31 Nostalgic Technology Snapshots We All Have Stored in the Back of Our Collective Hard Drive

Author image for John Summers
John Summers • Contributor
Sep 19, 2024 11:00 PM EDT

Call me crazy but it feels like the early 2000s just happened Like, not too long ago. I feel like there is absolutely  no way we are already 24 years into the new millennium. I distinctly remember plugging the cord out of my landline and connecting it to the back of my computer every time I wanted to log on to the internet. I remember having a giant CD case in my car, filled with dozens of CD that I burned myself. 

And our cellphones used to have buttons! remember that? they all had lots and lots of buttons, until the iPhone came along and made buttons a thing of the past. By the way, do any of you know what happened to that weird sound our computer speakers used to make just before we got a call on our cellphone? I mean, it used to happen all the time and I haven't heard that specific noise in… hmmm, yeah… it's been 20 years.  

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  • 01

    Working from home, 90s style

    M VIABLE UNDER THE SAX CIXE OS
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 02

    Nokia

    NOKIA
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  • 03

    StarCraft (1998)

    7899 10416 79/90 MENU
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 04

    Hewlett Packard HP 200LX Pocket Computer (1994)

    30 HEWLETT PACKARD 200LX Hore Applications Palmtop PC-1MB RAM 83/07/94 3:58 pm Appoint monts Phone Book Note Mana Taker Data base Pocket Quicken Lotus 123 HP Calc 00 C:> Pecast Quickes CC: Mail Setup Filor pos World Tino Syston Macros Data Conn Laplink Renate 426K Free/529K Total 123 Help 21 R44 19 Open Close Order LIST 12 FS 74 75 16 " Jo Mal ON TAB DEL THER PHON 0 W E LOTUS R U 0 P 7 A S D F G H J 4 * CTRL x C B N M ENTER 2 3 17 LAST ALT STO MENU ZOOM RATE TIME PASTE
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 05

    Winamp Skin: fowl 1 0 industrial by vulf

    >> 88:88 IKE LLAMA 1 LLAMA WHIPPING INTR 128kbps 44hz HONO DTS ON AUTO SHUFFLE LOOP EDPL PRESETS 1. DJ Mike Llama-Llama Whipping Intro 2. Marilyn Manson - Rock Is Dead 0:05 3:11 3. Propellerheads Spybreak! (Short One) 4. Ministry - Bad Blood 4:00 5:00 ADD REM SEL MISC 4:00/12:16 |盂■]] LIST OPTS 00:01
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 06

    Sharp GF-555 boombox (1981)

    SHARP SHARP SHARP GF+666 SHARP C-60S SHARP C-BOS
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 07

    Duke Nukem 3D

    DUKE NUKEM MUST DIE! HEALTH ARMOR 100 6 HERPONS 2:156/200 S: 0/50 8: 0/99 3: 0/50 60/50901056 4: 50/2007: 0/50 0: 0/99 AMMO Inv KEYS OFF 1002
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 08

    Toshiba (1983)

    TOSHIBA 10000 田 214 DASORIA PASORIA
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  • 09

    Outlook Express

    My Computer My Documents Online Services Outlook Express File Edit View Tools Message Help New Mail Send/Recy Addresses Find Outlook Express Internet Explorer Folders Outlook Express Network Neighborhood Recycle Bin msn Setup MSN Internet A... Local Folders Inbox (1) Sent Items Contacts Outbox x Outlook Express E-mail Deleted Items Drafts There are no contacts to display. Click on Contacts to create a new contact. Find a Message... There is 1 unread Mail message in your Inbox Set up a Mail accou
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 10

    Motorola Accompli 009 (2001, $550)

    space MOTOROLA 4:43pm) 03/15/82 SMS SOFT PDA PDA node PDA ACCOMPLI
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 11

    Packard Bell Navigator 1.1

    Packard Bell Navigator Getting Started Tutorials Service and Support C: 4 Words Utilities MICROSOFT WINDOWS. READY-TO-RUN Software Windows Exit, MS-DOS 10:00 AM 1/11/4 1. Getting Started The six large buttons on this screen provide information and access to all areas of your computer. We recommend that you explore the contents of each, beginning with "Getting Started" - a quick way to learn about Navigator and your Packard Bell system and service features. To select another topic, move the scree
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 12

    The Curse of Monkey Island (1997)

    Cheezburger Image 10406140928
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 13

    Who was your favorite Office assistant?

    W
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  • 14

    Panasonic Face-to-Face Telephone concept (1996)

    2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 # Panana
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  • 15

    Microsoft Bookshelf '95

    Year in Review Back List Gallery Find Contents Microsoft Bookshelf '95- Encyclopedia File Edit Tools Books Help Microsoft Bookshelf '95 Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Table Of Contents To see an article, type a word. then click a list item: Articles Mikhail Bakunin migration of animals Milan mildew Miletus Milhaud, Darius military science military-industrial cot... militia milk milk of magnesia Encyclopedia milk sugar Milk, Harvey Milken, Michael R Milky Way ▲ Previous Next Copy Print See Also Back P
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 16

    The Apple I (1976)

    App Computer www w x H + 1 o M DALE
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 17

    Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2 (1998)

    The Fastest 3D Gameplay. Period. BLASTER Voodoo Nothing Else Even Comes Close.
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 18

    Encarta 99

    MICROSOFT ENCARTA ENCYCLOPEDIA 99 Features Tools Options Favorites Help - 2 x Eind Home MICROSOFT® ENCARTAⓇ Encyclopedia ॰, , ཙ ཙྪཱ FIND EXPLORE
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 19

    Texas Instruments (1990)

    FsQs Sales TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TravelMate LT286/45 2018
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 20

    Psion Series 5 (1997)

    88866 SERIESS 477 Extras. Del 101 191 о System Word Sheet Data Agenda Time Calc Sketch 21 ר W E R T Y U Teb A S D F G H Exc OF Cape Shift N Ctri Fn Menu Dia K P " Enter A Shift Polip V V A Backlight Help Home PgDn End C V B N M
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 21

    PowerPoint 97

    PowerPoint 97 June 22, 1999
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  • 22

    Quake III Arena

    20 0 ☑ 108 0 www.
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  • 23

    The first ThinkPad (1992)

    T IBM
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  • 24

    SETI at Home felt like the future

    SETI@Home Client File Settings Help The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence at HOME Press F1 for info Version 2.00 http://setiathome.berkeley.edu Data Analysis Computing Fast Fourier Transform 87% Doppler drift rate: 0.6470 Hz/sec Resolution: 0.075 Hz Best Gaussian: power 0.88, fit 6.703 Mahl Am Overall: 5.372% done CPU time: 3 hr 35 min 04.0 sec Data Info From: 12 hr 22" 51" RA, +17 deg 53" 23" Dec Recorded on: Wed Jan 05 09:58:07 2000 GMT Source: Arecibo Radio Observatory Base Frequency:
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 25

    Presenting the new iMac

    Apple - Products - iMac - Netscape File Edit View Go Communicator Help Mu Back legrand Bookmarks Reload Home Search Netscape Print Security Shop Stop Go to: http://www.apple.com/imac/ Store iReview iTools iCards Hot News Hardware Software Made4Mac Education Creative -6x N What's Related Quick Time Support Mac OS X Small Biz Developer Where to Buy Indigo Ruby Sage Graphite Snow Presenting the new iMac. Tech Specs Graphics Sound Desktop Movies Software Wireless The luscious new iMac models in Ruby
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 26

    LaserTour, $20,000 (1982)

    LaserTour PERCEPTRONICS 23A
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 27

    Napster

    Napster v2.0 BETA 7 Ele Actions Help Home Filename Chat Library Search Hot List Transfer Discover Help Comedy Maclean & Maclean The Gross Manual (14 Sure Fire Jo.. (Comedy) Maclean & Maclean-Johnny Marijuana Seed.mp3 Comedy-Maclean & Maclean - The Gross Manual (14 SureFire Jo... MacLean and Maclean Bowser and Blue.mp3 Andrews Sisters Little Toot.mp3 78's CHILDREN'S STORY RECORD-LITTLE TOOT.mp3 Disney Parks Toontown-Little Toot.mp3 Maclean & Maclean - Little Toot MP3 Disney Parks Toontown-Little
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 28

    The Nokia 9300 (2005)

    Desk Personal Office Tools Media 72541 TF Nokia.com m... Clock NOKIA Open Write note Desk Telephone Messaging Web Contacts Documents Calendar My own E S % b Esc 1 2 13 4€ 5A 16 7 8 910 011 Q W E R T Y U ' P # Caps A S D F G H K L B Z x C ? V B N M Ctrl Chr * Menu
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 29

    Ars Technica (2000)

    Ars Technica: The PC enthusiast's resource - Netscape Ele Edit View Go Communicator Help Back Forward Reload Home Bookmarks My Search Netscape Print Security Shop Stop Go to: http://arstechnica.com/ arstechnica the pc enthusiast's resource News from Pants without VBS/Loveletter Have news? Send it in. ABOUT THIS SITE FRONT PAGE ARS BeOS Please visit Ars Sponsors SOYO SY-6VCA ASK ARS! BUYER'S GUIDE From the News Desk Daikatana The Open PS2 MAXIMUM -PC- NETWORK Recent: System Guide Update MacOS X D
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 30

    Windows Me

    My Documents Outlook Express My Computer Windows Media Player My N Plac Balance Volume Recyci 32 63125 250 500 x 24 K K K reset 山 岛 Internet Explorer Setup MSN Internet A... File a bug report 区 * Mercury Falling The Hounds Of Winter 5:26 I Hung My Head 4:40 Let Your Soul Be Your... 6:43. I Was Brought To My... You Still Touch Me I'm 5:50. 3:46 So Happy I Can't S... 3:57 All Four Seasons 4:29 La Belle Dame Sans R... 5:16 Windows Millenni Start Windows Media Player 27:24 PM
    via @RetroTechDreams
  • 31

    The Sharp JC-TV10 TV & Stereo Cassette Player (1986)

    IV& Cassette REV AUTO REVERSE FM AM (x 10) TV VHE TV UNF 84 87 90 MNY 220 ANY CH CH TUNING DARK BRIGHT DO DOLAY SYSTEM SHARP LCD TV & HEADPHONE STEREO PLAYER JG-TVI SHARP ●ヘッドホンステレオ+液晶 ●電池代のぐんとおトクな ●FMステレオ 充電方式採
    via @RetroTechDreams

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1990s 90s memes retro nostalgia 80s music Nostalgia Overload 80s 90s kids 90s memory lane nostalgia memes millennial-nostalgia 1980s
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