Flashback Friday to '80s technology

Ohlord Published 03/18/2022 in wow

Big. Bulky. Awkward. Expensive. We sure like to complain about the price of laptops and iPhones, but can I remind you of a time when they paid $5000 for computers that didn't connect to the internet (because that wasn't around then)

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1.
At about $2000 for a base model, it's no wonder Betamax didn't survive compared to just $1400 for VHS in the early '80s. Tapes ranged around $50
2.
Printer paper had to have the holy edges torn off. These made fun bracelets, headbands, and other strange art projects. There was something addictive about tearing these edges off. Found some of my dad's company's old printer paper a few years ago and kinda need more. ADDICTING.
3.
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Just a reminder, there was no internet. Computers were either for word processing or games.
5.
6.
Now we want the smallest of everything, in the '80s, it was about the size and bulk. Guys carried these on their shoulders.
7.
8.
Ninentdo and atari never felt the competition of this video game unit
9.
10.
Answering machines came out later in the '80s. Creating the perfect message took time, usually every family member saying hi or stating their name, a clever quip. Sometimes the messages went on for minutes. Just shoot me now.
11.
These were the tape decks in all of the schools and sometimes offices. The big orange button, when pressed with the play button, could record.
12.
Two cable boxes, the older unit in black with a turn dial and the newer one with buttons. That was how many channels existed.
13.
14.
15.
Travel clocks made great gifts. Everyone had one of these little clocks
16.
Cost of a cam corder: About $1500. I would imagine they weighed a near ton. Brick phones were $4000 and gave you a 1/2 hour of talk time per a charge. They also weighed 2 pounds. So stop complaining about your phone's battery life.
17.
Full gaming system with 2 controllers, fun, Super mario and duck hunt set you back $99.00 and parents everywhere scoffed at this waste of money
18.
A quarter a game
19.
The old Texas instruments computer connected to an old TV set. No monitor included
20.
Home printers became really worth while when they started printing color. The design was created using letters or symbols because printing pictures with pixels was only a dream
21.
22.
VHS was the winner of the betamax/VHS war, it was much cheaper, only around $200 by the mid 80s
23.
24.
Video games were very simple
25.
software was loaded onto bulky cartridges
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

1.
At about $2000 for a base model, it's no wonder Betamax didn't survive compared to just $1400 for VHS in the early '80s. Tapes ranged around $50
2.
Printer paper had to have the holy edges torn off. These made fun bracelets, headbands, and other strange art projects. There was something addictive about tearing these edges off. Found some of my dad's company's old printer paper a few years ago and kinda need more. ADDICTING.
3.
4.
Just a reminder, there was no internet. Computers were either for word processing or games.
5.
6.
Now we want the smallest of everything, in the '80s, it was about the size and bulk. Guys carried these on their shoulders.
7.
8.
Ninentdo and atari never felt the competition of this video game unit
9.
10.
Answering machines came out later in the '80s. Creating the perfect message took time, usually every family member saying hi or stating their name, a clever quip. Sometimes the messages went on for minutes. Just shoot me now.
11.
These were the tape decks in all of the schools and sometimes offices. The big orange button, when pressed with the play button, could record.
12.
Two cable boxes, the older unit in black with a turn dial and the newer one with buttons. That was how many channels existed.
13.
14.
15.
Travel clocks made great gifts. Everyone had one of these little clocks
16.
Cost of a cam corder: About $1500. I would imagine they weighed a near ton. Brick phones were $4000 and gave you a 1/2 hour of talk time per a charge. They also weighed 2 pounds. So stop complaining about your phone's battery life.
17.
Full gaming system with 2 controllers, fun, Super mario and duck hunt set you back $99.00 and parents everywhere scoffed at this waste of money
18.
A quarter a game
19.
The old Texas instruments computer connected to an old TV set. No monitor included
20.
Home printers became really worth while when they started printing color. The design was created using letters or symbols because printing pictures with pixels was only a dream
21.
22.
VHS was the winner of the betamax/VHS war, it was much cheaper, only around $200 by the mid 80s
23.
24.
Video games were very simple
25.
software was loaded onto bulky cartridges
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

At about $2000 for a base model, it's no wonder Betamax didn't survive compared to just $1400 for VHS in the early '80s. Tapes ranged around $50

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At about $2000 for a base model, it's no wonder Betamax didn't survive compared to just $1400 for VHS in the early '80s. Tapes ranged around $50

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NEXT GALLERY Ebaum's Gallery II

1. At about $2000 for a base model, it's no wonder Betamax didn't survive compared to just $1400 for VHS in the early '80s. Tapes ranged around $50

2. Printer paper had to have the holy edges torn off. These made fun bracelets, headbands, and other strange art projects. There was something addictive about tearing these edges off. Found some of my dad's company's old printer paper a few years ago and kinda need more. ADDICTING.

3.

4. Just a reminder, there was no internet. Computers were either for word processing or games.

5.

6. Now we want the smallest of everything, in the '80s, it was about the size and bulk. Guys carried these on their shoulders.

7.

8. Ninentdo and atari never felt the competition of this video game unit

9.

10. Answering machines came out later in the '80s. Creating the perfect message took time, usually every family member saying hi or stating their name, a clever quip. Sometimes the messages went on for minutes. Just shoot me now.

11. These were the tape decks in all of the schools and sometimes offices. The big orange button, when pressed with the play button, could record.

12. Two cable boxes, the older unit in black with a turn dial and the newer one with buttons. That was how many channels existed.

13.

14.

15. Travel clocks made great gifts. Everyone had one of these little clocks

16. Cost of a cam corder: About $1500. I would imagine they weighed a near ton. Brick phones were $4000 and gave you a 1/2 hour of talk time per a charge. They also weighed 2 pounds. So stop complaining about your phone's battery life.

17. Full gaming system with 2 controllers, fun, Super mario and duck hunt set you back $99.00 and parents everywhere scoffed at this waste of money

18. A quarter a game

19. The old Texas instruments computer connected to an old TV set. No monitor included

20. Home printers became really worth while when they started printing color. The design was created using letters or symbols because printing pictures with pixels was only a dream

21.

22. VHS was the winner of the betamax/VHS war, it was much cheaper, only around $200 by the mid 80s

23.

24. Video games were very simple

25. software was loaded onto bulky cartridges

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

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eBaum's Picks

1.
At about $2000 for a base model, it's no wonder Betamax didn't survive compared to just $1400 for VHS in the early '80s. Tapes ranged around $50

2.
Printer paper had to have the holy edges torn off. These made fun bracelets, headbands, and other strange art projects. There was something addictive about tearing these edges off. Found some of my dad's company's old printer paper a few years ago and kinda need more. ADDICTING.

4.
Just a reminder, there was no internet. Computers were either for word processing or games.

6.
Now we want the smallest of everything, in the '80s, it was about the size and bulk. Guys carried these on their shoulders.

8.
Ninentdo and atari never felt the competition of this video game unit

10.
Answering machines came out later in the '80s. Creating the perfect message took time, usually every family member saying hi or stating their name, a clever quip. Sometimes the messages went on for minutes. Just shoot me now.

11.
These were the tape decks in all of the schools and sometimes offices. The big orange button, when pressed with the play button, could record.

12.
Two cable boxes, the older unit in black with a turn dial and the newer one with buttons. That was how many channels existed.

15.
Travel clocks made great gifts. Everyone had one of these little clocks

16.
Cost of a cam corder: About $1500. I would imagine they weighed a near ton. Brick phones were $4000 and gave you a 1/2 hour of talk time per a charge. They also weighed 2 pounds. So stop complaining about your phone's battery life.

17.
Full gaming system with 2 controllers, fun, Super mario and duck hunt set you back $99.00 and parents everywhere scoffed at this waste of money

18.
A quarter a game

19.
The old Texas instruments computer connected to an old TV set. No monitor included

20.
Home printers became really worth while when they started printing color. The design was created using letters or symbols because printing pictures with pixels was only a dream

22.
VHS was the winner of the betamax/VHS war, it was much cheaper, only around $200 by the mid 80s

24.
Video games were very simple

25.
software was loaded onto bulky cartridges