In Pictures: Groovy 1970s consumer tech

The 1970s played host to an explosion in consumer electronics gadgets that changed how we educate, entertain, calculate, and communicate.

Clocks

At the dawn of the 1970s, most bedside clocks were either analog or electromechanical digital models like the one on the left. (Electromechanical clocks displayed the time on plastic tiles that flipped over each minute.) Early on, however, electronic digital clocks using LED displays became popular in part because they kept time more accurately (and quietly) than analog models. The LED Digital Alarm Clock by Westclox shown on the right sold for $45 in 1974. (That's about $206 in 2012 dollars--can you imagine paying $206 for a digital clock today?) Like most of the tech in this slideshow, such devices became inexpensive commodities by the time 1980 rolled around. Today you'd be hard-pressed to sell such a clock for $1 at a yard sale.

Credit: JCPenney

11 of 13
VIEW ALL THUMBNAILS

Most Popular

Tethering tutorial: How to use your iPhone as a modem
Capacitive vs resistive touchscreens
LCD vs plasma vs LED TVs buying guide
The next Xbox reveal: What to expect from the Xbox 720
How to pick the right size TV for your living room

Best Deals on PCWorld

NotebooksView all »
TabletsView all »
Mobile PhonesView all »
Printers & ScannersView all »
Networking, Wireless & VoIPView all »

rhs_login_lockSign up to PC World Today for the latest news, reviews and galleries from PC World Australia.