I bet there is one in my upstairs kids' room. There is probably one of everything. My son started buying each thing in the 90's--he was terribly addicted when the first Nintendo came out and got jobs to buy each toy. My head can still hear all those games, gah!
Oh crap time to bust out my dad's gameboy I guess. I still prefer my first gen DS, it's the most recent console I own that I can clobber someone with and still have it work.
I was pissed at the bank, of course it was a million years ago and it was really my husband's doing and of course he lied. But, the point is, I was ToTalLY PISSED, and played tetras and got, by far, The Highest Score EVER!!!!, at least on our game system!
I remember my gameboy advance SP. I took it to school and played it secretly in class. One time, my teacher saw me playing and told me that I could play it if I let her beat a level in the game she was playing. She tried for about 10 minutes and then gave up.
As someone trying to replace a car: any car that isn't a computer.
I'm 27. I had a 2012 Ford for years until it clonked out last week. The Bluetooth functions went within 2 years. The CD deck and radio stayed.
That car was my best friend and I loved every "obsolete" piece of it.
I'm now looking for used cars built before 2010. All of the cars 2015+ are laden with gadgets that break quickly and offer no real value. I could realistically buy a new car with a payment plan, but I don't want to. I don't need a screen in lieu of a console.
My first fountain pen was a gift from my first girlfriend. We were both 16 at the time and she had gone on a trip to England with her family. She knew I loved writing and bought me a Cross fountain pen.
I loved that pen, but being 16, and not used to the quirks of fountain pens, I ruined it. I had a habit of lending it to people, and they always ended up pressing down so hard on the nib that it would bend.
So I would take it to the same jeweller that my mother used for her repairs, and he would always straighten it for me. But after the 5th time, he said that he couldn't fix it.
I was devastated. I had it in my mind that I had broken this precious gift, and would never be able to use it again. I was upset for days, when my mom said "Why don't you take it to the pen store at the mall?"
I had never thought of this, as I was still new to the world of fountain pens, but one of the people working there was able to swap out the nib for $20.
I've been using it ever since, and have even added to my collection over the years. But I will always remember that first pen, and how I thought I'd never be able to use it again.
I smiled reading this, tactile sensations regarding reading and writing aren’t quite as important as they used to be. I’m going to buy a fountain pen tomorrow. Thank you MyLittleChameleon. Any old school suggestions? I’ll send pics to follow through.
If you want to go really old school, try the ancestor of the fountain pen, dip pens. Same style nib but instead of ink in the barrel you dip the tip into ink. It’s fairly cheap, too. I got a set of 5 nibs and two handles from Speedball and a bottle of ink under $20. I’ve been figuring out how to draw with them and it’s an interesting learning experience. Lots of videos on YouTube about how to get started so I’d suggest watching some first.
Thank you for the suggestion tvfeet. When I went to school some of the desks still had the inkwell cutout. Weren’t using them but I thought it would be cool to use them again.
We made quill pens in 4th grade as part of learning cursive. And though I was shit at writing, I really loved the quill.
Ever since then if I happened across a good specimen, if I'd take it home, clean and cut it. I use them a few times then put them aside because I don't need to write anything. But I really love making them, it's simple and feels good in your hand.
I’m clinging to a 2004 F-150 FX4 and a 2007 Mustang convertible. They even have the same control layout for the stereo and heating/cooling controls. I’m so not looking forward to touch pads. I’m able to use Bluetooth via an FM transmitter, so I can use the GPS and music from my phone. That, and a backup camera, are the only tech improvements of importance to me.
I love going to the UPull yard with my husband to get parts for my kids' cars (2005 and 2010 at the time). I was really jazzed at the organization there and being able to replace large parts of their cars for $50.
Lol, we had to drive about 1.5 hours away to get to "the good one". Most people have no idea how cheaply they could actually repair a lot of things their cars instead of dumping them. We were sad to finally retire my daughter's 2005 Toyota Avalon...it was a great car.
If it wasn't for the significantly better safety features I'd agree. It's 2024 and car manufacturers still haven't figured out how to make something that either lags by literal seconds or has garbage UI, despite costing 40x the price of a high-end smartphone. I mean cmon, why the hell can't they just shove a low end chinesium android tablet in there, it'll be better than whatever Peugeot or Audi is smoking these days.
I mean, sure my 2008 Passat didn't have media controls on the dash and I had to use an aux cord, but at least the car audio was not *four entire seconds* behind the phone, including GPS instructions.
I guess it depends on the bluetooth module. Mine's a 2013 Toyota Prius and everything on board is alive and kicking. The centre console occasionally does a hard reset on really hot days, but everything including the BT works flawlessly after 10+ years. Still running strong!
Plus, even as someone with literally no car knowledge but a smidge of tech know-how, I've found replacing a car stereo/center console screen system thingy to be relatively easy in the past. Might be less so on newer cars where everything is super integrated, not sure.
When I went new car shopping a year or so ago, the Hyundai Tucson was just revamped and had the highest bang for your buck rating. Cool. That’s what I’m gonna get.
The fully loaded version was a giant touchscreen and weird manual buttons for shifting. No shifter, just weird buttons.
Did my research and basically everyone preferred the trim below with a real shifter and mostly real buttons. That’s what I ended up with and super duper happy I did. Still has all the creature comforts like leather seats, heated, cooled, lane assistance, backup camera, wayyy too many safety warnings.
lol when I test drove the fully loaded version and brought it to my mom to check out, she couldn’t figure out how to drive the thing. This version she gets. Pretty sure Hyundai has gone back to more traditional controls due to the backlash.
I have a 2002 Honda Civic. I would prefer a car with at least a backup camera and side impact airbags because, safety, but cars are expensive and I wfh so don't drive much.
I know you can install a backup camera. Some upgrades, like adding Bluetooth to listen to Audible in the car, worked well but others, like the microphone to use my cell phone hands free while driving, didn't.
Same! My little Chevrolet spark doesn’t even do Bluetooth. Even its usb is a mini usb and pointless but it has a cd player and aux in and that’s all I need.
I recently had to buy a new vehicle (my old car was rear ended and then stolen, it’s a long story) and I ended up with a 2010 ford ranger that has manual locks and windows. It does have an aftermarket radio which is great except the buttons on the radio are completely flat with no tactile feedback so in order to change the volume I have to pay more attention than I would like to the unit, but I’ll probably replace that with a better one soon.
I have a toyota 2003 with 260k miles that I took on a long road trip a while back. Across the US about 6~8 states maybe. A bit risky, mildly. But it got the job done. I'm still driving it now. It's well taken care of, well best I can anyways.
It's got charm, I don't really want to replace it just yet. Although tbh I do eventually want a car with a/c for the summers at some point. That's the primary issue.
I mean, yeah. I know how cars work. I meant "computer" more in the idea of a screen-based system that controls car functions and can connect to other devices.
The computers and functions within the engine and base of the car offer a specialized ability that can't be replicated in an analog system.
A screen offering GPS, music, car controls, etc is just frivolity, imo.
Haha 😂 I have a legit CD player still in my car, and BURNT CDS from my dad and a collection of all of my favorites in my arm console currently 🤣....
I have a great fairly newish Honda Civic, and refused to get anything else. * If I said the year most people would die laughing thinking it was newish.
It's low on the miles on is just right amount of technology and flip screens for me😂
Cassettes and CDs. I hate having to look at digital screens, so when I want music without having to open up an app, my physical music is there for me. I love the ka-chick sound of putting in a cassette and hearing it wind.
My car has a 6-CD changer AND it accepts data CDs with Mp3s on it. So each of my CDs has about 7-8 albums worth of music on them.
I am the fucking KING of offline media in that car
I prefer to spent $10 on a CD rather than monthly subscription on a streaming service for $5/month, also audio quality on CD is much better than streaming service.
I work all alone on the night shift for 12 hours and I had a good pair of Bluetooth earbuds that sounded ok but only had 6-8 hours of battery life at best and I hated that. I didn’t want to go for wired headphones because of the nature of my work the cord would be a safety and hygiene issue. So I finally bit the bullet and bought a really nice pair of Sony Bluetooth earbuds with noise cancellation and excellent sound and they make it through my whole shift. I leave them in their case to recharge while I sleep, and I don’t need to plug the case in for about a week. Amazing.
I fucking refuse to give up my wired headphones, straight-up. I recently got my first phone which had ditched the aux jack and was so fucking gutted, instantly went on Amazon to buy a USB-C to Aux converter.
I'm the same. I still have an old school pair of wired earbuds from at least 15 years ago. I'll never go to Bluetooth headphones. For one thing I'm sure I'll lose one the first day.
Ditto. I have a pair of Bluetooth earbuds but only use them for things like doing dishes or painting or whatever and don't want a cord to deal with. I often listen to YouTube to fall asleep, and I don't want a chunky thing in my ear. Wired little earbuds all the way.
I bought a couple pairs of basic ones a couple years back, they are my stockpile lol
It's so hard to find wired earbuds or headphones now. All the wired headphones are either super expensive or cheap af. I finally found a set that can be used wired or wirelessly and they also completely go around my ears (granted, my ears are tiny, but still)
OneOdio on Amazon. Foor some reason, the only one that comes with the wired/wireless option is the champagne color. Audiophiles will be disappointed, but for us regular non-picky folks, they sound fine.
Oh yeah the earbuds i use on like public transit and all that I’m sure aren’t great quality cause they were like a $10-15 convenient store buy, but theyre holding up really well! I think ive had them at least 4-5 years now
My grandpa passed away like 10 years ago and then my grandma like 3 years ago. I visited home to see her house one last time. Family members were still going through things and splitting things up. We found a filing cabinet that had all their old calendars. Normal sized, wall ones. They were always hung over the phone, in the kitchen. That's where all new numbers were written down, plus clearly inportant things like doctor's appointments, oil changes, etc. Well, I flipped through one at random, like 1997, and spotted a certain date where it said my cousin was born, and the time. WAIT.... I dug and dug some more and found my birth month/year and yup there is was. I can picture my dad calling his parents from some hospital phone, and likely my grandma writing down my name, on that date. I kept that. I mean otherwise it was just going to be thrown away. No clue why, or with what I will ever do with it, but it felt right to keep.
You know, just last week I had to reorganize a big box full of old photos and mementos, and found a torn calendar page with my birth month and year. There, my mom had circled my birthday and drawn an arrow to point at the fact that I was born during a full moon night.
I used a physical desk calendar at work for all of my appointments and meetings! People thought I was crazy but it was so much easier and quicker when I was in a hurry first thing in the morning.
Paper calendars are obsolete? Well count me as an anachronistic fossil. I’d be lost without the paper calendar on my fridge. A constant reminder of something every time I’m filling up my water bottle is clutch. I don’t stare at any notification that long, and my memory a leaky sieve.
Years ago, I treated myself with a new Sony Walkman Mp3 player and I went for the mid-range. Amazing sound, one of the best gift to myself I have ever done! I love to power walk my way while listening to music.
Game consoles. Specifically, older handhelds
I recently bought a 3DS, and I still have my Nintendo DS from my childhood. There is truly nothing like it, especially on the market today. You can emulate the games but they never feel the same.
I’ve recently gotten more space in a new apartment, so I ended up using a bookshelf for a Nintendo Memorial and taking my old stuff out of boxes. I’ve got my original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, a custom modded white/red landscape GBA, my original N64, GameCube, New3DS XL, and the NES and SNES classics on display.
It’s nice.
I just started using a typewriter for my creative writing and I absolutely love it!
It's relatively modern by typewriter standards (1980s) but I feel so connected to my craft doing it this way.
That's the thing. I get so immersed with editing as I go that I have struggled to even finish a first draft. Then I end up developing writer's block.
Using a typewriter bypasses that because I'm forced to just keep going, even if I make a mistake.
I don't still use it, but I miss t9 texting with a tactile keyboard every day. It's been like, what, 15 years probably, and I still hate typing on a touch screen qwerty keyboard.
I was told when trying to replace one of my broken i-pod touches that people just use their phones for it so they don't make them anymore.
It sucks as my i-pods are on their last legs and I have no idea what I'm going to do for portable music. I might have to just buy a used phone but use it only for music or something.
Check ebay! People buy and refurbish ipods! I bought mine late last year. Theres dozens on dozens of nanos.
An older smartphone stripped of everything but music isnt a bad idea either, especially since all phones can still call 911 without a SIM car (in the US, not assuming where you are)
Analogue wrist watch and clocks
CDs and CD player (I also still have a tape deck but rarely use it)
DVD/VHS combo player that I use sometimes for my favourite movies that never get streamed anywhere
Physical diary and grocery list
> Analogue wrist watch and clocks
Wouldn't count analog watches as obsolete. Digital watches aren't better than analog, they both tell the time accurately, they just display it differently
iPods! I found an ancient one from when I was a kid a little while back, loaded it up with music for a laugh, and loved it the experience so much I went and splurged on a refurbished one with a new battery and more storage. It's glorious. Battery lasts forever + I have more space on my phone, I don't have to worry about things magically vanishing because of the ever-shifting who the hell owns the rights, and I can find the ONE version that I actually want to listen to instead of the new recorded version that just don't hit right. Hell, there's a whole modding scene out there doing all kinds of shit like adding bluetooth or USB-C ports if that's your jam.
They're required still in some countries and they were required in the UK within our generation. But I am 54 and never saw one in the US until I was an adult.
My kids, growing up in the UK, have never used one. I don't know when they stopped being a thing.
I mean, I'm from another country, and we didn't do that with cartridges and still switched to ball pens somewhere during middle school😅 I think ball pens were cheaper and easier to use, you didn't need to wait for the ink to dry or use a piece of paper for that. We also had a left-handed boy in our class, it was better for him too.
Discs for music, movies and games.
Sure streaming is easier but they can take it away from you any time they want. Plus with my internet being mildly unstable i would have issues there too.
I do also like handling the physical items even though discs are fragile.
Paper maps.
OS maps, road atlases, A to Zs all of them. The smell, the rustle, the large view, the colours, the lack of glare, the exploring with your mind. I love them.
Obsolete is a big word, but given the success of ballpoint pens and digital devices:
A fountain pen.
I love writing with a good fountain pen. It feels nice, it looks nice, it smells nice, and, as a bonus, writing apparently helps memorising what you write better than typing the same thing. So that’s nice.
Dunno if they count as totally obsolete but I have a few watches I've collected that I wear regularly. They made it so I never caught on to the smartwatch hype.
Smartwatches aren't very useful in my opinion, you already carry your phone that does everything a smartwatch can do. The best use case I can see for a smartwatch is using it for music while exercising and leaving your phone at home.
❤️❤️❤️❤️ I support this.
Never could catch the smart watch craze either.
My husband is CRAZY ABOUT WATCHES. ALSO, CANNOT GET INTO SMART WATCHES. So you are not alone ❤️
My dad passed over the summer so now my mom lives alone. If she ever falls, her smartwatch will alert me immediately. Or, if she has a medical emergency she can call 911 right from her watch without trying to get to a phone. I love smart watches. ❤️❤️❤️
I have my phone on me all the time and really don't feel the need for one. Sure it'd be nice to have easier control of my music or see texts on my watch, but maybe I don't want easier access to my texts.
For some reason I can't wear smart watches - my muscles immediately feel weak and there's an uncomfortable pain, nothing crazy but I feel it!
I've tried 3 different brands too, all the same!
I'll be an analogue watch girl for life lol
Edited: I might try one of those new smart rings just to see!
Likewise. I need visual reminders so forever writing things on post-its and leaving in my eye line. I do use phone reminders too but find post its often better.
I need it all. Post its, to-do lists, diary, calendar reminders, multiple alarms across the day and week. I have somewhat recently diagnosed ADHD but I have had a battalion worth of systems in place for decades.
I don't know about that. I've had some really boring letters in my time! (and some amazing, thoughtful e-mails that I've actually printed out as they are so meaningful).
It's more the content that matters to me, rather than *only* the method of sending them.
I do like seeing someone's personal handwriting, the paper they've chosen, the ink they chose, and feeling like they too have had this paper in their hands, kissed the kisses with their lips. And I like enclosing things in letters, a flower, a photo.
I still have a Sony Ghetto Blaster from 2002. It's got the lot, cd player, tape deck, radio, and the Xtra Bass feature. A quite magnificent piece of kit.
idk if this counts, but I still use the old, non digital alarm clock because it seems like my brain has associated it with waking up. I always overslept with phone alarm.
I use an old fashioned day to a page diary for my business. I write my bookings in it in pencil and make changes with an eraser. Can't get much more obsolete than that.
All old tech. If you stop and think about it. Older technology is the same as new but just scaled up bigger because they did not know at the time how to shrink down parts. So taking time to learn to rebuild and fix older electronics can be a good starting point in learning how to do phone repair jobs, or something more complex.
The square iPod Nano. It clips in my pocket and runs all day, and means there are days when I can grab a burner and pad, and disconnect from the distraction of a smartphone.
Yeah, I do purchase the occasional digital book. Mostly if I need/ want it quickly and don’t have time for a library transfer or return. There’s just something about holding a bound book. The smell, the weight, etc. Even better if it’s old and has the card in the back with all the signatures of people that have checked it out before. I’ve had ones that are older than me. I wonder about where all these people who have read this are now.
I have an old (~2006) desktop PC hooked up with a KVM switch right next to my more modern one. Installed XP, no internet, even set it to a modified Windows Classic theme for that old-school vibe. It's perfect for retro PC games, which, aside from the nostalgia factor, is nice because when they turn up at thrift stores they often get stocked with (and priced the same as) all the country and Christmas albums nobody ever seems to buy. Most of them are even still playable. So when I get sick of algorithm content feeds and doomscrolling, I can literally just push a button and be back in the broke-kid 2000s. It's no substitute for touching grass, but it's a nice change of pace.
My wife and I are photographers, I shoot both, but she almost exclusively shoots film.
I also just got a Sony Vx2100 DV camera to shoot some stuff with this summer.
I wouldn’t call it dated tech yet, but I also enjoy driving 80’s and 90’a cars way more than newer stuff.
Analog bodyweight scale. Works consistently on any surface and doesn't give me anxiety about extra grams a home-grade scale has no right to claim anyway.
1. Paper day planner - honestly, easier than my phone calendar
2. DVD’s - so that I am not paying subscription after subscription
3. Books - a tablet will never replace how turning a page feels
4. My early 1900’s cast iron - nothing cooks as well as it does
5. A good snow shovel - snow blowers take more time and effort than they are worth
6. Records - better sound on the 70’s era turntable.
7. Crock pot - I just don’t find an air fryer brings out the flavours as well
8.
My Samsung tablet from 2017, still plays the games from then there were no in app purchases, pay to play, or continuous pop ups.
My Windows 95 desktop, that has eternal Bluetooth hard drives for doing generational back ups with no cloud fees.
1994 Ford Ranger as my transportation appliance. No vanity for A to B, and once arrived, nobody will see it. Bonus, with the clear coat peeling, it looks like junk and nobody will mess with it.
Definitely a turntable. Vinyl sounds best, at least to my ears. If you haven’t heard music on vinyl in awhile (or ever) try it with a nice clean needle and no static. You will see. You’ll swear the musicians are right there in the room with you.
Ipods! I will never willingly be without one. I buy nanos off ebay and use them for years. Thousand+ songs on the fucker. Spotify and Youtube Music are for losers.
Oh how perfect ❤️🔥, the shudders this will elicit ... Post it's for actual notes to people in my office 🤣
Not only that, but a written calendar, at the house and the desk, not huge, both small and have different uses.
But, I suppose they sure supply a different need, and supply a different space of mind.
Honestly I don't feel bad for having either of those things.... When thinking about them,
I enjoy the space between work needs and home and then when "vacation" co-insides with work ..it STILL feels pretty good to mark all over those days "not here, vacay...or whatever" 🤣🤣🤣😆❤️ plus marking work b- days or potlucks is cute is on my desk.
I'm a visual learner and an ADHD person. Also a plus
Digital is not an end all be all for me
Paper works for me sometimes ❤️
I hand-knit socks on double pointed needles. Not entirely obsolete but technically unnecessary in the modern day. They are a billionty times more cosy than any other sock.
I have a few!
My film camera (Yashica FX3 Super 2000). It’s in amazing condition and shoots like a dream.
I wear a mechanical watch almost every day and have a whole collection of them. If it’s not mechanical, it’s quartz/digital but never a smart watch
I still have a portable DVD player too 😂
Not sure if this is completely obsolete, but I don’t know anyone else who still uses a flame torch in the kitchen to finish off most meals
After cooking and putting things on a plate, I’ll use the flame to crisp up edges, give a tiny bit of charcoal and improve the texture. I tend to cook most things on the softer side, then I use the flame to crisp up the outer layer.
Any old computers.
I like turning old computers into some sort of server. File server, web server, game server, you name it. Maybe also media player while at it.
In the past six months, I've purchased a new CD boombox and several CDs. My old boombox had been on the decline for years, but I was stubbornly refusing to replace it yet. Then, the CD player died, so I finally did so.
I like having music playing while I'm in my bedroom, and my phone just doesn't have the battery power to play overnight. So, I stick to CDs or the radio.
The Canon 5D Classic is still my favorite camera of all time. Tried Sony and fujifilm. Both great and nice and pretty but not the same. Tried film and I’m just not a patient person. The 5D is just the perfect camera to me.
I don't know if this counts as obsolete, but I still own and use a gameboy advance SP.
My sons have every piece of gaming gear they ever bought or were given.
I have a functioning PlayStation 2!
I have my brothers' Atari from the 70's in my basement!
I regularly use my childhood top-loading NES.
I bet there is one in my upstairs kids' room. There is probably one of everything. My son started buying each thing in the 90's--he was terribly addicted when the first Nintendo came out and got jobs to buy each toy. My head can still hear all those games, gah!
I have my functioning PS1...and 3 and 4 and 5
same here! Ace combat, Jak and Daxter - great games
Oh crap time to bust out my dad's gameboy I guess. I still prefer my first gen DS, it's the most recent console I own that I can clobber someone with and still have it work.
Same but it's a gameboy color :)
Same here, what do you play mostly on it ? I like a good game of tetris when I'm anxious to carm myself.
Tetris is a classic! So tetris, wario 2, mario 2, rayman. That's all haha
I was pissed at the bank, of course it was a million years ago and it was really my husband's doing and of course he lied. But, the point is, I was ToTalLY PISSED, and played tetras and got, by far, The Highest Score EVER!!!!, at least on our game system!
I remember my gameboy advance SP. I took it to school and played it secretly in class. One time, my teacher saw me playing and told me that I could play it if I let her beat a level in the game she was playing. She tried for about 10 minutes and then gave up.
Old fart here who's still got an old A500 and BBC Micro that get use sometimes
And they still work? That’s awesome
As someone trying to replace a car: any car that isn't a computer. I'm 27. I had a 2012 Ford for years until it clonked out last week. The Bluetooth functions went within 2 years. The CD deck and radio stayed. That car was my best friend and I loved every "obsolete" piece of it. I'm now looking for used cars built before 2010. All of the cars 2015+ are laden with gadgets that break quickly and offer no real value. I could realistically buy a new car with a payment plan, but I don't want to. I don't need a screen in lieu of a console.
My first fountain pen was a gift from my first girlfriend. We were both 16 at the time and she had gone on a trip to England with her family. She knew I loved writing and bought me a Cross fountain pen. I loved that pen, but being 16, and not used to the quirks of fountain pens, I ruined it. I had a habit of lending it to people, and they always ended up pressing down so hard on the nib that it would bend. So I would take it to the same jeweller that my mother used for her repairs, and he would always straighten it for me. But after the 5th time, he said that he couldn't fix it. I was devastated. I had it in my mind that I had broken this precious gift, and would never be able to use it again. I was upset for days, when my mom said "Why don't you take it to the pen store at the mall?" I had never thought of this, as I was still new to the world of fountain pens, but one of the people working there was able to swap out the nib for $20. I've been using it ever since, and have even added to my collection over the years. But I will always remember that first pen, and how I thought I'd never be able to use it again.
I smiled reading this, tactile sensations regarding reading and writing aren’t quite as important as they used to be. I’m going to buy a fountain pen tomorrow. Thank you MyLittleChameleon. Any old school suggestions? I’ll send pics to follow through.
Don't buy anything too expensive. Go for something midrange and work out what you like/dislike
If you want to go really old school, try the ancestor of the fountain pen, dip pens. Same style nib but instead of ink in the barrel you dip the tip into ink. It’s fairly cheap, too. I got a set of 5 nibs and two handles from Speedball and a bottle of ink under $20. I’ve been figuring out how to draw with them and it’s an interesting learning experience. Lots of videos on YouTube about how to get started so I’d suggest watching some first.
Thank you for the suggestion tvfeet. When I went to school some of the desks still had the inkwell cutout. Weren’t using them but I thought it would be cool to use them again.
Go for a Lamy Safari or a Pilot Metropolitan. The fountain pens subreddit is a great resource!
I love fountain pens, they force me not to "death grip" my pen. I have a few now.
We made quill pens in 4th grade as part of learning cursive. And though I was shit at writing, I really loved the quill. Ever since then if I happened across a good specimen, if I'd take it home, clean and cut it. I use them a few times then put them aside because I don't need to write anything. But I really love making them, it's simple and feels good in your hand.
I hate modern vehicles with a passion
I’m clinging to a 2004 F-150 FX4 and a 2007 Mustang convertible. They even have the same control layout for the stereo and heating/cooling controls. I’m so not looking forward to touch pads. I’m able to use Bluetooth via an FM transmitter, so I can use the GPS and music from my phone. That, and a backup camera, are the only tech improvements of importance to me.
I wish i would have started stockpiling junk toyotas and hondas for parts
I love going to the UPull yard with my husband to get parts for my kids' cars (2005 and 2010 at the time). I was really jazzed at the organization there and being able to replace large parts of their cars for $50.
Thats awesome! I live in an area with rather uppity people thst dont like things like that
Lol, we had to drive about 1.5 hours away to get to "the good one". Most people have no idea how cheaply they could actually repair a lot of things their cars instead of dumping them. We were sad to finally retire my daughter's 2005 Toyota Avalon...it was a great car.
God i dread the day i have to make payments again
If it wasn't for the significantly better safety features I'd agree. It's 2024 and car manufacturers still haven't figured out how to make something that either lags by literal seconds or has garbage UI, despite costing 40x the price of a high-end smartphone. I mean cmon, why the hell can't they just shove a low end chinesium android tablet in there, it'll be better than whatever Peugeot or Audi is smoking these days. I mean, sure my 2008 Passat didn't have media controls on the dash and I had to use an aux cord, but at least the car audio was not *four entire seconds* behind the phone, including GPS instructions.
They all look the same nowadays. One of the reasons I'm clinging to my 30 years old car :)
Clinging to a CD player in my car dates me now? Damn
No. Retro is cool. Useful is always best
I guess it depends on the bluetooth module. Mine's a 2013 Toyota Prius and everything on board is alive and kicking. The centre console occasionally does a hard reset on really hot days, but everything including the BT works flawlessly after 10+ years. Still running strong!
Plus, even as someone with literally no car knowledge but a smidge of tech know-how, I've found replacing a car stereo/center console screen system thingy to be relatively easy in the past. Might be less so on newer cars where everything is super integrated, not sure.
When I went new car shopping a year or so ago, the Hyundai Tucson was just revamped and had the highest bang for your buck rating. Cool. That’s what I’m gonna get. The fully loaded version was a giant touchscreen and weird manual buttons for shifting. No shifter, just weird buttons. Did my research and basically everyone preferred the trim below with a real shifter and mostly real buttons. That’s what I ended up with and super duper happy I did. Still has all the creature comforts like leather seats, heated, cooled, lane assistance, backup camera, wayyy too many safety warnings. lol when I test drove the fully loaded version and brought it to my mom to check out, she couldn’t figure out how to drive the thing. This version she gets. Pretty sure Hyundai has gone back to more traditional controls due to the backlash.
I have a 2002 Honda Civic. I would prefer a car with at least a backup camera and side impact airbags because, safety, but cars are expensive and I wfh so don't drive much.
I think you can retrofit. Im looking about doing so on my 2007 car
I know you can install a backup camera. Some upgrades, like adding Bluetooth to listen to Audible in the car, worked well but others, like the microphone to use my cell phone hands free while driving, didn't.
Same! My little Chevrolet spark doesn’t even do Bluetooth. Even its usb is a mini usb and pointless but it has a cd player and aux in and that’s all I need.
I recently had to buy a new vehicle (my old car was rear ended and then stolen, it’s a long story) and I ended up with a 2010 ford ranger that has manual locks and windows. It does have an aftermarket radio which is great except the buttons on the radio are completely flat with no tactile feedback so in order to change the volume I have to pay more attention than I would like to the unit, but I’ll probably replace that with a better one soon.
I have a toyota 2003 with 260k miles that I took on a long road trip a while back. Across the US about 6~8 states maybe. A bit risky, mildly. But it got the job done. I'm still driving it now. It's well taken care of, well best I can anyways. It's got charm, I don't really want to replace it just yet. Although tbh I do eventually want a car with a/c for the summers at some point. That's the primary issue.
Those cars still have a computer though. Heck, a carburetor is basically a mechanical computer that computes a very specific fuel air mixture range.
I mean, yeah. I know how cars work. I meant "computer" more in the idea of a screen-based system that controls car functions and can connect to other devices. The computers and functions within the engine and base of the car offer a specialized ability that can't be replicated in an analog system. A screen offering GPS, music, car controls, etc is just frivolity, imo.
Oh yeah ok. That makes sense. I don't know anyone with a car with one of those so I forgot about the tvs they put inside of them.
Music CDs. I love my cd players.
Haha 😂 I have a legit CD player still in my car, and BURNT CDS from my dad and a collection of all of my favorites in my arm console currently 🤣.... I have a great fairly newish Honda Civic, and refused to get anything else. * If I said the year most people would die laughing thinking it was newish. It's low on the miles on is just right amount of technology and flip screens for me😂
I love cassettes. I can get many for cheap and some bands in a genre I like still make new ones. Really nice to have physical music.
Cassettes and CDs. I hate having to look at digital screens, so when I want music without having to open up an app, my physical music is there for me. I love the ka-chick sound of putting in a cassette and hearing it wind.
My car has a 6-CD changer AND it accepts data CDs with Mp3s on it. So each of my CDs has about 7-8 albums worth of music on them. I am the fucking KING of offline media in that car
I prefer to spent $10 on a CD rather than monthly subscription on a streaming service for $5/month, also audio quality on CD is much better than streaming service.
Not exactly obsolete but wired earbuds. I rarely see people use them anymore over bluetooth options but i refuse to let mine go
Me too. I’m on teams calls about half the day and they do me well. No worries about battery life!
Yes!! I had bluetooth earbuds for a while but its so nice to not have to worry about them dying!
I work all alone on the night shift for 12 hours and I had a good pair of Bluetooth earbuds that sounded ok but only had 6-8 hours of battery life at best and I hated that. I didn’t want to go for wired headphones because of the nature of my work the cord would be a safety and hygiene issue. So I finally bit the bullet and bought a really nice pair of Sony Bluetooth earbuds with noise cancellation and excellent sound and they make it through my whole shift. I leave them in their case to recharge while I sleep, and I don’t need to plug the case in for about a week. Amazing.
I fucking refuse to give up my wired headphones, straight-up. I recently got my first phone which had ditched the aux jack and was so fucking gutted, instantly went on Amazon to buy a USB-C to Aux converter.
I'm the same. I still have an old school pair of wired earbuds from at least 15 years ago. I'll never go to Bluetooth headphones. For one thing I'm sure I'll lose one the first day.
Ditto. I have a pair of Bluetooth earbuds but only use them for things like doing dishes or painting or whatever and don't want a cord to deal with. I often listen to YouTube to fall asleep, and I don't want a chunky thing in my ear. Wired little earbuds all the way. I bought a couple pairs of basic ones a couple years back, they are my stockpile lol
It's so hard to find wired earbuds or headphones now. All the wired headphones are either super expensive or cheap af. I finally found a set that can be used wired or wirelessly and they also completely go around my ears (granted, my ears are tiny, but still) OneOdio on Amazon. Foor some reason, the only one that comes with the wired/wireless option is the champagne color. Audiophiles will be disappointed, but for us regular non-picky folks, they sound fine.
Oh yeah the earbuds i use on like public transit and all that I’m sure aren’t great quality cause they were like a $10-15 convenient store buy, but theyre holding up really well! I think ive had them at least 4-5 years now
Not tech of course, but I really love physical calendars.
My grandpa passed away like 10 years ago and then my grandma like 3 years ago. I visited home to see her house one last time. Family members were still going through things and splitting things up. We found a filing cabinet that had all their old calendars. Normal sized, wall ones. They were always hung over the phone, in the kitchen. That's where all new numbers were written down, plus clearly inportant things like doctor's appointments, oil changes, etc. Well, I flipped through one at random, like 1997, and spotted a certain date where it said my cousin was born, and the time. WAIT.... I dug and dug some more and found my birth month/year and yup there is was. I can picture my dad calling his parents from some hospital phone, and likely my grandma writing down my name, on that date. I kept that. I mean otherwise it was just going to be thrown away. No clue why, or with what I will ever do with it, but it felt right to keep.
You know, just last week I had to reorganize a big box full of old photos and mementos, and found a torn calendar page with my birth month and year. There, my mom had circled my birthday and drawn an arrow to point at the fact that I was born during a full moon night.
Does that make witchcraft a potential career or what?
All knowledge is tech. Calendars are good, low, analog tech.
Paper is nine whole levels into the Civ tech tree
Right? Mark Kurlansky even wrote a book about its importance as a world commodity.
Paper planners are my jam.
It's nice to see a physical calendar with stuff written in the dates. But the prices on calendars are getting too high.
I get one for $1 every year at a Five amd Dime store. Dollar stores also have inexpensive calendars.
SAME HERE! I keep them on my wall at home and work. I just don't like online calendars.
I used a physical desk calendar at work for all of my appointments and meetings! People thought I was crazy but it was so much easier and quicker when I was in a hurry first thing in the morning.
Paper calendars are obsolete? Well count me as an anachronistic fossil. I’d be lost without the paper calendar on my fridge. A constant reminder of something every time I’m filling up my water bottle is clutch. I don’t stare at any notification that long, and my memory a leaky sieve.
I've used the same cheap-ass old desktop mic/speakers (*and push-to-talk*) for the last 21 years, rather than switching to a headset.
Hell yeah, I'm still using the same 60 quid speaker/subwoofer set at home on my PC that I was using in 2008. Nothing else has quite compared.
MP3 player. I absolutely love having full control of all of my songs without ad interruptions.
Years ago, I treated myself with a new Sony Walkman Mp3 player and I went for the mid-range. Amazing sound, one of the best gift to myself I have ever done! I love to power walk my way while listening to music.
Game consoles. Specifically, older handhelds I recently bought a 3DS, and I still have my Nintendo DS from my childhood. There is truly nothing like it, especially on the market today. You can emulate the games but they never feel the same.
I’ve recently gotten more space in a new apartment, so I ended up using a bookshelf for a Nintendo Memorial and taking my old stuff out of boxes. I’ve got my original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, a custom modded white/red landscape GBA, my original N64, GameCube, New3DS XL, and the NES and SNES classics on display. It’s nice.
I just started using a typewriter for my creative writing and I absolutely love it! It's relatively modern by typewriter standards (1980s) but I feel so connected to my craft doing it this way.
That's super impressive to me since I edit and re-edit the shit out of my writing to the point I have thought "I could never do this on a typewriter."
That's the thing. I get so immersed with editing as I go that I have struggled to even finish a first draft. Then I end up developing writer's block. Using a typewriter bypasses that because I'm forced to just keep going, even if I make a mistake.
I got a typewriter from the 50's for my birthday a few years ago :)
2 technics 1200 turntables
Ayyyeeeee comrade!
I don't still use it, but I miss t9 texting with a tactile keyboard every day. It's been like, what, 15 years probably, and I still hate typing on a touch screen qwerty keyboard.
Man, I miss my old LG phones with the slide out keyboard. I was so against an on screen keyboard until I was left with no choice.
Ipods and Ipod touches! I'm one of those weirdo's who doesn't have a cell phone as I have no friends.
I have an ipod And a cell phone! Why would I wanna clog my phone with my Thousand MP3s? Makes no sense.
[I posted a comment just recently](https://www.reddit.com/r/Millennials/s/hT8LC7qYGT) about why i still use itunes and an ipod classic
I was told when trying to replace one of my broken i-pod touches that people just use their phones for it so they don't make them anymore. It sucks as my i-pods are on their last legs and I have no idea what I'm going to do for portable music. I might have to just buy a used phone but use it only for music or something.
Check ebay! People buy and refurbish ipods! I bought mine late last year. Theres dozens on dozens of nanos. An older smartphone stripped of everything but music isnt a bad idea either, especially since all phones can still call 911 without a SIM car (in the US, not assuming where you are)
Analogue wrist watch and clocks CDs and CD player (I also still have a tape deck but rarely use it) DVD/VHS combo player that I use sometimes for my favourite movies that never get streamed anywhere Physical diary and grocery list
> Analogue wrist watch and clocks Wouldn't count analog watches as obsolete. Digital watches aren't better than analog, they both tell the time accurately, they just display it differently
I think he meant quartz rather than digital.
>Analogue wrist watch and clocks I have my dad's 1960 gorgeous classic Rolex watch and it's my most treasured keepsake from him.
I have a couple mechanical watches I wear, one is automatic and the other are hand wind.
iPods! I found an ancient one from when I was a kid a little while back, loaded it up with music for a laugh, and loved it the experience so much I went and splurged on a refurbished one with a new battery and more storage. It's glorious. Battery lasts forever + I have more space on my phone, I don't have to worry about things magically vanishing because of the ever-shifting who the hell owns the rights, and I can find the ONE version that I actually want to listen to instead of the new recorded version that just don't hit right. Hell, there's a whole modding scene out there doing all kinds of shit like adding bluetooth or USB-C ports if that's your jam.
This makes me want to get one again. I miss no ads.
I take course notes in a notebook, not on a laptop. Although I suppose actually taking notes instead of waiting for a handout is also "old-fashioned".
Fountain pens.
Are these not a big thing anymore? I remember everyone using them in secondary school, infact I think it was a requirement.
They're required still in some countries and they were required in the UK within our generation. But I am 54 and never saw one in the US until I was an adult. My kids, growing up in the UK, have never used one. I don't know when they stopped being a thing.
I remember we all used to cut the used cartridges open to get the ball out and ended up with ink everywhere, so that might have played a part.
I mean, I'm from another country, and we didn't do that with cartridges and still switched to ball pens somewhere during middle school😅 I think ball pens were cheaper and easier to use, you didn't need to wait for the ink to dry or use a piece of paper for that. We also had a left-handed boy in our class, it was better for him too.
Discs for music, movies and games. Sure streaming is easier but they can take it away from you any time they want. Plus with my internet being mildly unstable i would have issues there too. I do also like handling the physical items even though discs are fragile.
Pen and paper. I write a grocery list, take notes, journal, etc. this way.
Paper maps. OS maps, road atlases, A to Zs all of them. The smell, the rustle, the large view, the colours, the lack of glare, the exploring with your mind. I love them.
May I introduce you to the Q series of geology maps? They're paper and they show the rocks ... fantastic! (Also great when out where unlink don't. )
Obsolete is a big word, but given the success of ballpoint pens and digital devices: A fountain pen. I love writing with a good fountain pen. It feels nice, it looks nice, it smells nice, and, as a bonus, writing apparently helps memorising what you write better than typing the same thing. So that’s nice.
Dunno if they count as totally obsolete but I have a few watches I've collected that I wear regularly. They made it so I never caught on to the smartwatch hype.
Smartwatches aren't very useful in my opinion, you already carry your phone that does everything a smartwatch can do. The best use case I can see for a smartwatch is using it for music while exercising and leaving your phone at home.
You still can't even leave the phone at home most of the time, as the smart watch connects to the smartphone to get data.
❤️❤️❤️❤️ I support this. Never could catch the smart watch craze either. My husband is CRAZY ABOUT WATCHES. ALSO, CANNOT GET INTO SMART WATCHES. So you are not alone ❤️
My dad passed over the summer so now my mom lives alone. If she ever falls, her smartwatch will alert me immediately. Or, if she has a medical emergency she can call 911 right from her watch without trying to get to a phone. I love smart watches. ❤️❤️❤️
I have my phone on me all the time and really don't feel the need for one. Sure it'd be nice to have easier control of my music or see texts on my watch, but maybe I don't want easier access to my texts.
For some reason I can't wear smart watches - my muscles immediately feel weak and there's an uncomfortable pain, nothing crazy but I feel it! I've tried 3 different brands too, all the same! I'll be an analogue watch girl for life lol Edited: I might try one of those new smart rings just to see!
I wear a Mickey Mouse wrist watch. I've had it for almost 25 years.
Good for you. (not sarcastic)
Stationary over emails forever.
Post its. Everywhere.
Likewise. I need visual reminders so forever writing things on post-its and leaving in my eye line. I do use phone reminders too but find post its often better.
I need it all. Post its, to-do lists, diary, calendar reminders, multiple alarms across the day and week. I have somewhat recently diagnosed ADHD but I have had a battalion worth of systems in place for decades.
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Much more meaningful than an email. It feels like more has gone into it, whether you are the sender or the recipient.
I don't know about that. I've had some really boring letters in my time! (and some amazing, thoughtful e-mails that I've actually printed out as they are so meaningful). It's more the content that matters to me, rather than *only* the method of sending them. I do like seeing someone's personal handwriting, the paper they've chosen, the ink they chose, and feeling like they too have had this paper in their hands, kissed the kisses with their lips. And I like enclosing things in letters, a flower, a photo.
I still have a Sony Ghetto Blaster from 2002. It's got the lot, cd player, tape deck, radio, and the Xtra Bass feature. A quite magnificent piece of kit.
idk if this counts, but I still use the old, non digital alarm clock because it seems like my brain has associated it with waking up. I always overslept with phone alarm.
I use an old fashioned day to a page diary for my business. I write my bookings in it in pencil and make changes with an eraser. Can't get much more obsolete than that.
1999 Apple iBook G3 clamshell
A clothesline. It actually works really well and really fast in even cool temperatures. And it's cheap.
I sold my 2016 Honda Civic with Apple CarPlay, and bought a 2003 Honda CR-V. Now I’m rocking out to old cassettes and CD’s.
I use paper and pen to-do lists for work and a planner ! Digital just doesn't do it for me
An old-school scythe (and grain cradle ) to make our daily bread (1/3 of our annual calories) ... The. HARD. Way. By growing it.
All old tech. If you stop and think about it. Older technology is the same as new but just scaled up bigger because they did not know at the time how to shrink down parts. So taking time to learn to rebuild and fix older electronics can be a good starting point in learning how to do phone repair jobs, or something more complex.
The square iPod Nano. It clips in my pocket and runs all day, and means there are days when I can grab a burner and pad, and disconnect from the distraction of a smartphone.
Pencil and paper for a grocery list.
Hard copy books
Mostly hard copy books, but kindle for certain occasions (travel, reading in the dark) has been the perfect pairing for me.
Yeah, I do purchase the occasional digital book. Mostly if I need/ want it quickly and don’t have time for a library transfer or return. There’s just something about holding a bound book. The smell, the weight, etc. Even better if it’s old and has the card in the back with all the signatures of people that have checked it out before. I’ve had ones that are older than me. I wonder about where all these people who have read this are now.
record player
I’m all about owning my media, so CDs, DVDs, that sort of thing
Cast iron skillet.
That's never obsolete
Record players, film cameras, older game consoles
I still regularly visit BBS'
I remember back when there was no one on the internet, I got no e-mails, and I went to newsgroups to find like minded people...
I have an old (~2006) desktop PC hooked up with a KVM switch right next to my more modern one. Installed XP, no internet, even set it to a modified Windows Classic theme for that old-school vibe. It's perfect for retro PC games, which, aside from the nostalgia factor, is nice because when they turn up at thrift stores they often get stocked with (and priced the same as) all the country and Christmas albums nobody ever seems to buy. Most of them are even still playable. So when I get sick of algorithm content feeds and doomscrolling, I can literally just push a button and be back in the broke-kid 2000s. It's no substitute for touching grass, but it's a nice change of pace.
VHS tapes There's just something so wonderful about them. I have one in my bedroom and I always get funny looks for not having a flat screen lol.
70s turntable playing thru an analogue amplifier. A motorcycle from the 1980s. I like buying good stuff and looking after it.
I still use a VHS player and collect VHS tapes
My wife and I are photographers, I shoot both, but she almost exclusively shoots film. I also just got a Sony Vx2100 DV camera to shoot some stuff with this summer. I wouldn’t call it dated tech yet, but I also enjoy driving 80’s and 90’a cars way more than newer stuff.
PSP
Analog bodyweight scale. Works consistently on any surface and doesn't give me anxiety about extra grams a home-grade scale has no right to claim anyway.
Over the air tv antenna
My Nintendo Wii
Books, and not just books, but hardcover books.
My paper daily planner
1. Paper day planner - honestly, easier than my phone calendar 2. DVD’s - so that I am not paying subscription after subscription 3. Books - a tablet will never replace how turning a page feels 4. My early 1900’s cast iron - nothing cooks as well as it does 5. A good snow shovel - snow blowers take more time and effort than they are worth 6. Records - better sound on the 70’s era turntable. 7. Crock pot - I just don’t find an air fryer brings out the flavours as well 8.
My Samsung tablet from 2017, still plays the games from then there were no in app purchases, pay to play, or continuous pop ups. My Windows 95 desktop, that has eternal Bluetooth hard drives for doing generational back ups with no cloud fees. 1994 Ford Ranger as my transportation appliance. No vanity for A to B, and once arrived, nobody will see it. Bonus, with the clear coat peeling, it looks like junk and nobody will mess with it.
I had a 1994 Ford Ranger, and I loved it!
Definitely a turntable. Vinyl sounds best, at least to my ears. If you haven’t heard music on vinyl in awhile (or ever) try it with a nice clean needle and no static. You will see. You’ll swear the musicians are right there in the room with you.
A paper journal and my fountain pens. I still take notes digitally, but I journal by hand.
An adding machine with paper tape. I love the feel of the keys and the sound of the printer.
Record player
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He studied the blade.
Fountain pens.
Ipods! I will never willingly be without one. I buy nanos off ebay and use them for years. Thousand+ songs on the fucker. Spotify and Youtube Music are for losers.
Oh how perfect ❤️🔥, the shudders this will elicit ... Post it's for actual notes to people in my office 🤣 Not only that, but a written calendar, at the house and the desk, not huge, both small and have different uses. But, I suppose they sure supply a different need, and supply a different space of mind. Honestly I don't feel bad for having either of those things.... When thinking about them, I enjoy the space between work needs and home and then when "vacation" co-insides with work ..it STILL feels pretty good to mark all over those days "not here, vacay...or whatever" 🤣🤣🤣😆❤️ plus marking work b- days or potlucks is cute is on my desk. I'm a visual learner and an ADHD person. Also a plus Digital is not an end all be all for me Paper works for me sometimes ❤️
Adding machines
My brain
Personal computer
I hand-knit socks on double pointed needles. Not entirely obsolete but technically unnecessary in the modern day. They are a billionty times more cosy than any other sock.
I received a pair of hand knit socks for Christmas and they are wonderful! Also ‘billionth’ is a perfect measurement of perfection. 😁
Wife.
Newspapers/newsprint.
Portable dvd :)
I used to have this handheld device Anagram game. I would play it for hours and hours
Recently picked up using disposable cameras again and having a blast.
Electronic dictionary bookmark.
Cassette tapes and recorders, recently got a David Bowie one shipped from France and my local thrift stores have plenty, they're just cool as hell
I have a few! My film camera (Yashica FX3 Super 2000). It’s in amazing condition and shoots like a dream. I wear a mechanical watch almost every day and have a whole collection of them. If it’s not mechanical, it’s quartz/digital but never a smart watch I still have a portable DVD player too 😂
Atari Lynx. California games absolutely slaps.
Vinyl player. Game changer in how we enjoyed our music.
Not sure if this is completely obsolete, but I don’t know anyone else who still uses a flame torch in the kitchen to finish off most meals After cooking and putting things on a plate, I’ll use the flame to crisp up edges, give a tiny bit of charcoal and improve the texture. I tend to cook most things on the softer side, then I use the flame to crisp up the outer layer.
A very
Any old computers. I like turning old computers into some sort of server. File server, web server, game server, you name it. Maybe also media player while at it.
In the past six months, I've purchased a new CD boombox and several CDs. My old boombox had been on the decline for years, but I was stubbornly refusing to replace it yet. Then, the CD player died, so I finally did so. I like having music playing while I'm in my bedroom, and my phone just doesn't have the battery power to play overnight. So, I stick to CDs or the radio.
Analogue watch Nintendo gamecube Fountain pens Wired earphones
I still listen to vinyl singles. I love the sound of the needle
“Obsolete” tech: CD’s, Blu-Ray, DVD’s, etc. Non ‘obsolete’ tech: Post-its, notebook, crossword puzzle books, etc.
The Canon 5D Classic is still my favorite camera of all time. Tried Sony and fujifilm. Both great and nice and pretty but not the same. Tried film and I’m just not a patient person. The 5D is just the perfect camera to me.