Throwback Thursday: In 1984, our technology was enormous.

The issue: October 1984

The times: Miami Vice premieres on NBC; the HIV virus is identified as the cause of AIDS; Volkswagen ceases production on its “Rabbit” compact model.

The technology: Big. (Like, really big.) Unlike Apple’s revolutionary 2001 iPod Classic (RIP) and its myriad descendants, what passed for pocket-sized tech in 1984 was anything but. Trudie Nelson’s Chatelaine spread, “Electronic Chic,” introduced readers to the “media room,” a space in the home specifically devoted to storing one’s audio-visual equipment. And frankly, you’d have needed an entire room to house these gargantuan specimens: Among the “latest and greatest in home entertainment” at the time were a $900 Toshiba sound system (complete with built-in turntable), a three-by-12-inch Discman prototype, and an RCA camcorder. Dubbed the “Small Wonder,” the camcorder weighed 10 pounds and cost $1,200. So next time someone complains about the size of the iPhone 6, send them a picture of this beauty.

Every Thursday, we bring you selections from our archive of 86 years of Chatelaine, featuring weird and wonderful recipes, vintage fashion and décor, and stories that still resonate today.