What piece of
outdated technology
do you miss the most?
It’s easy to make fun of those folks who stubbornly cling to antiquated technologies, whether it’s because they refuse to accept the march of time or like what their stance says about their character. These are the folks who collect 8-tracks and VHS tapes, the writers who still insist on using a typewriter, the craftspeople who refuse to touch any tool with a motor. But as technology moves at a pace we’ve never experienced before, it’s becoming much easier to understand this impulse to scorn progress, especially if we’re certain it marks a step backward rather than forward.
I remember the first time I heard about CD technology. How amazing the discs seemed and how clear the sound was when my uncle bought a player for his stereo system. A few years later I had my own player and slowly started building a collection of albums. A few years after that I had a portable version. Around that same time I became able to make my own discs. Then several years after that I bought my first iPod and suddenly the weight of all those discs became a burden they never were before. I’d walk around and see a person who still had a cassette walkman and it felt like they might as well be walking around with a victrola on their shoulder. Now rumour is that the iPod is soon to be no more and my entire music collection lives in a place called the “Cloud” where I can access it whenever it suits me.
We’re looking at about 25 years there, which these days seems more like a lifetime than a blink of an eye in terms of how fast the way we do things is changing.
Are you good with this? I personally haven’t reached the point of “enough is enough!” that hits a lot of people once the changes they encounter cease to make sense or seem practical to them, but it’s probably coming.
Is there a piece of technology we’ve started to shed from our lives that you don’t want to give up? One that is gone that you wish you could have back? Or are you content with the way things are and look forward to seeing what’s coming next?
Photo courtesy of Brian
At a tangent, I don’t mind the march of technology – I’m not in thrall to it, but do appreciate the benefits it brings. My issue is that the fun and value has been lost. I’m thirty five, so I remember making tapes, mini discs, buying vinyl. My father and I are music nuts. As an artist, I loved ripping the cellophane off and exploring sleeve artwork. Same with my prized collection of videos. But I could probably fit my entire media on an HD that fits into my pocket, and if I can’t; I will next year. I loved… Read more »
I don’t mind digital books. I have a record of what I have purchased and they have a contract that says they will replace any and all of my purchases. What I hate, however, is touch screen technology. We have all of these oils on our hands and faces so whenever our skin comes in contact with a device it automatically gets dirty. I like buttons. With buttons I can accurately type in what I actually want to say/do and it works. Touch screen technology is constantly making mistakes. In words typed, in numbers dialed. So I miss that. I… Read more »
Call me a Luddite, but I’m definitely not okay with losing physical media such as books, CDs and DVDs. I don’t want Amazon or Apple or anyone else having even the theoretical chance of “accidentally” crashing and causing me to lose my lawfully-purchased music and movies, or to “accidentally” leak my personal information. I want a CD that I can hold in my hand, liner notes I can read at my leisure, the ability to share the music I love with others as a mix or via lending of the physical media. And what of the sensual experiences that only… Read more »