Modern technology is constantly evolving; with new devices like the iPhone 14 taking over the marketplace, it is hard to keep up with what gadgets are obsolete and which are current. With the constantly moving cycle of innovation, consumers are leaving behind their old devices faster than ever, causing plenty of useful gadgets to collect dust, especially those from periods like the 80s that experienced a technological boom.
Despite being left behind for the sake of modernity, plenty of gadgets from the 80s could be used in the modern era and make consumers' lives easier even though they are not as advanced as the tech they are accustomed to.
10 Fax Machines
Fax machines were the pinnacle of office technology in the 1980s. Eventually, they were replaced by paperless methods of communicating, like email. However, the fax machine has not yet faded into total obsolescence, with many offices still using the now-dated tech.
Fax machines transmit messages just as quickly as an email but don't get lost in waves of incoming messages or pushed into a spam folder where they may not be seen promptly. Despite not being one of the most advanced pieces of technology, the fax machine is possibly one of the most valuable methods of communication from the 80s.
9 Boombox
Boomboxes have been replaced by smaller, sleeker Bluetooth speakers that wirelessly connect to phones, laptops, and other compatible devices. Still, few of these speakers match the volume and lifespan of a Boombox. With giant speakers, Boomboxes could be heard from long distances and by everyone at a party, making it the ultimate music device to have, even now.
While other speakers produce good sound quality, the batteries can die at a moment's notice changing the vibe of a party at the drop of a hat. Plus, a Boombox can play anything from the radio (which phones can not play without an app) to cassettes (which are now collector's items), with some having auxiliary plug-ins that could connect to modern phones.
8 Air Popper
With kitchen appliances getting just as advanced as phones and computers, consumers have been cycling out their cooking gadgets as quickly as they change their phones. The Air Popper dropped out of popularity with the more convenient microwave popcorn coming into popularity, but instant popcorn doesn't have the same taste as freshly popped.
Air Poppers ensure that all kernels are popped, whereas microwave popcorn is often underdone or completely burned. Even though this 1980s gadget has been forgotten, this device could be helpful today with more people staying home to watch movies instead of going to a theater to get fresh popcorn.
7 Hair Crimper
Hairstyles come and go, but one of the most iconic hair trends of the 80s was crimped hair. The crimper was eventually replaced with hair tools like wavers that functioned similarly but gave more of a curl than a crimp as the crimped hairstyle went out of fashion.
But as with all trends, the crimped style is coming back, with influencers leaning toward a smaller wavy style over big bombshell curls previously in style in the 2010s. The crimper is one of the most -friendly hair tools in history, as it only takes a slight squeeze of the plates to get the desired style and requires no hairstyling knowledge.
6 Nintendo GameBoy
The 1980s was a critical time for Nintendo and their video game consoles as it was a decade of releases that changed the gaming industry, including the Game Boy, which changed handheld gaming forever. While the graphics and screens have been replaced by clearer, more colorful handheld devices, the idea of the Game Boy is still something that could be useful and entertaining for gamers.
Compared to newer handheld gaming devices like the Switch, Game Boy is more compact, making it easier to travel and store. The simplicity of the games makes it easy for anyone to play and develop a love for gaming.
5 Camcorder
Camcorders were the best way to capture home movies in the 80s and are often featured in the best modern movies set in the 80s showing how standard these cameras were and how important they were to the era. Now with people being able to film everything on their phones with no tape required, camcorders have been forgotten; however, these larger cameras can still be used today. Camcorders can hold hours of film until the tape needs to be changed, whereas phones can only hold as much video as the device's memory.
This leaves many s with the task of removing files from their phones to make room for videos, and still, they can not hold hours of video unless there is a lot of memory free on the device. VHS tapes can still be purchased online for low prices giving s plenty of tapes to fill with memories.
4 VCR
With the convenience of streaming services and smaller, sleeker DVD players, VCRs faded into obscurity with other tech from the 80s. While films are not produced on VHS anymore, the VCR is still useful for movie buffs who have made a hobby of collecting classic films on tape and still want to view their favorite movies by converting them to discs or letting them collect dust in a box in storage.
VCRs offer a nostalgic experience with selecting a tape, placing it in the player, and fast-forwarding or rewinding to the perfect place on the video. Also, many classic films have yet to make their way to streaming or are not always available as streaming services cycle out their selection of entertainment, leaving movie fans to get another service that has the film they want or find something else to watch. VCRs take away this frustration for those who still have VHS and want to watch whatever movie they want whenever they want.
3 Sony Walkman
Sony Walkman allowed people of the 1980s to listen to the best 80s songs, some of which television shows have popularized and have been featured in shows like Stranger Things showing just how instrumental these devices were at the time and that people were never without them, as modern-day music listeners are never without their phones to play their favorite songs. While cell phones can play music anywhere, they don't have the function of social listening that the Walkman had, with two headphone jacks.
Sharing a song requires the file to be sent to another device or playing the music out loud, which isn't ideal for public settings. Even though cassettes are not as functional anymore, the idea of the Walkman is still helpful and should be explored, even for the social listening aspect alone.
2 The Clapper
There is nothing worse than lying in bed after a long day and realizing the lights are still on. The Clapper promised to take away this frustration by plugging it in and clapping to turn lights on and off. Many home lighting systems can be controlled by apps now, but most homes still use regular light switches that require getting up and going to the location of the switch to turn lights on or off.
The Clapper is still useful for those who are differently abled or have to use mobility devices to light their homes, whether coming home at night or turning everything off for the night. The device is also convenient when dark and light switches are hard to locate.
1 Speak and Spell
Before kids were using iPads to learn how to read, write, and spell, the Speak and Spell allowed children to see words spelled out in front of them while also hearing the words they were trying to learn. The Speak and Spell are still useful since their simple design is easy for children to learn, but it doesn't provide distractions as an iPad or tablet can.
The device requires no Wi-Fi making it perfect for travel or if parents don't want their children using apps connected to the internet. Speak and Spell could be utilized for children learning to read who come across a word they don't know, allowing them to expand their vocabulary faster.