Technology seems to come in and out faster than a record-breaking track start. As soon as a new gadget is released (which happens constantly), another becomes obsolete.
What was once groundbreaking feels tired within a few years—just ask that pile of old cellphones in your junk drawer.
When asked, “What technology or gadget was all the rage years ago but now feels like a relic of the past?” the internet shared all the nostalgic devices that we just need to say goodbye to.
These are the once-popular gadgets that have lost their appeal:
1. Pagers
“I always wanted one of these. I’m glad I didn’t get one because I would have had the disappointing realization that absolutely nobody would be paging me,” reflected one person.
Though pagers are synonymous with old technology, there are still several jobs that require them for their reliability. The internet chimed in to add that doctors, firefighters, and others in medical services still use the devices regularly because of their reliability and ability to be used in areas where cell phone service doesn’t reach.
2. Segways
Remember when Segways were all the rage? “Segways were going to change the world. They did not” simply put one individual of the bulky personal transporter.
Joked another, “Mall Cops have this market cornered!”
3. Cassette Tape to Aux Adapters
“Those 3.5mm jack -> cassette tapes which were (mindblowing) at the time. Seeing those makes me feel old now!” wrote one individual.
Said another who recently used the dated device, “As someone with a 2001 Acura, I used these all the time before I ended up just buying a Bluetooth speaker for my car.”
4. The Blackberry Phone
Before iPhones cornered the market, the Blackberry was the trendy device to have. “I remember being on a plane the first time I saw a guy with one. I assumed this was the pinnacle of technology!” exclaimed one person.
They were addicting, as one user described, “It could access the Internet, and you could easily type. I was a night security guard and spent almost all of my shift commenting on forums. Push notifications didn’t exist, so you had to constantly refresh to get updates. Definitely addicting.”
If you know a Boomer who is still using a Blackberry, you might want to send them this list of text message symbols so they can understand exactly what you’re trying to text them!
5. The Palm Pilot
Like the Blackberry, the Palm Pilot felt like the cool device to have at the time. Nowadays, they’re far behind the current technology smartphones have.
Said a former Palm Pilot owner, “I had a couple of them over the years. Talk about tech I didn’t need at all but found uses for, anyway. More like just tech for the sake of tech.”
6. 3D Televisions
“Talk about the extra accessories needed to get the early 3D HDTVs to work. Talking glasses, batteries for the glasses, and a transmitter to sync it up. If you have more people over than you have glasses, (it’s bad) to be the people without glasses.
“On paper, it’s a major win for the TV makers. You have so many add-on accessories you can sell with the TV, and keep selling things to keep it going. Generally, (when) people buy a TV, they are not expecting to keep buying more stuff for it.”
7. MiniDisc
“I bought one of the first MZ-1s in NYC and blew my entire life savings (at the time) to do so, setting the stage for a lifetime of financial mistakes but stylish media,” said one commenter.
Another described their experience, saying, “I got my mini disk player pretty late in their lifespan, but I loved it. I remember having at minimum three albums worth of songs on a single disk. It didn’t require me to have a CD burner, as I could transfer onto the disks directly. I don’t remember it skipping at all. I was blown away when I found out how old the technology was and that people were buying Discmans instead.”
8. CB Radios
“I believe that the Smokey and the Bandit movies really popularized them. My group of friends in high school had them well into the 90’s. Before affordable cellphones, we could all go out on weekends and chat en route.”
Many responders pointed out that truck drivers still frequently use CB radios and that they’re nice to have in emergencies.
9. iPods
Those candy-colored MP3 players no longer grace Apple’s minimalist stores. “I’m still disappointed that these went away. I like having a purpose-built MP3 player, not something I need a phone for. I feel like there’s still some sort of a market for it.”
This article was written and syndicated by What the Fab.
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Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
