12 outdated technologies that refuse to die - discuss and how many do you use?
- Thread starter mech986
- Start date
I still use 6 of the 12.
Vinyl: Check. And shellac, too; I still play 78s from time to time.
Fax machine: I occasionally use the one at work.
35 mm film: Check. The cost of replacing my 35 mm SLR system with a DSLR and new lenses is more than I can justify. Besides, old film cameras are cool; the last time I took my early-1950s Argus Markfinder to Greenfield Village, at least a dozen people asked me about the camera.
CRT TVs: Check, though I did buy a 50" plasma for the family room. The 27" CRT set that it replaced got moved to the bedroom and hooked up to an ATSC tuner (DTV adapter).
Landline phone: Check. I need a reliable voice connection for the security system and use DSL for Internet, so it makes sense to keep using the old copper twisted pair.
Tape: I still use audio cassettes every so often and will sometimes watch a VHS movie. I don't use VHS for time-shifting video any more, though; recordable DVD does a much better job.
Vinyl: Check. And shellac, too; I still play 78s from time to time.
Fax machine: I occasionally use the one at work.
35 mm film: Check. The cost of replacing my 35 mm SLR system with a DSLR and new lenses is more than I can justify. Besides, old film cameras are cool; the last time I took my early-1950s Argus Markfinder to Greenfield Village, at least a dozen people asked me about the camera.
CRT TVs: Check, though I did buy a 50" plasma for the family room. The 27" CRT set that it replaced got moved to the bedroom and hooked up to an ATSC tuner (DTV adapter).
Landline phone: Check. I need a reliable voice connection for the security system and use DSL for Internet, so it makes sense to keep using the old copper twisted pair.
Tape: I still use audio cassettes every so often and will sometimes watch a VHS movie. I don't use VHS for time-shifting video any more, though; recordable DVD does a much better job.
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cubby01
aka Buck
From that list I still use.
Landline phone - because for what it does it works better for our family. We all also have cell phones, but for calling family out of town it's what we use. Believe it or not that's also how my sons receive quite a few calls, it's ofen easier to reach them via landline because their cells often go straight to voicemail.
Fax - about twice a year some office needs a fax and I send it (over my land line
) Vinyl Records - for obvious reasons
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AnalogDigit
Realistic fan.
I think my home is a museum of outdated technology. But I don't care one bit.
I still use an operating system from the last century. I still use cassettes, watch movies on VHS and Laserdisk, still use the 8mm camcorder, listen to records and 8 tracks. Does listening to the radio on a tube radio count?
I do have a cell phone. Got rid of the land line connection about two years ago. My brother still has a Magnavox 1990's vintage CRT TV in his room. I used to have a Sears 19" CRT TV in my room, but gave that to my girlfriend. The one in our living room died, so we got a plasma TV. It's more lighter!
I still use an operating system from the last century. I still use cassettes, watch movies on VHS and Laserdisk, still use the 8mm camcorder, listen to records and 8 tracks. Does listening to the radio on a tube radio count?
I do have a cell phone. Got rid of the land line connection about two years ago. My brother still has a Magnavox 1990's vintage CRT TV in his room. I used to have a Sears 19" CRT TV in my room, but gave that to my girlfriend. The one in our living room died, so we got a plasma TV. It's more lighter!
SaSi
Seriously Illogical
With all the precision of quartz driven digital watches, why on earth would anyone buy a mechanical watch - even if it says swiss made - that has 10 times higher error and will stop if left on the nightstand for more and a day or so?
Written on a PC running Windows 2000, connected to AK using IE6 (lol)
But seriously, those "obsolete" technologies that refuse to die are telling us one thing: What for some is obsolete, for others is not.
Written on a PC running Windows 2000, connected to AK using IE6 (lol)
But seriously, those "obsolete" technologies that refuse to die are telling us one thing: What for some is obsolete, for others is not.
Rome
Holsum Honey Buns
Landline
Cassettes & players along with VCR tapes & player.
Vinyl
CRT TV's - I own four right now with two needing repair & looking to buy a JVC I'Art soon.
I guess my prized obsolete or outdated piece of technology would be my Interact DexDrive for the Playstation.
My ole Premio PII is not working, but it has a serial port just as my Dell 4500.
No need to buy extra memory cards as you upload to your PC & clear the card.
Rome
Cassettes & players along with VCR tapes & player.
Vinyl
CRT TV's - I own four right now with two needing repair & looking to buy a JVC I'Art soon.
I guess my prized obsolete or outdated piece of technology would be my Interact DexDrive for the Playstation.
My ole Premio PII is not working, but it has a serial port just as my Dell 4500.
No need to buy extra memory cards as you upload to your PC & clear the card.
Rome
Reading this thread made me realize the fax taking up a chunk or real estate is useless since I gave up the landline a year ago. Funny that hadn't occurred to me till now.
To the garage it will go tonight. Where it can live with the only CRT TV on the property. I kept that Sony 32" flat job only because it was quite new when I decided to replace all the units in the house with flatscreens. I only use it to monitor weather if I'm out there.
I keep one good VCR, not for recording but now only for transferring the tape library to DVD. I did, however, buy an unopened case of VHS tape for a song recently. I confess, I also still have a BetaMax that's going nowhere, because I haven't finished converting the Beta tapes to VHS, much less to DVD.
No Win 98 or 2000 machines in use, but the Win 2000 machine only got retired a year ago, after many years of faithful service. Still works and is simply set aside, if it might ever be needed. Just yesterday, I was thinking as how there's one audio program with features none of my current programs have that has me thinking I'll fire it up in a few days.
Own several mechanical watches and quartz watches. But haven't worn a watch since I got the iPhone. The house, however, is full of windup clocks with several mantle and wall types, domed anniversary clocks, and a big old pre-WWI German grandfather clock. I think I'm in Year Eight of trying to get them all adjusted to keep the same right time since the move. That's apt to be a 20-year project.
I sometimes use a Philco radio made in 1928 to listen to the local baseball games.
The PDA was tossed in a drawer some years before the smartphone replaced it for functionality. Who got the bright idea to market a device that could not retain its data when the battery failed? Yeah, you could sync it with the PC and get the data back, but it was a stupid nuisance and the battery gave out at the most inconvenient moment. My little black book never failed me.
I haven't bought or shot a roll of film in many years and love my many digital cameras, but I've bought a film camera as recently as some few weeks back. Even if I don't use them, my dozen Nikons and Leicas are going nowhere. It does annoy me, though, that Nikon promised some years ago to make a drop-in CCD that fit in the film roll space and across the focal plane so that their old film cameras could still be used. I'm still waiting.
I just bought a portable Magnavox phonograph yesterday. Three tubes and 1.4 watts RMS. I bought it to play my 78s. I'm still looking for the right suitcase type windup so I can entertain myself after the nuclear apocalypse.
To the garage it will go tonight. Where it can live with the only CRT TV on the property. I kept that Sony 32" flat job only because it was quite new when I decided to replace all the units in the house with flatscreens. I only use it to monitor weather if I'm out there.
I keep one good VCR, not for recording but now only for transferring the tape library to DVD. I did, however, buy an unopened case of VHS tape for a song recently. I confess, I also still have a BetaMax that's going nowhere, because I haven't finished converting the Beta tapes to VHS, much less to DVD.
No Win 98 or 2000 machines in use, but the Win 2000 machine only got retired a year ago, after many years of faithful service. Still works and is simply set aside, if it might ever be needed. Just yesterday, I was thinking as how there's one audio program with features none of my current programs have that has me thinking I'll fire it up in a few days.
Own several mechanical watches and quartz watches. But haven't worn a watch since I got the iPhone. The house, however, is full of windup clocks with several mantle and wall types, domed anniversary clocks, and a big old pre-WWI German grandfather clock. I think I'm in Year Eight of trying to get them all adjusted to keep the same right time since the move. That's apt to be a 20-year project.
I sometimes use a Philco radio made in 1928 to listen to the local baseball games.
The PDA was tossed in a drawer some years before the smartphone replaced it for functionality. Who got the bright idea to market a device that could not retain its data when the battery failed? Yeah, you could sync it with the PC and get the data back, but it was a stupid nuisance and the battery gave out at the most inconvenient moment. My little black book never failed me.
I haven't bought or shot a roll of film in many years and love my many digital cameras, but I've bought a film camera as recently as some few weeks back. Even if I don't use them, my dozen Nikons and Leicas are going nowhere. It does annoy me, though, that Nikon promised some years ago to make a drop-in CCD that fit in the film roll space and across the focal plane so that their old film cameras could still be used. I'm still waiting.
I just bought a portable Magnavox phonograph yesterday. Three tubes and 1.4 watts RMS. I bought it to play my 78s. I'm still looking for the right suitcase type windup so I can entertain myself after the nuclear apocalypse.
Jeez, that thing may be even older than my '73 Lawn Boy...
I'd have listed hard copy books too but that wasn't one of the 12 the article listed.
I think it's worth noting that it's likely the majority of people posting in response to this are not actually Luddites, but that we simply have higher standards than the mainstream for accepting new technology - i.e., it has to actually be BETTER, not just new. If it doesn't work reliably, or only solves a problem I didn't have to start with, I ain't adopting it - period.
John
I'd have listed hard copy books too but that wasn't one of the 12 the article listed.
I think it's worth noting that it's likely the majority of people posting in response to this are not actually Luddites, but that we simply have higher standards than the mainstream for accepting new technology - i.e., it has to actually be BETTER, not just new. If it doesn't work reliably, or only solves a problem I didn't have to start with, I ain't adopting it - period.
John
jn229
Super Member
Next: someone will be trying to tell us they have hand crank windows!
jn229
Super Member
In my truck, yes.
Me too, an old 1996 f-150 that will not die regardless to how much I would like to buy a new truck. A product built to last is rare these days.
Bozzmonster
Sabrina Says 'Feed Me!'
I still have a landline, but it is through my cable company. I have a battery backup on the router they provided that keeps you going for a while. Also listen to vinyl (of course!) Haven't touched the other tech in quite some time.
Also have a windup wall clock that's been giving good time since the late '70's. Key wind every 30 days.
Also have a wall phone in the kitchen. Funny story, I really wanted to replace the touch tone wall phone with one of those old fashioned dial Western Electric numbers. Found out my cable based landline doesn't support pulse dialing! :sigh:
) Haven't touched the other tech in quite some time. Also have a windup wall clock that's been giving good time since the late '70's. Key wind every 30 days.
Also have a wall phone in the kitchen. Funny story, I really wanted to replace the touch tone wall phone with one of those old fashioned dial Western Electric numbers. Found out my cable based landline doesn't support pulse dialing! :sigh:
PioneerGuy75
Certified Lurker
Me too!! I have for 15 years!!
Who needs ANY wristwatch these days? That's the LEAST your cell phone can do!
