What retro gadget do you wish would make a comeback?

[Alan]

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, remember those classic gadgets that were so simple, fun, and just worked so much better? From Walkmans to flip phones, which of those retro devices do you wish could make a comeback with a modern twist? I'd love to hear your favorites.

 

[OhmMy]

There was something truly satisfying about flip phones, the way they snapped shut after a call was just perfect design. I also find myself missing those simple MP3 players that had no distractions. Nowadays, modern smartphones do everything, but nothing feels as purposeful. Just give me a sturdy flip phone with basic maps, and I’d be all set.

 

[barfle]

I always thought the Curta calculator was a very cool gadget. It’s all mechanical and stupid expensive, but one of my profs in college had one and it was amazing. It probably took a year to master it, but it might have been worth it.

I also thought the magic eye tuning indicator tube was very cool, and recently nixie tubes have disappeared from affordability.

 

[oldgeek]

Ooh, Curta, yes--definitely on my list. Also reel-to-reel tape recorders with 10 inch reels. And HP41 calculators.

 

[barfle]

Ooh, Curta, yes--definitely on my list. Also reel-to-reel tape recorders with 10 inch reels. And HP41 calculators.

I had a R-R tape deck that I boight when I was in the Army - Akai 1800XD, which also recorded 8-tracks, although blanks were always hard to find. Eventually mechanical issues killed it. No more tape in my audio system, although I’ve had R-R, 8-track, and cassette capability.

The HP41 was also very cool, but complicated enough that its fancier functions were awkward to use. I had one, along with a printer and bar-code reader and additional memory modules. The “synthetic” programming went over my head.