5 products with iconic designs that haven't changed in decades

But sometimes, for whatever reason, certain gadgets in the tech world stand the test of time and essentially remain successful without any changes or innovations. create breakthrough. Let's take a look at 5 technology products with iconic designs that have remained unchanged for decades.

1. Keyboard layout

Keyboards come in two types of layouts—functional and physical. A functional layout is simply the arrangement of typing keys, such as the QWERTY keyboard layout. The physical layout is the overall layout of the keyboard, including not only the alphanumeric keys but also function keys such as Caps Lock, Shift, etc.

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In the PC world, the modern keyboard remains essentially unchanged in its core layout from when it was invented. If you sit in front of an original IBM PC from the 80s, you will more or less know how to use its keyboard without spending too much time learning. Even the virtual keyboard on the touch screen takes almost the exact same design from the regular physical keyboard.

2. Ethernet connector

The Ethernet connector we all know and use today started appearing in the telephone world decades ago. That's why it looks so similar to a telephone line connector. Telephone connectors are called RJ11, while Ethernet connectors are called RJ45 - although technically they are not "true" RJ45.

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Despite dramatic advances in Ethernet speeds, with bandwidth continuing to increase exponentially with each generation, the types of internet connectors themselves are practically unchanged and (for the most part) backward compatible . This means you'll find RJ45 Ethernet connectors on everything from 10Mbps 10BASE-T cables from the early 90s to modern Category 8 Ethernet cables that support speeds up to 40Gbps, which is 4,000 times faster! It can be thought of that a modern supercar still uses tires that were introduced with the classic Ford Model-T car launched a century ago!

3. Apple brick charger

If you own an Apple laptop, take a look at the charger that comes with the device. Does it look dated? Probably not - even though it was created over 20 years ago!

Until the late 1990s, Apple laptop chargers differed from other manufacturers' chargers only in having a groove to wrap the cord around. The company briefly experimented from 1999 to 2001 with a design called the "puck" or "yoyo". It's a brick-shaped charger with iconic rounded corners that has stood the test of time.

In January 2001, the PowerBook G4 model launched the "white brick" charger. At that time, the charger came with a non-detachable cord with a barrel connector. The second generation iBook G3, announced in May 2001, used a similar charger. By October, the first iPod was announced, coming with a white 'brick' with a FireWire port.

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Since then, at least a dozen other variations have been produced: there's a USB-A port for iPods, iPhones, and iPads; with MagSafe 1 cord for MacBooks from 2006 to 2012; MagSafe 2 from 2013 to 2015; and more recently USB-C. All have proven effective in design, making them unlikely to become outdated.

In particular, there is another interesting point that perhaps only iFans will recognize: The charger's compatibility with the "duck head" plug, used by the AirPort Express router. You can literally take the charger cord from the 2001 PowerBook G4 and plug it into the M3 MacBook Pro's charger and everything will still work fine.

4. DualShock/DualSense controller

Although the original controller sold with the PlayStation in the mid-'90s lacked the dual analog sticks we know and love today, it wasn't long before Sony created the iconic design with its controller design. Dual Analog controller and later DualShock.

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Since then, with the exception of the never officially released "boomerang" controller variant, the Japanese tech giant has maintained a single design philosophy for its gaming controller line. The PlayStation 5's DualSense and the original PlayStation's Dual Analog clearly share the same DNA, and you could even argue that the Dual Analog is the template for all modern controller designs, even those of the Xbox.

5. ThinkPad TrackPoints

One of ThinkPad's most iconic features - the TrackPoint - has been around since the first ThinkPad versions launched in 1992. That little red dot between the G, H and B keys, that's the TrackPoint!

The ThinkPad was originally manufactured by IBM, which sold its consumer hardware division to Lenovo in 2005. To this day, the product line is so highly regarded that it can be considered "the The Porsche 911 of laptops". In its more than 30 years on the market, ThinkPad has gathered a passionate fan base who swear by its reliability, ruggedness, keyboard quality—and, of course, its TrackPoint. .

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It's not that laptops don't have touchpads - most of them do. But this cute (necessarily red) piece of rubber, for many loyal ThinkPad users, provides a much more enjoyable experience. Even if some ThinkPad buyers never actually use TrackPoint, it's highly unlikely that it will go away, as long as the ThinkPad brand exists.

It goes without saying that a good design is one that seamlessly combines form and function. This will only be proven over time.

Marvin Fry

Update 06 March 2024