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“Not Falling For Propaganda”: 40 People Swear By These Outdated Things They Refuse To Stop Using
Interview
If you're a nostalgic person, it's hard to say goodbye to things. Tech is no exception: according to a recent CNET survey, 31% of U.S. adults still have their old smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and other accessories because they aren't sure what to do with them.
Others keep them for nostalgic reasons, and since CDs, DVDs, and wired earphones are becoming trendy again, they might be onto something. Like the Sony Walkman collector Mark Ip, who spent around $10k on the three Tiffany Walkmans he now owns.
Whether it's because we're creatures of habit or want to collect vintage stuff, we just can't say goodbye to things that have newer and better alternatives nowadays. We were curious to find out what obsolete things folks still own and use, so we've scoured two Reddit threads and found the most interesting answers.
From paper book and typewriter lovers to those who swear by using a map and a compass, it turns out some people really live by the mantra "Oldie but goodie".
Bored Panda got in touch with the person who started this discussion, u/frozenflat. The Redditor, who is a software engineer named Ron K., kindly agreed to tell us more about his own experience with old tech and why he's more of a fan of digital. Read our conversation with him below!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Knobs and buttons, especially in cars. Keep your d**n touch screens, I want tactile feedback.
Colleen Glim 5 months ago
Touchscreens in vehicles are bloody dangerous. We already know distracted driving kills so let’s put something in that not only requires you to take your eyes off the road, but needs multiple responses from you to get what you need! Genius!
RELATED:
#2
Books. Yes I use digital ones, mainly for travels, but there is something about paper books that is awsome.
Little Bit 5 months ago
Paper books all the way as far as I'm concerned. I read books to give me a break from screens.
As a person who is very into all things technology and has a bunch of older tech that just sits in drawers and collects dust, u/frozenflat was curious about whether other people have any retro items they can't live without. This simple curiosity is what inspired the Redditor to start this thread online.
After folks started sharing the 'obsolete' things they swear by, a couple of them caught the Redditor's attention. "One person mentioned iPod or MP3 player. I have a few of these and was thinking [it] might be nice to just have one of these hooked up to a sound system to play songs," he shared with Bored Panda.
"I still have an original iPod with all my songs on it and had, back in the day, hacked it to put Linux on it," he added.
#4
Pencil/pen and paper.
barredowl123:
Yep! I still keep a paper calendar in a little book that goes everywhere with me.
#5
A real, wall hung calendar. Keeps our family life organisation all in one place for all ages to see. Plus you're forced to 'go home and check the calendar' when making appointments/getting invited places, which just gives a bit of much needed time to stop, think and assess how best to keep the balance of time commitments.
Little Bit 5 months ago
A quick glance at my wall calendar first thing in the morning reminds me of everything I have to do today. I don't have to faff about with phones and apps.
#6
My physical media:
Records
CDs
Games.
Ece Cenker 5 months ago
This should be closer to the top. This is also becoming an ownership/owner's rights issue.
u/frozenflat noticed that old tech that is now considered vintage is gaining more and more popularity. As a guitar and music enthusiast, he says there has been a shift from digital guitar effects and modelers back to physical analog pedals.
"This surprises me 'cause I moved towards digital [effects] for my guitar," he explains. "[With them, there's] less clutter and setup [than with] these physical effect pedals."
"Maybe it's because I grew up with records, 8-tracks, cassettes, then CDs and digital. [I like] not having all this stuff around. [I used] to have over 400 CDs; that took [up] so much room and was a pain to find the music you wanted," the Redditor points out the downside of the physical media revival.
#7
My computer mouse. I have a laptop. The touch pad for the cursor is awkward for me to use. My mouse is more comfortable. I am good with touch screens, though.
#8
Paper planners and notebooks. I love physically writing things down and it helps me remember things better.
Nikki Sevven 5 months ago
Physically writing things down DOES help you remember. Typing, not so much.
#9
Apparently, MicroSD cards are outdated as everything tries forcing me to upload to The Cloud. Sc**w that noise.
Where music is concerned, u/frozenflat personally feels more in favor of digital. "Even when I play a record, it is a nice experience, but listening-wise, you have to flip the record and kind of babysit the experience. These are things I surely don't miss."
"To me, digital media has decluttered our world and our lives. After a while, the physical stuff controls you a bit [versus] just having Siri play your playlist while you sit back and enjoy some wine."
#10
Wired headphones.
Better for environment. No battery to go dead. Can last decades.
Sound better. No reliance on bluetooth bandwidth.
Cheaper for better quality. Usually use the phone's own DAC instead of one being built in.
Plus the headphone jack is an open source multifunction port that can be used for loads of different functions.
We made a MASSIVE mistake by buying in to phones with no jack.
quentariel 5 months ago
I love all these reasons, but the most important to me is that wired headphones are harder to lose. Especially when you often have to take one out when getting in/out of bus and walking in busy traffic.
#11
CD player and DVD player. If the internet/wifi/cellular goes down, you can’t watch your streaming services. However, actual DVDs will work. Pop one in and press play! No internet required for those!
#12
Old school pencil sharpener. Nothing beats a freshly sharpened #2 pencil.
Cheese 5 months ago (edited)
It always felt wasteful to me to go through about 10 of those pencils each year, even though I used them down to the metal piece at the end. I bought one high quality metal mechanical pencil and and a pack of lead and it's lasted for years, and makes my writing much neater, as well as helping a bit with blisters from writing/sketching for a long time. I'm never going back.
At the same time, Ron understands why young people are drawn to cassettes, CDs, vinyl, and even print books. "[It's] unique and gives them a sense of identity that they are so desperate to find," he observes. "They grew up in a world that was uniform, hard to stand out, be different."
He remembers how, back in the day, even showing up with a talking digital watch at school was the coolest thing ever. "I was the coolest kid, a mystical person that could summon talk from a watch," he remembers. The same would apply to kids who had a portable TV that could fit into a hand or even a CD player.
#13
Apparently the use of USB Drives/flash drives??
I made a comment the other day about how I hate all the new laptops don't have USB ports. And no one around me uses them or flash drives anymore. I use them all the time!!
quentariel 5 months ago
I bought that cable thingy connecting USB to USB-2 when I bought a tablet and that little piece of cable is still a life-saviour. (I also refure to store anything of importance in clouds).
#14
Map and compass when hiking. GPS is great, but relying on it is asking for trouble and you don't learn the ground in the same way.
Little Bit 5 months ago
I don't fully trust GPS. It sends you the wrong way in the car often enough. I certainly wouldn't trust it on a hike.
#15
Watch.
Not decorative, just a cheap Casio Illuminator.
rboymtj:
Yea, I've looked onto smart watches and they're cool and all but I'm not giving up my gshock. I'm so used to not having to think about my watch that I don't want to have to charge the thing every day.
Little Bit 5 months ago
I have a traditional wind up watch because I got sick to death of having to buy new watch batteries or new watches because it's actually cheaper to buy a new watch than it is to replace the battery. I gave up on my smart watch when it decided one day to stop syncing with my phone. My wind up watch does everything I need it to - tell me the time and it's better for the environment
Nowadays, Ron says, almost every cool or trendy thing is too easily accessible. "Every kid has it in [a] matter of days," he points out. He's seen people on Reddit buying old Apple computers. "Why? They are slow, can't run much, and [don't] progress, but it is cool, retro, something that not many people have."
#16
I still have my grandmother's waffle iron. The taste and shape of the waffles on it are incredible, no new waffle iron can make them. Quality and experience prevail.
#17
My DVD player (well blue ray really).
crazylittlemermaid:
My friends made fun of me for holding onto my DVD player and collection of DVDs. Then I was without internet for a month after moving (thanks comcast) and they stopped laughing. The DVD player saved me from a month of absolute boredom and watching things on my tiny phone screen. I've mostly packed the DVDs away at this point, but I refuse to actually get rid of them.
Little Bit 5 months ago
You buy a dvd once and you can watch it as many times as you like and keep it for as long as you want. You don't have to subscribe to anything or download anything.
#18
My iPod Classic. Still works like a charm and has my entire music library from high school. Pure nostalgia in my pocket.
Ron also points to old-school pinball machines and their growing popularity. "This is something I grew up with [and] always loved because it isn't ones and zeros, it still takes skill. You control that small shiny ball. You feel like you have control but also a sense of randomness."
"You don't get that in some digital games. This is why new pinball machines are being made and are on the rise, and if you purchase one for $5-6k, you can sell it in a month for more."
"Play 'Addams Family' where Thing grabs your ball or 'White Water' where a fan blows on your face while you play. [This] connects you [the] analog world to a digital experience – nothing is quite like it."
#19
A printer that you plug into a laptop with a cable to print something.
I have never had a printer that you need to use an app or wifi for that works, there's always an issue.
#20
My treadle sewing machine. It's like 100 years old and will probably outlast me and my siblings' kids.
When the power is out I can still sew.
Colleen Glim 5 months ago
I just sold my great grandmothers treadle sewing machine. Broke my heart to get rid of it but I just didn’t have the room
#21
My turntable, showing my age but still got lots of vinyl.
TheNJGM:
Right there with you. Still have a pair of my old Technics 1200mk2 with hundreds of vinyl. Never giving them up.
Far_Section3715:
If it makes you feel better, vinyl is back and big.
Colleen Glim 5 months ago
Vinyl never left. It’s just gotten popular again as people realize the sound quality is so much better
What's your favorite piece of outdated tech, Pandas? Or maybe it's not even tech at all; perhaps you're still into paper books, writing letters with a pen on paper, or hiking with a map and a compass? Tell us what technically 'obsolete' thing you refuse to give up or couldn't live without in the comments!
#22
My classic fountain pen.
Most_Art507:
I always use a fountain pen when I'm writing " proper" letters, if I'm writing notes I use a pencil.
#23
Plumb bob .. as a carpenter I see a lot of the younger guys using lasers on door frames and such. I still prefer my trusty plumb bob.
#24
Old cables. They come in handy so frequently!
jim914:
I’m the same way I have used so many old cables as donors when I need wire to fix a broken wire! The plug from an old charger is like having a bar of gold laying around its almost impossible to find stores that sell replacement plugs anymore and online ordering is a joke need to buy 50 just to get the one needed!
#25
Black rotary dial phone in the garage. Still working faithfully even during power outages.
#26
I see a lot of people putting pen/pencil and paper.
My pick: typewriter
No electricity, looks neat and professional. You can type on note cards and envelopes without fiddling with a settings screen. Good way to disconnect if electronics distract you from working.
Biggest reason: it can be used where laptops can't because of security or EMI while still much faster than handwriting.
#27
Bicycle.
Dutch btw, so it's a different ballgame for me. I see so many e-bikes, especially those fashionable fat-bikes, zip by. In such a hurry to get into an accident without a helmet. I'll stick to leaving on time on my oldfashioned 8-gear citybike, so I may take my time to enjoy the scenery along the ride, and stay out of trouble.
#28
My walkman!
Badabbacus:
Went to a museum and saw a CD walkman behind glass and thought to my self I must be antique now.
#29
My old Crockpots. Those things cook.
Rachel Reynolds 5 months ago
I inherited my mom's 1978 crockpot. It works so much better than the one I got for Christmas two years ago.
#32
My clock radio. And my radio scanner.
I like my regular old radio. It's what I have going most often if I'm readin g, or doing one of my hobbies. A local station alternates music with local news. And some important national news, but not a lot.
So I get music and hear what's going on in my local communities. I live rural, so the station covers events in the 3 small towns/cities around me. Who is winning in HS football, what my favorite Mexican restaurant just added to their menu. The fact that the local gun and rod club is having a breakfast social this coming Saturday. To be followed up with a skeet shoot contest among the youngsters. The Green Lake Bass club is having a fishing tournament next month. And Mr Johnson had got his ice house up for sale.
Huddo's sister 5 months ago (edited)
I'm worried I'm going to have to get rid of my clock radio because I'm having trouble tuning it back on my favourite station for some reason. I've had it for about 20 years and I don't know if I'll be able to find another one, don't know who still sells them. I hate waking to mobile phone tunes.
#33
80s-90s boombox. Get an aux cable and play your .flac files through that. Or just listen to the radio.
F**k your tiny, tinny phone speaker.
Robert T 5 months ago
I keep looking at getting a Squeezebox Boom, but they are still expensive used (they've been out of production for years). I make do with a little Sharp portable speaker with a built-in subwoofer in my office, driven by a Squeezebox Player. I have a second Player connected to my B&O system in the lounge when I really want to listen properly. They are cool pieces of kit, as you can sync multiple players to play in several rooms at once.
#34
I've had the same alarm clock for 25 years. A few years ago I saw one absolutely identical for sale.
Little Bit 5 months ago
I got a Westclox alarm clock for my 7th birthday. I was absolutely gutted when it disappeared during a house move 20 years later. I've never found another that has been so good.
#35
My safety razor from 1963.
Close shave, no razor burn and blades cost pennies.
#36
My scanner/printer/fax that uses dry toner. I we don’t print much but it keeps on keeping on.
Robert T 5 months ago
I kept a HP all-in-one going for about 15 years. I'll never buy another as HP stiffed me with a software update that prevented the use of non-HP cartidges. They then stopped making the cartidges and it emptied the entire contents of a compatible one all over the inside of the printer and desk. Have switched to a Brother laser and it will be staying until it goes to the big recycling centre in the sky!
#37
I have all of my old gaming systems with games boxed up in my storage. Best part of it is my entire Disney Infinity collection. It is how I got my kids into gaming and I hope to play with grandkids one day.
#38
My Nintendo 3DS that raised me better than my father (he is a piece of garbage).
otakugal15:
Still have my old DSLite and 2DS. I REFUSE to get rid of those because I still like to replay my old Pokémon games that are still not available on Switch.
Huddo's sister 5 months ago
I still have my DS. I got it out a while ago but I have so many other things to do these days, I don't really have time to play it.
#39
My dresser-sized Blaupunkt speakers and stereo system. The furniture is retro in appearance, the record player plays 78s AND 33s, and the radio picks up all kinds of foreign country stations.
#40
A filing cabinet. I still get all my utility bills by mail and file them each month. So much easier to figure out how much I pay in utilities on average each year by pulling out the 12 latest bills and a calculator.
#42
My telegraph machine. But no one will answer me.
WakandaPanda 5 months ago
.. / -.- -. --- .-- / . -..- .- -.-. - .-.. -.-- / .-- .... .- - / -.-- --- ..- / -- . .- -.
#43
Dvd VHS player. I was able to digitize some VHS tapes of my childhood from some tapes my. Mom has had in her basement for almost 40 years.
The commercials are hilarious. 2 pizzas for 8? Nice.
Robin Williams on SNL. Classic. Simpsons from season 3.
Im excited to watch the 1982 superbowl ads.
#44
My '88 Chevy S10. It runs and drives without issues, which is all I need it to do.
#45
My 1948 Singer Featherweight sewing machine. That baby still sews like a dream.
#46
PSP (20yrs) and iPod nano 3rd (16yrs), both of which I still use daily. Did replace their batteries twice.
#47
My old iPod Nano that I unexpectably found a couple of weeks ago. Lost it 8/9 years ago, recently found it stuck in my drawer. It survived TWO movings!!! And was still working perfectly fine after I got a new cable. I'm not going to let it go of it anytime soon.
#48
My beeper. I still think it makes me look important but good luck finding batteries these days.
Emilu 5 months ago
I still can access one of these. My dad had one until he passed, even though by when he passed in 2010 it was getting a bit "old" (whevs, but just to give you a rough age). I remember that f*****g thing going off when we were playing Super Mario World on the GB... and then the batteries would die? FFF. (P.S, my dad was awesome. He'd play games with me he didn't initially care about because he knew I did. I miss him so much.)
#50
The 20 year old multimeter.
mmbc168:
Multimeters are awesome! Works all the same and more durable than the new ones.
#52
My POTS (plain old telephone service) line. Cell phones *can* sound really good, but in general have normalized poor and inconsistent quality sound. "You're breaking up" and "Can you hear me?" should never have become common phrases.
#53
Old Sony MP3 Player.
It has 16GB of audio books on it.
An old Nokia 7 smart phone crammed with Spotify downloads. If I ever cancel Spotify I will never connect that phone to the internet again so the downloads cannot be deleted.
#54
N64.
leftintheshaddows:
Sometimes you just want to see the bad guys gun sticking through the door to show where he is hiding.
#55
My game boy! Absolutely love the little guy, I've improved the screen and the shell but hardware wise it's all the old classic GBA goodness! Something about playing on actual hardware just makes me feel right.
Emilu 5 months ago
For those unlucky enough to not be able to get their hands on an original, though not cheap, the Analogue Pocket is a pretty good substitute. It emulates now, takes OG GB and GBA cartridges and you can even add one of the old screen filters if you want to. — https://www.analogue.co/pocket — I love it so much I bought two for in case one stops working 😆
#56
My old Fender amp from the 60s', n' my 1962 Hagstrom series 1 guitar (sometimes called a "Kent").
Igor914624 5 months ago
I have a pre CBS, AB circuit silverface Fender Bandmaster head/2 speaker box combo. All the caps have been replaced, and it sounds fantastic. Still has the patina on the front panel. Lent it to a friend recently to use with their Fender Rhodes piano. The combo sounds wonderful.
#60
2009 Mac Pro4,1.
Nikki Sevven 5 months ago
2008 iMac running Snow Leopard and El Capitan and 2015 iMac running Mojave. I have a lot of games that cost a lot of money. I'm not going to not be able to play them.
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What do you think ?
Emilu 5 months ago (edited)
My heart... this just makes me sentimental of the things I should have kept (but I was a stupid kid at the time, and let that pressure me into giving them up). F**k you dead uncle; you may have coerced me to give up my original Gameboy (which I adored) but I still have Tetris and a GB Pocket. Not quite the same, but I'm still bitter after all these years. I was like 6 or 7 at the time. Sorry, but if you pressure someone of that age out of their most prized possessions by saying "Grandma (deceased) needs the money; you're not really going to use it; you'll get bored. Don't you love your Grandma?", you're a c**t. I'm sad I realised that far too late.
Mike F 5 months ago
Influencing a kid to pay bills is unconscionable. Yeah, fvck you dead uncle.
Load More Replies...
CartoonCasey 5 months ago
"What’s your main reason for still using obsolete tech?" - I'M POOR AND OLD!
Emilu 5 months ago (edited)
My heart... this just makes me sentimental of the things I should have kept (but I was a stupid kid at the time, and let that pressure me into giving them up). F**k you dead uncle; you may have coerced me to give up my original Gameboy (which I adored) but I still have Tetris and a GB Pocket. Not quite the same, but I'm still bitter after all these years. I was like 6 or 7 at the time. Sorry, but if you pressure someone of that age out of their most prized possessions by saying "Grandma (deceased) needs the money; you're not really going to use it; you'll get bored. Don't you love your Grandma?", you're a c**t. I'm sad I realised that far too late.
Mike F 5 months ago
Influencing a kid to pay bills is unconscionable. Yeah, fvck you dead uncle.
Load More Replies... CartoonCasey 5 months ago
"What’s your main reason for still using obsolete tech?" - I'M POOR AND OLD!
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