We’ve already been through numbers 80 through 21, and now we’re here with another 10 unbelievable gadgets from the ’80s! Are you ready for another gadget-heavy blast from the past? Take notes – you might want to look for some of these on eBay.
Number Twenty: Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100. Introduced in 1983, this gadget is still considered to be one of the best laptops ever built by experts. More than six million units were sold worldwide.
Number Nineteen: Simon. One of the most addicting memory games, 1980’s Simon lasted well into the ’90s as a toy that children of all ages could enjoy. Perhaps what was most addicting about this touch and go game is that it was both rewarding and incredibly frustrating at times.
Number Eighteen: Sharp Wizard OZ-7000 Personal Organizer. Introduced in 1989, this gadget was one of the first digital organizers and was appealing to many busy businessmen and women of the time. The personal organizer boasted a memo pad, phone book and calendar.
Number Seventeen: Betamax. Once it entered the market, Betamax quickly became the go-to media player for many middle-class families. It was introduced in 1980 and remained popular throughout most of the decade.
Number Sixteen: RCA Dimensia TV. Introduced in 1987, the RCA Dimensia TV boasted the highest picture quality of any television at the time. The TV even had an automatic light sensor that could automatically adjust for brightness and picture quality, which was unprecedented at the time.
Number Fifteen: The Clapper. Lights on, lights off! Even if you weren’t alive during the ’80s, you’re probably familiar with the clapper, which enabled people to turn lights on and off without physically hitting a switch. It was introduced in 1985.
Number Fourteen: IBM 5150. Introduced in 1981, IBM’s first PC wasn’t covered in glitter, but it was incredibly influential. What most people aren’t aware of is that this PC was capable of running PC-DOS, CPM-86 and UCSD PASCAL, which was unheard of at the time.
Number Thirteen: E-mu SP-1200. This gadget, which functioned as a drum machine and sampler, is representative of the hip hop industry at the time. Introduced in 1987, artists such as Pete Rock and Dr. Dre have used this sampler.
Number Twelve: Nikon F3. Introduced in 1983, the Nikon F3 was used prolifically by professional photographers throughout the ’80s. It was most widely respected for its aperture-priority automatic exposure control.
Number Eleven: Epson HX-20. And last but not least, we have the Epson HX-20, which was introduced in 1983. Once it entered the commercial market, the Epson HX-20 quickly became known as the world’s first handheld computer.
