When new technology is released, we snatch it up, and a month later we can’t visualize what life was like without it. But consider the technology that it replaced? We tend to forget about it as it fades into history. For instance, the telephone: our phones today do so much and landlines are swiftly getting eliminated. Yes, many people still use them but it’s not difficult to envision a near future where they’ll be gone completely from households.
Here’s a glance at various other key pieces of technology that were once significant and are now on their way to becoming obsolete. In fact, a number of these gizmos might become useless during the next 10 years.
Fax Machines: It seems like this should have been completely replaced by email a few years ago but it’s still hanging on. Most people can’t stand sending a fax now-a-days, but there was a time when this was groundbreaking.
Newspaper Classified Ads: The Huffington Post recently listed newspaper classified ads as an endangered species. That’s largely due to the online garage sale that is Craigslist. By providing people the ability to advertise their used futons for free, Craigslist delivered a fatal body blow to newspaper-classified sections across the nation.
Film-Based Cameras: It seems like film-based cameras are on their way out as well. People have a deep love for traditional film so it has taken a while for people to completely transition to digital. But with digital cameras, you can save all your pictures digitally and easily distribute them over the Internet without needing to save negatives. Even Kodak has seen the consequences of this change. There is no arguing that generally we are going to leave behind film-based cameras.
The Calculator Watch: In its short-lived life; the calculator watch was a well-loved item. It made it easy to always have a calculator handy when you needed one. When cell phones with built in calculators came into existence, the calculator watch went out the window. It’s pretty clear why PCWorld listed it as an obsolete technology.
The Video Arcade: The video arcade might be dying as well. Older gamers remember hoarding quarters so they could later feed them into Pac-Man and Space Invaders consoles at their local malls. Those days have ended, though. Gamers today prefer experiencing their video adventures from the convenience of their own homes.
Take IT Away 