AP
- It seems like every other year, the latest iPhone kicks its predecessor to the curb, effectively making it obsolete.
- But as technology encompasses more of our lives, we often forget the original gadgets that helped kick off the digital age.
- Nintendo’s GameBoy, which debuted in 1989, revolutionized hand-held gaming. Apple’s Macintosh, the company’s first personal computer, debuted to a skeptical public, but quickly made its way into homes across the world.
- Take a look at some of today’s popular tech gadget when they were first released.
In an age of technological overload, tech gadgets released two years ago can seem just as dated today as those that came out in the 1980s.
As a society, we have abandoned clunky, plastic cell phones with antennas for sleek iPhones made of glass; wired controllers for wireless virtual reality headsets.
Take, for example, Microsoft’s Xbox: Released in 2001, the gaming console was big, bulky, and slow. And it didn’t yet feature its most popular trait, Xbox Live.
Today, the console’s design is much sleeker. It’s moving further away from cords, wires, and even disc drives — in fact, it’s rumored the console may soon abandon CDs completely.
Here’s how eight other tech gadgets have evolved from then to now:
Released in 2007, the iPhone revolutionized the way we use technology.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The iPhone effectively gave consumers access to their futuristic dream of having a computer in their pockets. When introducing the device, late Apple CEO Steve Jobs said, "We want to make it so easy to use that everyone can use it."
Considered peak innovation at the time, the iPhone has improved significantly in the last 12 years, both in style and substance.
Source: The New York Times
Apple unveiled the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR in 2018, three new iterations of its popular smartphone.
Getty
The present-day devices are bigger, no doubt, and more difficult to fit in your back pocket. Yet, the features on the iPhone XS and iPhone XR (pronounced "ten ex" and "ten are") are ones none of us would’ve dreamed of in 2007.
You can now go anywhere without your wallet, thanks to Apple Pay; dual cameras help capture images with the quality of a seasoned pro; and to top it off, the Health app helps track everything from your sleep schedule, to nutrition, activity, and mindfulness.
Source: Business Insider
Amazon’s Kindle was released in 2007. It came only in white and had an E-Ink display that made reading easy on the eyes.
Flickr/Bryan Alexander
The first Kindle wasn’t a touchscreen, but instead had a full keyboard and manual scroll wheel. The device offered access to 90,000 books at launch and started at $399. It sold out within 5.5. hours of being released.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- Here’s why it’s so hard to buy Huawei devices in the US
- 14 ways to dominate in ‘Apex Legends,’ the excellent new Battle Royale game that’s blowing up right now
- The 4 most valuable companies in the world are increasingly clashing as their growing ambitions bump into one another
Source: Business Insider