40 Vintage Technology Ads That Show How Society Has Come A Long Way, Especially When It Comes To Costs

Looking back, it's funny and heartwarmingly nostalgic that we used to have such bulky monitors and had to use joysticks just to navigate, compared to all the updated gadgets we have now that are much slimmer and more lightweight. Back then, we struggled to fit our data on multiple 10MB disks, but now, 500GB and 1TB disks can be purchased at almost any gadget or tech shop you can find.

It was a time when technology was just taking its first steps, and honestly, who knew how much it would evolve throughout the years to what it is now? At present, we can carry our laptops, tablets, and phones anywhere and at any time, having all our files and literally everything we need on the go. However, back then, we had to endure using Macs that resembled bulky typewriters, laptops that looked like toolboxes, and routers that we couldn't yet hang on our walls due to their stocky design.

Gone are the days of floppy disks, landlines with answering machines, and boxy phones. What were once luxuries in the past are now necessities. Given that, people today would be surprised at how much technology cost back then (well, it is still expensive now, but you'll understand the point later), because despite the progress and increased production over the years, the value of gadgets back then was quite absurd.

However, their prices make sense, considering how difficult it was to access these technologies back then. Just take a look at these vintage technology ads that will definitely make your eyebrows raise:

1. 10 Megabyte Hard Disk System: $3,695

2. Phone-Mate Answering Machine: $129.50

3. Xcomp 10mb Hard Disk: $3,398.00

4. Spartan Apple II+ Emulator: $599.00

Mimic Systems Inc

5. Sinclair Microvision TV: $395.00

6. Osborne Computer: $1,795

7. Sears Color TV: $327.88

8. The Trs-80 Micro: $3,875

9. Sinclair Zx80 With 4k Basic: $199.95

10. Westinghouse 'Big Picture Television': $269 (Today Would Be Around $2,700)

11. The Commodore 64: $600

12. Emerson Radio Corporation Television Set - 1949: $599.50

13. 1977 The Apple II: $1,195

14. Sears Video Arcade: $178.95

15. 1984 PC Computer Unit: $5,000

16. The Trs-80 Model 4 (1983): $1,300

17. Realistic Trc-471 Transceiver: $259.95

RadioShack

18. Motorola Stereo Hi-Fi Coffee Table: $169.95

motorola

19. Cellphone From UK: $895

20. Imsai PC With 10mb Hard Disk, 64k Ram: $5,995.00 [$18,700 Today]

imsai

21. 1976 Apple 1: $666.66

22. A 10 Megabyte Hard Drive: $3,500

23. Betavision Video Cassette Recorder: $985.00

24. Panasonic Rx 5500 Stereo: $576.19 [$2,046 Today]

panasonic

25. Jvc Hr-7300 Vidstar Vhs: $1,280.00

JVC

26. Mid-80's Seagate St4096 Memory Hard Disk: $12,000

27. A Basic Cassette Tape Recorder From Philips: $166

28. 2 Cents A Byte! Sink Your Teeth Into A Helping Of Ram Without Burning A Hole In Your Wallet. From 16-32k Ram Memory: Starting From $299

29. Bell & Howell 8mm Camera: $207.70

Bell & Howell

30. The Apf Imagination Machine A Video Game Console: $599

31. 15MB HDD: $2,500

32. Trs-80 Computer Sold In 1977: $3,450

33. Intecolor 3621 With 51k Disk Drive: $3,300.00

ISC

34. Sears 8-Digit Electronic Calculator: $98.95

sears

35. Ampex Fr200 Tape Transport: $2,675.00

AMPEX

36. Tandy Ct-300 Cellular Phone: $1,499.00 [$3,116.43 Today]

sears

37. Low-Cost Hard Disk Computer: $10,000

38. The 1978 Ibm 5110: $18,000

39. Corvus Systems Inc. Mass Storage: $5,350.00

Corvus Systems Inc

40. Atari 400 PC: $549.00

Atari

Even though these may seem expensive now compared to the features they offered back then, these ads effectively illustrate how much society has truly progressed with technological advancements throughout the decades. Just imagine using these now and calling them high-end!

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