Most of the technologies that we have used in the past have been replaced by the remarkable technologies that we use today. Advances in their design have occurred in tandem with the advances in technology in this digital era, with many large products being redesigned and miniaturized into amazingly small sizes. While we may laugh at the fact that anyone ever found this technology to be cutting-edge, we can’t avoid its place in history as a forerunner for all of the technology we are using today. And if you were born in the 1970s or earlier, chances are that most of these technologies still occupy a special place in your heart.

Compact Cassette

The Compact Cassette was commonly called cassette tape or audio cassette. It was a magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Compact Cassette was one of the two most common formats for prerecorded music between the early 1970s and the late 1990s. The compact cassette was originally developed for transcription purposes, and its users quickly realized that they could use it to record music and make “mixed tapes”. These devices were considerably less bulky than reel to reel tape recorders and were used mostly for transcription.

Transistor Radios

Transistor Radios were small portable radio receiver which became the most popular electronic communication device in history during 1960s and 1970s. Transistor radios typically only picked up on the AM band and were a ubiquitous sight in schools and businesses in the seventies. Transistor radios were later replaced by devices with higher audio quality, portable CD players, personal audio players, and boom boxes.

VHS Format

Video Home System (VHS) was the predominant video format by the 1980’s . Developed by Victor Company of Japan (JVC) in the 1970s it was standard for consumer-level use of analog recording on videotape cassettes. The magnetic tape video recording system became a major contributor to the television industry in the 1950s. The device was used merely in expensive professional environments such as television studios and medical imaging (fluoroscopy) on those days. The videotape was later entered home use in the 1970’s.

Phonograph/ Gramophone
Thomas Edison invented phonograph in 1877. In its later forms it was also called gramophone. It was mass market by the turn of the century. The gramophone was replaced by the considerably less bulky record player in the latter half of the twentieth century.  

Boom Boxes

Boom Box device was typically capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music. Associated with hip hop, break-dancing, and other aspects of eighties culture, the boom box was introduced in American market during the mid-1970s as portable. Earlier models took huge quantities of batteries and were very heavy. Most boom boxes were battery-operated, leading to extremely heavy and bulky boxes. Philips of the Netherlands, the inventor of the audio compact cassette,  first developed the boombox. Their first ‘Radiorecorder’ was released in 1969.

PDA’S

Considered one of the biggest tech flops of all time, the Apple Newton was sold at a huge price point compared to other Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) that were on the market. Personal digital assistants were electronic timekeepers for the times when you couldn’t fit a computer in your pocket. The Newton’s development laid the groundwork for Apple’s hugely successful iPod and iPhone. Who’s laughing now?

Typewriters

After the invention in the 1860s, typewriters quickly became essential tools for practically all writing other than personal correspondence. After the availability of personal computers and word processors in 1980, typewriters have largely been displaced by computer. But till now the typewriter is seen to use in some parts of the world, including Bangladesh. It now becomes an outdated gadgets after coming computer in the market.

Analog Telephones

While exactly who invented the phone is a topic of debate, the first patent was awarded to Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. They have evolved from rotary dial models to smart phones that we can use today to surf the internet.

Discmans

Two years after the mass production of the Compact Disc, Sony released its portable player for it. While they were popular with audiophiles, who appreciated the quality of recording, earlier Discmans would skip and didn’t allow for the popular “mix tapes” until it became possible for computers to “burn” CD’s.

Pagers

Pagers were commonly used from the seventies to the nineties, when widespread adoption of cell phones rendered them obsolete for mass market use. They are still used by emergency responders as they are not subject to network outages or similar disruptions in communication.

Telegraph

The telegraph was the precursor to telex and fax machines. Telegraph was used to send messages without the physical exchange. Used by shipping operators and for military uses, the telegraph required a skilled operator to transmit and receive messages.

Walkman

The Walkman was invented for the co-chairman of Sony, Akio Morita, who wanted to be able to listen to his favorite operas on plane trips. It was initially marketed as the Soundabout in North America, but the “Walkman” name was used for the product up until the present day.

Y&I desk