Most retro tech dies when newer gadgets arrive. Not the Game Boy. This 1989 handheld solved portable gaming with its tough design and addictive games. It survived backpacks, beaches, and countless family road trips. The simple screen saved battery life while keeping games playable anywhere.
That staying power explains why collectors still hunt for them.
15. Nintendo Game Boy
In 1989, Nintendo forever changed portable gaming with the release of the Game Boy. This revolutionary handheld featured an 8-bit processor and monochromatic display that captivated millions of players worldwide. Its simple yet durable design could withstand accidents that would destroy today’s smartphones, making it accessible to gamers of all ages. Collectors and casual players alike still cherish these devices, with global sales reaching an astounding 118 million units. When you hold a Game Boy today, you’re not just holding a retro device—you’re holding a piece of gaming history that independent developers still support with new titles, ensuring this 35-year-old platform refuses to power down.
14. Instant Cameras
The world of photography transformed in 1948 when Polaroid introduced instant cameras, eliminating the need for darkroom processing. Within minutes, these ingenious devices produce physical photographs that can be immediately shared and displayed. A remarkable resurgence has occurred in recent years as younger generations seek tangible alternatives to digital imagery. Modern companies like Fujifilm have capitalized on this trend with their Instax line, which has achieved 10+ million unit sales annually. In an age where most photos remain trapped in digital purgatory, instant cameras solve the paradox of our photo-rich but print-poor culture by delivering immediate, physical memories that grace refrigerators rather than cloud storage.
13. Sony Walkman
Personal audio experienced a revolution in 1979 when Sony unveiled the Walkman, introducing truly portable music to the world. For the first time, individuals could enjoy private listening experiences while commuting, exercising, or simply walking around town. This groundbreaking device fundamentally altered music consumption patterns and laid the foundation for today’s streaming services and portable audio technology. Throughout its production history, Sony sold an impressive 400+ million Walkman devices across all variations. Every time you slip on headphones to escape into your personal soundtrack, you’re channeling the solitary listening revolution that the Walkman pioneered—a cultural shift that transformed music from a shared experience into an intimate companion for life’s journey.
12. Chainsaws
Originally conceived as medical tools in the 1830s (yes, really!), chainsaws evolved into essential forestry equipment by the early 20th century. These powerful cutting machines dramatically increased productivity by allowing a single operator to accomplish work previously requiring multiple laborers with hand saws. Today’s versions maintain the same fundamental design while incorporating crucial safety features such as chain brakes and anti-vibration systems. The global chainsaw market now represents a substantial $9.2 billion industry with widespread applications. While electric models have gained popularity, the distinctive growl of a gas-powered chainsaw remains forestry’s anthem—a sound that instantly communicates the raw power needed when nature’s giants must be tamed.
11. Cassette Tapes
Compact cassettes debuted in 1963 through Philips, democratizing music recording and distribution with an affordable, portable medium. The plastic enclosures containing magnetic tape enabled anyone to create personal recordings and mixtapes, fundamentally changing music consumption habits. Recent years have witnessed a surprising revival, with independent musicians embracing the format for its tactile, collectible nature. Major recording artists including Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber have contributed to this trend, helping drive a remarkable 74% increase in cassette sales recently. Where digital formats offer convenience but minimal commitment, cassettes demand attention—their physical rewinding and flipping rituals create a deliberate listening experience that forces even the most distracted modern consumers to slow down and truly engage with the music.
10. Vinyl Records
The late 1940s saw the emergence of vinyl records, a format that would dominate music distribution for decades through superior sound quality and expansive artwork. These meticulously crafted discs contain microscopic grooves that physically capture sound waves, transferring them through a stylus into amplified audio. After nearly disappearing in the early 2000s, vinyl has experienced a stunning resurrection with sales growing consistently since 2007. Current production plants operate at maximum capacity to meet demand that reached 41.3 million records in a recent year alone. If you’ve ever experienced the warm crackle before your favorite album begins playing on vinyl, you understand why this format refuses to die—it transforms music from background entertainment into a multisensory ritual that engages your eyes, ears, and hands in a way that clicking “play” on a streaming service never will.
9. Overhead Projectors
Educational and business presentations underwent a transformation in the 1940s with the introduction of overhead projectors. Through a clever arrangement of bright light sources and mirrors, these devices project transparent sheets onto walls or screens with remarkable clarity. Despite technological advances, many institutions continue using these reliable tools due to their operational simplicity and minimal maintenance requirements. The direct manipulation of transparencies provides presenters with dynamic capabilities free from compatibility concerns or technical failures. When your PowerPoint inevitably crashes mid-presentation, the humble overhead projector offers a compelling reminder that sometimes the most reliable solutions aren’t the newest ones—a lesson that continues to illuminate meeting rooms where failure simply isn’t an option.
8. Incandescent Light Bulbs
The commercial introduction of incandescent light bulbs by Thomas Edison in 1879 fundamentally transformed human environments and activities. These ingenious devices generate illumination by heating a wire filament until it glows, safely enclosed within a glass bulb that prevents oxidation. Despite energy efficiency regulations limiting their use in many regions, these traditional bulbs remain essential for specialized applications including ovens, refrigerators, and decorative fixtures. Their warm light spectrum offers qualities many consumers prefer over LED alternatives, explaining why billions remain in active use globally. The soft, flattering glow of incandescent light continues to grace intimate restaurants and historic homes—a subtle reminder that efficiency metrics sometimes fail to capture the qualitative aspects of human experience that make these century-old glass orbs irreplaceable in settings where ambiance matters most.
7. Typewriter
The office environment forever changed when Christopher Latham Sholes introduced the first commercially successful typewriter in 1868. Through an ingenious mechanical system, these devices strike ink-coated ribbons against paper to produce uniform text without the inconsistencies of handwriting. Several renowned authors including Cormac McCarthy and Tom Hanks still rely on typewriters for their creative work, valuing the distraction-free experience and physical connection to their writing. Modern manufacturers such as Olivetti and Olympia continue producing new models for a specialized but dedicated market. In an age of constant connectivity and digital distractions, the typewriter’s single-purpose design solves a problem many writers didn’t recognize they had—offering 100% protection from the notifications, updates, and endless rabbit holes that fragment our attention and dilute our creative focus.
6. The Pager: A Blast From The Past
The communications landscape expanded significantly when Motorola introduced the first successful consumer pager in 1956. These compact devices receive and display brief messages through radio transmissions, providing immediate notifications without requiring direct conversation. Healthcare professionals particularly depend on pagers for their exceptional reliability in hospital environments where cellular signals often prove unreliable or restricted. During natural disasters and emergencies, these devices maintain functionality when cellular networks become overwhelmed by excessive demand. While you might chuckle at seeing a doctor clip a pager to their belt in 2025, that seemingly antiquated device addresses a critical vulnerability of modern smartphones—providing multi-week battery life and nearly failproof communication when every second counts and more complex technologies crumble under pressure.
5. Windows XP: The Operating System That Won’t Die
Computing history took a significant turn when Microsoft released Windows XP in 2001, delivering an operating system that perfectly balanced powerful features with user accessibility. This landmark software introduced unprecedented stability improvements alongside a refined interface that many users still prefer over subsequent iterations. Financial institutions, manufacturing equipment, and retail systems continue relying on Windows XP due to specialized software compatibility requirements. Though Microsoft officially terminated support in 2014, an estimated millions of computers worldwide still operate on this platform. The next time you encounter XP’s iconic rolling hills wallpaper at your bank’s ATM or doctor’s office, consider it less a technological fossil and more a testament to engineering pragmatism—where the risk of upgrading mission-critical systems outweighs the benefits when something simply works too well to replace.
4. Landline Phones: The Reliable Connection
Communication fundamentally transformed when Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876, establishing technology that would evolve into modern landline networks. These wired systems provide voice transmission through physical connections to telecommunications infrastructure, ensuring exceptional reliability. During power outages, landlines continue functioning when cellular towers fail, making them crucial components of emergency preparedness strategies. Business environments particularly value their superior audio quality for conference calls and customer service operations. When you’ve experienced the frustration of dropped calls during emergencies, the fact that approximately 40% of American households maintain landline service makes perfect sense—these copper-wire lifelines represent not technological stubbornness but a pragmatic insurance policy against the fragility of wireless networks when communication becomes most critical.
3. Floppy Disks: The Unsung Heroes of Data Storage
Digital information storage took a revolutionary turn when IBM introduced the 8-inch floppy disk in 1971, creating the first truly portable digital medium. These plastic-encased magnetic disks allowed data transportation between computers, fundamentally changing information sharing capabilities. Surprisingly, the U.S. nuclear weapons program still utilizes these legacy devices for certain command systems due to their air-gapped security benefits. Industrial machinery, specialized medical equipment, and aviation systems frequently require these storage devices for firmware updates and configuration changes. While you might struggle to even find a computer with a floppy drive today, Japan’s government recently discovered an astonishing 10,000 administrative procedures still requiring them—proving that sometimes obsolescence isn’t determined by technological advancement but by the extraordinary cost and risk of upgrading the critical systems that control our most essential infrastructure. If you’re still curious about what else people used to use back in the day, here’s 15 things people couldn’t use in the 1960s.
2. Dot Matrix Printers: The Old School Printing Solution
Business printing operations expanded dramatically when Epson commercialized dot matrix printers in the 1970s, offering reliable mechanical printing for commercial applications. Through precise coordination, these devices strike ink-soaked ribbons with small pins that impact paper to create text and images. Logistics companies, automotive parts retailers, and airlines continue relying on these printers for multi-part forms that generate instant carbon copies. Their exceptional durability in harsh industrial environments provides advantages where dust and temperature fluctuations would quickly damage laser or inkjet alternatives. The distinctive rat-a-tat-tat soundtrack of shipping departments worldwide isn’t just nostalgia—it’s the sound of uninterrupted printing sessions solving the enduring business problem of documenting transactions with legally binding copies that exist simultaneously in multiple locations without requiring additional steps, power sources, or technologies.
1. The QWERTY Keyboard: A Layout That Stuck
Modern typing began taking shape when Christopher Sholes designed the QWERTY keyboard layout in 1873 to address mechanical typewriter limitations. By strategically positioning frequently used letter pairs apart, this arrangement prevented the jamming issues that plagued early typing machines. Despite the original mechanical constraints no longer existing, this layout remains standard on virtually all physical and digital input devices worldwide. Research indicates alternative arrangements might offer efficiency improvements, yet institutional inertia and widespread familiarity maintain QWERTY’s dominance. Look down at your fingers right now—they’re likely poised over the same letter arrangement that helped solve a mechanical problem 150 years ago, with educational systems worldwide teaching this specific layout to an estimated 1+ billion students annually despite its inefficiency, illustrating how deeply entrenched technologies can transcend their original purpose to become cultural constants resistant to even the most logical arguments for change.
