X

CNET From Old School To Tech Cool Winner

Check out the top ten entries and the winner from the CNET Old School to Tech Cool Contest.

CNET staff
2.jpeg
1 of 10 Garret W. from Beaverton

The winner! 1979 Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I

CNET's From Old School to Tech Cool Contest asked our Facebook fans to share photos of old tech, with the ten most popular qualifying for a chance to win the Panasonic TC-PST60. This plasma TV is a 2013 Editors' Choice and the only TV to ever receive a 5-star rating from CNET.

Congratulations to Garret W, whose photo of an old-school portable computer won the contest. TV reviewer David Katzmaier selected the winner from among the top ten vote-getting entries.

"There was a lot of great old tech among the final photos," said David, "but I liked the 'portable' TRS-80 computer from 1979 best. With a monochrome monitor, separate keyboard, archaic peripherals and even a three-ring binder, all encased in a massive wood trunk complete with handles, it shows just how far computing and portable tech have come."

Here's winner Garret W's own description of the photo:

"Inspired by the Osborne 1, this a 'portable' 1979 Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I with an Exatron Stringy Floppy mass storage device and a 5 megabyte RAM drive. It was about as portable as a sofa."

Thank you to everyone who participated and a special congratulations to the ten finalists with the most user votes. Check out their submissions in the following slides.

TK3XAT.jpeg
2 of 10 Amanda E. from San Antonio

Tektronix RM561a Oscilloscope

"This comes From NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center it's a Tektronix RM561a Oscilloscope, that was surplus from nasa. it was a top of the line model during the start of development of the Apollo Program. It has a date stamp of calibration on apr 22 1965 @ NASA's msfc calibration facility.. Apollo 1, failed on January 27, 1967. This Item still works today after cleaning the switch contacts after its restoration." - Amanda E.

Congratulations to Amanda E. for receiving the most user votes!
10.jpeg
3 of 10 Gautam G. from Boston

Polaroid Red Stripe One Step Flash

The Polaroid Red Stripe One Step Flash was first released in the early 1990s. I bought this gem for $5 in a sunday flea-market. The Red Stripe One Step Flash has a single-element 116mm plastic lens, fixed focus with a standard minimum focal length of 4 feet, electronic shutter, programmed auto-exposure system and a built-in flash. The mechanics are so unbelievably simple and perfectly engineered that even after decade long usage it continues to deliver stunning vintage images when coupled with the right film."- Gautam G.
4.jpeg
4 of 10 Tom R. from Adelphi

The Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Sega Dreamcast

"The Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Sega Dreamcast laid out in front of a Magnavox Floor Model CX9716 TV with rabbit ears." -Tom R.
3.jpeg
5 of 10 Kevin T. from La Grande

Pong Console from 1976

"Working original Pong Console from 1976. This was my mothers first game console. It's got 4 game modes and works on battery power. All 4 'paddles' work perfectly." - Kevin T.
6.png
6 of 10 Kanupriya K. from Boston

Mamiya C33 Professional Camera

"Mamiya C33 Professional is an interchangeable lens TLR camera manufactured by Mamiya and produced between 1965-69"- Kanupriya K.
5.jpeg
7 of 10 Kevin K. from Lancaster

Philco Radio

"Philco. Model No. 46-480, circa 1946."- Kevin K.
7.jpeg
8 of 10 Kanupriya K. from Boston

Olivetti Lettera 35

"The Olivetti Co. was a major maker of typewriters throughout the 20th century. Even though the company began shifting its focus toward computers in the 1950s -- eventually going bankrupt in 1999 -- it continued to make manual, then electric typewriters until people started to abandon the devices for computers. Olivetti Lettera 35, a portable manual manufactured in the mid-'60s, is antique by modern standards." - Kanupriya K.
9.jpeg
9 of 10 Jon H. from Billerica

RCA Studio 2 Home Programmer gaming console

"RCA Studio 2 Home Programmer gaming console from 1976 including original tennis game." - Jon H.
8.jpeg
10 of 10 Kanupriya K. from Boston

Polaroid Model J66

"The Polaroid Model J66 was a simplified Electric Eye camera marketed from April 1961-1963; it is a larger, heavier version of the J33, which debuted in the fall of 1961. Polaroid made nearly 1,000,000 units of this camera, which retailed for $89.99, a lot of money in 1961"- Kanupriya K.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos