Once Upon a Time
Remember what it was like growing up in the 2000s? Back when going online still seemed pretty exclusive, phones were tiny devices with extremely grainy cameras (if they even had cameras at all), and everyone and their mom owned a webcam for video calls? Yep, it was definitely an exciting time for technology, even though kids nowadays couldn't imagine living in such an era, before iPhones and iPads and AI chatbots answering every odd question for you. If you grew up during the decade, there's a good chance you'll remember these 20 nostalgic gadgets.
1. Flip Phones
Most people can't live without their smartphones now, but flip phones were once the standard. Heck, people who grew up in the 2000s still miss when they used to snap their phone shut to end a call! Of course, there were also the grainy cameras and tiny physical keypads, but it sure brings back a pang of nostalgia.
2. MP3 Players
Long before Apple Music and Spotify made millions of songs available instantly, in the 2000s, it was all about MP3 players. And though the process wasn't as complicated as burning a CD, it still took hours to download your favorite songs, not to mention the limited storage most devices had.
3. Digital Cameras
Since most phones in the early 2000s had extremely pixelated cameras or no camera at all, taking photos often meant carrying a separate digital camera. Wanted to snap more? Well, you had to bring an extra memory card. If you wanted your pictures printed, you had to head to a shop after!
4. iPod Nanos
When the iPod Nano was introduced in 2005, it already seemed like the start of the future. After all, these colorful accessories were a big upgrade to cheap MP3 players! And who could forget scrolling through your music library using the Click Wheel?
5. Portable DVD Players
Whereas most of us now are used to having entertainment on hand just by searching or downloading videos onto our smartphones, back in the day, there were portable DVD players. Yep, if you wanted to watch a movie on a flight, you had to bring this bad boy and pack enough DVDs.
6. Nintendo DS
Remember Nintendogs? Cooking Mama? Brain Age? It was all available on your dual-screen DS. Heck, even getting to interact with certain games using the mic alone was cool enough! Even without smartphones, this portable gaming console kept us entertained for hours.
7. USB Flash Drives
Kids are familiar with saving things to the cloud for easy access anywhere, though it wasn't so simple once upon a time. In the 2000s, if you needed to transfer homework, photos, or documents between computers, you needed a handy-dandy USB flash drive. Portable as they were, their tiny size also meant they sometimes went missing...
8. Game Boys
If you didn't have a DS, you still had your trusty Game Boy. As kids growing up in the 2000s, we spent a good chunk of our weekends glued to this thing! Whether it was Tetris or The Legend of Zelda, you probably couldn't even go a day without it.
9. Floppy Disks
Before there was the ultra-handy USB drive, there were the floppy disks. Ah, the floppy disks—those small, square storage devices might look bizarre to kids in the modern era, but they were lifesavers back then. Of course, nostalgic as they were, they didn't hold a candle to the portable flash drives.
10. Webcams
Nowadays, you've got a selfie camera built-in on your laptop and phone, so you probably can't even fathom living without this convenience. But in the 2000s, if you wanted to chat with your friend via video call on MSN or Skype, you had to connect a webcam. Video quality was often grainy, though, and slow internet connections made things extremely choppy.
11. VCRs and VHS Tapes
Want to watch a movie or record a TV show? Two decades ago, your only method was via VCR and fresh VHS tapes. Without them, you'd have to essentially wait until a particular title or episode was broadcast again, or you wouldn't be able to watch it. You also had to make sure nobody accidentally changed the channel!
12. Boomboxes
If you wanted to blast your music now, you'd crank the volume on your phone. Boomboxes, though, were the device of choice in the 2000s. Many models featured CD players, cassette decks, and AM/FM radios, meaning you could switch between different ways of listening to music depending on your mood!
13. Bluetooth Headsets
Back before cars had giant computer screens and enabled Bluetooth connections, there were the cool-looking wireless earpieces. Though considered pretty futuristic in the 2000s, there are now, of course, much better methods of answering calls hands-free while driving. Phew.
14. VHS Camcorders
Modern smartphones don't just take high-quality photos, but can also record professional videos. Those of us who grew up in the 2000s, however, had to use VHS camcorders, bulky devices we brought along every time we wanted to capture birthdays, vacations, or school performances. Nostalgic as they are, you'd probably prefer your phone.
15. Fax Machines
Sure, some offices still own fax machines now, but they were even more of a common sight back then. After all, they were, and still are, pretty useful, clunky as they are. If you didn't want to depend on email, you could send printed documents simply over telephone lines.
16. Burned CDs
Of course, we don't actually mean CDs that caught on fire, but the custom CDs that had all our favorite songs on them. There was no other choice two decades ago! If you wanted to change the playlist in the car, you had to open up your CD book and choose a different one.
17. Computer Speakers
Webcams weren't the only essential computer accessories. In the 2000s, if you didn't have speakers on your desk, you couldn't really hear anything! But there was a downside: if you accidentally rolled the volume too high, you'd announce your activities to everyone else in the house.
18. Wired Earbuds
Before wireless earbuds became commonplace, practically everyone had a pair of wired headphones. Frustrating as they were (they always got tangled), there's a reason why people still own a pair even now: they're reliable and nostalgic.
19. GPS Navigation Devices
You could simply hook up your phone to your car or rely on your car's built-in GPS, but since technology wasn't yet so advanced in the 2000s, drivers had to turn to dedicated GPS devices. Brands like Garmin and TomTom sold lots of nifty portable units that, while outdated now, were still better than constantly checking a printed map.
20. Dial-Up Modems
If you had internet access at home during the early 2000s, lucky you. But you probably also remember the unmistakable dialing sounds whenever you wanted to connect to the internet. Getting online could take a long, long while, and if anyone needed to make a call, you had to switch and wait until they were finished.
