Essential College Gear, From the Beat Generation to Generation Y

Ah, college--a blissful time of freedom, idealism, higher learning, and parties. College students are very aware of the latest technology, too, and they tend to think of tech gadgets not only as productivity and entertainment gear, but as fashion accessories and even status symbols. Were you one of those kids who always had the newest Walkman? Or the one who brought a Brother typewriter to class? Maybe you (or your kid) will among the first to read college textbooks on a Kindle. From the dorm room to the classroom, here’s a look at the must-have gear of the collegiate set from the 1950s to the present.

For a different kind of nostalgia trip, see "Obsolete Technology: 40 Big Losers," a look at 40 once-proud monuments to technological progress that were rendered extinct (or highly endangered) by subsequent advances.