The nineties were a time of rapid, never before seen technological advancement. And while some of the gadgets developed in those days failed to succeed on the open market, or succumbed to the ever changing technological landscape, the ideas behind them set the cornerstone for the second techno-boom and the high-tech gadgets we rely on today. Let’s have a look (in no particular order) at ten items that you may remember fondly from those times.
1. The Nintendo 64
At a time when other competitors were just coming out with 32 bit gaming consoles, Nintendo went a step ahead and brought forth the Nintendo64, opening up a whole new world for gaming addicts everywhere: this console was capable of 3D graphics, and the game Mario64 is still considered one of the best 3D games of all times.
2. The Tamagotchi
Out of the many things we remember fondly from the nineties, the virtual pet – Tamagotchi, is the one that woke us up at night demanding attention, cleaning or food. This egg-shaped plastic toy had nineties kids caring for it better than if it was a real pet.
3. Nokia 5110
Probably one of the most popular, enduring and resilient Nokia mobiles ever created, the 5110 came with the option of snap-on covers in various colors, had the game Snake installed, a phonebook, alarm clock, and supported text messaging. What more could you have wanted from a cell phone in 1998?
4. iMac G3
The iMac G3 from Apple was the first all-in-one computer to come out on the market, paving the way for every other similar device that followed in its footsteps. It ran the first version of OS X, and with its uniquely modern design it became widely popular since it came out in 1998.
5. The Gameboy
Nintendo really hit the spot in 1990 when they put out the Gameboy. Arguably the most popular portable gaming system ever created, the device was a huge battery-hog but hey, who was complaining when you could play your favourite 8-bit games on the go?
6. Sony Discman
This 1995 release of Sony’s portable CD player gave music aficionados high quality playback of their favorite CDs while sporting a stylish design and features such as hold and anti-shock protection that insured smooth playback.
7. Motorola StarTAC
In 1996, the StarTAC reminded people of the communicators from Star Trek. With its sleek and slender design, and a top that flipped over the keyboard, this phone was truly a hype gadget to own. That is, if you could afford the costs of cellular communication at the time.
8. Canon Powershot A
In 1998, when the decline of film cameras hadn’t quite begun yet, Canon brought forth this pocket sized digital camera that thrilled shutterbugs everywhere. Employing a whopping 8.0 megapixel CCD sensor, this device quickly reached the hearts and minds of amateur photographers.
9. Philips Flat TV
Sports fans jumped with joy at the sight of this 42 inch monster that delivered crystal clear visuals and audio. Sports fans then settled down and thought twice about it, since the first flat-screen TV on the market sold at “only” $15.000 a piece.
10. Casio G-Shock Frogman Series
This particular 1993 watch will go down in history as the only ISO certified 200m water resistant timepiece. It logged dive time, displayed the time and date and was backlit. Also, it plain looked cool.
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