Image via Complex Original
Each day you're presented with an endless stream of advertisements trying to persuade you to cop the newest and latest gadgets. Our job here is to help you wade through that mess and pick the best ones. However, today we're going to switch it up and take you back before there was a new Android phone released every week. To a time before touch screens and 4G networks; a time before Apple was the most valuable company on the planet.
We went through eBay and found a bunch of dope vintage technology. Why would you want to buy old gadgets? Well, because they're cool. They give you sense of how far we've come. And they're cool. Some have reached the level of art piece, while others would just be cool to have around the crib. While only true geeks will truly geek out at a pristine Commodore PET, everyone can appreciate an old Leica or Motorola DynaTAC. Keep reading to see what we found.
Commodore PET 2001-8
Price: $1,500
If you know the story of Apple, you may remember a moment when Steve Jobs offered to sell the Apple II to Commodore, the popular consumer electronics company that made its name selling trumped up calculators. Of course, Jack Tramiel, the head guy at Commodore turned down Jobs offer, and decided that his team should build its own personal computer. The result was the Commodore PET. Built on the same idea computer-as-appliance idea Jobs had for the Macintosh, the PET was supposed to be a computer you could use right out of the box, without having to attach or install anything. Despite selling well during its six-year production run, very few people remember the PET.
Motorola DynaTAC 8000
Price: $123.50 (current bid)
At this point, the phone made popular by Zack Morris and Gordon Gekko is best used as a piece of art. Cop one of these, put it somewhere visible in your living room and we guarantee people will ask about it when they come to your crib.
Macintosh 128k Prototype
Price: $99,995
In the final hours of the Macintosh development, the team decided to switch out the floppy disk drive and go with a 3.5" disk drive from Sony that proved to be, among other things, newer and more reliable. What we have here is one of the prototype Macs that still have the floppy disk drive. To say this is rare is, as 2 Chainz would say, an understatement. If you want a real piece of Apple history, here you go.
Sentinel 284NR
Price: $4,120
Not only do vintage radios look amazing, but when they're properly restored—like this one—they can still be used and sound great. Back when TV was tipped to be the next big thing, the Sentinel 284-NR was styled to look like a television set of the time.
Sony Walkman TPS-L2
Price: $54
Here's a chance to own a piece of pop culture history. Back when the idea of walking around with your music was still a fantasy to most, Sony came out with the Walkman portable cassette player. Dreamt up and created by Sony's co-founders, the Walkman changed the way people listened to music. Fun fact: Before coming up with the Walkman name, Sony called the Walkman the "Soundabout".
Leica M2
Price: $979
The Leica M2 is one the most lauded cameras in history. Introduced in 1957, the little brother to the M3 was used by a number of the world's top photographers, including Alberto Korda who used to to photograph the iconic photographic Che Guevara. Despite being over 50 years old, many M2s are still in use today.
RIM Interactive Pager
Price: $1,249
This one's for all you #TeamBlackBerry members. Before the company was trying to figure out how to stay relevant, it was pushing the boundaries with dope messaging products like the Interactive Pager. This one is unused and brand new, and while you may not be able to use it (you'd have to check with your service provider), it can help think back to the (RIMS) happier days.
Microsoft Windows
Price: $7,500
What we have here is an unopened, brand new Microsoft Windows version 1.0 in the original box with all the original documents and manuals, and even a letter from Intel. So what it's not a gadget? This is going to be in a museum someday.
Motorola DPC 550
Price: $150
One of the most popular cell phones in the late 80s, early 90s was the Motorola MicroTAC. Light, easy to use, and teeming with technology, the MicroTAC set the standard for what a flip phone should be. there was one problem: they were crazy expensive. To give folks without a corner office the opportunity to stunt, Motorola released an affordable version, the DPC 550. Though most came in light or dark gray, some, like this model, came in a rare "bone" color.
NextCube
Price: $2,000
You guys should know the story by now: After being ousted from Apple, Steve Jobs took some time away and decided to start another computer company by the name of NeXT. Combinging cutting edge hardware, software, and design, the company's NeXT Cube was well received but sold poorly. However, that shouldn't take away from the Cube's importance. Made for the education segment, it became a hit with computer scientists, and wound up being the world's first web server on the Internet. We like to believe that the Cube is MoMa bound.