Old Geek Gadgets On Parade

Sure, it's easy to be cool NOW, with your Palm and your iPod and your amazingly-designed Mac. But back in the 70s you didn't have those options. You had digital watches and boom boxes and Walkmans. Dig the retro-cool at http://www.pocketcalculatorshow.com/ .

This site has four different exhibits: digital watches, boomboxes, Walkmans, and "Magical Gadgets" (which is pretty much everything that doesn't fit in the above categories.) The Digital Watch section has photographs of literally dozens of watches with brief comments. Stare in amazement at the watch Sharper Image was selling for $89 in 1981!

The Boombox display covers three eras -- birth of the boombox (1976-1980), golden age of the boombox (1981-1985), and the decline and fall (1985-1989). Product shots from collectors are interspersed with movie stills and commentary (up to and including a breakdancing "Whammy" from the old game show Press Your Luck.) The Walkman museum covers 1979-1989, and includes a variety of models, not just Sony (so I suppose that I shouldn't be capitalizing Walkman?) Commentary is more extensive here, with the pictures available in pop-up windows.

Finally, the Magical Gadgets sections contains variety of miscellaneous disco-era electronic goodness, including an old handheld football game, Bone Phone, and the Adventure Vision from 1982. Tons and tons of geeky nostalgia.

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