Image via Complex Original
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"
Date: June 1998
Your girlfriend(s) remembers the Sex and the City protagonist most for her style and Manolo Blahniks obsession. Geeks, on the other hand—primarily Apple nerds—developed a love jones for the fictional female journalist after she showcased her taste in computers by using the the PowerBook G3 as her “98 laptop.” As the series progressed, the future Mrs. Big’s upgraded to newer versions such as the Lombard and Pismo models.
24. Fabolous Introduces the Sidekick in "This is My Party" Video
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
Date: Sept. 18, 2011
When Back to the Future II hit theaters in 1989, sneaker junkies went bonkers over Marty McFly’s hi-tech Nikes. When the footwear giant announced plans to auction off a limited quantity of the dream kicks, 1,500 pairs to be exact, the sneaker community, celebs, and geeks were dishing out serious coin to own a pair. Granted the replicas didn’t feature an automatic lace-up mechanism like the models in the film, the rare creation still rocked signature features like the electroluminescent outsole and “space-age” design. Good luck finding these.
22. Apple II Discovered in Mysterious Lost Hatch
Date: September 2005
The most addictive television drama of the past decade captured the interest of millions thanks to producer J.J. Abrams’ insane story arcs and plot twists. But it was during the show's second season when Lost really resonated with techies, when the group discovered the mysterious metal chest filled with tons of retro-inspired objects including the Apple II. Apple fans made it a mission to point out the machine’s flaws such as the addition of the EXECUTE key and the computer turning on by pressing the monitor’s power button. Everyone else appreciated the nostalgic value it brought to the program.
21. The Catchphrase That Sold Us On Dell
Date: September, 2000
The "Dude, You’re Getting A Dell Commercial" slogan did for Dell what the "Where's the beef?" jingle did for Wendy's—bring brand awareness and make the PC maker relevant in the early millennium. We all remember teen spokesperson Steven (portrayed by actor Ben Curtis) sharing the perks of owning a Dell computer with PC-seeking consumers in the most chipper manner. He became one of the most memorable on-screen characters in tech history.
Surprisingly, Curtis spoke with Bloomberg about resurrecting the role that made him an F-list celeb saying, “I think they’re making a huge mistake and simply need to bring back the Dell Dude... If they brought me back, their sales, stock, and media presence would skyrocket. That is by FAR the smartest move they could make.” Maybe Dell should listen.
20. Sony PlayStation Ushers in New Generation of Console Gaming
Date: December 1994
Nintendo and Sega set the standard for video games in the 80s and early 90s. Then Sony kicked through the door with its own console, the PlayStation—finding success with gaming discs and dominating the market selling over 102 million units during its run. Once word spread of how dope the “home entertainment system” was, every casual consumer and diehard gamer flocked to the nearest EB Games to pick one up. It became such a worldwide phenomenon that celebrities requested the machine be installed in their whips. The PlayStation 2 would only heighten the craze and place gaming near the forefront of pop culture.
19. The Simpsons's Apple Parody
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
Date: June 21, 2002
Facial recognition scanners, gesture-control computing, and self-driving cars—Steve Spielberg’s sci-fi film created the blueprint for where the future of technology is headed. Before creating the film, Spielberg reportedly held what was called the Think Tank Summit—a three-day meeting of minds that included computer scientists, architects, and biomedical researchers to create a plausible future reality for the year 2054.
A number of today’s top technology from military drones to the touchscreen devices can be seen in some form in Minority Report, along with a series of innovative technologies like IBM’s CRUSH (Crime Reduction Utilizing Statistical History) crime-fighting system and Google Maps.
17. Chappelle's Show's Real-Life Depiction of the Internet
Date: Feb. 25, 2004
Even though the comedy sketch sitcom lasted just three seasons, Chappelle’s Show delivered unforgettably hilarious segments that to this day put a hurting on our abdominal area and are quoted by your friends and favorite celebs. Dave showed viewers the ugly side of the Internet by profiling the bizarre activities and taboo affairs that we all continue to partake in on the regular. Some call it a disturbing portrayal. We call it brilliant.
16. Seinfeld's Love of the Mac
Date: 1990
For those who watched Jerry Seinfeld’s sitcom religiously, it was impossible to not notice the Apple Macintosh computers sitting in the background of the stand-up comedian’s apartment. Viewers witnessed the Macintosh SE sit at the corner of Seinfeld’s desk for the first few seasons. Then we saw the character upgrade to more popular models throughout the years—welcoming the PowerBook Duo, Macintosh 6100, and the TAM (20th Anniversary Mac) into his home towards the end of the series.
15. TiVo Introduces Us to DVR
Date: January, 1999
Before the era of digital video recording, television connoisseurs were left with one option to catch up on sitcoms, movies, or live events: setting timers on the VCR and recording on a blank VHS tapes. Then the heavens opened and blessed us with TiVo. The multimedia box made recording TV content exponentially easier by storing data onto a hard drive and making it viewable at any given moment. In short, it forever changed the way we watch and view our favorite programs, while playing trendsetter to several other of today’s major entertainment platforms like Hulu and Netflix, and forcing ever cable provider to offer DVRs of their own.
14. Apple "I'm A Mac" Campaign
Date: May 2006
Right after the iPod explosion, Apple focused its strengths on creating an innovative and catchy marketing campaign to push the company’s latest set of Mac computers. Its approach of pitting two actors, John Hodgman and Justin Long, against each other by having them act out as a PC and Mac immediately clicked with consumers and TV viewers. Simplistic, yet hilarious in its execution, the commercials helped increase Apple’s sales by 39 percent for that fiscal year and set the toll for the MacBook boom.
13. Kanye West's 80-Tweet Rant
Date: Jan. 12, 2010
For the past few years, Twitter has become the go-to social media platform for those seeking to express themselves without any filters. And if there’s been one person who has demonstrated the effectiveness of the microblogging site, it is none other than Donda’s baby boy. The self-proclaimed “voice of our generation” set the bar for tweeting when he went off on a 80-tweet rant touching on literally every topic that came to mind except Kim Kardashian. Now every major celeb and Average Joe uses Twitter to vent their frustrations. Thank you, Mr. West!
9. Zack Morris Makes Boss Moves With Motorola DynaTAC
Date: 1989 - 1990
Ask anyone about the Motorola DynaTAC and I guarantee you’ll elicit a blank facial reaction. Ask them about the Zack Morris phone, however, and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about. The first-ever mobile phone hit the scene years before Saved by the Bell made its on-air debut, but it wasn’t until series lead Mark-Paul Gosselaar a.k.a. Zach Morris flaunted the brick of a cellular through the hallways of Bayside High where it gained the most notoriety. Want to feel old real quick? The handset is coming up on its 30-year anniversary.
11. HP Makes the Computer Personal Again
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
Date: Feb. 14, 2005
The video-sharing service has become the place to go for every aspiring entertainer, wannabe star, and fame-seeking opportunist to earn his or her 15 minutes of fame. We witnessed A-listers like Justin Bieber get his first shot at fame on the social platform. And for every top-talent act signed to a major deal, we’ve seen a number of busts get their shine on like Rebecca Black and William Hung. Then you have the infinite number of clips that became pop culture fodder and viral sensations such as the “Charlie Bit My Finger,” “Evolution of Dance,” and “Leave Britney Alone” segments. We've been tuned in ever since.
12. Pirates of Silicon Valley Gives Close Look at the Apple vs. Microsoft Saga
Date: April 6, 1999
The bitter rivalry between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs has been well documented throughout the decades. However, it was the late-90s, made-for-TV film adaptation of Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer that put viewers onto the heated battle between the tech moguls and their respective companies: Apple and Microsoft. Jobs was so big on Noah Wyle's performance that he invited the actor to appear at the 1999 MacWorld Expo disguised as him.
8. The 2008 Presidential Election
Date: Nov. 5, 2008
Social media was just taking off and Barack Obama’s administration seized the opportunity to bank on it—utilizing a series of platforms to promote the soon-to-be-president’s run for office. The move paid off immensely as the Obama campaign managed to attract a younger audience, which played a huge role in his election win, as well raise money and defend smear campaigns during the process. McCain was done before his camp could even create him a Twitter account.
7. AOL Instant Messenger Changes the Way We Communicate
Date: May, 1997
The closest thing we ever experienced to social media in the 90s (besides message boards) was instant-messaging software. The most popular service came from AOL in the form of AOL Instant Messenger. AIM granted us the freedom to communicate with millions of users across the country under creative and bugged-out monikers (Author's note: my personal handle was "Thesenuts." Seriously.) Having made messaging instantaneous and super easy, the program remained ubiquitous for over a decade. Want to know where "Catfishing" really originated? Thank AIM.
6. The Social Network Hits the Big Screen
Date: Sep. 24, 2010
Everyone had reservations about a movie based on Facebook. No one ever thought it would be come the most talked about film heading into 2010's Oscar season. The Social Network served as a pop culture annotation that provided us with a look into the site’s early days and the ruthless actions taken by its main founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and the lawsuits that followed the Facebook's creation. Millions of dollars and new subscribers would follow after the film's release.
5. The iPhone Debut
Date: June 29, 2007
Before the launch of Apple's first smartphone, society was accustomed to PDAs and Symbian-operated devices that came with limited features and physical keys. The iPhone helped shape-shift the mobile market by introducing a true portable computer that could fit in your pocket. The phone would go onto define the marketplace with features such as a multi-touch touchscreen, premium ergonomics, and game-changing ecosystem. It was only a matter of months before consumers ditched their BlackBerrys and Palm Pilots in exchange for the next-gen handset.
4. The Beats By Dre Takeover
Date: September, 2008
While entertainers were busy pushing spirits and gadgets for other brands, hip-hop legend Dr. Dre and music industry vet Jimmy Iovine made the decision to go into business for themselves—forming the multi-million-dollar headphone empire known as Beats By Dre. As you can see, the imprint has done well for itself, dominating over 60 percent of the market and turning its bass-heavy sound cans into one of the most popular fashion accessories around. With a ton of high-profile celebrity ambassadors, creative ad campaigns, and a new line of audio products in the works, the Beats brand is just getting warmed up.
3. Apple Changes Super Bowl Commercials Forever
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
Date: June 1999
Programmer Shawn Fanning not only revolutionized the we share music on our computers, but also upended the entire music industry; so much so, it's still trying to recover. Napster let subscribers download and share files amongst a network of other users, eliminating the need to pay for copyrighted music and costing the RIAA millions in losses. Legal action would follow and the site was quickly shut down, but its impact on the digital age helped pave the way for some other popular sites: Facebook, MySpace, Megaupload, and Twitter.
1. The Y2K Scare
Date: Dec. 31, 1999
The world fell into a state of paranoia when the media blew the Y2K situation out of proportion. Analysts speculated computer networks across the globe would crash and cause a widespread malfunction that that would leave all of humanity without electricity, heat, and running water. All this hysteria was created over the uncertain issue of many computer programs being unable to distinguish the difference between 1900 and 2000. Skynet never took over the world and everyone tuned into the Dick Clark to see the ball drop at midnight. And life continued on.