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“Not Falling For Propaganda”: 40 People Swear By These Outdated Things They Refuse To Stop Using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 6 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!
iBlank 6 months ago
I've been saying that non-smart things will become the next big thing for the last 15 years... why is it taking so long? I want my dumb TV and car now!
driedgrapes 6 months ago
I still have a normal TV from about 15 years ago. I'll keep it until they sell normal TVs once again.
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RELATED:
#2
Books. Yes I use digital ones, mainly for travels, but there is something about paper books that is awsome.
Little Bit 6 months ago
Paper books all the way as far as I'm concerned. I read books to give me a break from screens.
Slapdash1 6 months ago
Kindles have a completely different type of screen. Looks nothing like a phone or computer screen
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Emilu 6 months ago
Yes!! That smell when you walk into a good bookshop... nothing else like it.
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quentariel 6 months ago
I love how digital books have upgraded so I can read from phone while commuting (three hours per day) or travelling. But nothing beats a real book. My home is full of bookshelves and books, and I can't find a house without books homely at all. (I'm not rich, on the contrary, but books are my family's most common gifts and you can find great used books really cheaply. One point I also had a book blog and I got free books from publishers.
MushroomHead22 6 months ago
in similar fashion, i prefer to write something with pen(or pencil) and paper versus on the notes app on my phone
Jenny Barnes 6 months ago
I wish I could read physical books. But my vision is just not good enough. I need the ability to make the font LARGE. Not all books come in large print versions. The genre I read most books do not. And Brandon Sanderson books are so heavy. OMG. My eReader is much lighter.
Cuppa tea? 6 months ago
I had kindle with just few books. Thing got broke, lost all previously saved e-books. Never lost or destroyed paper book.
Faelwolf 6 months ago
Had an issue with a TSA agent a while back. He apparently couldn't tell the difference between a nylon messenger bag and a laptop bag, and refused to believe me when I told him I wasn't carrying a laptop. Even after I opened the bag to show him the books, he kept demanding that I take out my laptop and turn it on. Finally had to call his supervisor over to explain to him that not everyone carries a laptop!
Janelle Collard 6 months ago
I can read my favorite books over + over, no matter where I am. Also, I've highlighted the meaningful (to me) pages + passages.
#3
Desktop PC. Some things I don't want to do on a small screen.
Emilu 6 months ago
I'm personally not a super fan of desktops, but I'll give up my laptop with my dead or dying hands. (Use it with friends for gaming, so would prefer the portability). But yes, phones are great but no substitute for the real thing (aka an *actual screen*).
featherytoad 6 months ago
If I had a desktop it would have to be in my second bedroom. I don't want to be confined to a specific room to use it. I want to be able to carry my computer around with me.
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Robert T 6 months ago (edited)
Docking stations (and external monitor ports) for laptops exist. I'm currently viewing this on a pair of 32" curved monitors. All the benefits of both worlds. Only reason I would have for a desktop machine is a gaming rig.
Aleksandras Tvardauskas 6 months ago
Even then a gaming console might be a more viable option unless you are into very soecific games that require mouse and keyboard. I don't think I will build another gaming PC after my current rig will get obsolete.
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Tim Douglass 6 months ago
With three monitors and seven hard drives I'm not sure anything but a large desktop PC can do the job for me.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I have a desktop PC. I have a landline phone. No tablet or other device.
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.
Cuppa tea? 6 months ago
Scribbling quick notes -.phone number, date - nothing beats paper and pen
Ece Cenker 6 months ago
That hand-eye-brain coordination is very essential in learning and visual thinking.
Gadaffi Duck 6 months ago
As a writer, I fully agree. A nice a4 notebook and good quality pens. Heck I even have a quill and in block and wax seal kit.
quentariel 6 months ago
I use phone for some things I once used a paper for, like shopping lists (because I tend to lose them), but I can't live without my trusted journal/sketch book to arrange other thoughts, make plans and just rewind.
#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 6 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.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
My phone reminds me, because I know how well my memory functions.
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Pwhge Kfkfgnme 6 months ago
I read that as "A real, well hung calendar." - which is a whole different ballgame
Scott Rackley 6 months ago
I must admit I did as well. I have no idea what that says about me.
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#6
My physical media:
Records
CDs
Games.
Ece Cenker 6 months ago
This should be closer to the top. This is also becoming an ownership/owner's rights issue.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
If it is expressed using zeroes and ones, then they generously grant you a *licence* to the content until such time as they change their minds. Oddly enough, pricing for such not-really-bought-to-own-it things isn't notably different for pricing for bought-on-an-actual-piece-of-hardware things. And in some cases the pricing is intentionally unfavourable, like €9,99 for an album of twelve songs, but €1,50 per individual song.
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The Majestic Opossum 6 months ago
Absolutely. I'll never forgive my husband for donating all of our CDs years ago... At least I was able to save half our DVDs before he got to those.
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.
Emilu 6 months ago
Depends what you're doing, I guess. I wouldn't want to game with a touchpad, f*** that.
Load More Replies... Janelle Collard 6 months ago
NONE of my fingertips work on touchpads. Sometimes one of my knuckles will work but not often.
Cuppa tea? 6 months ago
Ever used trackball? Ak reversed mouse -.the ball was sticking out in corner of notebook. It would get dirty within few days, had to clean it regularly.
Robert T 6 months ago
My laptop has both a touchpad and a n****e and I hate both for any more than a few minutes use. I always used to use a cabled mouse, as they never needed batteries and could be used on a plane. I have recently switched to a vertical mouse (a revelation in itself) which is rechargable and can be used whilst charging. Battery seems to last a month between charges (with everyday use).
Emilu 6 months ago
Ah, the heralded/dreaded n****e. Way to say what brand of laptop you have without saying it. 😆 They're (at least, the nippled ones) are rocks though. Good choice (depending what you're doing, obvs).
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patricia patricia 6 months ago
It's called "zombie fingers". Perhaps your hands are too dry.
Load More Replies... #8
Paper planners and notebooks. I love physically writing things down and it helps me remember things better.
Nikki Sevven 6 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.
Faelwolf 6 months ago
I put nothing on anyone's "cloud" it's just someone else's computer. And there's no such thing as security and privacy on a cloud server.
WubiDubi 6 months ago
The only benefit I can see is it's duplicated across several physical sites so should survive natural disasters. If the host stops paying the cloud provider though...
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 6 months ago
When it's on The Cloud, you are at the whims of somebody else's service and somebody else's tariffs. Nope. Just nope.
grotesqueer 6 months ago
Fr! A word that's specifically used as a non-vulgar replacement for a swear word🤦Next they'll probably think of a way to cencor the asterisks as well, as they're used to imply vulgar expressions!
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Huddo's sister 5 months ago
I hate the cloud. All my stuff is on a portable hard drive (and a backup).
Felecia_1986 6 months ago
When "cloud" technology was first coming out, I found a whole bunch of music I hated had somehow merged into my playlist. I confronted my boys, who came up with a long-winded explanation about "something, something, synch to the cloud, something". I told them any clouds near my computer had better sink below the visible horizon pronto.....And I am never going to be OK with having my data stored on someone elses computer!!!
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 6 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.
Tyke 6 months ago
I have bluetooth ones but they are attached to each other by a wire and they're magnetic... so when I take them out my ears I just link them round my neck.
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Oskar vanZandt 6 months ago
I wear wireless earbuds at work because I'd strangle myself with wired ones... Going for over-ear wireless or wired at other times as my ears feel irritated.
Glenn Cuneo 6 months ago
I used a pair of $4.99 ear buds from Walmart for close to 10 years--- even went to the middle east with me, twice. My daughter did gt me a pair of Bose QC wireless earphones-- totally awesome.
detective miller's hat 6 months ago
I think air pods are one of the biggest scams ever. Every single person I know who uses them has lost them AT LEAST once and had to buy new ones. I still have the wired headphones that came with my first iphone from 10 years ago.
Nikki Sevven 6 months ago
At one point, they actually made a "tether" for them. So, instead of cheap ear buds, you had to pay for expensive air pods AND a separate tether. End stage capitalism is surreal.
Load More Replies... Janelle Collard 6 months ago (edited)
My hearing aids will play my Spotify music lists, let me hear my phone calls and VMs so I don't need headphones.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
Not always: If wireless headphones have active noise cancelling, that can often sound better by filtering out unwanted sounds. As for Bluetooth, the SBC protocol is quite basic. More advanced headphones can use AptX, AAC, or various proprietary protocols. Any Bluetooth headphones worth thinking about will also have a 3.5mm socket so that they can be used as regular headphones when the battery gives up the ghost. But I totally agree that a phone without an actual headphone socket is a travesty.
Felecia_1986 6 months ago
I don't want to upgrade my phone unless there's a model with actual keys and a headphone jack. When Bluetooth technology first came out, I spent a small fortune on earpieces that were quickly lost/battery issues/forgotten. Besides, I can NOT keep them charged and they wear your phone battery down so fast! I love plugging in a padded gaming headset for long phone calls. Sorry, not sorry!
#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!
Rachel Reynolds 6 months ago
I don't want a corporation to arbitrarily decide I can't watch/listen/read something any more. If I buy a DVD or a CD or Book, It's mine I get to keep it forever.
Huddo's sister 5 months ago
Our internet goes out all the time, sometimes for hours. I have a great collection of dvds. I also have a cd player in my car, useful when there is c**p on the raio or signal drops out.
Felecia_1986 6 months ago
I find streaming disappointing. Any movie I want to see is never available when I want to see it. Not a big movie watcher anyways, so I'm sticking to DVD's if there's something I really like. I do have my entire CD collection on my desktop for convenience, but there's been a couple times over the last 25 years or so where I've lost a hard drive and had to load the CD's on a new computer!
Cuppa tea? 6 months ago
Just love CD -.opening the booklet, reading notes, looking at artwork. Yes, vinyl is better in that picture as are bigger, but CD is the best for me. And yes, I make MP3 for phone and car USB.
Little Bit 6 months ago
I have both a CD player and a DVD player, but fewer places sell them now so I I'm going to struggle to buy a new one when they finally give up the ghost.
#12
Old school pencil sharpener. Nothing beats a freshly sharpened #2 pencil.
Cheese 6 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.
quentariel 6 months ago
I turned into mechanical pencils to save money (and nerves), but I still love to sharpen my colored pencils.
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 6 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).
Ace 6 months ago (edited)
I didn't realise that they'd stopped fitting them. Mine's just over a year old and has two full-sized ones (USB-A?) and one that I assume is a USB-C but have never used. Oh, and an HDMI, a headphone jack and an SD drive slot. I use external USB-connected drives for my backups. Also, now that I check the specs, something called a Thunderbolt connection, no idea what that's for. https://psref.lenovo.com/Product/IdeaPad/IdeaPad_Flex_5_16IRU8
Huddo's sister 5 months ago
So no usb mouse? Or printer? I know they can be wireless but that just seems to make them easier to stuff up.
#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 6 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.
Savannah greenleaf 5 months ago
I would agree after my GPS once instructed me to drive ahead 1 mile and take the next available U turn.
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Tim Douglass 6 months ago
You really need a quality map in order to visualize the territory, not just the tiny immediate part you are on, but the peaks in the distance and the curve of that valley. I hate using GPS to navigate to new places because when I get there I still don't know where I am, the context has been lost.
Babs McGurk 6 months ago
When we go on car trips, I always keep a road atlas next to my passenger seat. It's impossible to get the 'big picture' from the GPS screen, and the atlas helps to give perspective.
Felecia_1986 6 months ago
This is at the top of my list! The only times I've needed a map, I've been in an area with no cell service! I carry around backroads maps in my truck and keep a truckers road atlas in the car.
Matthew Williams 6 months ago
Twice I've had maps blow away and three times a compass failure. GPS has never let me down.
martin734 6 months ago
That's a user error and how the hell does a compass fail?
Load More Replies... #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 6 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
Karen B 6 months ago
I just got the coolest casio illuminator, Pac-man edition, from my husband for our 12,5 years anniversary. ❤️
Oskar vanZandt 6 months ago
I wear both... Have a Fitbit wannabe (Huawei) to monitor sleep, activity and vitals. Wear a wrist watch on my other arm.
sturmwesen 6 months ago (edited)
I have a simple casio( 50€)with vibrating daily alarm... I am in love simply because the battery has been working for years, the alarm is silent and it's waterproof.No smartwatch for me
Cuppa tea? 6 months ago
I have now 4th smart watch - I'm buying the cheap no names, not Appe or Samsung. All previous broke down, the current one are on way out too. Next watch I will buy will be quartz Casio, analog face. I have automatic watch for 15 years, although not wearing them regularly -.which is not best, as they stop - and only recently had to send them for servicing. I know they are going to last another 15 years.
Emilu 6 months ago
I'm a smidge of a watch nerd. Luckily my handbag obsession prevents me from indulging too much in both, but... there is a beautiful charm to having a watch that tells perfectly accurate time and does not rely on technology that most people who rely on technological means won't grasp (I don't mean to be insulting or belittling here. But when you think of what goes into the practical things that involve making a "perfect" watch as opposed to the technology where a smart watch can be perfectly on-time, it's pretty impressive. IMO.)
Brody Garrard 6 months ago
I’ve got a good waterproof one that I never go without, because In my line of work my arms and hands get wet a lot
Huddo's sister 5 months ago
I need one for work. With all the child abuse cases by childcare workers at the moment, we have been reminded once again not to have our personal phones on us, so I need a watch for the time.
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.
Fire Singer 6 months ago
I want my mom's waffle iron when she doesn't need it anymore. Ancient brick of a thing that gets super hot and cooks them to perfection. The new one I bought, even though it was not a cheapy one, just does not work as well.
Tim Douglass 6 months ago
It's largely about the weight of the grids. Heavy cast iron or even thick aluminum ones retain heat and don't have the temperature dip when you put batter on them. That results in fluffier waffles with a nicely crisp exterior. You simply can't get that on a lightweight grid. I have a collection of old waffle irons, from cast iron ones made to use on a wood stove to a couple from the 1960s. The current crops of them are trash.
#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 6 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.
Maggie Fulton 6 months ago
Also you don’t have a streaming service suddenly decide to remove the movie from its lineup.
Load More Replies... #18
My iPod Classic. Still works like a charm and has my entire music library from high school. Pure nostalgia in my pocket.
Ellen Samberg 6 months ago
Got mine in 2008 and it's still going strong, as is the speaker/docking station. I'm going to be one super sad puppy when it finally fails.
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.
Robert T 6 months ago
Hell no. I haven't used a printer with a cable for decades. I first switched to having a print sever (little box the size of a router) and then got an inkjet with built-in wifi. Now have a laser that a mis-specified as network rather than wifi, so it is permanently wired into the router. I can scan and print from any device on my network.
Daniel Atkins 6 months ago
I run into issues with ports. The other day I installed a Canon wouldn't print looked at the port . It was some Canon port and not TCP/IP switched it over worked fine. The WSD port that windows uses has the same issue. I miss downloading a driver directly and using the printer installer in the devices and printers section of windows.
WubiDubi 6 months ago
Mono laser printers. No bluetooth, they can't access the internet. They don't handshake the toner pack or check if it's fake or refilled.
Felecia_1986 6 months ago
If you have one of these, it is so worth it to clean and repair when needed because they are hard to come by nowdays!
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 6 months ago
It's a lot easier these days with IPP Everywhere (the non-secret version of AirPrint). A printer will advertise itself (mDNS) and you can ask what capabilities it has (paper size, colours, resolution...) and then you make a bitmap and send it to the printer and - more or less - it just works. The main problem I have found is that some printers (looking at you HP!) advertise that they are like 1200dpi or somesuch but the IPP/wireless printing only supports 300dpi so it'll never look as good as using the manufacturer's app/drivers.
#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 6 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
quentariel 6 months ago
I have my great grandma's old Singer. Works like a charm still.
Load More Replies... Felecia_1986 6 months ago
Mine's a Bernina from 1973. My mom gave it to me in 2001 and it still had 2 more years under warranty! Got it fully refurbished at a service center (my mom used it a LOT when it was new) and I still use it! Any machine with a 30-year warranty has got to be built well! Mom got herself a fancy computerized machine and she has complained she wants her old one back ever since. No take-backs!!!
#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 6 months ago
Vinyl never left. It’s just gotten popular again as people realize the sound quality is so much better
Beaker72 6 months ago
It really isn't, people just like to tell themselves that it is to justify the expense of keeping in with the latest fad. That "warm" sound is interference degrading the experience and the hassle of keeping them clean and usable is one of the reasons those of us who were around in the 80s were such eager adopters of CDs.
Load More Replies... WakandaPanda 6 months ago
If people actually looked into the physics of Vinyl records, they'd realise how awful the sound quality actually is !
Felecia_1986 6 months ago
The parents FINALLY handed down their old Quadrophonic system and the turntable and 8-track still work. Listening to some out-of-print albums from high school now!
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.
Felecia_1986 6 months ago
I have a Cross that I got as a graduation present back in the Dark Ages LOL.
#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!
Mike F 6 months ago
Box? What is this box you speak of? Drawers, several drawers with nothing but cords. Is it great? No. Do I know where everything is? Again, no. But d@mmit when I need that cable with the USB b connector for the scanner I've got one. It's supper time by the time I've found, but I have it! Hey, get off my grass!
Load More Replies... #25
Black rotary dial phone in the garage. Still working faithfully even during power outages.
Manos 6 months ago
Yes. Everything beyond your local exchange is digital already.
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Captain Kakapo 6 months ago
you know you need much more than just this phone for it to work? (well, same as for cellphone)
Igor914624 6 months ago
I just recently was forced off a POTS (plain old telephone service) line. The phone company made it impossible to keep it.
#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.
Glenn Cuneo 6 months ago
There are a few HS school stduents where I teach that use manual typewriters- they tell me it slows down their thinking-- everyone of the students pretty much get straight A's.
#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.
Lil be lil 6 months ago
I loved my ebike! I'm 74yrs old and gave it up last year had it 5 years. I think they're great for seniors A pedal assist and you still get exercise, you can go father and longer not fighting against the wind. I developed an eye condition and was leery of riding my 26" city cruiser style but I'm thinking of getting the 20" fat tire lower center of gravity and thick wheels. Never went over 14 MI per hour on my old bike and wouldn't do 20-30 MI per hour on any bike too dangerous in my locale with the way people drive.
#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 6 months ago
I inherited my mom's 1978 crockpot. It works so much better than the one I got for Christmas two years ago.
Felecia_1986 6 months ago
Has anyone else found that the newer oval ones don't cook as evenly as the old-school round ones?
#30
Flip phones, arguments hit harder when you can slam it shut.
Fire Singer 6 months ago
Do they still make just basic flip phones? I'm debating getting rid of the smartphone and just getting a standard cell phone that can call and text and that's it.
Emilu 6 months ago
I don't think so, but I'm not in the industry so I don't know as much any more. I think the current Moto flips that were trying to capitalise on nostalgia still have touchscreens which kind of defeats the purpose, IMO (same as Samsung etc). Will update if I find a *real* flip phone. There are definitely phones you can get that aren't smart, but they're generally the brick style IIRC. Flips are way better. I remember having an obnoxious orange one back in the day (I dunno why, cos I hate orange 😆).
Load More Replies... #31
Big a*s headphones , not falling for AirPod propaganda.
DrBronxx 6 months ago
Big headphones mess up my hair and make my ears all sweaty. AirPods are among my favourite purchases.
Tyke 6 months ago
don't know why you're being downvoted. I tried a few headphones in my time, all gave me a headache
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 6 months ago
As a person who enjoys symphonic metal, I'm not convinced such a dinky little thing will do anything remotely useful with bass. I don't want my music sounding like it's from a cheap tape player in the eighties (with those metal headband earphones, remeber those?).
#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 6 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.
DrBronxx 6 months ago
You'd be amazed by portable speakers these days. Bose ones are just amazing. https://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundLink-Micro-Bluetooth-speaker/dp/B0748NCPRR/ref=sr_1_5?crid=IX08TCG9NC9U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UynsVVSGtWEsn1pUpuVNbpwOcS9ABYRaHZahPwVUtY2F-XDaOq6A3p6TMDWptgHO6kAycNR22LcQb_dKK_4hhs-WZqx31cWlkOyH-MhvdPCSTnolPwd6ufB4ZI5GFYDra4M-2BxGPo7mg9LBi1F6BHSGFzX6KMHApJGIERnI6YqlDEcHjcbE3ZtMJLgUOC4dF95XO-gthjUa7zut8VApoCP8o-YTR5-QRJWqdKqXFWs.3TKLyoYwwPv5cNipSiELFeVzfmDdO7PkRc6x8QOyPQs&dib_tag=se&keywords=bose%2Bportable%2Bspeaker&qid=1750923382&sprefix=bose%2Bport%2Caps%2C287&sr=8-5&th=1
Rick Murray 6 months ago
For Amazon links, you can take out anything before the /dp and anything after the (usually) ten character ID. Therefore, this works: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748NCPRR
Load More Replies... #34
I've had the same alarm clock for 25 years. A few years ago I saw one absolutely identical for sale.
Little Bit 6 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.
grotesqueer 6 months ago
Is it the one that everyone's dad had and goes "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP"?
#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 6 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!
Mike F 6 months ago
Brother, FTW. It's about 15 years old and still on the original drum. It does fine with "compatible" cartridges. It gets cranky when doing the wifi connection thing, but I plug it directly into the router and I'm printing in moments.
Load More Replies... #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.
Oskar vanZandt 6 months ago
I only have a PS5... My brother has X-box (several generations) and a Nintendo console we still play Mario Kart on...
Nikki Sevven 6 months ago
I still have my NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis along with all the games.
#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.
Emilu 6 months ago (edited)
I have had every Gameboy/DS iteration since the first chunky ugly grey thing (sadly, my uncle forced me as a child to sell it in my grandmother's garage sale. He's dead now. And no, it wasn't because of me. I promise). The 3DS is a keeper. I have it in three iterations (four actually, but one is in pieces as I keep it for parts, so not sure if that counts 😆) and it is still one of the favourite handheld consoles I own.
#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.
Rick Murray 6 months ago
I only need to know that the amount that the bill is, when it arrives, is about what I expect. I don't add up how much each year as I'd probably scream. So, as long as they are what they should be, my budgeting means they're all covered and I don't think about it in any more detail than that.
#42
My telegraph machine. But no one will answer me.
WakandaPanda 6 months ago
.. / -.- -. --- .-- / . -..- .- -.-. - .-.. -.-- / .-- .... .- - / -.-- --- ..- / -- . .- -.
Emilu 6 months ago
I love how, typed out like that, it just looks like a row of unimpressed faces.
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#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.
Lady Eowyn 6 months ago
I've got an old Singer featherweight. Unfortunately it needs a repair I can't afford at the moment. It's from 1953.
#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 6 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.)
#49
Winamp.
Niels AirMax 6 months ago
There has never been, nor will there ever be a better music-player. Period! And I HATE that it's not available for my Mac. 🤬
#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.
john doe 6 months ago
I don't think I've had those issues with cell phones since the mid 2000's
nicholas nolan 6 months ago
My issues ended when I bought the Motorola Razr and I've not had it happen since, on any of my new phones.
Load More Replies... #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 6 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 😆
Little Bit 6 months ago
I still have my original Game Boy, my Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color, and they all still work. My youngest daughter is well into gaming and we sometimes have retro games days.
#56
My old Fender amp from the 60s', n' my 1962 Hagstrom series 1 guitar (sometimes called a "Kent").
Igor914624 6 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 6 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 6 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 6 months ago
Influencing a kid to pay bills is unconscionable. Yeah, fvck you dead uncle.
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CartoonCasey 6 months ago
"What’s your main reason for still using obsolete tech?" - I'M POOR AND OLD!
martin734 6 months ago
My 1979 Land Rover. Not a single microchip or PCB anywhere on it, not even a radio but it still starts every time I need it to, I can maintain it myself with a basic tool set, and it does everything I need a vehicle to do. It does require a bit of regular maintenance and a bit of knowledge about things like adjusting the distributor points and timing, adjusting the valve clearances and keeping the carb tuned but it is all basic stuff and costs nothing to keep on top of. There is nothing about a more modern vehicle that is going to make me give up my old Landy.
Rachel Reynolds 6 months ago
My dad still has the same fridge from the early 70's. He's replaced the condenser in 2005 and it's still going strong.
Dirk Daring 6 months ago
My GE Alarm/Clock/Radio that I've had for ~35 years. You know the one.
Emilu 6 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 6 months ago
Influencing a kid to pay bills is unconscionable. Yeah, fvck you dead uncle.
Load More Replies... CartoonCasey 6 months ago
"What’s your main reason for still using obsolete tech?" - I'M POOR AND OLD!
martin734 6 months ago
My 1979 Land Rover. Not a single microchip or PCB anywhere on it, not even a radio but it still starts every time I need it to, I can maintain it myself with a basic tool set, and it does everything I need a vehicle to do. It does require a bit of regular maintenance and a bit of knowledge about things like adjusting the distributor points and timing, adjusting the valve clearances and keeping the carb tuned but it is all basic stuff and costs nothing to keep on top of. There is nothing about a more modern vehicle that is going to make me give up my old Landy.
Rachel Reynolds 6 months ago
My dad still has the same fridge from the early 70's. He's replaced the condenser in 2005 and it's still going strong.
Dirk Daring 6 months ago
My GE Alarm/Clock/Radio that I've had for ~35 years. You know the one.
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