Tom Payne pointed out a list of The Top 100 Gadgets of All Time published by Mobile PC Magazine. The list is published in reverse order, meaning that you start reading at item number 100 and work your way to the top-ranked gadget. Probably a good choice, but unusual compared to recent top gadget lists, like 1Up.com’s Essential 50 electronic games.
Also of interest in this list is the way Mobile PC defines “gadget” for the purpose of this list:
- It has to have electronic and/or moving parts of some kind.
- It has to be a self-contained apparatus that can be used on its own, not a subset of another device.
- It has to be smaller than the proverbial bread box.
Most surprising to me is that I’ve only owned four of the top 20 gadgets on their list. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the list specifies exact models rather than product families.