relax Panasonic VHS takes up to 4 hour
here hidden is the push button panel
suppose you want to Dial
23650 Dial each numeral the 1980s
brought technologies that shaped our
daily lives VHS tapes audio cassettes
and beepers were once essential but how
did our routines evolve as we traded in
these tools for modern conveniences and
what drove the ship from beepers to the
smartphones we can't live without join
us as we explore 25 things from the
1980s once necessary now completely
obsolete if you have trouble programming
your VCR may we suggest a Panasonic you
see you can program One Straight Out of
the Box VHS tapes and VCRs were key to
home entertainment in the 1980s VHS
tapes short for video home system were
cassette tapes that recorded and played
videos while VCRs or video cassette
recorders were the devices used to play
them families gathered around the TV to
watch rented movies or recorded TV shows
VHS tapes were large and could hold up
to 2 hours of video though their picture
and sound quality were not as clear as
today's digital formats VCRs were also
bulky and needed regular maintenance to
avoid damaging tapes DVDs Blu-rays and
streaming services provide better
quality and
convenience VHS tapes transformed home
entertainment but what about how we
communicated let's explore rotary dial
telephones it's nice having friends you
can depend on like genuine Bell I chose
Bild because they make him like they
used to rotary dial telephones were
common in homes and offices in the 1980s
these phones had a circular dial with
holes for each number to make a call
users placed their finger in the hole
for the chosen number and turn the dial
until it hit a metal stop sending
electrical pulses to the telephone
exchange to connect the call rotary
phones were durable and didn't need
electricity making them reliable during
power outages dialing numbers especially
with many digits took time push button
phones faster and easier to use became
popular in the 1980s and by the 1990s
rotary phones had mostly
disappeared why panic when you can rely
on maxel super rd2 floppy discs with
their distinctive multi-layer liner
unique disc service treatment floppy
discs were an essential tool for storing
and transferring data these thin
flexible magnetic storage devices were
enclosed in a square plastic case and
came in sizes like 5 and 1/4 in and 3
and 1/2 in they held between 360 KOB and
1.44 mbytes of data which was
significant then people use floppy discs
for tasks such as saving documents and
running software they were portable and
easy to use requ requiring insertion
into a disc drive connected to the
computer despite their convenience
floppy disc were vulnerable to damage
from dust heat and magnetic fields by
the early 2000s they had become Obsolete
and were replaced by more advanced
storage options she's a certified
goddess your soulmate waiting to happen
without your Motorola Pedra you would
have missed her cuz you were out doing
guy stuff pagers also called beepers
were essential devices for staying
connected they were small and portable
capable of receiving messages and
alerting users with a beeper of
vibration used by doctors emergency
responders and professionals they
allowed people to stay reachable at all
times a pager would display a phone
number or short message prompting users
to find a phone and return the call
pagers were reliable and worked in areas
without cell phones using radio
frequencies to avoid network issues
despite their reliability pagers could
only receive short numeric or text
messages with mobile phones offering
more features pagers became outdated in
the
1990s answering machines with cassette
tapes were a common household feature in
the 1980s these devices allowed people
to record and replay messages left by
callers when they couldn't answer the
phone the machine stored the outgoing
greetings and incoming messages on a
small cassette tapes callers heard the
recorded greeting and left their
messages on the tape these machines were
useful for busy families and
professionals ensuring no important
calls were missed tapes had limited
storage required frequent rewinding or
replacing and could tangle or break with
digital technology in the 1990s these
machines were replaced by more reliable
voicemail
Services answering machines transform
communication but how did portable Cent
players further change our listening
habits let's
explore the music with Sony Walkman the
Sony Walkman is a tiny stereo cassette
player with truly incredible sound the
Walkman and portable cassette players
were groundbreaking Gadgets in the 1980s
that changed how people listen to music
introduced by Sony in 1979 the Walkman
allowed music lovers to take their
favorite songs anywhere it was small
lightweight and came with headphones
perfect for jogging commuting or
relaxing in the park users could create
mixtapes giving their listing experience
a personal t much long before digital
players arrived as digital technology
advanced in the late 1990s and early
2000s CDs MP3 players and smartphones
replace these devices recently there has
been renewed interest in vintage audio
equipment including cassette
players the one and only Southwestern
Bella pag it gets beat up
bruised battered phone books were
essential tools for finding contact
information back then these large books
divided into White Pages for residential
listings and Yellow Pages for businesses
were delivered to every household each
year in specific areas they contained
individuals and companies names
addresses and phone numbers people used
them to find friends neighbors or local
Services the Yellow Pages were
especially helpful for locating
businesses from plumbers to restaurants
the rise of the internet and digital
technology made phone books unnecessary
as online directories provided instant
access mobile phones caller ID and
environmental concerns also contributed
to the decline of phone books reducing
paper waste and resource
use at first IBM electric typewriters
made typing easier then we improved the
way typing looked and revolutionized its
touch and feel typewriters were
essential tools for riding and office
tasks these machines allow people to
type characters onto paper by striking
an ink ribbon they were used for writing
letters reports and manuscripts typ
writers were reliable and could function
for many years with proper care the
sound of keys hitting the paper and
ciding ink letters was common however
typewriters became outdated with the
rise of personal computers and word
processors in the late 20th century
computers allowed users to edit save and
print documents easily offering features
like spell check and text formatting
which made typewriters less
practical typewriters faded as computers
took over but how did people manage
copies before
photocopiers let's explore carbon
paper carbon
paper here they are sir carbon paper was
a common tool for making copies of
documents in the 1980s it was a thin
sheet coated with a layer of carbon
based ink
when placed between two sheets of paper
writing or typing on the top transfers
the ink onto the bottom creating a
duplicate this method was widely used in
offices for copying invoices receipts
and other important documents the term
CC and emails meaning carbon copy came
from this practice the rise of
photocopiers and digital technology made
carbon paper outdated photocopiers
allowed quick and easy duplication of
documents while computers and PR
simplify the process enabling users to
create and print multiple copies easily
have you seen the elf the elf does its
magic with Advanced photo system film
Presto it's loaded now take super shots
in three different sizes in the 1980s
film cameras were the main way to
capture memories these cameras used
roles of film that had to be developed
in Photo Labs people would drop off
their films at photo development shops
and wait days to see their pictures
the excitement of picking up printed
photos created a special experience
shared with family and friends film
cameras required careful handling in
skill since each rooll allowed only a
limited number of shots the late 1990s
and early 2000s digital Revolution made
film cameras and photo development shops
mostly outdated digital cameras and
smartphones provide instant previews on
limited storage and easy sharing on
social media despite this shift interest
in film photography grew among
enthusiasts who valued its artistic
qualities and the nostalgic feel of
physical prints the Rolodex was an
important tool for organizing contact
information in the
1980s this rotating file system sat on
office desks and held cards with names
phone numbers and addresses each card
flipped easily making it simple to find
the contact needed the Rolodex
represented professionalism and
efficiency helping people track their
business and personal connections with
the rise of digital technology the
Rolodex became outdated personal
computers and later smartphones
introduced digital contact lists and
address books these tools provided more
convenience allowing users to easily
store search and update contact
information cloud storage ensured
contacts remained accessible even if a
device was lost or
damaged in the 1980s mapbooks and fold
out paper maps were vital for navigation
whether planning a road trip or
searching for a new restaurant these
Maps were essential tools mapbooks kept
in car glove compartments provided
detailed routes and landmarks foldout
Maps which could be difficult to refold
offered a wide view of regions or cities
they were necessary for travelers and
adventurers alike the rise of digital
technology made these paper maps
outdated GPS devices and smart phone
applications like Google Maps change
navigation these digital tools provided
realtime updates turn BYT turn
directions and traffic alerts making
travel more convenient and
efficient with the decline of paper maps
how did communication change with a rise
of pay phones let's explore wrap up the
basbo contract so you find a US West pay
phone because for a dollar you can make
a longdistance call to anyone in
northern Oregon in the 1980s public pay
phones were common on street corners
shopping malls and gas stations these
coin operated phones were necessary for
making calls when people were away from
home individuals carried coins or phone
cards to use these phones which were
placed in booths for privacy pay phones
provided an important way to communicate
especially during emergencies or for
travelers needing to check in with
family or friends as mobile phones
became cheaper and more available the
need for payones decreased
by the early 2000s many payones were
removed because of fewer users and high
maintenance costs today finding a
working pay phone is rare and they're
seen as reminders of the past I can't
believe I get all these channels for
free and an HD Clear TV is for real TV
antenna adjusters were essential tools
for households in the 1980s these
devices helped improve the position of
rooftop or indoor antennas to get the
best television signal before digital
broadcasting and cable television
signals came over the air and their
quality depended on the antenna's
direction and placement adjusters let
users rotate and tilt their antennas to
capture clear pictures and sound using a
TV antenna adjuster requires patience
and skill families gathered around the
TV while one person adjusted the antenna
and others shouted feedback about the
picture quality despite the difficulties
these adjusters played an important role
in ensuring enjoyable TV viewing
experiences at Home Video Express you'll
find over 10,000 videos including a huge
selection of current releases plus video
rental stores were key to home
entertainment in the 1980s families and
friends went to these stores to rent VHS
tapes to the latest movies and TV shows
browsing through colorful VHS covers
picking out a movie and bringing it home
for a cozy night in was popular
well-known chains like Blockbuster and
Hollywood Video provided various films
and video games the process was simple
customers choose a movie Rent It it for
a few days and returned it by the due
date to avoid late fees these stores
served as social hubs where people
discovered new films and shared
recommendations with staff knowing
customers
preferences the rise of digital
technology and streaming services like
Netflix and Hulu made video rental
stores no longer necessary
dot matrix printers were popular in the
1980s and found in many offices and
homes these printers had a print head
that moved back and forth hitting an ink
soaked ribbon against paper to create
characters and images tiny pins on the
print head made patterns of dots which
combined to produce text and simple
Graphics although noisy and slow
compared to today's printers Matrix
printers were appreciated for their
ability and ability to print on
multi-art forms making them great for
invoices and receipts they could also
use continuous feed paper which allowed
for printing long documents without
reloading
frequently despite their usefulness the
print quality was low and the noise was
a concern in busy
environments dot matrix printers pav the
way for efficient Document Handling but
what replaced them now let's explore fax
machines put your request on paper and
send it on a Pitney Bose faimily machine
your message is there and the answer is
back in seconds thanx machines were
essential for businesses and offices in
the 1980s they allowed people to send
documents quickly over telephone lines a
fax machine scanned a document turned it
into a bit map and sent it as audio
tones the receiving fax machine decoded
these tones and printed the document
this groundbreaking technology enabled
almost instant document sharing across
long
distances with the rise of the internet
and digital communication fax machines
became outdated email and cloud storage
offer faster more efficient and more
secure ways to share documents without
dating paper ink or a dedicated phone
line some Industries like healthcare and
law still use fax machines for security
and
reliability in the 1980s analog car
dashboards were the standard these
dashboards featured physical gauges
dials that displayed information like
speed fuel level and engine temperature
each indicator had a needle that moved
to show the current status providing
drivers with important information at a
glance the Simplicity and reliability of
these analog systems made them popular
in cars for many years as technology
progressed digital dashboards replaced
analog ones digital dashboards use LED
or LCD screens to display a wide range
of data including navigation multi media
and vehicle diagnostics all in one place
this shift rendered analog dashboards
mostly outdated this is a personal
digital assistant a PDA in fact this is
the expert pad from sharp it's their
version of a Newton in fact it uses
Newton technology from Apple personal
digital assistant or pdas were
groundbreaking devices in the 1980s
and90s these pocket siiz gadgets help
people manage personal information like
contacts calendars and notes early
models like the Pyon organizer and Apple
Newton had small screens and required a
stylus for input pdas gained popularity
because they provided a portable way to
organize tasks and information marking a
significant technological advancement as
smartphones emerged in the late 2000s
they quickly replace pdas smartphones
combine PDA features with phone calls
texting and internet access the iPhone
and Android phones offer touchscreens
applications and powerful processors
making them much more versatile than
PDA here hidden is the push button panel
it operates exactly in the same way as
the wireless remote unit remote controls
for TVs and VCRs in the80s had cords and
were common in homes these remotes were
connected to devices using a long cable
which makes it difficult for users to
move around freely unlike today's
Wireless remotes these cord ones
required people to sit close to the TV
or VCR making it necessary to stretch
the cord across the living room which
could cause someone to trip their main
purpose was to change channels adjust
the volume and control VCR playback
while they were a helpful improvement
over manually operating the devices they
quickly became outdated as technology
improved leading to wireless remotes
with features like voice control and
touchscreens while corded remotes
simplified TV watching could slide
projectors have transformed family photo
sharing let's explore perfect way to
show and enjoy the color slides you took
last
summer it's the new Kodak 300 color
slide
projector slide projectors were
essential devices in homes and offices
during the 1980s they displayed
photographic slides which were small
clear images placed in frames the
projector would shine light through the
slide making the image larger on a
screen wall this allowed families to
share vacation photos and teachers to
present classroom
lessons many people enjoyed Gathering to
watch slides of trips and the
distinctive click sound when changing
slides became familiar despite their
popularity slide projectors had some
downsides they were large and needed
careful handling of slides and the bulbs
required regular
replacement the dominant advantages of
all microf forms are their ease of
handling and their Savings in storage
area microfish readers were important
Tools in libraries during the 1980s
these machines allowed people to view
microfish small sheets of film with tiny
images of documents libraries use
microfish to keep information in small
spaces such as newspapers academic
journals and historical records users
place the microfish sheet into the
reader to read these small images which
enlarge the images on a screen microfish
readers were especially helpful for
researchers and students who needed to
access old or rare documents instead of
handling delicate Originals they could
View and print copies from the microfish
using these machines required patience
and skill as users had to manually
navigate through the images spending
hours in dimly lit Library
basements Stak Sharp's giant picture
tube TV for real life the clarity of
sharp smaller TVs is now on a 35 in
screen with real stereo found cathode
ray tube monitors and televisions were
the foundation of home entertainment and
Computing these large devices with deep
backs and heavy glass screens were the
standard for displaying images and
videos CRT technology works by sending
electrons from the back of the tube
toward the screen which is coated with
phosphor dots when the electrons hit
these dots they glow creating the images
people see in the 1980s CRTs filled
living rooms and computer desks they
were necessary for watching television
shows playing video games and using
computers despite their popularity CRTs
had significant drawbacks they were
heavy used much power took up a lot of
space and had a noticeable flicker that
could strain the eyes during prolonged
use computers word processing there's no
mystery to word star a simple disc
contains everything necessary to put
your business information into print
dedicated word processor served as vital
tools for ERS and office workers in the
1980s these machines combine the
features of a typewriter and a computer
enabling users to easily type edit and
print documents unlike modern computers
dedicated word processors Focus solely
on word processing tasks in the 1980s
they were a significant improvement over
typewriters featuring small screens for
text previews build-in storage for
saving documents and the ability to fix
mistakes without retyping entire Pages
popular brands included Wang brother and
Smith Corona and these devices were
found in offices and homes despite their
advantages dedicated word processors
were bulky costly and less versatile
than personal computers which soon
replaced them as they became more
affordable and
Powerful better life is taking your
favorite music wherever you go or taping
it wherever you are with a Sano tape
[Music]
record audio cassette tape recorders
were essential for students journalist
and Professionals in the
1980s these portable devices let users
record lectures interviews and meetings
easily the process was straightforward
users inserted a blank cassette tape
pressed the record button and captured
audio through the build-in microphone in
that era audio cassette recorders
represented a major improvement over
earlier real tooreal tape recorders they
were smaller easier to use and more
affordable leading Brands like Sony p
ponic and Phillips provided various
models with features such as voice
activation which started recording
automatically when someone spoke still
cassette tape recorders face challenges
tapes could tangle or get damaged and
the audio quality could have been
clearer finding specific parts of a
recording required rewinding or fast
forwarding the tape which consumed time