10 Technology Trends from the ’80s That Fizzled Out Fast
The 1980s were a wild time for tech, with futuristic gadgets and formats that promised to change the world—only to vanish almost as quickly as they arrived.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
The 1980s were a heyday of tech experimentation, when wild concepts such as LaserDiscs, house robots, and interactive VHS seemed to have the power to change entertainment and daily life. Although some of these innovations led to later successes, many went nowhere because they were too expensive, poorly executed, or simply ahead of their time. This list delves into 10 ambitious but short-lived tech trends of the ’80s, providing a nostalgic look at the gadgets that came and went in a flash.
1. Videotex and Teletext
Image from Wikipedia
Before the internet explosion, Videotex and Teletext offered interactive information via TV screens and phone lines. Prestel in the UK and Minitel in France were popular, but they were sluggish, cumbersome, and pricey everywhere else. These early digital services were made redundant with the advent of home computers and the World Wide Web in the ’90s.
2. LaserDiscs
Image from Wikipedia
LaserDisc guaranteed better video and audio quality than VHS, with sharp pictures and interactive capabilities. However, the large 12-inch discs were pricey, needed special players, and had no broad support from film studios. By the mid-’90s, the technology was eclipsed by DVDs, which were smaller, less expensive, and more convenient.
3. Home Robots (Omnibot, Hero, Topo)
Image from Tech.co
Tomy and Heathkit sold personal robots that could fetch, talk, and take orders in stores. Although they appeared cutting-edge, most were enhanced remote-control toys with minimal AI and awkward motion. By the late ’80s, they vanished, waiting for the more intelligent 21st-century robotic aides.
4. Quadraphonic Sound
Image from Wikipedia
One of the first surround sound efforts for home listening, quadraphonic equipment required four speakers and custom records or tapes. The format had incompatible standards and was costly, confusing consumers. By the late ’70s, it had already begun to lose ground, and by the ’80s, stereo sound resolutely ruled.
5. Car Phones
Image from Autoweek
Before cell phones became ubiquitous, car phones were the epitome of status, providing mobile phone contact—if you could pay the expensive installation and per-minute rates. These huge devices needed a strong signal and were attached to car power, which made genuine mobility impossible. When smaller, less expensive cell phones appeared on the scene in the late ’80s and early ’90s, car phones were out of business.
6. Betamax Tapes
Image from Wikipedia
Sony’s Betamax had better video quality than VHS, but its lower recording time and expense deterred its adoption. VHS gained the format war primarily because it was more heavily marketed and supported by more film studios. Betamax became obsolete by the late ’80s, although Sony continued manufacturing tapes through 2016.
7. CD-i (Compact Disc Interactive)
Image from Wikipedia
Philips’ CD-i was a grand multimedia scheme that dared to combine gaming, education, and films on one disc. However, its price, slow speed, and poor game library (including horrendous Zelda games) sent it to the scrap heap. In the mid-’90s, the advent of specialized game consoles and PCs made CD-i obsolete.
8. TV Wristwatches
Image from Seiko watch design
Several companies, including Seiko and Casio, released tiny, wrist-worn TVs that looked straight out of a sci-fi movie. However, their tiny screens, poor battery life, and reliance on external antennas made them impractical. As portable LCD screens and smartphones emerged, the idea of a wristwatch TV was abandoned.
9. Portable Vinyl Players
Image from Ubuy Philippines
The ’80s also saw efforts to turn vinyl records into portable devices, with players such as the Sound Burger and Sony’s Flamingo. These players were small, battery-powered, and even included a shoulder strap, but they were not really suitable for use on the go. When cassettes, Walkmans, and then CDs took off, the notion of portable vinyl was forgotten very quickly.
10. Interactive VHS
Image from Wikipedia
Others attempted to create interactive VHS tapes by releasing “choose your own adventure” movies and video games. They used the expectation that viewers would rewind or fast-forward between scenes based on user choice, which was inconvenient and annoying. The idea disappeared by the early ’90s, yielding to more modern digital media like DVD and CD-ROM games.