol for hip-hop in the '80s, bumping ear-piercing noise through three pairs of speakers matted with 8-inch woofers. Ten-band EQ settings only heightened sound performance. And the J-1’s sleek black casing and flashing light display added to the boombox’s swag. Block gatherings, pool parties, and summertime cookouts would never be the same.

6. Fujifilm Quick Snap Disposable Camera

Year: 1986

Fuji arguably pioneered the disposable camera market with its 33 mm single-use shooter. Affordable, easy to use, and conveniently portable, the QuickSnap provided the novice camera experience most casual consumers requested, as well as the instant access professional photogs sought. The manufacturer surely lived up to its "you press the button, we do the rest" mantra.

5. Commodore 64

Year: 1982

The Commodore 64 reigns supreme as the highest-selling PC of all time with over 17 million units sold. Marked at $600, the machine could be hooked up to any home television set and came equipped with a 1.023-MHz CPU, 64KB of RAM, and 16-bit color graphics. With its capability of balancing office productivity software and wide variety of games, the C64 stood out as the most versatile computer before the video game crash of ’83. Its legacy continues to live on through numerous software emulators and revived hardware renditions as seen back in 2011.

4. Motorola DynatTAC 8000X

Year: 1984

Call it the brick cellular, the Zack Morris phone, or whatever nostaligic references come ot mind. Truth is there would be no BlackBerry, iPhone, or even compact handsets like the StarTAC without Dr. Martin Cooper’s creation. The first-ever cellular phone provided nothing more than just 30 minutes of talk time, 8 hours of standby, an LED display, and stored no more than 30 contacts at the whopping price tag of $4,000. No doctor, lawyer, or Gordon Gekko clone could live without it, therefore solidifying its legacy as the trendsetter of all mobile technological advancements.

3. VHS Player

Year: 1980

If there was one media format to break home entertainment barriers faster than any other, past or present, best believe it was the video home system. Households across the globe chucked their Betamax players in favor of the VHS, primarily because of its lower cost, 120-minute max length, and recording capabilities. But some experts believe the silver lining that pushed the platform over the top was porn availability, as adult content was ghost on Beta. It was the one device we utilized and held onto past the decade.

2. Nintendo Entertainment System

Year: 1985

The video game crash of ’83 left the industry in shambles to the point where it was uncertain whether we would ever see a home gaming console hit the market. That was until Nintendo brought out its 8-bit console known as the NES and had every kid in the world begging Santa for one every Christmas. Hardware-wise, the NES controller set the standard for future gamepads with its D-pad and four-button layout. But what really drew consumers to the console was its massive catalog of high-quality games like Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, Contra, Mega Man, and hundreds more. The NES not only left us with timeless memories, it single-handedly saved the video game industry. Remember that when you're lining up for the PS4 or Xbox One this holiday season.

1. Sony Walkman TPS-L2

Year: 1980

Sony’s mobile audio device revolutionized how we listen to music. It provided us the luxury of hearing whatever we wanted and at any volume, which was a serious breakthrough at the time. The most memorable model of the pack had to be the TPS-L2 with its dual-headphone jacks for two people to listen and its innovative Hot Line button that toned down the noise and made it possible to eavesdrop on conversations via built-in mic. Whether it was in the company of strangers riding the MTA or in the privacy of one’s home, the Walkman fueled owners to channel their inner Michael Jackson at any given moment, while providing us entertainment and solace on the go.