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CES 2011 Kicks Off: 10 Pivotal Products From The Past Consumer Electronics Shows (PHOTOS)

The Huffington Post     First Posted: 01/04/11 04:17 PM ET   Updated: 05/25/11 07:25 PM ET

CES 2011 starts Thursday in Las Vegas, with a world of new and potentially exciting products just around the corner.

The Consumer Electronics Show has a history of unveiling some of the most important products of our time, from the VCR to HDTVs. While some of the most astounding products may be admired, and others may never see the light of day, CES often provides the public with something they eventually can't imagine living without.

Here's a list of 10 hits that made a mark on consumers from 40 years of past CES history.

1970: VCR
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They might be obsolete now, but in 1970 VCRs were the hottest technology around. For the first time CES introduced consumers to a gadget that allowed them to miss their favorite shows, but still watch them later.
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CES 2011 starts Thursday in Las Vegas, with a world of new and potentially exciting products just around the corner. The Consumer Electronics Show has a history of unveiling some of the most import...
CES 2011 starts Thursday in Las Vegas, with a world of new and potentially exciting products just around the corner. The Consumer Electronics Show has a history of unveiling some of the most import...
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CKMJr
I can't complain, but sometimes I still do.
5 Fans
07:31 PM on 01/11/2011
always mistakenly thought DVD stood for "Digital Video Disc"
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tedmalone1
29 Fans
 
02:06 PM on 01/10/2011
2Wire introduced their home gateway at CES in 1999. I promptly came home and bought one. My mom still uses it today. 802.11b, 4-port router and built-in HPNA. I paid $350, or roughly $20/year for the 12 years it's been working. About the cost of a cheap 802.11n device now. :-)

It feels like DVR is missing from this timeline. TiVo and ReplayTV both launched DVR at CES in 1999 as well. It was an exciting show for innovation that year.
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Joe Giliberti
2 Fans
03:42 AM on 01/10/2011
Apple AirPort which used 802:11b wireless was released in 1999
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ramblingjohnny
148 Fans
 
01:05 AM on 01/06/2011
I miss the good old VCR now recording TV require that you either pay a Tivo monthly tax or setup a PVR box.
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ResearchtheFacts
1492 Fans
04:33 AM on 01/05/2011
That camcorder picture is hysterically funny.  Did he robbed a newsroom of their camera equipment?
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Andrea Torres
134 Fans
 
12:42 PM on 01/11/2011
funny. for that f&f
:D
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Woochifer
2 Fans
09:28 PM on 01/04/2011
Laserdisc didn't stick around long?! The first players came out in 1978 and remained in production until 2001.
The Xbox a "pivotal" product?! The original Xbox got clobbered by the PS2, and many many video gaming systems predated the Xbox at CES.
And I would hold off on anointing OLED as a "pivotal" product until more actual production sets hit the market, and the technology proves that it has overcome existing issues with uneven color fading and long-term durability.
P.S. There is no such thing as a Blu-ray DVD, just as there's no such thing as a DVD CD. DVD is DVD. Blu-ray is Blu-ray. Different formats, different technologies under the hood. They share a 5.25" optical disc form factor, but little else.
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thx1139
50 Fans
08:58 PM on 01/04/2011
Some of your dates are way off. I have had WiFi in my house since 1999.
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Jenny Hernandez
4 Fans
01:30 AM on 01/05/2011
wifi in 1999? Wow, must have been pricey then?
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MTymann
0 Fans
03:02 PM on 01/05/2011
Wifi Networking was introduced at the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show...So your dates are off.
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