Obsolete And Outdated Technology That People Still Use Today
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Floppy Disks
Floppy Disks might seem like an old relic of the 1980s and the 1990s, but some people still use them. Before the invention of the USB drive, floppy disks were used by everyone. Today, most people consider this technology to be outdated. After all, a floppy disk can only hold a fraction of the data that a USB drive can. However, there are still organizations — including the Department of National Defense — that use floppy disks today.
Rotary Telephone
People had telephones in their homes since the late 19th century. The rotary telephone was one of the most popular telephones for decades. It has since been replaced by numerous other telephone models. However, there are still some rotary telephones in use — and not just in museums. There are many reasons for this, including nostalgia and elderly people who still prefer these phones, but it is weird that these phones are still in operation.
Floppy Disks
Floppy Disks might seem like an old relic of the 1980s and the 1990s, but some people still use them. Before the invention of the USB drive, floppy disks were used by everyone. Today, most people consider this technology to be outdated. After all, a floppy disk can only hold a fraction of the data that a USB drive can. However, there are still organizations — including the Department of National Defense — that use floppy disks today.
Fax Machine
When the fax machine first came out, it was a pretty big deal. It allowed numerous businesses to quickly send documents to people. Then the internet age came, and email changed everything. Although it is way easier to email a document instead of faxing it, there are still organizations that rely on the fax machine today. There are also stores that offer fax machine services to customers. Judging by its popularity, fax machines are here to stay.
VHS Tapes
VHS tapes used to be the predominant way that people watched movies. Then it got replaced by numerous other technologies. First, DVDs displaced VHS tapes, and then Blu-ray emerged. Now finally, you have video streaming services such as Netflix. Despite all these new technologies, there are still millions of Americans who own a VHS player. There are also places where people can buy VHS tapes. It seems that this technology is going away very slowly.
PDA
In the 1990s, a personal digital assistant — or PDA — turned out to be a useful gadget that people used for communication and organization purposes. Years later, the smartphone came out and took over for the PDA. After all, the smartphone has a touchscreen, and it offers full internet services. Believe it or not, there are still some people who use a personal digital assistant to stay organized, proving that some old technologies stick around.
America Online
In the 1990s, America Online was a dial-up internet service that dominated the market. In the United States, it was the top internet provider in the nation. By the 2000s, cable companies offered high-speed internet, and this meant that America Online was no longer competitive. However, there are over 2 million Americans who still use this service today. In some rural areas, America Online provides a better service to customers at a lower cost per month.
Walkman
The Walkman represented the ultimate way to listen to music while out of your home. Then it got replaced by the CD player, then by the iPod, and now by smartphones. There were many problems with the Walkman. It was not easy to navigate it to listen to specific songs on your cassette tape. The machine is also known for chewing up and destroying cassette tapes. Despite these problems, some people still use them because of nostalgia.
Windows XP
Windows XP was one of Microsoft's most popular operating systems of all time. It was released in 2001, and it has since been succeeded by numerous other operating systems produced by Microsoft. Windows XP was so popular that users kept using it years after its release. In fact, many users clung on to Windows XP instead of upgrading to Windows Vista or other versions. To this day, there are still many people who use Windows XP.
Calculator
The calculator was an important gadget that helped students and professionals do math in a more efficient way. However, the actual calculator seems a bit redundant today. Most people have smartphones with a free app that is a calculator. There are also some smartwatches that also have a calculator in it. These new gadgets are making the old calculators obsolete. Despite the technology, calculators are still being used in schools and workplaces around the world.
Telegrams
Telegrams are different than mail. Most young people today probably have never used a telegram service, and they will probably confuse it with the postal service. A telegram is special kind of message that was delivered in person. Today, telegrams have been replaced by email and other digital messaging services — including one app that's also called Telegram. Despite these innovations, there are still a few people who use old-school telegram services for special occasions.
Compact Cassette Tape
During the 1980s and early 1990s, a compact cassette tape was the predominant method of listening to music and other types of audio. You could listen to it in the car, in boomboxes, and in other devices. It was not as user-friendly as an MP3 player, but it was still fun. Although this technology is outdated, some people still use it. Until recently, some cars still came with cassette players. People in general like the nostalgia that they represent.
Phone Book
Long before there was Google, people used an actual phone book to look up someone's phone number. In fact, there were actual businesses that picked their names solely based on the purpose of having a better position in the phone book than competitors. Thanks to technology, there is no need for a phone book. However, some phone books are still being printed, and some people still rely on them to look up some phone numbers.
Phone Booth
If you were not at home and you needed to make a phone call, you could always rely on phone booths. Thanks to cell phones, there is no need to use a phone booth anymore. New mobile technology explains the decline of phone booths in society. However, there are still some phone booths in public places today. Some of these phone books no longer have a telephone inside, and some of them still have telephones.
Magnetic Stripe Cards
For years, bank cards and credit cards relied on a magnetic stripe to function. Then there were hacks and security flaws that emerged from this design. To protect people's information, banks and other financial institutions started to eliminate magnetic stripe cards. They replaced them with chips that are designed to be safer. However, many cards still have the magnetic stripes, and many businesses still don't accept the chips yet. Hopefully this, will improve in a few years.
Portable Voice Recorder
Years ago, if you wanted to record your voice, you needed a portable voice recorder. This gadget relied on cassette tapes and mini-cassette tapes to operate. In addition, it was not easy to use. Years later, smartphones would have apps with digital voice recorders. In turn, these digital voice recorders would replace the ones from years ago. However, some people still use the old voice recorders. The tapes for the voice recorders are still being produced today.
Dot Matrix Printer
In the 1970s, the dot matrix printers hit the market. These devices were the predominant method for printing documents. Unlike today's printers, this one was really slow, and it took a long time to print one page of a document. It was also very noisy. By the 1990s, these old printers became obsolete with the invention of better technology. There are still some places that use a dot matrix printer, and it is weird how they are still around.
CRT Televisions
Up until the new millennium, CRT televisions was the format that most people used. Also known as a cathode ray tube, these sets were often bulkier than the ones you would shop for today. The technology with these television sets are also outdated when compared to an LCD television. However, some people still like to use them. They cost way less than a new television set, and they provide a sense of nostalgia that an LCD television can't offer.
Beepers And Pagers
Beepers and pagers were so popular during the 1980s and 1990s that they are often considered to be a joke today. These devices use a one-way communication method between users. Obviously, they have been replaced by smartphones, which are two-way communication devices. However, some places still use pagers for their operations. A notable example includes certain hospitals, but they are very rare to locate in a store, in case you actually wanted to buy one.
Typewriter
The typewriter was the best way to create a formal document many years ago. With the innovation of the personal computer, typewriters were no longer needed in modern society. Computers can do everything that a typewriter does — plus it also offers other features. In addition, a computer is easier to operate than a typewriter. However, some places still produce typewriters. A few users still prefer to use old-fashioned typewriters instead of a modern computer.
Vinyl Records
Vinyl records represented the old way for listening to music and other types of audio. It has been replaced by numerous types of technology that are easier to operate. Although vinyl records are no longer as important as they used to be, they are making a small comeback. More young people have been buying vinyl records in recent years because of nostalgia. The music industry isn't jumping back into records just yet, but this is a good sign.
