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Show Us Yours: CNET readers' old tech

As part of CNET's 25th anniversary, we asked readers to submit photos of the precious gems still in their possession.

Lee Koo
oldtech
1 of 54 Josh Miller/CNET

Show Us Yours: CNET readers' old tech

CNET is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and we've asked our readers to submit photos of their old tech. Check out the gems that have been shared so far and marvel at how far technology has come.

Got some classic tech stashed away? We'd love to add your photos to this gallery. Please submit them here. Thank you!

nikonf-davidt
2 of 54 David T.

Nikon F 35mm SLR -- 1957

This is an original Nikon F. Introduced in 1957, this camera was the first 35mm SLR system to be widely adopted by professional photographers, especially photojournalists covering the Vietnam War and NASA astronauts.

During the Vietnam war, my dad used this camera in his F-4 Phantom to photograph combat. In peacetime, he used his camera to photograph my brothers and me as babies. As an adult, I used this same camera to photograph my children's early stages. Now my children are 26 and 23, and I still have this camera, which still works.

-- David T.

minolta35mm-jamesb.png
3 of 54 James B.

Minolta Super A -- 1957

Not only is my 1957 Minolta Super A 35mm film rangefinder camera beautiful, it takes beautiful pictures and requires no batteries. It's a pleasure to shoot. I use it frequently!

-- James B.

heathkit-leol
4 of 54 Leo L.

Heathkit IG-72 Audio Generator -- 1962

Still a go-to in my garage is this 1962 vacuum tube Heathkit Model IG-72 Audio Generator. If hand-crafted tech items appeal to you, a satisfying project is building your own loudspeaker. The classic book is How to Build Speaker Enclosures by Alexis Badmaieff and Don Davis. You'll learn how to determine a driver's resonant frequency using an audio generator and a multimeter. Then you choose from a variety of speaker enclosure types, each making use of basic physics to best couple your speaker to the air. Pictured is a ducted port phase inverter enclosure with a commercial mid-high frequency exponential horn enclosure. What fun!

-- Leo L.

atarisuperpon-jimk
5 of 54

Atari Super Pong -- 1975

It was a Xmas gift in 1975 and last played around 1978. It had four Pong games: Singles, Doubles, Solo player and (my favorite) Catch.

-- Jim K.

hp-97-calculator-stevenk
6 of 54 Steven K.

Hewlett-Packard Calculator model HP97 -- 1975

The Hewlett-Packard Calculator model HP97 was made from 1975 to 1982. These early programmable calculators revolutionized science and engineering in the days before the PC. This model was the desktop printing version of the handheld HP-67 and used small magnetic cards to store programs. It reminds me of my college days and my first job where we used these to check our computer programs.

-- Steven K.

hp45calculator-joec
7 of 54 Joe C.

Hewlett-Packard HP45 calculator -- 1977

The November 1977 HP45 was the first powerful scientific calculator and the beginning of the digital revolution. As a physics and chemistry double major, I proudly wore this on the belt of my Levi's for three years during college. They were $395 in 1977, but my sister was a nuclear missile engineer, and I got it for about $275, or $1,600 in today's dollars.

It came in this nice box and, as you can see, a little spiral notebook with the table to physical constant switch every that physics student needs.

-- Joe C.

pioneerreceiver-janetm1
8 of 54 Janet M.

Pioneer SX-1050 stereo receiver -- 1977

My beautiful Pioneer SX-1050 Stereo Receiver was my first audio purchase, circa 1977. It's still in working order and sounds wonderful.

-- Janet M.

kenwooddk-2000turntable-jeffr1
9 of 54 Jeff R.

Kenwood KD-2000 turntable -- 1978

It's not really tech, but I still use my 1970s Kenwood KD-2000 turntable.

-- Jeff R.

bandoturntable-janetm3
10 of 54

Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4004 turntable -- 1978

This Bang & Olufsen turntable is a technology work of art.

-- Janet M.

hp-67-michaelm
11 of 54 Michael M.

Hewlett-Packard HP-67 programmable calculator -- 1978

Hewlett-Packard HP-67 programmable calculator from 1978. It still works, works in the dark and has solid keys and construction.

-- Michael M.

2-xl-joeq
12 of 54 Joe Q.

Mego Corporation 2-XL Robot -- 1978

2-XL - This blast from the past goes back to the '70s. I know it's older than 25 years, but this "Robot" was way ahead of its time. Running off of 8-track tapes (Google it), 2-XL would quiz you, tell you jokes, and tell you stories ... way before Teddy Ruxpin (Google that, too). This toy would teach without me even knowing I was being taught. Since it still works, I bust it out every once in awhile.

-- Joe Q.

microvision-joeq
13 of 54 Joe Q.

Microvision game console -- 1979

Microvision handheld gaming system -- This is older the 25 years, but before the Game Boy, there was Microvision. The first handheld gaming system that had various cartridges to play the different games. This device hypnotized my day away, which repeated itself when the Game Boy came out and then the Sega Game Gear.

-- Joe Q.

osbournecomputer-jeffr2
14 of 54 Jeff R.

Osborne 1 computer -- 1981

My Osborne portable computer still powers up!

-- Jeff R.

timexsinclair-martyt
15 of 54 Marty T.

Timex Sinclair 1000 Personal Computer -- 1981

Timex Sinclair 1000 with memory expansion. Manuals and power supply too!

-- Marty T.

panasonichhc-johnb2
16 of 54 John B.

Panasonic RL-H1400 HHC (Hand Held Computer) -- 1982

This Panasonic HHC Hand Held Computer is original and in working order with an attachable printer (not pictured).

 -- John B.

blkwhitetv-sallyw-3
17 of 54 Sally W.

Sears SR 1000 TV

My dad gave me this 9-inch screen black & white TV when I went away to college in 1968.

-- Sally W.

olympuscamera-robertr
18 of 54 Robert R.

Olympus OM-4 SLR -- 1983

I loved my Olympus OM-4 because it was so compact -- the photo shows it next to my current Nikon D850. I also had an OM-1, which survived a plane crash into a lake in 1978, and an OM-2, which my daughter accidentally left in a taxi in Cairo a few years later. Of course, we expect, and get, more from our cameras these days, but I do miss the compactness.

-- Robert R.

walkman-jasonl
19 of 54 Jason L.

Sony Walkman WM-F10 -- 1984

Sony Walkman WM-F10 cassette player with FM radio. Ingenious and beautiful design with great sound quality. I believe this was the most compact walkman available at the time. A real splurge for my parents when I was in high school.

-- Jason L.

texasinstramentti74-josec
20 of 54 Jose C.

Texas Instruments TI-74 -- 1986

The Texas Instruments TI-74 Basicalc programmable calculator is from around 1985. I love computer technology and the amazing ways it has progressed so quickly.

-- Jose C.

socrates-kimberlyc
21 of 54 Kimberly C.

V-Tech Socrates Educational Video System -- 1988

I found this Socrates educational video system in my mom's garage. It's probably more than 25 years old.

-- Kimberly C.

atari1040ste-michaelb
22 of 54 Michael B.

Atari 1040 STE -- 1989

My old (1990) Atari 1040STe with 4 meg of RAM (more than enough then), with the SC1224 color monitor, the Universal Item Selector III from Gribnif and two Suzy B's Software CDs -- a honey of a deal. Still works!

-- Michael B. 

motorolabagphone-lynns
23 of 54 Lynn S.

Motorola bag phone -- 1990

This Motorola "bag" phone from the early 1990s was sometimes referred to as a "brick", and it weighed almost as much. But as a pediatrician on call, I could attend soccer games and other activities away from a good old landline.

-- Lynn S.

gateway2000-robertg
24 of 54 Robert G.

Gateway 2000 386/33C desktop computer -- 1991

This is my 1991 Gateway 2000 386/33C computer (the "C" means this innovative Intel CPU had an on-board cache). The 33MHz clock speed was premium stuff.

Over the years, my cherished Gateway has been upgraded to an Intel 486, and then all the way to a Pentium 66. It now contains three 40 MB IDE hard disc drives and it sports an operating system that was eventually upgraded all the way to Windows 9.

I also added a high-performance graphics card, with a full 4MB of VRAM. I swapped out the original 5-inch floppy drive for a 3-inch floppy, and added a CD-ROM, which itself was upgraded twice. On the bottom right is a newfangled Zip drive.

-- Robert G.

original-sharkfin-antenna-kevinl1
25 of 54 Kevin L.

Original Shark Fin antenna -- 1992

Here's the original Shark Fin antenna for cars, and a few neoprene cell phone cases for the Motorola StarTac and other Moto and Nokia phones.

-- Kevin L.

nakamichitapedeck-janet2
26 of 54 Janet M.

Nakamichi DR-1 tape deck - 1992

Music on the Nakamichi DR-1 tape deck sounds way better on tape than on vinyl.

-- Janet M.

applenewton-ramiroa.png
27 of 54 Ramiro A.

Apple Newton MessagePad -- 1993

Here's my Apple Newton MessagePad with a VHS video, a handbook, a connection kit and a Windows User's Guide.

-- Ramiro A.

segagenesis-markg
28 of 54 Mark G.

Sega Genesis -- 1993

I had FIFA soccer for the 1993 Sega Genesis.

-- Mark G.

maclaptop-kubap1
29 of 54 Kuba P.

Apple PowerBook 520c with 1.44MB floppy disks -- 1994

The 520c was my first color Apple laptop and my laptop with discs!

 -- Kuba P.

hpomnibook600c-colins
30 of 54 Colin S.

Hewlett-Packard Omnibook 600C -- 1994

HP Omnibook 600C - this little laptop cost $4,000 when it was new, and that was with only one of the 171MB PCMCIA HDDs. The mouse jumped out of the side when you pressed the button. When you closed it, it remembered exactly where you were -- and was right there again when you turned it on. Full-size keyboard and a 486 processor. Still runs: One of those HDDs is Windows 95, another is Windows 98. And it ran...

-- Colin S.

msofficepro95-colins
31 of 54 Colin S.

Microsoft Office Professional 4.3 -- 1994

Microsoft Office Professional 4.3, if I remember correctly. All 14 3.5-inch floppy disks to install it.

-- Colin S.

canonbj-30-colins
32 of 54 Colin S.

Canon BJ-30 Bubble Jet printer -- 1995

Canon BJ-30 inkjet printer -- for when you just had to print something out on the go! Which is why you needed the custom parallel printer cable in multicolor.

-- Colin S.

casioqv10-dorannel
33 of 54 Doranne L.

Casio QV-10 digital camera -- 1995

My first digital camera back in 1998 with a whopping 4MB (or was it 8MB?) of storage. Flippable for selfies!

-- Doranne L.

pocketpc-markg1
34 of 54 Mark G.

T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition Windows CE -- 1996

Eleven years before the iPhone came the 1996 Pocket PC Phone Edition.

-- Mark G.

canon-ixus-dorannel
35 of 54 Doranne L.

Canon IXUS APS Limited Edition camera -- 1996

Remember when we thought APS film would be the end-all and be-all for film? Neither do I.

-- Doranne L.

casiowindowsce-markg4
36 of 54 Mark G.

Casio Cassiopeia E-105 Palm-Size PC -- 1997

The Cassiopeia ran 1997 Windows CE.

-- Mark G.

applemessagepad42100-kylec
37 of 54 Mark G.

Apple MessagePad 2100 -- 1997

I had several Newtons over the years, and this was my final model. It was a wonderful glimpse into the future at the time.

-- Mark G.

Editors' note: Notice the message on the screen. Thank you, Mark, for the birthday wish!

nikon-kenwood-canon-blackberry-fedor
38 of 54 Fedor R.

Canon IXUS Z70 (1998), Nikon N60 (1998), Kenwood DPC-X802 (1999), BlackBerry Q10 (2013),

I have fond memories of this Nikon N60, BlackBerry Q10, Kenwood CD player DPC-X802 and Canon IXUS Z70. I used them in my travels across Saudi Arabia, Europe and the USA. They provided many fond memories and entertainment over the past 25 years.

 -- Fedor R.

radiationfreecellphone-kevinl2
39 of 54 Kevin L.

The Aerius Radiation Free Feature Phone on Microsoft Platform -- 1998

This phone antenna by Aerius is designed to direct the SAR away from the user and prevent cancer. The technology extends the range and battery life. Unfortunately, the antenna is 7MM high and smartphones are too thin. 

-- Kevin L.

aolcd
40 of 54 Tammy C.

AOL CD -- 1999

It's not a gadget, but who can forget these AOL CDs?!

-- Tammy C. 

fujitsupoint1600-tedf
41 of 54 Ted F.

Fujitsu Point 1600 -- 1999

It was the first tablet I used when working in a mobile setting. It had Windows 98 with USB, a floppy drive, serial ports, handwriting recognition and PCMCIA slots for networking. What more could a techie want?

-- Ted F.

qualcommphone-paulp1
42 of 54 Paul P.

Qualcomm QCP-1960 -- 1999

This phone was great! The reception was incredible. I never worried about bad reception or dropped calls. I had an unlimited minutes plan, so I would connect it to my laptop as a modem.

-- Paul P.

hp-jornadapda-sallyw1
43 of 54 Sally W.

HP Jornada 680 handheld PC -- 1999

It was a pocket computer/PDA running Windows CE. I love playing Solitaire on this dinosaur!

-- Sally W.

win2k-debbiet.png
44 of 54 Debbie T.

Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional -- 2000

It's not special... I just don't throw stuff away until it's really old. Like me.

-- Debbie T.

polaroidizone-malloryb
45 of 54 Mallory B.

Polaroid I-Zone -- 2000

The original "cool kids" Polaroid creator would zip out tiny Polaroids that were stickers with funky borders. Totally rad!

-- Mallory B.

originalxbox-derrelb
46 of 54 Derrel B.

Original Microsoft Xbox -- 2001

I loved the original Xbox, and it still works great.

-- Derrel B.

xboxdukecontroller-mg3
47 of 54 Mark G.

Microsoft original 'Big Duke' Xbox controller 2001

This controller was massive.

-- Mark G.  

ipods2001-2005-stevenk2
48 of 54 Steven K.

Apple iPod (1st gen) -- 2001 and iPod (4th gen) 2005

The original 5GB Apple iPod from 2001 is on the left next to a later 30GB (4th generation) model with a color display from 2005. I don't use them anymore, but I charge them yearly and both still work. Compared to my iPhone, these are reminders of where we've been.

-- Steven K.

samsungmp3-paulp2
49 of 54 Paul P.

Samsung YP-T7Z 1GB MP3 player -- 2005

The size blew my mind! I'm amazed that this thing still works great, and the battery still holds a charge.

-- Paul P.

palmtungsten-johng
50 of 54 John G.

Palm Tungsten E2 -- 2005

This is my old Palm Tungsten E2, better known as a Palm Pilot. It was special because it could do cool electronics stuff is all I can remember!

-- John G.

nano-lee.png
51 of 54 Leo K.

Apple iPod Nano (1GB) 1st generation -- 2006

Look at that -- it still charges and turns on!

- Leo K.

hitachicamcorder-sallyw-2
52 of 54 Sally W.

Hitachi DZGX5020A DVD camcorder -- 2006

The Hitachi camcorder that used mini-DVD-R was neat in its day.

-- Sally W.

originaliphone-derrellb
53 of 54 Derrel B.

Apple iPhone 1st generation -- 2007

The OG iPhone changed the world.

-- Derrel B.

hp-p3-jaredbrunet
54 of 54 Jared B.

HP Pre3 for AT&T -- 2011

HP's Pre3 for AT&T was never officially released.

-- Jared B.

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