Believe it or not, these four MP3 players used to represent the future of music. It was the Christmas shopping season of 2000 and there was no iPod, there was no Spotify, and if you were downloading music, it was probably by way of something known as "Napster." (I hope I'm spelling that right.)


The qualities that make technology feel futuristic can change quickly. But when you're a kid, there's really nothing cooler than feeling like you're holding a piece of tomorrow.

We want to hear from you: what holiday gift from your childhood felt most like the future? Maybe it was a communications gadget — I really loved walkie talkies when I was a kid. Or maybe it was a particular space-themed toy. Whatever it was, we want to hear about it in the comments. Photos and links are definitely appreciated.


Image: MP3 players in 2000 via Getty Images. From right to left are brands from Iomega, Sony, RCA, and Compaq.