15 ’80s Tech Experiments That Never Made It Big
These are 15 unusual tech ideas from the 1980s that failed to catch on.
- Daisy Montero
- 4 min read
The 1980s had a lot of bold tech ideas, but not all of them worked out. Some were too expensive, too strange, or just ahead of their time. This list shows 15 gadgets and inventions that never became popular. They are still fun to look back on today.
1. Heathkit HERO Home Robot
Ryan Patrick Smythe on Wikimedia Commons
The HERO robot was designed as a build-it-yourself machine that could move, detect objects, and even talk. It was intended to teach robotics to students and hobbyists during the early 1980s. Despite its impressive features, the high cost and technical complexity kept it out of most homes.
2. Commodore and Apple Home Labs
Rama & Musée Bolo on Wikimedia Commons
Classrooms filled with Apple IIs and Commodore VIC-20s helped many kids get their first taste of coding. These systems ran simple programming languages like BASIC and Logo. Even though they were groundbreaking for education, they stayed mostly in schools and did not break into everyday home life.
3. Pre-GUI Apple Lisa
Atomic Taco from Seattle, WA, USA on Wikimedia Commons
Apple Lisa was one of the first personal computers to feature a graphical interface. It offered a sleek design and advanced features for the time. Unfortunately, the steep price and slow performance made it a commercial failure.
4. DIY Electronics Kits
Mutney on Wikimedia Commons
Tech enthusiasts in the 1980s could build their own gadgets using kits sold in magazines and electronics stores. These kits encouraged hands-on learning and sparked interest in computer science. Most people found them too tricky or time-consuming to complete.
5. Poietic Generator (1986)
OlivierAuber on Wikimedia Commons
This was an artistic project where people could work together remotely to create digital visuals. It was one of the earliest examples of interactive art using a networked system. While it was creative and ahead of its time, it never reached a wide audience.
6. CBM 8032 in Nightclubs
Oguenther on Wikimedia Commons
The Commodore CBM 8032 was sometimes used to create live visuals during electronic music shows. Artists used these computers to project animations that matched the music. The low resolution and green monochrome screen kept it limited to underground events.
7. Fax Machine Boom
Tumi-1983 on Wikimedia Commons
Fax machines became popular in the 1980s for sending documents over phone lines. Some companies even experimented with using fax to place food or supply orders. As digital communication improved, fax machines quickly lost their appeal.
8. Shoulder-Mount Camcorders
Original photograph by Darian Hildebrand (Dhscommtech at English Wikipedia) on Wikimedia Commons
These camcorders allowed families to record birthdays, vacations, and other memories using portable VHS tapes. They were large, heavy, and needed both hands to operate. Once smaller video devices came out, these became outdated.
9. The Beeper Era
star5112 on Wikimedia Commons
Pagers were once the top choice for doctors, businesspeople, and anyone who needed quick alerts. They beeped or buzzed to signal that someone had left a message. Cell phones soon replaced them with more advanced features.
10. Portable Cassette Players
Imageuploader2614 on Wikimedia Commons
The Sony Walkman let people listen to music on the go using headphones and cassette tapes. It became a cultural icon during the 1980s. Eventually, CDs and digital players made cassette devices less popular.
11. Street-Style Boomboxes
Retired electrician on Wikimedia Commons
These big radios were built to blast music in parks, on street corners, and at house parties. Carrying one around became a fashion statement in many cities. When more private listening devices came along, boomboxes started to fade away.
12. The Rise of CDs
liamz2r on Wikimedia Commons
Compact Discs gave people cleaner sound quality and easier access to music. The new format quickly began replacing cassette tapes in homes and stores. Over time, CDs also got pushed aside as music went digital.
13. Graphical User Interfaces
Bruce Damer on Wikimedia Commons
Before GUIs, people had to type every command into their computers. In the 1980s, systems like the Macintosh made it possible to click on icons and use a mouse. These early interfaces were slow and expensive, but they started a huge shift in how people use technology.
14. Portable CD Walkmans
MiNe on Wikimedia Commons
These devices brought CD music to people on the move. They were heavier than cassette players and often skipped if shaken. Only the most dedicated music fans carried them around.
15. Videotex Services
Derivative work: Bilby File:TRS-80 Videotex terminal.jpg: Lamune (Talk) on Wikimedia Commons
Videotex was an early online service that let people read news, book flights, and even shop using their TV and a telephone line. It worked through a keyboard terminal that displayed pages of text and graphics on the screen. Although it seemed futuristic at the time, it was slow, costly, and quickly outpaced by the rise of the internet.